Post-project support for 1C clients: a case study of technical support on 1C:ITIL 3.0
06.05.2024
Once a 1C:Enterprise 8 implementation project is complete and the system is in full production use, the integrator should offer post-project support so that the client is not left alone with a system that is new to them.
After researching the market, we decided to follow international ITIL standards with ITILIUM and chose 1C:ITIL 3.0 for the following reasons
- It comes from a Russian vendor that has earned its reputation over decades of work in our market
- We know that if we want any modifications or improvements, we can always take them on and implement them ourselves.
We put together a working group and implemented this configuration in-house. At the time, we were just finishing a large import substitution project, replacing SAP HR with 1C:Payroll and HR Management 8 CORP. That gave us the opportunity to pilot the new technical support service starting from the new year.
Technical support
The client wanted to be connected to the technical support system to see which tasks were coming in from their line staff. We connected 2 client representatives. They gained the ability to monitor execution and manage priorities.
In February, we fully moved the client to ITILIUM, and at the end of February we compiled a complete list of work for them. Whereas previously we simply provided timesheets, we now provide timesheets linked to specific tasks in ITILIUM.
As a result, the client gained more control, and there were fewer questions about what had been done and what they were paying for.
By March, we were already working smoothly in the system and had refined and improved a few things.
How technical support works under the ITILIUM standard
We have 3 support lines:
First line: resolving simple tasks and classifying more complex ones. A basic-level specialist is usually enough here. They assess how complex a task is and where it should go. A first-line specialist can create users, grant permissions, and handle similar tasks. If they cannot resolve a task on their own, they pass it on to the appropriate line.
Second line: this is where an experienced analyst sits. We assign a specialist from the implementation team, since they know the company, its bottlenecks, and the questions likely to come up
Third line: programmers and developers. They get involved when there are issues in the system, for example, a print form that doesn’t work.
What do we gain from this?
When someone emails technical support, they don’t know where the message went, whether it arrived, whether it was read, or whether anyone is working on a fix…
- In our system, the first thing the sender receives is an auto-reply confirming that the task has been accepted. When a specialist picks up the task, they post a comment. The client sees that their task is being worked on. They can ask questions and correspond with the specialist. None of the correspondence gets lost; it all goes into the system. Staff work via email (sending requests), while technical support works in ITILIUM. Everything is collected and stored in the system.
- Second, it became easier for the client to approve technical support time records. Now, when an invoice for, say, 50 line items is issued at the end of the month, the client can see which ITILIUM task each piece of work relates to. For more control and transparency, they can always log in to the system and see who created the task, what correspondence took place, and what the deadline was. They can check when the request was opened and closed and judge whether the task really took the 20 working hours billed by the contractor.
- Third, the client can manage the tasks submitted by users: at a minimum, set priorities, or cancel tasks that are no longer relevant
Ask a specialist about ITILIUM technical support
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