Helpdesks of the Future or Past?

I was just looking at an entry that Jeff Kuhns posted on his Strategic Planning Page regarding how we approach Help Desks in the next 5 years.

I have always thought we could do better in how we provide service at our help desks. I want to clarify this right away in saying I'm not talking about the people involved in any way, I'm talking about the work flow and how we deliver the help or services! Basically getting the right people to the right place at the right time, to intercept the person needing help and delivering quality service.

This may go a bit far for some to agree but hear me out and maybe we can glean some worthwhile approaches from a totally different perspective (or is it?).

As many of you know I'm a paramedic and had worked as one for about 20 years while still working here at PSU. What I'm going to describe is what I had a hand in developing for a 6 county Emergency Medical Services (EMS) council well over a decade ago. Computer Aided (Assisted) Dispatch (CAD).

The concept of computer aided or assisted dispatch is far from new, with most if not all 911 centers in the country applying similar procedures and practices. For those not familiar with these procedures, the use of the computer, GPS, two way radios, cell, wireless, etc... is to streamline the decision making process and dispatch the correct emergency services to the proper location in the least amount of time. An integral part of this process gives the caller or patient a person to talk to prior to the arrival of more highly trained personnel. Having the person stay on the line is not only to help ease the person's mind or offer life saving assistance, it allows for updates to the responding agency(s). And in the worst case scenarios provides instructions for life saving procedures.

Here's how it plays out, pay attention to how we could use some of this work flow. A telecommunications officer answers the 911 call by saying " 911 what is your emergency", this is done to take immediate control of the call and requiring the caller to answer questions. The caller says my significant other is having chest pain. Immediately the person answering the call knows that it's an EMS related emergency. This call can then be transfered seamlessly to the EMS Telecommunications officer, typically in the same room. This person at the console in front of him has the telephone number and address of the person calling on the screen, and can dispatch an ambulance in seconds while still talking with the caller. There is a book or screen on the multi-monitor console that the tele-communicator can type "chest pain", and get back the steps (in flowchart format) in which they can convey to a lay person the initial life saving treatment. If there are updates the Telecommunicator can update the responding units and prepare them for arrival. Only upon the arrival of the emergency responders is the call disconnected. This provides the seamless delivery of services and hopefully a very positive experience for all parties involved.

This was just a quick scenario of something that goes on each day but with a bit of a different slant. How many times have you received a call at a help desk and it was as if they should have called the 911 center?

Ok, why can't we use this model in the next several years to improve the overall service we give to our students, faculty and staff? I know it takes money and time to develop but it may be worth it. The biggest problem I see are the disconnects between help desks and the hesitation of looking at a central approach. A single point of contact for all may be much more palatable than a bunch of different numbers to call with the person needing the help trying to figure out when and where to call. You will have a (The) knowledge base available and may be able to assist the caller without passing it on to the next help desk. And if you have to pass it on you have a flow chart on the screen or in a book that shows when a college, department or other ITS help desk is open and staffed to answer the question. If it's during normal business hours the call can seamlessly be transfered to the appropriate help desk with the caller never being dropped until there are three people on the line to agree that the outcome of the call will be handled at that location.

Let me hear what you think?