Service desks not keeping up with shift to mobile

New research by LANDesk Software reveals that employee demand for mobile devices in the workplace is increasing at a faster rate than IT professionals are able to support. Out of 1,000 IT end- users surveyed, 83% now want to create service desk incidents or requests via their mobile device, yet only 24% are able to access self-service systems in this way because their employers do not have the technology to support it.

These results highlight how deeply mobile devices have been adopted by employees into working practices and that this comes with an expectation for related support services, in a similar way that employees can access support by desktop PC. The research suggests many employers are lagging behind the demand when it comes to providing effective support for their mobile employees. If BYOD is to enable employees to be more flexible and productive, businesses will need to match BYOD policies with appropriate IT support, or the increase in productivity expected may be limited.

While access by mobile device may be limited, the research reveals that, overall, 86% of respondents have access to self-service IT support via PC, highlighting industry-wide recognition of its value in providing better service to users, at the same time as reducing costs and improving efficiency.
‘‘Mobile devices have become so integral to how employees work that it’s worrying to see so few businesses enable employees to report IT problems via mobile devices. Businesses will find their employees more willing to embrace services if the way they are requested goes hand in hand with the way they work, ’’ said Ian Aitchison, Director of Product Management, LANDesk. ‘‘In the drive to cut costs and boost efficiency, its important businesses don’t lose sight of what makes the end-user tick. The service desk is the support system for the whole business. As employees evolve and adopt new technologies to support them in their work, businesses are well advised to support these technologies to maintain productivity levels and streamline interactions between the employee and the service desk.’’

The research also surveyed 10,000 IT professionals, with the findings revealing they have seen positive results from desktop PC self-service despite the limited availability of mobile. Of those surveyed, 85% stated that some or all of the objectives driving self-service have been achieved, with the main benefits identified as reduced call volumes and a better user experience. Of those who don’t have self-service in place, 83% want to implement it and nearly half (47%) already have a roll-out plan in place to adopt self-service imminently.

‘‘Enabling end-users to take more control of their interactions with IT delivers tangible benefits, as it simplifies and improves exchanges between IT and the end-user by removing the frustration of multiple calls to the service desk. It is encouraging to see that IT decision-makers are continuing to invest in self-service capability, ’’ concluded Aitchison.