After attendance on this course, candidates will recognize and understand the importance of understanding our customers expectations and perceptions, along with understanding the benefit of using SLAs effectively as a service quality improvement tool. Critically, candidates will learn about the importance of a reward and recognition strategy and identify some different methods of reward and recognition. Specifically, this course covers the following key Service Desk and Support Management Skills:

• Course Overview and Introduction
• The Strategic Role of Support
• Essential Management Skills
• Developing and Promoting the Service Desk
• IT Service Management
• Quality Assurance
• Effective Management of Tools and Technology
• Staff Recruitment, Retention, and Development
• Leadership and Management
• Professional Development

The SDI qualification is an open qualification standard that is independent of any other training curriculum. SDI is the administrator, facilitator, and arbitrator of the standards. The exams are independently administered and proctored.

Module 1 - The strategic role of support

• Role of the service desk
• The activities of the service desk
• Successful service desk characteristics
• Vision and mission statements
• Goof practice and best practice
• Service desk and best practice
• Business standards and Industry standards
• Service ethics
• Social responsibility

Module 2 - Essential Management Skills

• Essential skills and competencies
• Routine responsibilities
• Strategic responsibilities
• The importance of documentation
• Business knowledge
• Strategic alignment
• Obtaining support to remove barriers and board approval
• Commercial management
• Financial management
• Business cases
• Organizational change management
• Elements and characteristics of project management
• Communication skills
• Effective presentations
• Negotiation

Module 3 - Developing and promoting the service desk

• Effective working relationships
• Personal networking
• Building effective work relationships
• Contributing to IT/Business objectives
• Conducting assessments
• Analysis techniques
• Sourcing models
• Outsourcing the service desk
• Promoting the service desk
• Managing stakeholders expectations

Module 4 - IT Service Management

• Objectives of ITSM
• IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
• Incident Management
• Request Fulfillment
• Problem Management
• IT Change Management
• Release and Deployment Management
• Service Asset and Configuration Management
• Knowledge Management
• Information Security Management
• IT Service Continuity Management
• Service Catalogue Management
• Service Level Management

Module 5 - Quality assurance

• Quality assurance program and practices
• Customer feedback
• Service desk bench-marking
• Monitoring interactions
• Monitoring benefits
• Incident and request monitoring
• Call monitoring
• Support delivery model variables
• CSFs, KPIs and metrics
• Resource management

Module 6 - Efficient management of tools and technologies

• Service desk infrastructure
• Common service desk technologies
• IT Service Management systems
• Automatic Call Distribution (ACD)
• Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)
• Support tools and methodologies
• Telephone support
• Deskside support
• Electronic support tools
• IT self-service and self-help
• Self-healing tools
• Cloud computing
• Social media
• Social collaboration

Module 7 - Staff recruitment, retention and development

• Recruitment
• The interview process
• Structured induction and training
• Skills and knowledge
• Retain staff
• Measuring satisfaction and engagement
• Staffing strategy
• Common staffing pitfalls
• Staffing models

Module 8 - Leadership and Management

• Characteristics of effective management
• Activates of effective management - Planning
• Activates of effective management - Organization resources
• Activates of effective management - Direct, control and co-ordinate
• Characteristics of effective leadership
• Motivations of effective leadership
• Benefits of motivation and motivation factors
• Maintaining a positive environment
• Improving performance
• Reward and recognition
• Providing direction and focus
• Teamwork
• Friendly and supportive workplaces

Module 9 - Professional development

• Professional development assessment
• Professional development methods
• Personal development
• Coaching
• Mentoring
• Stress management

Although there is no mandatory requirement, ideally candidates should have at least three years of professional experience working at the supervisory level within a Service Desk or support team. This course is ideal for both new Service Desk and Support managers and those who are established but wish to understand the latest approach and techniques for Service Desk best practice. The SDI Service Desk & Support Manager course would suit candidates working in the following professions or areas:

• Support Managers
• Service Desk Managers
• Client Managers
• Desktop Managers
• Customer Support Managers
• Technical Support Managers
• Service Center Managers

The above list is a suggestion only; individuals may wish to attend based on their own career aspirations, personal goals, or objectives. Delegates may take as few or as many Intermediate qualifications as they require, and to suit their needs.

There are no prerequisites to attending this Service Desk & Support Analysts course, although it is recommended that candidates should have a good understanding of service desk activity and objectives.