topdesk magazine 2012 issue 1

7/31/2019 TOPdesk Magazine 2012 Issue 1

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Trends: Incident registration at schools /Add-on: RTF Document Creator /TOPdesk customer events 2012

Sustainability isnot a trendTwo FM experts share their predictions for 2012

More in this issue:

April 2012, Issue 1, Volume 14


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Party

Ill probably be very stressed by the time you read this. My birthday

is in June, so Ive had more than just my full-time job at TOPdesk

to keep me busy the past few weeks: Ive been acting as a facility

manager for my own birthday party. Ive been saving up change

for parking tickets, Ive rented chairs and Ive even stocked up on

extra toilet paper. Organizing birthdays is a gargantuan task. I

dont know how mothers manage it . They make a special birthday

hat, sort out a Spiderman or Barbie cake, make up games andsomehow nd the time to bake pancakes for all the little guests.

I feel accomplished when I manage pineapple and cheese chunks

on a stick.

The true heroes of organization are the professional facility

managers, though. They manage to keep entire companies

functioning every day, from snacks to toilet paper. Better yet,

they even make it seem easy! This issue of TOPdesk Magazine

focuses on the Facility Manager. Two experts tell us more about

the trends in this branch. You can also read about how a handful

of TOPdesk employees are organizing customer events in both the

Netherlands and the UK.

Im about to shut down my PC and slip back into my role as party

planner. Though maybe I ought to hire a professional facility

manager after all

Enjoy your read,

Nienke Deuss, editor-in-chief

6

21

EDITORIAL


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4

TOPdesk, Mavim and BureauHoving & Van Bon kick offnew collaboration

As of December 2011, TOPdesk, Mavim and Bureau Hoving & Van

Bon have joined forces. This new collaboration, which combines

their accumulated process and service management expertise, has

resulted in a module based entirely on the ISM method (Integrated

Service Management). The introduction of this module makes the

ISM method available for the SME and mid-segment markets. Bureau

Hoving & Van Bons ISM method is the standard method for setting

up and improving IT management. The ISM framework that makes

up the ISM method comprises a concise process model with only

six processes. It is based on ITIL and SLA and has been completely

integrated into TOPdesk and Mavim software.

What it comes down to is the customer getting access to an

immediate solution, says Wim Hoving, director of Bureau Hoving

& Van Bon. The detailed process model helps achieve good results

quickly, which will help build support within the organization. Now

that TOPdesk and Mavim support the ISM method, things will only

get easier and more straightforward for the end user.

Want to stay up to date?

To stay on top of the latest TOPdesk news

and service management developments,

follow us on Twitter via

@TOPdesk and @TOPdesk_UK.

@TOPdesk

A selection of our recent tweets:

@TOPdesk_UK: Always nice to

hear that our customers have

nominated us for the Service

Management Product of the Year

at the NCA 2012.

@MeeMeijer: Had an interesting

talk this morning with @topdeskabout tooling for functional

management #bisl #bim - all in

one tool doesnt seem like the best

solution

@TOPdesk @MeeMeijer The

solution lies in good integration

possibilities and the right tool

combinations.

@DinadeJonge 2nd

consultancy day, successful

SSD implementation #Topdesk

I&A, HRM and FH, collaboration

improving as we speak

TOPdesk customersatisfaction survey

Last month, TOPdesk held a customer satisfaction

survey among 2,000 of its European customers.

TOPdesk scored an average of 7.8 (on a scale of 0

to 10) for overall customer satisfaction.

We also received plenty of useful suggestions

to the question How can TOPdesk as an

organization help you even further? We are

currently processing all the answers, and will look

into which improvements we can implement.

Keep up the good work! was a frequent answer,

which we consider a compliment to be proud of.

We want to thank all the participants for their

feedback! It helps us improve our product and

the services we provide.

91 PERCENT OFTHE RESPONDENTS

RATED US WITH A 7OR HIGHER!


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UK

May15, 16 & 17

Facilities Management Show |

NEC, Birmingham

24 & 25

Demo days |

TOPdesk ofce, London

June13

TOPdesk on Tour |

Tower of London, London

20 & 21

SDI Conference |

Staverton Park, Daventry

BELGIUM

May22, 23 & 24

REALTY | Tour & Taxis, Brussels

31

IT Service Management demo day |

TOPdesk Belgium bvba, Antwerp

NETHERLANDS

May15

TOPdesk Symposium |

Chass Theatre, Breda

24 & 25

EFMC | Copenhagen, Denmark

Shows in UK and Belgium a success

This years Service Desk and IT Support Show was held on 24 and 25 April at

Earls Court in London. It proved to be a successful day for all involved: the

TOPdesk stand had an unprecedented number of visitors, and TOPdesk CEO

Wolter Smits presentation on managing HR service desks was positively

received. TOPdesk was delighted with all the great responses received

during the show is looking forward to meeting everyone again next year.

On 28 and 29 March, the rst Belgian Tooling Event attracted over 5,000

visitors, which meant busy times at the TOPdesk stand. TOPdesk consultant

Alexander Janssens and branch manager Nancy van Elsacker held a

presentation on the current topic Bring Your Own Device. Next year, the

event will take place on 20 and 21 March.

CALENDARNEW

Sign up now or TOPdesk on TourIn addition to the diverse programme, our CEO Wolter Smit will be making a very

special announcement in his keynote speech. Sign up now for TOPdesk on Tour on 13

June via www.topdesk.co.uk/tour.


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6 TRENDS Photography: Robin K

Arjen Janssens - Zadkine


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TRENDS

Theft, violence, threats

unfortunately, such incidents are

nothing new. Actually registering

these incidents is, however. The underlying

thought is straightforward: it is easier for

schools to respond to incidents if they

understand the underlying nature and

cause.

ROC Zadkine is a rm believer in the

importance of incident registration. It hasbeen mandatory since 2005 for Zadkine

employees to register any incidents they

witness or experience themselves. An

incident registration system was set up in

2008. Arjen Janssens, senior Security & Safety

advisor at Zadkine, tells us more. I was asked

to create a security plan in 2008, which had

to cover both safety and security. We wanted

to focus on physical security, but also paid

attention to social security at the school.

Monitoring this security plays an important

part in achieving our goal.

Incident registration simplifedWe tackled the incident registration in

2008, says Janssens. It was a bit makeshift

at rst, with us using Access and Excel. It

worked, but it wasnt exactly simple. We

wanted to make it easier to log incidents

not just for the facilities coordinator, but all

Zadkine employees.

Zadkine started its search for a professional

package that could support their

requirements. The products currently on the

market either dont have incident registration

as a standard part of the package, or they

have a hefty price tag. I sat down with the

IT department to see what they were using:

TOPdesk. We initiated talks with TOPdesk,who, to our surprise, were able to meet all

our wishes. We started developing TOPdesk

for the Zadkine Incident Monitor (ZIM) in

2010, and the solution was soon realized.

Whats more, we were able to use existing

data thanks to a link with PeopleSoft, our

school administration program.

Immediate actionZIM went live last September, heralded by

an extensive promotional campaign that

included a website, posters and yers.

Incidents started pouring in from day one.

That was a bit of a surprise, but it proved that

the system worked. We now get a few calls

every day, varying from minor occurrences to

serious incidents, explains Janssens. When

an incident is logged, I receive an alert on

my smartphone. I can take immediate action

if the situation calls for it. Just last week I

received such an alert at a quarter to three

in the afternoon. It took me until ten oclo

that night to sort out the situation with

Zadkine, the police and other emergency

service Its a lot of work, but its denitely

rewarding.

The Board of Directors is informed of ever

incident that is categorized as very seriou

You dont want them to have to nd out

about what happened on the news.

Stolen smartphonesThe rst trends emerged after a few mont

of using TOPdesk. Theft-related

INCIDENT REGISTRATION

AT SCHOOLSNew legislation will make it mandatory or schools in the Netherlands

to register all incidents rom September 2012 onwards. This policy was

conceived with an eye toward improving school saety. ROC Zadkine is

ahead o the game: they have been registering incidents or six years, and

started using TOPdesk last year.

THEFT OF MOBILEPHONES, LAPTOPSAND TABLETCOMPUTERSARE THE MOSTCOMMON


Text: Niek Steenhuis


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incidents are the most common, says

Janssens. Especially theft of mobile phones,

laptops and tablet computers. We werent

surprised that it happened, but we did not

realize just how common it was.

In the past, we would investigate each

individual case. However, we lacked a

central overview of all incidents. Now we

have better insight into trends, so we canrespond accordingly. We post warnings on

the student portal and keep teachers up to

date via the intranet.

Positive eedbackJanssens is positive about TOPdesks role

within Zadkine. Users experiences with

TOPdesk are nothing but positive. Logging

calls is easy. Best of all, teachers can log

incidents directly from the classroom

which, after all, is where most incidents take

place.

Zadkine and TOPdesks solution is also

doing well in other schools, as Janssens

explains. During ZIMs test phase, I received

word from colleagues at other schools

who were interested in our solution. Some

of them are now working on their own

version, in collaboration with TOPdesk and

myself. I recently presented our product

to the intermediate vocational education

authoritys Safety workgroup, who were also

enthusiastic.

How does ZIM t in with the Dutch

governments plans? Our system meets all

the guidelines. However, our policy is only

indirectly connected to government policy.I think its a great development, and cant

wait for it to be compulsory. But we didnt

want to wait for that: safety at school is

simply too important to postpone.

TEACHERS CANLOG INCIDENTSDIRECTLY FROM THECLASSROOM


8 TRENDS


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TRENDS IN FMText: Niek Steenhuis Photography:Aad Hoogendoorn

A new year brings new perspectives. We asked two Facility Management

experts about trends in the feld. >>

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

IN 2012

Leo van de Pieterman (l)

Gerard de Bruijn


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10 TRENDS IN FM

We have agreed to meet at a restaurant a

stones throw from the exposition halls in

s-Hertogenbosch, which is where the Dutch

Facilities Expo is organized every year. Leo

van de Pieterman and Gerard de Bruijn have

over fty years of Facilities Management

experience between them. Van de Piederman

has worked as a service and support manager

for KLM and Sodexo, while De Bruijn is the man

behind Humanagement. Renske van der Heide,

a product manager at TOPdesk, asked them

about Facilities Management trends and their

predictions for 2012.

F.l.t.r.: Leo van de Pieterm

Gerard de Bruijn, Renske

der Heide


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TRENDS IN FM

Facilities ethicsRvdH: What do you think are the most

interesting themes in FM at the moment?

GdB: Facilities ethics, for a start .

Humanagement will be researching this

theme in 2012. How do we treat our

colleagues and business relations? What

should we do when the cleaners are

treated like dirt? What should you do whenconfronted with integrity issues?

RvdH: What can facility managers to do

encourage ethical behaviour?

GdB: I believe that you should know what

your organization stands for, and that facility

managers should set the right example. You

need to translate ethics into responsible

actions. Being a good commissioning party

is one of the most important aspects, as it

makes sure that external customers are also

good employers.

LvdP: Ethics is certainly an important theme,

also in outsourcing. In my experience, you can

achieve much more when both parties give

each other the space they need. The customer

will express his needs which are not the

same as his expectations and the provider

can give feedback on how these needs can be

met, preferably right from the start.

RvdH: You cant really ask questions like Have

you cleaned three times yet this week? Wh

kind of agreements do you make?

LvdP: The exact number of times that

the ofce has been cleaned is no longer

important. The real question is: has the

cleaning resulted in the desired effects?

You can then determine what the desired

effects are.

The New World o WorkLvdP: The New World of Work is also an

important theme.

GdB: Exactly. Work relations are changing:

there are more and more possibilities to

work at home and during the commute, an

virtual meetings are also becoming more

commonplace. People are starting to use th

ofce as a kind of pigeon coop.

RvdH: If people work at home or on locatio

facility managers are not really able to cont

how they set up their work space. How can

you inuence this?

GdB: You shouldnt.

LvdP: You simply cannot control work

environments in the New World of Work.

People use their laptops to work in

restaurants and cafs, while others prefer t

work at home. If we are lucky, they will

Leo van de Pieterman has been active in Facilities Management for over thirty years,

working rst for KLM and then moving to Sodexo in 2007. He is also a member of a

number of Dutch organizations for Facilities Management professionals.

Gerard de Bruijn is the CEO of Humanagement, an agency for interim project

management for facilities. Humanagement pushes the elds boundaries, focusing on

topics such as IT integration, Business Continuity Management and facilities ethics.

Renske van der Heide works as a product manager for TOPdesk. She is particularly

interested in Facilities Management, and is chairman of the Young Professionals group in

the Dutch Facilities Management organization FMN.

YOU NEED TOTRANSLATEETHICS INTORESPONSIBLEACTIONS

Gerard de Bruijn


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In the spotlight

TOPdesk on Tour is returning to London on 13 June 2012. Join us at the Tower of London for

informative presentations, interactive workshops and a very special announcement from our

CEO, Wolter Smit.

Sign up at www.topdesk.co.uk/tour


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have a study or ofce at home that complies

with health and safety regulations to some

extent. But you dont want to know how manypeople work at the kitchen table because they

nd that more enjoyable.

GdB: I do hope that we can move away from

strict regulations in this area: more initiatives

such as Bring Your Own Device, for instance,

instead of pinning the situation down with

rules and regulations. Although, even if people

can work wherever and whenever they want,

Im not sure that they will make use of this

freedom; a large group will still feel the need

to collaborate with colleagues and will prefer

to do this at the ofce.

SustainabilityGdB: We havent discussed sustainability yet!

It has developed into more than just a hobby

for back-to-nature enthusiasts. Im seeing

lots of great developments. Sustainability

is actually on many organizations agendas,

rather than just being pushed by individuals,

which has resulted in tangible changes. For

instance, there are more energy-efcient

company cars now. Facility suppliers want

to set themselves apart with an eco-friendly

image and are acting accordingly.

LvdP: Sustainability is more than just a trend,

though. Much like improving services, it has

become a part of operational management.

There is still room for improvement, of course,

but were ready for it: we have the technology,

we know what can be improved and how to

do it its time to get started! Present your

customers with investments that will payfor themselves, such as healthier food. That

will up productivity by increasing feelings

of wellbeing among your staff, and also cut

down on absenteeism. Its an investment, b

it pays for itself in the long run.

The utureRvdH: What are your predictions for 2012?

LvdP: I think we will start seeing the

consequences of the New World of Work. I,

one, cannot wait to see the results.

GdB: I hope we can nally cast off the yoke

of the economic crisis that things wont b

too sober and sombre, and that we can offe

services with passion, pride and pleasure.

After all, thats what facilities management

all about.

BESIDES ETHICS, THENEW WORLD OFWORK IS ALSO ANIMPORTANT THEME

Leo van de Pieterman

TRENDS IN FM


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14 PROCESS AND PRACTICE

TOPdesk project managersTOPdesk has really grown as a company. Our customer base includes

all kinds of organizations, from one-man businesses to multinationals.

TOPdesk is an integral part of services for many larger organizations,

and so the regular consultancy program does not meet all their needs

and wishes. TOPdesk project managers were needed to help make

these more complex implementations a success, and so a group of

experienced TOPdesk consultants began to develop the expertise

needed to full this role.

Danil Huijbens is one of these consultants, and helped shape TOPdesk

project management. It started with a few complex implementations

that we started without a clear plan. Before long, we noticed that

project managers booked great results in a short time.

Implementation typesTOPdesk project managers are responsible for the projects success.

He or she acts as the coordinator for large or especially complex

implementations, such as:

implementations of company-critical importance

implementations in hierarchical organizations (with a project gro

management group and other bodies, for instance)

implementations that must be performed on relatively short noti

implementations involving several departments (during a fusion,

instance)

implementations involving several TOPdesk employees (several

consultants, technical specialists, process specialists, trainers,

planners, bespoke work specialists, import specialists, etc.)

Many people think that all TOPdesk Consultancy does is perorm TOPdesk

implementations. However, the 5,000 implementations we have perormed over

the past 15 years have helped us to develop expertise in various felds. One o thesefelds is TOPdesk project management. In this article, Ill explain what TOPdesk

project managers do and what they bring to the table when they join a project.

NO WORRIESABOUT THEIMPLEMENTATION

...works at the Consultancy department and regularly writes about

developments regarding TOPdesk Consultancy.

LYDJE SNIEDERS

Text: Lydje Snied


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It often becomes apparent during the tender phase whether or

not a TOPdesk project manager will be required for that specic

implementation. If possible, the project leader will be involved in the

process from the very start. This gives the project leader the chance

to contribute ideas for the process, give advice on the approach and

planning and supplement the tender with a project proposal

if necessary.

Roles and tasksIn addition to the TOPdesk project manager, implementations

often involve internal project managers and management and/

or project groups. The internal project manager is responsible for

all tasks that need to be performed within the organization to

make the implementation a success. The TOPdesk project leader isresponsible for tasks related to TOPdesk: everything surrounding the

application implementation and the framework within which the

project is executed. Were responsible for the TOPdesk project from

the very beginning until the moment we pass the project on to the

organization, says Huijbens. We take care of a lot of time-consuming

tasks, so the internal project manager doesnt have to.

Added valueA TOPdesk project manager can provide a considerable contribution

to implementation processes that require extensive coordination.

The TOPdesk project manager is the primary contact, responsible for

safeguarding project continuity, keeping everyone involved on the

same page and resolving any problems that might arise. Our project

managers are senior consultants who have proven their expertise in

the eld. The customer doesnt need to worry about their TOPdesk

implementation. We make sure that all deadlines are met, explains

Huijbens.

However, TOPdesk project management has a number of other

advantages. For instance, project managers can be contacted directly

and bill per hour instead of per day contrary to regular consultants

This means that TOPdesk project leaders are extremely exible and

can often make appointments on short notice. Huijbens: Somethin

can come up during the implementation that can hamper progress.

great that you can quickly contact your TOPdesk project manager insuch cases. The project manager is always up to date on the situatio

and can get to work on a solution straight away. A TOPdesk project

manager also makes it easier to employ several TOPdesk consultants

specialists for the same project. The leader is their contact and make

sure that the planning is optimized, as Huijbens explains. I make su

that everyone is on the same page and has the opportunity to focus

their own tasks.

Want more information on TOPdesk project management possibiliti

Contact TOPdesk Consultancy at +31(0)15 270 09 09

PROCESS AND PRACTICE

TOPdesk project leaders have coordinated implementations at

USG, Oc, Fire Department Hollands-Midden, Ministry of Justice,

The Hague Council, Amsterdam Council, Province of Gelderland

and Boskalis.

WE MAKE SURE THAT

DEADLINES ARE METDanil Huijbens, TOPdesk project manager

Photography: Robin Kuijs


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16 CUSTOMER EVENTS

TOPDESKS 2012

CUSTOMER EVENTS

The second edition of the UK TOPdesk on Tour will take place on 13

June. This event at the Tower of London will include presentations and

interactive workshops covering the latest topics in IT, FM and HR

Photography: Ted Erkkila, Tower of Lon


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CUSTOMER EVENTS

How it startedTOPdesks customer events have been known

to be huge, but they have not always been

on the same scale, explains Frank Droogsma,

TOPdesk director. Our rst customer day was

in 1999. We held it in the Delft University of

Technologys auditorium. We had about 40employees at the time, and did everything

ourselves. We even took our own PCs to

demonstrate the latest version of the

software. We didnt actually nish the version

until the night before, so someone had to

head to the location in the dead of night to

install it on our PCs. Everything is much more

structured nowadays, both the symposiums

and releasing new versions!

Every other year, hundreds o TOPdesk customers and

partners travel to a special location in the Netherlands

and the UK or TOPdesks customer events. This spring,

TOPdesk UK will be going on tour to host an event at

the Tower o London, while the Chass theatre in Breda,

the Netherlands will set the scene or TOPdesks Dutch

Symposium. Our customers can expect a very special

announcement at each o these locations.

A room full of TOPdesk customers at

the previous TOPdesk Symposium

Text: Nienke Deuss

About a hundred customers visited the

rst symposium, and everyone was very

enthusiastic. We were a small company at

the time says Droogsma, and we had book

the main authority on ITIL! We could tell by

customers reactions that we were on to a

success, and we have organized a symposiuroughly once every 18 months since.

Since then, the TOPdesk Symposium has

become the main IT, FM and HR service

management event in the Netherlands as

conrmed by the previous editions success

The 2009 TOPdesk Symposium was good fo

about 900 visitors, says Droogsma. There

were discussions on current topics within

service management, such as the increasin

interaction between FM, HRM and IT, as we

as trends such as SaaS and ITIL3.


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18 CUSTOMER EVENTS

TOPdesk SymposiumAll Dutch and Belgian customers have been invited,

and are in for an unforgettable experience on 15 May.

Im part of the team responsible for the programme,

explains Sarah Rose. We asked colleagues for input,

and organized brainstorms with the departments

that have a lot of customer contact. We want to make

sure that the programming ts whats going on with

our customer base.

The info market will feature prominently at the

Symposium. Its going to be very special, says Rose.

There will be stands for our partner organizations,

and there will be plenty of workshops. Jeroen Boks,

the head of our Support department, will be hosting

a session on performance. What it comes down to is

that theres plenty to see and do!

One of the many presentations

mary.nl


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The Tower of London

CUSTOMER EVENTS

TOPdesk on TourFollowing previous customer events at the

Imperial War Museum and the HMS Belfast,

the rst edition of TOPdesk on Tour UK took

place in 2010. Enthusiastic TOPdesk users

from across Britain arrived as early as an

hour in advance and were treated to a tour

of Arsenals stadium, an exclusive lunch

served by two-star Michelin Chef Raymond

Blanc, and many interesting presentations.

It was a successful day for all involved.

This year, TOPdesk UK is ready for its

second TOPdesk on Tour event on 13

June at the Tower of London. All our

British customers have been invited foran informative and fun-packed day. Our

visitors can attend presentations and

workshops covering the latest topics in IT,

FM and HR with a few surprises along the

way. In addition, they will be able to enjoy

a guided tour of the Tower of London.

The programmeThe schedule for both TOPdesk on Tour

and TOPdesk Symposium is full of items

that will be interesting for everyone. The

presentations will focus on both practical

tips and tricks for optimizing service

process, and tackle broader themes within

service management. Discussions will be

organized for various user groups to make

sure that we can really sink our teeth into

current topics.

Sign up now or TOPdesk on TourIn addition to the diverse programme, our CEO Wolter Smit will be making a very special

announcement in his keynote speech. Sign up now for TOPdesk on Tour on 13 June via

www.topdesk.co.uk/tour.


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W

hether youre dealing with

customers or colleagues, every

service provider should keep in

mind what is expected of them. Everyonewho provides services to external customers

will have to discuss the services on offer with

the customer sooner or later. The customer

will often initiate this discussion after all,

they want to know what theyre paying for,

and will switch to a different provider if they

are not happy.

The same is true for providing services

to colleagues: you need to research and

discuss their wishes and needs. Supporting

departments such as IT, FM and HR help

colleagues to better perform their daily tasks:

everyone works together to achieve the

organizations goals.

However, it isnt always possible to provide

products and services that meet your

customers wishes. You need to know who

your customer is and what their needs are.

These needs canot always be predicted, as

people do not always know what they want.

Who could have predicted three years ago

that they want an iPad now?Discovering your customers needs and

problems takes effort, and that is exactly

what I do as a TOPdesk product manager.

My job is to nd out what our customers

really want. We continually ask for customer

feedback during the development of our

software. We use interviews, focus groups

and user tests to get the input we need to

improve our products.

This principle is valuable to all service

providers. You can get useful feedback bopositive and negative by asking questions

and starting discussions. Spending a day w

a customer and observing their processes

on location also gives great insight into the

situations they face on a daily basis. You

can use the data you collect to make sure

that your services meet your customers

expectations.

Here at TOPdesk, we are already thinking o

new products for next year. I cant wait for

the next sessions, where we will be sharing

our ideas with you our customers. You se

customer focus isnt just useful: its a lot of

fun, too!

Customer ocus seems to be the new key to success, i were to believe the magazinesand blogs. Is it because Steve Jobs, a hero to many consumers, passed away last year? Is

it because people eel the urge to improve in the wake o their new years resolutions?

Or maybe its just me in my new job as product manager, I fnd mysel ocusing on our

customers more and more.

CUSTOMER FOCUS

is a product manager at TOPdesk and chairwoman of the FMN (Facility

Management Netherlands) Young Professionals network.

RENSKE VAN DER HEIDE

YOU NEED TOUNDERSTAND YOUR

CUSTOMER ANDTHEIR NEEDS

Text: Renske van der Heide Photography: Robin KCOLUMN


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PARTNER IN FOCUSText: Timme Hos Photography: Kees Muizelaar

Victa has developed a ully interactive management

dashboard or TOPdesks service management sotware.

QlikView or TOPdesk gives you a complete overview o

all registered incidents, displayed in a variety o diagrams,

graphics and even in Google Maps. >>

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT

DASHBOARD

Bas-Jan Lubbers (l), Carlo Vruwink


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22 PARTNER IN FOCUS

They came up with the idea for a TOPdesk management dashboard

about four years ago, says Bas-Jan Lubbers, Victas commercial

manager. One of our customers wanted dynamic management

information for their IT department. It turns out that this was not

a unique wish. We often see that the management wants to create

greater transparency within the department. Roughly twenty

organizations now use QlikView for TOPdesk.

Perormance insight ormanagement and employeesMany organizations monitor incidents, but they often miss the

performance insight offered by QlikView for TOPdesk. There is

a considerable demand for straightforward overviews within

organizations incident registration systems, says Lubbers. QlikViewfor TOPdesk lets you see the most common cause of incidents, so you

can anticipate and adjust accordingly.

From diagrams to graphics, the management dashboard presents cle

and straightforward overviews. All information needed is displayed

on every desirable level, from comprehensive overviews to individua

incidents (accessible via a handy search function). You can also save

print the desired information as a report at any moment.

The management dashboard is not only useful for team leaders and

managers, but also for employees. The performance information can

be made visible in the ofce in a literal sense by displaying it via a

projector. Each employee can then see the state of their productivit

explains Lubbers. This raises workload awareness, and shows

colleagues whether or not they are conforming to SLAs.

Quick implementation

Each organization sets up TOPdesk differently

to meet its unique needs; however, the

management dashboard can always be

implemented quickly, and tailored to yourorganizations requirements. The dashboard is up

and running within a day, on average. Customers

can always get off to a ying start.


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PARTNER IN FOCUS

The management dashboard provides acomprehensive overview of all incidents.

Incidents can be monitored on various

levels and displayed in a variety of ways.

Determine the level of detail with a

single click.

Google Maps lets you pinpoint problem

areas literally.


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24 DEPARTMENT IN FOCUS

TOPdesk believes that customer eedback is essential during the design and

development phase o our new products. But what do we do with this input?

YOUR WISH IS OUR PRODUCT

Text: Milou Snate

Renske van der Heide and Erik Pols are TOPdesk

product managers. They visit customers throughout

the development phase to fully understand their

wishes and needs, and use this knowledge to improve

our software.

ITS ALWAYS TRICKY TOBALANCE TOPDESK SOTHAT ITS PERFECT FOEVERY ORGANIZATION

Erik Pols and Renske van der Heide, product manag


25/32

DEPARTMENT IN FOCUSPhotography: Robin Kuijs

Preliminary researchProduct managers prefer to visit customers

before the development of a new product has

even begun. During these visits, they see how

and why customers use TOPdesk and they use

this information to improve the product.

Pols and Van der Heide often visit customers.

We have customers tell us how they use

TOPdesk, explains Pols. Some nd that odd,

but concrete information about our product

is invaluable to us. For instance, its really

useful to know which information people

would want to add to certain forms. Do they

want extra elds? Or do they want to not be

limited to the standard elds, allowing for

more exible data entry? Answering these

questions helps us improve TOPdesk forms.

However, TOPdesk is interested in more than

just how the product is used, as Van der Heideexplains. We also want to know what other

tools and products our customers use to do

their work. This can vary from making notes

on post-its to other software. What we want

to know is, why not just use TOPdesk? People

are experts in nding solutions, but each

post-it a customer uses is a sign that we can

improve our software.

TOPdesk is used by organizations and

departments with a wide variety of sizes

and requirements. It is a challenge for

product managers to adapt the tool to

suit each customer. Its always tricky to

balance TOPdesk so that its perfect for every

organization, says Pols.

Customer eedbackduring developmentThe product managers formulate a product

vision based on the preliminary research,

for instance by creating product sketches.

After analysing the product vision they

ask two questions: are we heading in the

right direction? And are our solutions good

solutions?

Customer feedback is key to answering these

questions. We could get feedback during the

design phase, but also when our development

department has already created something,

says Van der Heide. The product managers

show the customer design sketches, or

demonstrate a preliminary product design on

a computer. This enables customers to provide

feedback early on in the development process

and help improve the product.

Organizing customer days is one of the

ways TOPdesk involves its customers in

the software development process. Twenty

customers attended the May 2011 session in

Delft. The objective of that particular session

was to check whether or not the product

vision and accompanying sketches resolved

the problems that TOPdesk customers faced.

The product managers also wanted to gain

insight into which TOPdesk components

customers thought were the most important.

Each customer was given twenty cards stating

wishes about TOPdesk use. The customers

could then select ten of the cards and

arrange them in order of importance. The

information we gathered during that session

was extremely valuable, says Pols.

Evaluating the productHave we been able to improve the product?

End users can best judge whether or not

we have succeeded. That is why product

managers also visit customers to evaluate

the software. Its good to see how custome

receive our products and whether theyfeel anything is missing, says Pols. The

information gathered during such visit is us

to further improve the tool.

The product managers do their best to visit

a wide range of customers. Diversity is very

important, says Van der Heide. Its good

that we interview TOPdesk users in differen

elds using varied applications. Smaller

organizations have different needs than lar

organizations, for instance. Enthusiasm and

constructive criticism are great during thes

evaluations, no matter your size.

EACH POST-IT ACUSTOMER USESIS A SIGN THAT WECAN IMPROVE OURSOFTWARE


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27/32


28/32

28 PARTNER UITGELICHT

thanks for the money, see you next year. I

want to get up every morning and wonder

what we can do for each other, so to speak.

Stevens believes that partnerships should

not last forever. At a certain point, your core

business will have reached the point where

you run the risk of being stereotyped. You

dont want people thinking that your services

are limited to a specic branch. You have to

invest in something else to keep from painting

yourself in a corner.

European ambitionsIFMA is trying to change the prevailing

opinions on FM. Many organizations see

FM as a necessary evil. We want to show

people that optimizing facilities management

actually leads to prot. CEOs need to realize

that the facility manager should be at his

right hand.

IFMA Belgium regularly confers with the other

IFMA branches, explains Stevens. Facilities

management is different in every country, so

we can learn a lot from each other. FM doesnt

just stop at the border. In my ideal future, we

will unite all European branches into a single

EUFMA organization.

FACILITIES

MANAGEMENT ISSTILL IN ITS TEENAGEPHASE

Yves Stevens - IFMA Belgium

How can I make Change activities

dependent on each other

The question mark icon, featured on every process page,

gives you access to the new Help & Support website.

Here you can find the answer to all of your questions in

the form of FAQs, manuals, Tips & Tricks and Getting

started instructions.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T


29/32

WORK SMARTER

T

he RTF Document Creator lets you

create text and calendar les. RTF (Rich

Text Format) is a le format with whichyou can add formatting such as fonts and

images, as well as plain text. RTF is supported

by various text processing applications,

including Microsoft Word.

The link between the RTF Document Creator

and TOPdesk enables you to create documents

with attractive layouts. Whats more, you

dont have to copy or retype information

manually.

How does the RTFDocument Creator work?The RTF Document Creator works with a

template le. In this le, you use tags to

indicate the text that should be replaced.

Once this is done, the RTF Document Creator

will generate a new text le, using key words

to replace the tags with the corresponding

values (key values). This data is retrieved from

the TOPdesk Event Management module.

TitleThe RTF Document Creator has many

applications. For instance, you can upload

the generated text le to the corresponding

card, or save the le and send it as an email

attachment. The RTF Document Creator uses

generic text les, so it is also possible to

create iCalendar les (.ics).

The RTF Document Creator can also be used

for specic versions. For instance, you can

convert the date les of tags that start with

ics_ into the UTC time zone needed for

iCalendar. It is also possible to convert eld

names in RTF documents to barcode-128,

generating scannable bar codes.

Step 1: Create a templatefle in a word processor

Create a template. You can use a wordprocessor such as Microsoft Word for this.

a) Insert the TOPdesk values you want to

replace as tags, such as:

$$

b) Save the document as an RTF le in the

bespoke-work-resources folder (which

you will have to create manually).

c) Zip the bespoke-work-resources folde

and upload it to TOPdesk as bespoke w

Step 2: Create an HTTPrequest in TOPdeskTOPdesk controls the RTF Document Creat

with an HTTP request action, which you ca

nd in the Event Management module. Yo

can also use this module to determine wh

template is used and whether the generat

document should be linked to the card (se

gure 2).

This article outlines the use o the RTF Document Creator in TOPdesk. With this

add-on, you can create neat letters, work receipts and distribution orms based on

data saved in TOPdesk.

is a consultant and team leader at TOPDesk. He specializes in technical issues

and optimizing processes.

PATRICK MACKAAIJ

CREATING CLEAN DOCUMENTS

WITH THE RTF DOCUMENT CREATOR

Text: Patrick Mackaaij Photography: Robin Kuijs


30/32

Add-ons forTOPdesk

TOPdesk offers add-ons to Enterprise customers

to meet wishes held by several customers. Add-

on installation is usually supervised by a TOPdesk

consultant, who explains the bespoke work and

takes care of the initial set up. Please visit the

TOPdesk Extranet for more information about

add-ons.

The HTTP request action is performed automatically

when a predened event takes place, such as creating

or editing a card. You can also set up TOPdesk so that

the end user can create the document manually viacontext menus (see gure 3).

Editorial

Want to comment? Go to

www.topdeskmagazine.com

The TOPdesk Magazine covers subjects

that are topical in the world of

professional service desks in IT, facilities

and other service providing organizations.

TOPdesk Magazine is intended for

managers, service desk employees,

facilities organizations and electronic

city councils anyone who is involved

with supporting clients on a daily basis.

This concerns both the processes and the

technology behind these services.

TOPdesk Magazine is a TOPdesk

publication

Tel: + +44 (0) 207 8034200

Email: [email protected]

Chief Editor: Nienke Deuss

Editors: Nienke Deuss,

Timme Hos, Milou Snaterse, Niek

Steenhuis, Nicola van de Velde

Translators: Leah Clarke, Nicola van de

Velde, Hazel Hollis

Contributors:Lydje Snieders, Renske vander Heide, Patrick Mackaaij, Roland de

Schepper

Layout: Joost Knuit, Louise van der Laak,

Ontwerpbureau DDC

Photography: Ted Erkkila, Aad

Hoogendoorn, Robin Kuijs, Jonas Mertens,

Kees Muizelaar

Copy editor: Nicola van de Velde

A print run of 5,000

Quarterly magazine

Languages: Dutch, English

30 WORK SMARTER

Figure 3: It is possible to adjust TOPdesks settings so

that end users can use the context menu to create the

document manually.

Figure 1: Template le with tags (employee

provision form)

Pay attention to the layout

You need to pay extra attention

to the layout if you are using data

from linked cards. If the document

has a large number of rows, it is

possible that not all data will t

on a single page. You can include

data from linked cards in a table,

but you will have to apply edits

directly to the rough RTF layout.

Using bullet points does not look

as good, but it is simpler (see the

$$ bullet in gure 1).

Figure 2: Processing the template

in the Event Management module.

The values containing TOPdesk

information are enclosed by \C and

\c tags to ensure that TOPdesk is

able to properly interpret the special

characters.

Troublesome templatesIf you create template les in Microsoft

Word, it is possible that not all tags you

insert will be replaced. This is caused byMicrosoft word inadvertently inserting

hidden characters in tags, so that the

RTF Document Creator can no longer

recognize them. To solve this problem,

delete the tag in question (including

$< >$), type the tag again and save the

document as RTF.


31/32

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

WANT TO MAKE THE MOST

OF YOUR ORGANIZATIONSSELF SERVICE DESK?

A successful SSD starts with a successful promotion!

Please feel free to contact us to discuss the possibilities

of your Self Service Desk promotion.

The more your end users use the SSD, the more time andmoney you will save. After a successful promotion, the number

of calls logged in the SSD increases by 40% on average!

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Desktopcardwitheasy-to-followstepsforWaternet

t+31(0)152700960

[email protected]

wdesignagencyddc.nl

@ddcnl


32/32

tips + tricksAvoid including earlier

messages in a mail import

Another useful option in the Event Management module

is available when using the mail import for incidents and

changes. As of the 4.4 update, it is possible to add text to

emails generated by the Event Management module that will

prevent the entire conversation from being imported. This is

ideal for keeping memo elds clean and organized.

This is done as follows:

In the emails plain text, type:

----- -----

(ve dashes word space word ve dashes)

If you are working with an HTML email, type:

-----answer answer-----

The replies below this text will not be included in the

mail import.

Creating SSD accounts

or several people

If you are logged in as an admin or supervisor, you will be

able to see the Generate login name and password button

under the Persons overview (or a selection of persons).

When you click this button, you will see a template with

which you can set up the login names and passwords for the

group of people in question.

If you want to mail these details to people automatically,

you will have to set up an event and an action. Follow these

steps:

1. Go to Settings Management.

2. Open the Event Explorer and create a new event for

people (Edit card).

3. For changed elds, use Encrypted Self Service Desk

password.

4. Go to the Action Explorer and create a new action for

people (email message). Make sure that this action is

also active for the Operators Section.

5. Under Insert eld login name select Self ServiceDesk login name. Select Encrypted Self Service Desk

password under miscellaneous. Make sure that you

select the Only send if selections are used option under

use for selections.

6. Link the action to the created event.

You will have to refresh the System Settings before the event

and action can be used.

Online Help & Support

We are always updating our Help & Support site with new

manuals and tips on how to get the most out of your TOPdesk.

Want to visit the Help & Support site? Click on the question

mark icon on a process page in TOPdesk, or select the menu

option Help > Help & Support.

TOPdesk UK limitedt +44 (0)20 7803 4200e [email protected] www.topdesk.co.uk

TOPdesk Netherlandst +31 (0)15 270 09 00e [email protected] www.topdesk.nl

TOPdesk Germany GmbHt +49 (0)631 624 00 0e [email protected] www.topdesk.de

TOPdesk Belgiumt +32 (0)3 292 32 90e [email protected] www.topdesk.be

TOPdesk Hungaryt +36 1 301 0190e [email protected] www.topdesk.hu

TOPdesk Francet + 33 (0) 811 11 59 84e info.topdesk.frw www.topdesk.fr

topdesk magazine 2012 issue 1

Documents