This month we depart from our usual format, and instead of discussing a single metric I will explore the cause-and-effect relationships between desktop support KPIs. A companion article to this one, which explored the cause-and-effect relationship of service desk KPIs, was published in the November 2012 issue of Industry Insider. Cause-and-Effect for Desktop Support KPIs Many of us have heard the sage advice “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” This is particularly true for desktop support, where effective performance measurement is not just a necessity, but a prerequisite for effective decision-making. Despite the widespread belief in this statement, few desktop support groups use KPIs to their full potential. In fact the vast majority of desktop support groups use metrics to track and trend their performance – but nothing more! Unfortunately, in this mode desktop support misses the real value of performance measurement by failing to exploit the diagnostic capabilities of KPIs. But the true potential of KPIs can only be unlocked when they are used holistically, not just to measure performance, but also to diagnose and understand the underlying drivers of performance. The key to using KPIs diagnostically is to understand their cause-and-effect relationships. You can think of these relationships as a linkage where all of the KPIs are interconnected. When one KPI moves up or down, other KPIs invariably move with it. Understanding this linkage is enormously powerful because it provides insight into the levers you can pull to achieve desired outcomes. The diagram in Figure 1 represents the desktop support KPI linkage, and will be central to our discussion today. The metrics shown in red have been the subject of past Metric of the Month articles, which can be found in the archives of the Industry Insider. To continue reading, 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
