Creating a Process to Improve Continuity in IT Support Services
Ekblom, Mats (2018)
Ekblom, Mats
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2018052911004
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2018052911004
Tiivistelmä
As the Team Leads of the IT case company are encouraging employees to engage in job rotation, the business challenge is that every now and then people are leaving from the First Level Support Team to other units inside the company or even to other companies. This disrupts the continuity of the first level support services. Therefore, the objective of the thesis is to create a process to capture knowledge and skills from outgoing employees to orientate incoming employees more effectively.
The case study method with the qualitative research approach was chosen to carry out this study. The research design included five key stages: the objective, the current state analysis, existing knowledge, building the proposal and validation of the proposal. Data was collected in three stages through interviews and workshops.
As a result of the current state analysis, strengths and weaknesses related to current practices and processes were identified. Based on the findings in the current state analysis, relevant literature was explored to form the conceptual framework of the thesis. The proposal was built based on the findings of the current state analysis and the conceptual framework, and suggestions by informants. Naturally, the proposed suggestions can be fully validated only after they have been tested in action. Therefore, the thesis validation was done based on the gathered feedback from the Directors and Team Leads. The suggestions were presented step-by-step after which the informants had the opportunity to comment and either validate the suggestion or decline it. As a result, all the suggestions were validated to be tested in action.
The outcome of this thesis is a proposal for capturing knowledge and skills from outgoing employees to orientate incoming employees more effectively. If implemented, the business impact is that the continuity in the support services increases as knowledge management, and orientation and learning practices are improved through quality management.
The case study method with the qualitative research approach was chosen to carry out this study. The research design included five key stages: the objective, the current state analysis, existing knowledge, building the proposal and validation of the proposal. Data was collected in three stages through interviews and workshops.
As a result of the current state analysis, strengths and weaknesses related to current practices and processes were identified. Based on the findings in the current state analysis, relevant literature was explored to form the conceptual framework of the thesis. The proposal was built based on the findings of the current state analysis and the conceptual framework, and suggestions by informants. Naturally, the proposed suggestions can be fully validated only after they have been tested in action. Therefore, the thesis validation was done based on the gathered feedback from the Directors and Team Leads. The suggestions were presented step-by-step after which the informants had the opportunity to comment and either validate the suggestion or decline it. As a result, all the suggestions were validated to be tested in action.
The outcome of this thesis is a proposal for capturing knowledge and skills from outgoing employees to orientate incoming employees more effectively. If implemented, the business impact is that the continuity in the support services increases as knowledge management, and orientation and learning practices are improved through quality management.