CASE STUDY: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council SECTOR: Local Government

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1 CASE STUDY: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council SECTOR: Local Government MSM ITSM Software is a key tool for Stockport Council ICT in the drive for continual service improvement and efficiencies MSM integrated IT Service Management software solutions have been adopted by organisations across many diverse sectors worldwide; from public services to publishing, from travel to telecoms and from entertainment to education. Introduction Stockport Council is one of the ten Greater Manchester local authorities which form the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA). Stockport Council provides a range of key services to 284,600 residents across a diverse borough. The services include education, social services, housing, planning and transportation, community and leisure services, environmental health, and finance. With a net annual revenue budget for 2011/12 of over 229m and full and part-time staff of almost 9,000 people, the Council is a major organisation and the largest employer in the Borough. ICT provides Corporate Information and Communications Technology services across the Council and to key business partners. This includes providing and supporting: 4,000 PCs, laptops and tablets Corporate data network Corporate telephony and mobile devices 300 ICT systems for the Council and its business partners Technical provision of the Council website - public access to information and services 24/7 ISO/IEC After many years of following the ITIL best practice framework, Stockport Council ICT decided to seek ISO/IEC certification in There were a range of solid business reasons behind the decision to do so, but first and foremost it was based on a strong desire to improve the quality of services that it provided to its customers. Page 1 of 9

2 ISO/IEC is an international quality standard for IT service management. It describes an integrated set of management processes for the effective delivery of services to the business and its customers. It ensures that reliable, repeatable and measurable processes are applied consistently across the organisation for the benefit of the customer. There is a strong emphasis on integrated services and improvement and certified bodies are regularly assessed by external auditors to ensure that standards are being maintained during the lifetime of the award. Very early in the project to achieve ISO/IEC certification it became apparent that the existing service management software system, which was basically a call recording and job distribution system, was in fact a significant, inhibiting factor. Stockport Council ICT quickly realised that they would need to invest in a more contemporary system that had been developed around the concept of IT service management and ISO/IEC if they were to make any headway towards achieving ISO/IEC accreditation. Why MSM Service Management Software? Kasia Dean, ICT Systems Support Manager, explains why: The IT market is very competitive and offers a broad range of service management tools that claim to support ITIL and ISO/IEC but after careful consideration and in depth research, Marval s MSM product proved to be the one that would meet our current requirements and offered future growth and development. It was crucial to us that apart from the standard MSM product suite, there was a range of supporting products and services that in the longer term would help us not only to maintain the ISO/IEC standard but continually improve as an ICT service provider. We implemented MSM as planned and on schedule in August The implementation was very successful as we had worked very closely with Marval and also invested in staff training that was conducted by the experienced Marval Training and Consultancy staff. The implementation has matched our expectations and the product features and customisation has been the key factor in achieving accreditation to the ISO/IEC standard. Since the implementation we have also utilised the web self-service portal and created ICT self-service pages that are now heavily used for logging a variety of the service requests. These were designed following the detailed analysis of the types of calls that come through on phones or s to the ICT Support Team. Currently about 25% of all service requests are logged this way and we continue to put time and effort in developing them further. We also customised the Menu so it has links to the ICT related pages that are useful for our customers. (See screenshot overleaf) Page 2 of 9

3 Customer web self-service portal powered by MSM We have also encouraged other departments in our organisation to use this product so we are all working using one platform. We have provided the product overview and offered support in set up and training. The outcome was that other Directorates in our organisation decided to use Marval MSM as their service management tool and eliminated the need to buy other systems. This in turn resulted in savings in the implementation and training costs, and the reduction in licence costs achieved through bulk purchase. Currently, 40 people in other Directorates use MSM and also follow the ITIL best practice framework. In order to review if they are happy with the product and to see if it is still fit for their purpose, we have conducted a short survey and got a very positive feedback (see appendix 1). We continually review the way those workgroups use the tool and continue to provide support and training. Throughout our journey to ISO/IEC accreditation Stockport found the following services offered by Marval particularly beneficial and useful: The Marval support team are a real asset and a great help with every query and issue we may have The training and consultancy team that have provided the training for staff and also the process owners (e.g. Incident, Problem, Change, Service Level Management) Customer workshops that give the opportunity to keep abreast with the product development and to network with other organisations that use Marval MSM products Dedicated account manager and regular meetings that help both Stockport Council and Marval to maintain a close professional relationship. Page 3 of 9

4 What about the future? The introduction of Marval MSM has had a very positive impact on the whole ICT department as we have come to use it as our main repository for records, documents, processes, knowledge management, audit information, evidence and so on. All ICT staff use this product (90 people). Marval MSM was a fundamental part of Stockport Council s ISO/IEC certification. It continues to be an essential part of the service management system and it will play a major role in Stockport ICT s bid to be re-certified under the new ISO/IEC (2011) version of the standard. Stockport Council ICT is also assessing the value of certification under ISO/IEC (Information Management Security System) and it is clear that MSM will be the cornerstone of this project. Times are changing rapidly in local government. The current economic climate is challenging all local councils to become more efficient and to save significant sums of money and resources. MSM software is a key tool for Stockport Council ICT in the drive for continual service improvement and efficiencies. It is versatile enough to accommodate new ways of working such as flexible, mobile, remote and homeworking, and partnership working, whilst still facilitating effective management and control of its ICT landscape. Page 4 of 9

5 About Marval Marval is committed to the ongoing development of integrated IT Service Management (ITSM) software, consultancy and education. It is a single-source supplier for all your ITSM needs, designed to improve service quality, productivity, customer satisfaction and reduce costs. MSM - an ITIL process compliant and ISO/IEC compatible, integrated software solution ensures a reliable IT and service infrastructure, increased productivity and adaptability in service provision. It has been implemented by organisations across many diverse sectors worldwide. MSM is used by internal and external support and by providers of outsourced and managed services. Marval is a major practitioner, innovator, thought leader and contributor to Best Practice and standards in ITSM and is co-author of ITIL and ISO/IEC It has been helping customers deliver service excellence since 1989 and understands what it takes to become a world-class service team. Marval is an ISO/IEC registered company supporting internal and external customers to international standards. Contact us now to discuss how you can improve your service Marval and MSM are Registered Trade Marks of Marval Software Limited. The Swirl logo is a trade mark of the Cabinet Office. ITIL is a registered trade mark of the Cabinet Office. Marval also recognises the trade mark rights of any 3rd party trade mark owners mentioned in this document. Page 5 of 9

6 APPENDIX 1 ICT Service Management Tool - daily support and help for Directorates workgroups Success supporting information and customer testimonials: ICT Support invited its customers to answer the questions below about the MSM tool and its impact on their day-to-day operations and service. 1. Does it support your business needs? Revenues & Benefits Department - Yes it has been a great help. Social Care Department - Yes, it does but we are just in the process of implementing it. Stockport Homes IT - Yes, it helps the Stockport Homes IT team support IT service provision to all Stockport Homes staff. Financial Services - Yes this definitely supports our business need. As the team who support and maintain all the Council's financial systems (SAP, PECOS, PARIS and Webseries) it is a good way for us to record and monitor our internal customer requests. We have over 1000 system users to support. 2. How does it help you on a day-to-day basis? Revenues & Benefits Department - It enables us to efficiently manage a large number of varied jobs. Social Care Department - I am currently in the process of setting up a new team to support social care workers in Services to People Directorate. Having used the tool as our helpdesk systems within Services for Adults department, I am very keen to continue using the tool as it helps me to monitor the calls received into our team which will identify training issues which can then be addressed, which in the long term will save time and money. Stockport Homes IT The tool allows the Stockport Homes IT team to have an overview of the IT requests being logged daily by Stockport Homes staff. The self-service pages enable staff to log and monitor their requests via a web browser. This means that Stockport Homes IT staff Page 6 of 9

7 receives fewer direct calls to the team and are therefore able to concentrate their efforts on more strategic objectives that would benefit the organisation as a whole. Financial Services The tool helps us to record the support and maintenance requests of our internal customers. We can monitor how many calls and the type of calls we are getting and we always know what work is outstanding. By reviewing call information we can look to develop our processes and systems to make the user experience of the financial systems the best possible. The system is a good way for the team leader to monitor and allocate the work of the staff and the notes functionality is good for the team leader to use for triggers to aid staff dealing with the call. 3. What benefits does it give to your service? Revenues & Benefits Department - It allows us to vet jobs directed to us, to prioritise these, allocate work to individuals and transfer work between individuals as required. It makes logging jobs with ICT easier. We can monitor our workload and throughput, and keep a record of each job and how we have solved problems. In addition, it automatically communicates with our customers by when the job is logged or solved. Social Care Department The tool enables me to monitor my team s workload, report accurately and produce statistics which we have used for the ICS Review recently. The system is very flexible and ICT is excellent at configuring the system. It is able to produce the best for individual teams as well as make changes to the current set up, if after using the system certain descriptions/process used do not fit. Stockport Homes IT - As mentioned above Stockport Homes IT staff can redirect their efforts on enhancing key systems and can gain a true picture of the IT support requirements of the organisation. This can assist in identifying areas where users may need training or awareness raising around particular issues. The reporting received monthly from the tool helps Stockport Homes monitor the service levels being received. Financial Services - Our users have a call reference to refer to, so if they require information or an update on the call, it is quick and easy for us to retrieve and respond. It is an excellent communication tool between team members who can see what a colleague has done with a request. If an issue re-occurs then it is useful to be able to look back at previous jobs to aid the resolution. We also have service level agreements with affiliated companies so we can report back to them on the service level we are providing with regards to service calls logged and resolved. Page 7 of 9

8 4. Why did you choose it? Revenues & Benefits Department - We were unable to source any other job logging software. Social Care Department - Because we tested Marval MSM when working with the Services for Adults team and we found it was fit for our purpose. Stockport Homes IT - Originally we had a separate tool for logging requests for Stockport Homes staff, however this led to some confusion for staff as they were uncertain who to call for what services. Also having a separate system meant that where required we couldn t easily reassign requests that had been logged on the wrong system. All the information had to be entered again and two lots of reporting were required. Financial Services - As the tool was already well established for all the Councils' ICT Support it was thought that this would work well for the financial systems team. As we were a newly established team with many new processes and procedures to implement, using the existing system was a great benefit as it didn't require too much set up work from us and we could start to use it in its current state with the support of ICT team. 5. Is the service received from ICT with regards to the training, your requirements, etc adequate? Revenues & Benefits Department - Yes our training was tailored to our needs. Social Care Department Yes, training has been tailored to the needs and will improve usability for the team. Stockport Homes IT - Monthly service review meetings are held with ICT where any issues highlighted are addressed and resolved. Feedback from Stockport Homes IT staff is discussed and this has led to enhancements in the tool. Where urgent issues require attention ICT Support is contacted directly when necessary and oversees the resolution of such issues. Financial Services - The service with regards to support of the tool (initial training and ongoing support) has been excellent. ICT Support is always enthusiastic to help and provides good information on how to best utilise the tool s many functionalities. We feel that we can approach ICT Support for support no matter how big or small the query may be. 6. Has it saved your business/directorate any money? Revenues & Benefits Department - It has undoubtedly helped my team manage a heavy workload in a much more efficient manner on a day-to- Page 8 of 9

9 day basis and we did not have to procure a new system and pay for training, support or maintenance costs. Social Care Department Yes, because the cost to my team has been minimal as we have one concurrent licence with maintenance. This is a big saving as we did not have to procure a new system. Stockport Homes IT - There have been efficiency savings that have arisen through the use of the tool. IT support requests are being channelled correctly which has led to a faster resolution for more support requests. The use of the self-service pages for staff means that staff can log calls and monitor them as and when needed leaving them to focus more of their efforts on areas more important to our customers. It saves money because we did not have to maintain and pay licence costs on a different tool. Financial Services - Yes, there are cashable and non cashable efficiencies as we use the same system that is already well established. We are also following good IT practice and standards. In addition we did not have to buy a new system so saved on licences, support and maintenance costs. Page 9 of 9