Service Desk Staffing Ratios How Many Analysts Do You Need? One of the most common questions I hear from IT support managers is “How many analysts do I need for my service desk?” It’s a great question, but one that is rarely answered adequately. The result is that many service desks are not staffed properly because they do not follow any sort of proven methodology when making headcount decisions. Instead, they rely on “gut feel” or “instinct” when it comes to service desk staffing. In this whitepaper, MetricNet defines a methodology for determining the appropriate analyst headcount for the service desk, and provides a link to a Headcount Calculator for rightsizing the service desk. Using MetricNet’s headcount calculator, your service desk can be assured that it will be staffed to meet the needs and expectations of its customers, while simultaneously delivering services in an efficient, fiscally responsible manner. The Service Desk Staffing Fallacy A common misperception in the service desk is that the user population alone will define the number of analysts needed. This approach wrongly assumes that the ratio of the service desk analysts to the number of users supported is fixed. For example, 3 service desk analysts are needed for every 1,000 users. The error in this approach is that no two user populations have the same needs, and therefore no two user populations generate the same workload. As such, staffing decisions in the service desk should be based upon workload, not user population. Consider the example of a financial services company with a corporate staff of 5,000. The device count for this user population is as follows: To continue reading or to download the whitepaper, you must become a member. Membership is free and sign-up only takes a moment. Click the sign-up button below, complete the short form and checkout. No credit card is required and your membership never expires! Sign Up Already a member? Login
