servicedesk

A service desk is the primary point of contact between a service provider and its users for day-to-day activities, incidents, and requests. In information technology service management (ITSM), it acts as the single point of contact for reporting issues, requesting services, and obtaining information about IT services. The service desk coordinates incident management, service request fulfillment, and user communication, and it escalates issues to specialized support when necessary. It aims to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible while minimizing business impact.

Channels include telephone, email, web portals, chat, and self-service portals. Desks may operate locally, centrally, or follow-the-sun to provide 24/7 coverage. Staff are typically service desk analysts or first-line support and use knowledge bases and automation to resolve common requests.

Core processes include incident management to restore service, request fulfillment for standard requests, knowledge management, and escalation. Service desk coordinates with problem management, change management, and configuration management to minimize disruption and maintain service quality. ITIL and ISO20000 provide common practices for structuring service desk operations.

Key performance indicators include first contact resolution, mean time to restore, incident backlog, SLA compliance, and customer satisfaction. Benefits include faster issue resolution, standardized handling, improved user experience, and better alignment of IT with business needs. Challenges include staffing and training, tool integration, maintaining knowledge, and measuring value.