Pre-Conference Workshops (9:00am-4:00pm)

Participants will receive comprehensive documentation including all presentation material. Morning and afternoon tea breaks will be served at 10:30am and 2:30pm respectively, and lunch will be served from 12 noon to 1:00pm.
 

IT Support is going through a difficult period. Technical skills are being centralised and automated, yet not to the extent that they eliminate the need for competent technicians – but as the work gets less engaging, other motivators are needed to stop the decline in job satisfaction. We need to keep our clever people – yet their motivation falters. How to increase it? Better still – how to knit together a world-beating support team that can meet user needs and increase customer satisfaction?

Key benefits of the workshop include:

• Learn the key to keeping clever people
• Learn how to reach new levels of service excellence through industry examples
• Understand the real reasons for employee motivation

Agenda

• What really motivates IT staff? An exercise in perspective and reality
• The importance of success – how to create, manage and exploit it
• Focussing on productivity and performance – exploding the IT myth
• Where the SLA misleads your motivation strategy
• Understanding base motivators

Most organisations are stretched for time, and don’t have the luxury to wait around to reap the fruits of their efforts. Being time poor means organisations are searching for more effective solutions to deliver people results, faster.

A great company needs to attract, retain and grow great people. This session aims at exploring the ‘SMART’ approaches you can adopt to accelerate outcomes, and get your people performing faster, better.

Key benefits of this workshop include:

• Participate in hands-on, open discussions on the best ways to attract and retain high achieving individuals
• Learn how to use simple techniques to boost personal and staff performance
• Gain an in-depth understanding of issues associated with performance management

Issues to be covered throughout the day include:

Overview of strategic issues associated with performance in an IT environment

• The inter-relationship of strategy, culture, leadership and performance
• Identifying the strategies and techniques that accelerate performance
• Practical tips, tricks and tools for long term performance
  

This session looks at the relationship between emotions, creativity, problem solving and performance in the workplace and what encourages people to volunteer that little bit of extra effort that separates good and great staff.

This full day program encompasses four fantastic sessions:

Session 1: Maximising your training ROI
Session 2: Developing your teams intellectual capital
Session 3: From compliance to commitment
Session 4: The Einstein factor – Quantum mechanics in the workplace

The key benefits of attending this workshop include:

• Gain a better understanding of some costly effects of ‘popular’ management
• Develop a clearer understanding of what encourages staff to volunteer more
• Learn the ability to use new tools to inspire innovation and initiative
• Acquire a better appreciation of the relationship balance between emotion and performance

Issues to be covered throughout the day include:

• Learning transfer – from theory to sustained behavioural change
• How beliefs and values impact on performance
• Developing a learning culture
• The innovators mind-set
• Unleashing the genius in your teams
• Why people withhold effort
• Popular management practices that discourage commitment
• Quantum leaps in performance
• System dynamics – new insights into cause and effect

“Knowledge-Centered Support” is a knowledge management strategy for service and support organisations.

Without a strategy for harnessing the support transactions themselves to build and develop knowledge, support organisations will encounter increased limitations in their capability to optimise and evolve, as the number of customers and the cost of doing business rises.

Organisations that fail to leverage knowledge will lack a primary tool in obtaining competitive advantage, customer satisfaction, and organisational empowerment.

The workshop is intended for support executives who wish to understand the Knowledge-Centered Support vision or who need more information on the solution management system.

The key benefits of this workshop include:

• Learning how to use an effective solution management framework that provides the foundation and organisational support necessary to capture, create, and deliver solutions to drive the knowledge management process.
  
• Hands-on demonstration and discussion of the benefits achieved from technologies such as Talisma that have adopted the” Knowledge-Centered” methodology. Some of these benefits include: channel choice, information access and aggregation, measurement and optimisation, scalability, reliability and security

Issues to be covered throughout the day include:

• How to assess the value of knowledge centred support
• The concept behind the re-use of knowledge and the value of tracking the re-use
• How to understand KCS principles and practices
• Considerations for a successful adoption and implementation of the strategy
• A walkthrough of how technology can enhance KCS success

• Breaking out of the IT underclass
• How to prove our worth
• Creating a culture of success in the helpdesk
• Gaining user appreciation
• Getting the helpdesk recognised for its true level of importance
• Gathering management attention and influence
• Getting and staying motivated

• Establishing a set of service desk best practices for physical and password security
• Maintaining and developing a culture of security in end users
• Guarding assets and protecting data
• Implementing positive password policies

• Examining performance management tiers
• The development of a performance measurement implementation roadmap
• Linking company goals and performance expectations to the role of the service desk
• Practical examples of implementation within Suncorp Metway
  

• Remaining client focused
• Driving the value proposition to the senior level
• Lessons learnt along the way
• Where to from here?

• While tall poppies can be cut down, some poppies need to grow taller
• This presentation offers a three-step secret to ethnical self-promotion which won’t be embarrassing, difficult or feel insincere.
• Get more recognition for your time and effort
• Learn how to be greater appreciated and increase your chances of promotion

• The methodical process of analysing the current workforce.
• Determine staffing requirements at a yearly and monthly level using standard industry metrics.
• Ensure agreed service levels are met by rostering staff to meet expected need.
• Identify the gap between the present and future
• Implement solutions so the organisation can accomplish its objectives.

All attendees attending this session will receive a spreadsheet that automates this process.

• The pain before OLAs
• Resistance to change within the organisation
• How to negotiate and OLA within your organisation
• Effectively sharing the OLA burden
• The results and how this on sells to the rest of the organisation

• Making sure you run your show, not them
• Putting yourself in their shoes
• Discovering and working with their strengths
• Strategising for their weaknesses
• Keeping your self sane!

• A case study of the NSW Department of Education and Training
• Using” Enterprise Feedback Management”
• Alternatives to an IVR
• Surveys and forms workflow
• Capitalising on your help desk tool

• While tall poppies can be cut down, some poppies need to grow taller
• This presentation offers a three-step secret to ethnical self-promotion which won’t be embarrassing, difficult or feel insincere.
• Get more recognition for your time and effort
• Learn how to be greater appreciated and increase your chances of promotion

• The KCS methodology
• Creating a collective, organisational memory
• The culture shift required
• The benefits of implementation

• Evaluating the market – Does ‘ITIL compliant’ mean anything?
• Understanding the products. Asset management? Workflow system?Business Intelligence? What else?
• RFI Hell – Getting the facts
• Predicting the value – What the TCO and ROI tables won’t show you
• Managing Presales – Don’t let them tell your story
• Controlling scope – Don’t become a revenue stream

• While tall poppies can be cut down, some poppies need to grow taller
• This presentation offers a three-step secret to ethnical self-promotion which won’t be embarrassing, difficult or feel insincere.
• Get more recognition for your time and effort
• Learn how to be greater appreciated and increase your chances of promotion

Option A: The ‘Caddyshack’ @ the driving range. Kick off the morning firing off a few rounds in an exclusive area on the green for conference delegates. Improve your shot as the sun rises over the majestic hinterland.

Option B: Yoga on the golf course!Work out a year's worth of tension with a relaxing yoga session that will allow you to unwind and prepare for the third day of proceedings.

• Building a solid track record to gain management trust
• Creating organisational empathy for the importance of the SLA
• Synergizing business goals with service desk goals
• Cut costs and raise service levels
• Incorporating support solutions that improve processes

• Discussing TNT Express’ business strategy and how it required ‘common’ IT solutions for both domestic and international business
• Explains the ‘common’ IT solution required a standard approach to service management in all TNT business units so that a service call or change, for example, is managed the same in Tokyo as it is in Sydney and London
• Illustrates how putting this common solution into place required standard processes and a common toolset to replace the 30 existing tools in operation globally
• Details the joint development of the solution between ICS staff in Italy, Australia and the UK and the implementation process

• Discuss how organisations seek to find new ways to cut costs and boost profits
• The notion of self-servicing as a value added alternative
• Customer expectations are doubling every 18 months but does that translate here
• The ubiquity of web based support and the drive for convenience
• Justifying the investment of self-service technology and foreseeable ROI

• The central, single point of contact for the end user
• Adds value and influences customer satisfaction/retention
• Continual trend in growth of end-user computing has boosted service desk importance
• Greater efficiency and enhanced customer productivity via reduced down-time
• More stabilised IT platforms with change management

This session will explore how IT support services can raise their profile to become avaluable contributor to the organisation in the eyes of senior management. The session will cover:

• What senior management is seeking from IT support services
• The importance of having the right people in the right jobs
• Managing conflicting demands
• Justifying resources.

This session is divided into two parts. Each delegate will be asked to select a table of choice to discuss and network with like-minded individuals facing similar challenges. After 35 minutes, delegates move on to their next choice. An industry expert will lead each interactive roundtable discussion

Table 1: Independence day! Outsourcing: Problem resolution or problem starter?
Moderator: Peter Paffenholz, Service Desk Manager, AGL

Table 2: Staff overskilling. Is there such a thing?
Moderator: Elizabeth Roodenrys, Service Centre Manager, IBM

Table 3: ITIL is a four letter word!
Moderator: Mark Harris, Senior Lecturer, Victoria University

Table 4: Falling down! Effectively managing staff stress
Moderator: Mary Wollmering, Former CIO, Melbourne Health

Table 5: Got your measure. What are the metrics that matter most?
Moderator: Chris Whiteford, Service Desk Manager, Suncorp Metway

Table 6: Collective blind leading the blind? Knowledge Centred Support broken down
Chris Barker,Client Services Manager,Hubb Financial Group

Table 7: The chosen one! Looking at the key factors in vendor evaluation
Moderator: Rick Phillips, Service Delivery Developer, La Trobe University

Table 8: Evolution. Looking at the key factors in effective change management
Moderator: Mark Paterson, Head of IT Services, Austrade

• Identifying and describing essential job functions and relating them to the mission and goals of the organisation.
• Developing realistic and appropriate performance standards.
• Giving and receiving feedback about performance.
• Writing and communicating constructive performance appraisals.
• Planning and developing opportunities to sustain improvement

• The cost of not training
• Staff training as an investment
• Different types of training and methods used at IBM
• The organisational value reaped from helping people to improve
• Proving the value of training to the senior level

This session is divided into two parts. Each delegate will be asked to select a table of choice to discuss and network with like-minded individuals facing similar challenges. After 35 minutes, delegates move on to their next choice. An industry expert will lead each interactive roundtable discussion

Table 1: Independence day! Outsourcing: Problem resolution or problem starter?
Moderator: Peter Paffenholz, Service Desk Manager, AGL

Table 2: Staff overskilling. Is there such a thing?
Moderator: Elizabeth Roodenrys, Service Centre Manager, IBM

Table 3: ITIL is a four letter word!
Moderator: Mark Harris, Senior Lecturer, Victoria University

Table 4: Falling down! Effectively managing staff stress
Moderator: Mary Wollmering, Former CIO, Melbourne Health

Table 5: Got your measure. What are the metrics that matter most?
Moderator: Chris Whiteford, Service Desk Manager, Suncorp Metway

Table 6: Collective blind leading the blind? Knowledge Centred Support broken down
Chris Barker,Client Services Manager,Hubb Financial Group

Table 7: The chosen one! Looking at the key factors in vendor evaluation
Moderator: Rick Phillips, Service Delivery Developer, La Trobe University

Table 8: Evolution. Looking at the key factors in effective change management
Moderator: Mark Paterson, Head of IT Services, Austrade

This session is divided into two parts. Each delegate will be asked to select a table of choice to discuss and network with like-minded individuals facing similar challenges. After 35 minutes, delegates move on to their next choice. An industry expert will lead each interactive roundtable discussion

Table 1: Independence day! Outsourcing: Problem resolution or problem starter?
Moderator: Peter Paffenholz, Service Desk Manager, AGL

Table 2: Staff overskilling. Is there such a thing?
Moderator: Elizabeth Roodenrys, Service Centre Manager, IBM

Table 3: ITIL is a four letter word!
Moderator: Mark Harris, Senior Lecturer, Victoria University

Table 4: Falling down! Effectively managing staff stress
Moderator: Mary Wollmering, Former CIO, Melbourne Health

Table 5: Got your measure. What are the metrics that matter most?
Moderator: Chris Whiteford, Service Desk Manager, Suncorp Metway

Table 6: Collective blind leading the blind? Knowledge Centred Support broken down
Chris Barker,Client Services Manager,Hubb Financial Group

Table 7: The chosen one! Looking at the key factors in vendor evaluation
Moderator: Rick Phillips, Service Delivery Developer, La Trobe University

Table 8: Evolution. Looking at the key factors in effective change management
Moderator: Mark Paterson, Head of IT Services, Austrade

• Deconstructing the aura of the ITIL religion
• Assessing the pitfalls of ITIL implementation
• Tangible benefits and efficiency related savings
• Does ITIL make the role of the service desk more important?
• Our next foot forward.

Imagine being blinded at the age of 17. Now imagine going on to become a 3rd dan black belt in Judo, winning championships against seeing opponents all over the world, winning a paralympic gold, hitchhiking around Australia and New Zealand and throwing the likes of Bob Hawke and John Howard in the process. This is the remarkable true story of a man who has conquered against all odds.

• ITIL history, philosophy, how it developed, what it is, and the drivers behind its popularity
• The internal benefits of ITIL
• The organisational benefits of a well managed and process oriented IT organisation
• Investigate some specific case examples of where ITIL has been used to benefit business

• Purpose of the research
• Literature review
• Methodology( data collection)
• Research findings
• Comparative studies and conclusions

• Moving from an IT driven orientation to a service driven orientation
• The value proposition – capability and cost vs. customer needs
• Managing expectations
• Partnering – customer, ICT Support, Vendor
• Empowering staff

• To get different results, we need to start thinking differently
• Our success is practically confirmed if we follow some simple models and strategies that are time-tested
• It was Einstein who said “the significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them”
• We all know this – but how do we do it? This presentation will give you some immediately useable ideas to create your mindset for success

• Attracting and recruiting the right staff
• Maintaining morale in a high stressed environment
• Benefit attainment of role rotation and continual training offering
• The importance of injecting fun into the workplace

• Determining service desk efficiency
• Defining industry standard performance measures
• How to measure individual and service desk performance
• Using the right metrics effectively
• Looking at service quality through the eye of the customer

• Improving work/life balance
• Identifying stress signals
• Techniques for maintaining morale and avoiding stress in a stressful environment
• Building a suitable recognition/reward program

• To get different results, we need to start thinking differently
• Our success is practically confirmed if we follow some simple models and strategies that are time-tested
• It was Einstein who said “the significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them”
• We all know this – but how do we do it? This presentation will give you some immediately useable ideas to create your mindset for success

• Are technology silos being replaced by ITIL silos?
• Has ‘ Adopt and Adapt’ become ‘ Subvert and Undermine’?
• Does everybody hate the Service Desk software?
• Is that a CMDB in your pocket?
• Where are those ‘quick wins’? Does ITIL really scale?

• How to avoid the change management process being too bureaucratic and giving others excuses for not following it
• Keeping it simple and ensuring the process always works and is improved
• Who should be on the change advisory board?
• Business alignment and service expectations
• Measuring success

• To get different results, we need to start thinking differently
• Our success is practically confirmed if we follow some simple models and strategies that are time-tested
• It was Einstein who said “the significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them”
• We all know this – but how do we do it? This presentation will give you some immediately useable ideas to create your mindset for success

Pre-Conference Workshops (9:00am-4:00pm)

Participants will receive comprehensive documentation including all presentation material. Morning and afternoon tea breaks will be served at 10:30am and 2:30pm respectively, and lunch will be served from 12 noon to 1:00pm.

What is the Customer Service culture of your organisation? Is it delivering the BEST
bottom-line results it can achieve?

The champions of Customer Service delivery operate in Level 3 Customer Service –Organisational Customer Service.

When this is firmly in place, profits increase and your business will grow.

Around 80% of Australians are not happy with the level of service they receive. Organisational Customer Service is a powerful key to turn this around for your business.

Without continuous vigilance in our customer service delivery, our ongoing improvements in profit – and long term prosperity – will not be aligned to the best possible outcomes.

• A happier work environment
• Lower staff turnover
• Increases in productivity
• Improved customer loyalty

Key benefits of this workshop include:

• An in-depth understanding of the three levels of customer service and which level your organisation is at
• The positive influence of a happy work environment and the key to lower staff turnover
• Insight into how to build a culture of organisational customer service
• An understanding of the value of treating everyone as a high-value customer and how to do it
• Practical tips and helpful tools for improved customer loyalty, and organisational productivity

Agenda

Issues to be covered throughout the day include:

• What are the three levels of Customer Service?
• How to build a culture of Organisational Customer Service
• The value of treating everyone as a high-value customer and how to do it
• How to influence the cultural shift
  

This experiential Awareness Workshop looks at How to do Benchmarking, How not to do it, the benefits for support services professionals, how to identify why and what to be benchmarking, how to identify benchmarking partners, how to benchmark and measure performance and how to improve performance. The workshop will also communicate some current issues and best local and international practices.

It covers the importance of Benchmarking to improve your business results and enable achievement of your strategic goals and customer needs.

Key benefits of the workshop include:

• Participate in an action packed day – Harvesting B.E.S.T. PRACTICES and ‘Think-tank’ discussion regarding doing Benchmarking
• Participate in the ‘Hands-on’ learning on How to do Benchmarking to Accelerate Improvement
• Participate in facilitated discussion about strengths of leading practices with other delegates

Agenda

Issues to be covered throughout the day include:

• Overview of benchmarking
• What benchmarking is – What benchmarking is not
• Avoiding the common traps in benchmarking
• Differentiate between benchmarks and benchmarking
• Look at different types of benchmarking and when to use them
• Learn and share current issues and best practices in help desks and other support services
• Learn how to be involved in local and international benchmarking at minimal cost
• Determining a benchmarking project – topic and scope
• Identifying benchmarking partners
• Identifying best practices

Direct Health Solutions are Australia’s leading absence management providers. This
workshop will provide some of the best practice frameworks to assist organisations
determine the impact, cost and management of absenteeism in the IT support services industry. It takes an in-depth look into the psychological and physiological factors that influence absenteeism and the best means to minimise it and safeguard ROI.

Key benefits of the workshop include:

• Learn the key factors driving absence in your organisation
• Gain a medical and psychological understanding of the reasons for absenteeism
• Take away practical methods to manage employee health and maintain performance

Agenda

Issues to be covered throughout the day include:

• Australian and Global Absenteeism Benchmarks : How Australia compares with the OECD
• Absenteeism research for call centres and helpdesks
• Impacts : Calculating the true cost of absence
• Diagnostics : Determining the factors driving absence in your organisation
• People : Who and why people are taking absence – A psychological and medical perspective
• Health : What can you practically do to manage employee health
• ROI : How do you determine the effectiveness of absence management strategies and measure the outcomes