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Agile, compliant, suitable: the outstanding support for software solutions

Publié le 5 December 2018

IT support is the customer’s point of contact when he needs to be guided in the use of the software or when he encounters a difficulty in its handling. From this interaction comes a privileged relationship where the client embraces the position of user, the commercial relationship being temporarily set aside. The IT support therefore permeates upstream processes of the company and represents a strong potential for added value. What are the key differentiators that turn IT support into an outstanding service?

A for agile, an IT approach for an IT support. What could be more ideal for IT support management than the application of a process which primary principle is:

“1. Customer satisfaction through early and continuous delivery of valuable software”*

 *Manifesto for Agile Software Developments (2001)

Indeed, focusing on the client satisfaction will ensure a better collaboration with the user. The application of the Agile paradigm allows to keep the customers’ real needs in sight. In fact, one of the major risks during software development is to disconnect from the market reality and no longer respond to customer requests.

An appropriate evolution of the software can only be possible if there is a link between the client’s expectations and the development teams. The exploitation of IT support as a resource requires the organization of regular functional meetings and face-to-face work. This gathering of teams around the Product Owner ensures cross-functional and technical coordination. This set of measures goes along with the application of internal team values such as proactivity and autonomy.

IT support benefits from a very specific relationship with the customer. By helping users overcome their difficulties and by maintaining contact with them, IT support becomes an asset for the Product Owner’s referral. Organizing functional meetings allows for efficient inter-pole communication. In the end, customer requests are taken into account and processed as quickly as possible.

Objective: 100% compliant. IT support cannot manage customer requests efficiently and quickly without a tool. IT support compliance is based on the use of a support management tool that complies with the GDPR. The objective is to guarantee the security of users’ data and the protection of their privacy. A compliant support tool must meet a number of criterions. Beyond security policy requirements, it is strongly recommended to select a tool which hosts data in the European Union. Several solutions are available on the market, a data protection oriented benchmark allows to integrate high level standards.

Open source as a source of inspiration?Indeed, tools are made available by the development community and are freely accessible on the web. The advantage of selecting an Open Source tool is to be able to install it on the company’s own servers, thus increasing data protection and limiting data access to the company’s personnel. In addition, Open Source allows the development of a solution adapted to the specific needs of the company.

The training and awareness-raising of the IT Support team on data protection as set out in Article 39-b of the GDPR must be carried out by the person in charge of data protection within the company. These measures are intended to prevent abusive or irrelevant practices on user data. A way to strengthen the good practices of support teams is to promote the increase of user’s competence by limiting assistance interventions on their workstation. This approach is beneficial for both parties.

My tailor is rich. Finally, it should be noted that an outstanding support service does not only solve the user’s problem, but it also aims to provide a high-quality service. Personalizing the service by “tailoring” solutions to the user’s needs is a crucial asset in customer satisfaction. Adopting a proactive attitude and responding quickly and effectively to a situation is the guarantee of a personal investment and better collaboration with the user.

The golden rule is to ensure that customer satisfaction is respected in all situations. This satisfaction requires the implementation of an approach that guarantees innovation and efficiency combined with an increase in the quality of service. It is also ensured by an ethical approach that promotes the development of users’ skills through a suitable service provided by competent and motivated support teams.In other words, the key concepts of an outstanding support for software solutions are: agile, compliant and suitable.

 

Sources :

https://www.cnil.fr/fr/reglement-europeen-protection-donnees/

https://agilemanifesto.org/