KPIs are useful because they help managers to get a better idea of what exactly is happening. It would be difficult to monitor the performance of agents in technical support companies without using key performance indicators. Supervisors and managers would simply not have enough information to decide on a good course of action. The organization would stagnate or even backslide. All in all, smart, effective management requires the use of tools such as KPIs.
Consider the example of a technical support business to illustrate how the KPI strategy is conceptualized and implemented. Now, the use of key performance indicators is just a tool, and should not be the basis of the entire management strategy! Rather, the very first step in any good strategic management approach would be to formulate goals and objectives for the organization.
The most general of these would be the organizational vision, which is just a short statement of what the organization would like to eventually become. For instance, in the example, the vision might be "An innovative, dynamic technical support firm providing timely and reliable aid to its continuously growing network of clients." Then comes the specification of this vision into the different departments and aspects of the organization. These more specific goals should be aligned with the vision by management.
KPIs should be closely linked to the objectives. Ideally, the KPIs selected should be able to monitor all of the important aspects regarding the achievement of these objectives. For instance, given the vision formulated by the hypothetical technical support firm above, some pertinent objectives for the support agents might be to deal with inquiries quickly and efficiently. In this instance, the average handling time would be a key performance indicator. This is the time it takes an agent to complete an inquiry. Another objective could be to improve the technical skills of agents. Relevant KPIs for this objective might include training hours per employee, test scores on training evaluations, and so forth.
Once you have chosen the right key performance indicators, the challenge is keeping track of them all. This is why it is important to choose the most relevant KPIs. It becomes increasingly difficult for people to keep track of increasing numbers of KPIs. It can become more trouble than it's worth, especially if the KPIs weren't well chosen.
The above examples of technical support KPI are just intended to give a glimpse of the utility of the KPI concept. With some good thinking, strategic management WheelHouse IT of any organization could become more effective by using key performance indicators.
IT operations are crucial to the success of your business and how reliable your clients view it. If you have a larger company, an on-site server, VOIP telephone system, or automated backups, your choice of an IT partner is crucial to keeping your business afloat.
Modern businesses depend on IT for almost every aspect of their day to run. Networks facilitate services and operations, email and phone systems connect businesses to their customers, any disruption to any part of this structure can result in productivity grinding to a halt.
It is difficult to choose the right IT support company partner. There are many factors to consider. Below are a few key factors to consider before selecting your IT partner.
Response
It is a fact that things can go wrong. No matter how well-maintained or up-to-date your antivirus protection or software, there are always risks. Whether it be a hardware issue or just plain human error, how your IT support company responds to emergencies should be a crucial aspect of your partner choice. It is crucial that you are confident that your IT support company can quickly respond to any emergency. This could mean the difference between a minor inconvenience that your clients don't even notice and a major problem to your business.
How your IT support partner deals with your major emergency issues separates the good IT support providers from the bad ones.
Level of Service
Hopefully your IT support company responding to emergencies is not a service that you will use very often, it is more likely that the everyday service you receive from them will be an indicator of how highly you rate their support. Do not be deceived in this area. A good IT partner will offer more than just a quick response to minor issues that may arise for your company and employees. Your partner should be able to provide training for you and your staff, ensuring that you are using your systems, correctly, efficiently and to their full capabilities. They should also offer sound advice on how your business IT infrastructure can be improved, streamlined and how it cam grow to your advantage in the future.
Flexibility
Do not judge an IT company based on their suitability for your business. If your business is like many others, then you most likely hope that it will grow. So make sure you choose an IT partner who is flexible enough to adapt their services to your needs as your business grows. Building a good working relationship with your IT support partner is essential to ensuring that you don't need to chop and change IT companies.
Experience
Look for a company that has been in business for a while. IT support companies that don't deliver when things go wrong don’t tend to survive very long. The sad truth is that they often just start a new business and provide the same poor service and response. Look at their testimonials, and if possible, speak with their clients. Experience of dealing with IT issues and getting systems back on track with minimal disruption is a factor that shouldn't be overlooked.
Value
Do not choose an IT company solely based on its price. The budget that you have available for IT will obviously play a large factor in who you select to look after your IT requirements but before selecting a company because their basic level of services suits your budget make sure that the level of these services meets your requirements. Once you have found a company providing the services you require at a price that fits your budget then compare this with other IT companies. Remember that cheap doesn't always mean value for money.