Chapter 2
Introduction to
Computer User Support
Learning Objectives
• What the job market demand is for user support
employees
• Common ways organizations provide a user support
function
• Services that user support groups provide
• Typical position descriptions for user support staff
members
• The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to
qualify for an entry-level user support position
• Career paths for user support workers
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Fluctuations in the Need for
User Support Employees
• Increased demand during 1990s due to:
• Growth of end user computing in offices and homes
• Growth of Internet use
• Lower unemployment rates
• Shortage of well-trained IT workers
• Slower growth during early 2000s due to:
• Economic recession
• Overseas outsourcing of support positions
• Contracts with temporary employment agencies
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Employment in
Information Technology
• Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)
report (2003):
• Workers in Information Technology
• Workers in Technical Support fields
• Technical Writers
• Open positions (2000)
• Open positions (2003)
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e
10.3 million
1.9 million
.5 million
1.5 million
.5 million
4
User Support
versus Technical Support
• Computer user support is a job function or department
•
in an organization that provides information and
services to employees and/or customers to help them use
computers more productively
Technical support is a level of user support that focuses
on higher-level troubleshooting and problem solving
• user support deals with a broad spectrum of support issues
• technical support deals with difficult and complex problems
users encounter
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Alternate names for the user support
function in organizations
• User Support
• Client Services
• Technical Support
• Computer Help Hotline
• Hardware/Software/
•
Network Support
Support Services
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• Help Desk
• Client Support Services
• Computer Assistance
• Call Center
• Information Center
• Computer User Services
6
Ways that organizations provide a
user support function
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Informal Peer Support
• Peer support is an informal level of user support
• coworkers in an organization or department exchange
information and provide assistance about computer
use and problems encountered by other users
• No special training or preparation required
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User Support Combined with Other
Responsibilities
• Responsibility for user support is formalized in
•
an existing employee’s position description
Can make significant demands on worker’s time
and compete with other assigned tasks
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User Support as a Separate Position
or Group
• Frequently occurs when part-time, informal peer
•
support cannot meet support demands
Alternatives:
• Full-time support position
• Organize part-time workers into a user support
group
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Help Desk Support
• A help desk provides a single point of contact for users
in need of technical support
• Manages customer problems and requests and provides
solutions-oriented support services
• May be a:
• physical location
• a telephone number (hotline)
• an e-mail address
• an online chat session
• a Web site
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User Support Center Operation
• A user support center provides a wide range of
services to an organization’s computer users
• Consulting on product purchases
• Training and documentation on supported products
• Help desk operation
• Troubleshooting assistance
• Also called an information center
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User Support
as an IS Responsibility
• Support is provided:
• directly by technical IS staff
• by a separate group within IS
• Advantage:
•
Provides single point of contact for
problems
Disadvantage: Conflicts with other IS employee work
assignments
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User Support Outsourced
to a Vendor
• Outsourcing involves a contract with a vendor
that specializes in support services
• Advantage: Controls costs while taking advantage of
external expertise
• Disadvantages:
• Relies on telephone, e-mail or Web contacts rather than on-site
access
• Costs are predictable, but not necessarily lower
• Little transfer of knowledge to in-house staff
• Lack of personal relationship between users and support staff
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Common User Support Services
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Common User Support Functions in
Organizations
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Staff a Help Desk, Hotline, or Chat
Session
• Respond to requests for product information
• Market products and services
• Provide solutions to problems
• Receive and log user complaints about product
•
features
Handle warranties and product returns
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Provide Technical Troubleshooting
Assistance
• Deals with intractable problems that
–are beyond the immediate services a help desk can
provide
–need a high level of expertise
• Examples
• Hardware problem diagnosis
• Repair, replace, fix, provide workarounds for difficult
applications software and network problems
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Locate Information
to Assist Users
• Access, search for, locate, and work with
•
information to solve a problem
Resources
• Printed materials from vendors
• Trade and text books
• Online help
• CD-ROM databases
• Internet Web sites
• Automated telephone voice-response units
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Evaluate Hardware, Software and
Network Products
• Issues to evaluate:
• Increase Productivity?
• Compatible?
• Timing?
• Useful features?
• Cost effective?
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Coordinate Organization-wide
Support Standards
• Support Standards are lists of computer
•
products that an organization recommends to its
employees and that it will support
Goal: To limit the hardware and software
products a support staff must be able to support
to reduce support costs
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Perform Needs Assessment and
Purchase Assistance
• Also called a needs analysis
• Investigate and determine the features and
configuration of hardware and software that will best
meet a user’s needs
• May also include
• justifying the purchase
• how to place an order
• how to pay for the system
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Provide
System Installation Assistance
• Purpose: efficient use of staff resources
• Strategy: User support staff have tools and
expertise to unpack, set up, install, and configure
a system
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Provide Training on
the Use of Computer Systems
• Goal: To make effective use of a new or
•
upgraded system
Examples
• Basic, introductory classes
• How to use new software
• Advanced training
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Prepare Documentation on Computer
Use
• Training is one-time – documentation is always
•
available
Example documents:
• Introductory, “how-to” manuals
• Tutorials and reference manuals
• Organizational computer use guidelines
• Online documentation, such as FAQs and wizards
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Perform Computer Facilities
Management Tasks
• Computer facilities management tasks include
• Maintain security
• Make media backups
• Prevent viruses
• Deal with ergonomic problems
• Purchase supplies
• Perform preventive maintenance
• Goal: keep computers operational on a daily
basis
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Assist Users with
Software Development Projects
• To solve specific business problems or meet information
•
•
•
requirements
Software development is a potential source of conflict
between IS department staff and support center staff
• Compatibility
• Design standards
• Documentation
• Security
Emphasis is on assisting users with applications development,
rather than developing applications
Provided to a limited extent by many user support centers
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Calpine Corporation’s
Desktop Support Technician
• Provide support to end users
• Install, maintain and upgrade systems
• Provide network connectivity
• Provide help desk services
• Write documentation on procedures
• Troubleshoot problems and maintain PCs
• Maintain communications with end users
• Analyze need for new technologies
• Track PC hardware and software inventory
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Stream International’s
Support Services Representative
• Provide telephone support
• 7 hours per day
• 10 to 40 calls per day
• Help customers with technical problems
• Work as part of a team
• Research technical problems
• Sell products
• Work with technical specialists on difficult problems
• Meet high performance standards
• Become an expert on a product
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St Petersburg Junior College
Network Technical Support Specialist
• Combines network support with user support
• Provide technical support to resolve network problems
• Act as liaison between end users and IS management
• Install, maintain and troubleshoot end-user computers and
•
•
•
peripherals
Assist with network design
Perform preventive network maintenance
Research solutions to technical and business problems
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Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
(KSAs)
• Analyze position descriptions for KSAs:
• Knowledge – what do I need to know
• Skills – what do I need to be able to do well
• Abilities – what special tasks or skills do I need to be
able to perform
–Note: the difference between skills and abilities is
blurred in everyday use
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Knowledge
• What an employee must know
• May be stated as:
• specific number of years of education
• a degree in a specified field
• list of topics
• Examples
• Knowledge of basic computer operation
• Knowledge of application software package (e.g.,
Excel)
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Skills
• Tasks an employee must be able to perform well
• Can be attained through practice or experience
• Examples
• Skill in troubleshooting hardware and software
• Skill in configuring desktop computers to optimize
performance
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Abilities
• A special task or skill a support specialist either
•
•
has or does not have
Often state as ability to perform a specific task
Examples
• Ability to lift 50-pound boxes
• Ability to communicate with users in Spanish
• Ability to work as a member of a team
• Ability to write documentation
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How to get KSAs
• Few support employees have every KSA they
•
need on day 1
Learning resources:
• Employer training and orientation classes
• Continuing education
• On-the-job learning
• Community College classes
• Vocational-technical school classes
• Industry training and certification classes
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Alternative Career Paths for User
Support Workers
• Computer Programmer/Developer
• Network Support Technician
• Web site maintainer
• User Support Manager/Supervisor
• Project Manager
• Trainer
• Technical Writer
• Computer Security Specialist
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Chapter Summary
•
•
•
•
•
•
The job market demand fluctuates for user support
workers
Organizations provide a user support function to
employees and customers in different ways
Users need a variety of support services to be productive
Position descriptions for user support staff in various
organizations include common duties and
responsibilities
Entry-level support jobs require a combination of
knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs)
Several alternative career paths are available for user
support workers
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