Hampshire Constabulary automates ITIL processes

Hampshire Constabulary has selected Infra Corporation’s web-based IT Service Management Software for its new ITIL-compliant service desk.

The Infra solution automates key incident and problem management processes for more efficient support of the force’s’s 700 applications, 3,500 desktop machines and mission-critical Airwave digital radio system. The Infra system also provides a fully-integrated CMDB, knowledge base and customer portal.

Hampshire Constabulary is the second largest non-metropolitan police service in England and Wales and polices the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, covering an area of 418,000 hectares and serving a population of 1.8 million in 730,000 households.

Based at headquarters in Winchester, the IT and communications services (ITCS) department provides support for the IT infrastructure that underpins police operations, including over 700 applications and vital command control systems such as the crime recording system.

Steve Felton, user support manager at Hampshire Police, said: “Using infraEnterprise, we were able to introduce best practice processes for incident and problem management quickly and smoothly. Although the Infra system has only recently gone live, we are already reaping the benefits in terms of improved service desk efficiency and the first line call resolution rate.”

Scripting within infraEnterprise enables operators supporting the constabulary’s 7,500 employees to gather complete and accurate information in a structured way. The ability to automatically link problems with workarounds has dramatically improved productivity and ensured that the target of 85 per cent for first-line resolution of calls is now achievable. Unresolved calls can be escalated to second and third line support teams via emails that include time-saving links to the product and related fault record.

Prior to implementing infraEnterprise, the call logging process was time-consuming as operators had to type in both questions and answers when gathering information. As a result, there were issues with incomplete or incorrect data, rendering managing and reporting on problems more difficult. Using scripting within infraEnterprise, service desk staff are now guided through the information-gathering process on screen, simply clicking on the relevant answer.

Felton continued: “Scripting within infraEnterprise has clearly had a positive impact on productivity and, crucially, enables us to record comprehensive and accurate data. We can also easily customise screens to suit our specific needs, all of which makes the Infra system extremely intuitive to use.”

Hampshire Police is also using Infra’s fully-integrated customer portal as part of its service desk solution. Around 3,000 calls per month to the service desk are currently logged by email. Implementing customer self-service will enhance customer satisfaction and significantly boost service desk productivity.