Habitat Beats its Service Level Agreements with Numara FootPrints
Numara FootPrints upgrade enables Habitat’s Service Desk to provide support to 36 Habitat stores around the country, exceeding its Service Level Agreements on over 5,000 calls a year
Reading, UK (September 01, 2009) –
Numara® Software, Inc., a leader in service desk management solutions, announced today that the furniture stores group Habitat has completed a smooth upgrade to the latest version of its service desk solution, Numara® FootPrints®.
The recent upgrade, part of a move to service 36 outlets in Habitat’s retail network will enable the group to continue the current clear visibility of its service calls to meet the requirements of Habitat’s business. A key driver for Habitat’s IT team is that it expects to exceed its Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for a service desk that receives over 5,000 calls a year.
In choosing to upgrade Numara FootPrints, Habitat considered alternative solutions, but concluded that they were no match for Numara FootPrints cost effectiveness and ease of use, as Habitat Technical Operations Manager Edward Josh explains:
“We had a limited budget, and although we looked at solutions like BMC Remedy, it was too complicated and we’d have needed a specialist team to run it. With our previous version of Numara FootPrints, we were able to set up the network system and configure it ourselves. And it was important to us that we were able to maintain that flexibility and ease of use.”
For four years, Habitat has been using Numara FootPrints as its service management solution to monitor the operations of 36 stores employing 1,000 staff throughout the country. Since its first adoption, Numara FootPrints has handled over 20,000 calls.
So for Josh, the choice of upgrading its service desk solution to the latest version of Numara FootPrints was an easy one for a small IT team of 26 that supports everyone within Habitat in the UK.
“We originally chose Numara Software four years ago because it was a flexible, powerful solution, and we selected it to manage the faults and requests for support we receive from staff in our UK stores. On upgrading recently, we were able to set up the software from scratch with no problems at all. We were astonished at how easy it was to get the system exactly how we wanted it,” adds Josh.
What excites Habitat about the latest version of Numara FootPrints is the ability to configure the reporting module to give the IT team exactly the information they require, whenever they want it.
“Getting that information to meet your requirements is all about configuring it correctly in the first place. We have configured Numara FootPrints to tell us exactly what calls are open, at a glance from the front page. And the whole team can see that. This leads to a lot of banter among the team about who’s at the top with the most calls open and who has the heaviest workload,” continues Josh.
A key area of interest for Habitat is Numara FootPrints ease of integration with Active Directory. If Habitat needs to create a user account for a new starter, the Numara FootPrints Quick Call facility means everything is pre-configured for a new starter process: creating an account, building their PC, and creating their SAP and Windows accounts. The ease of call-logging by the Help Desk also means the team is more likely to continue to log the calls efficiently and effectively.
Another benefit for Habitat is the ability to use Numara FootPrints to create a survey giving the IT team feedback on their performance from customers within the business. As a result it has enhanced the IT Service Team’s reputation for prompt support, exceeding its Service Level Agreements. Josh and his team have even been able to respond swiftly to a request from one of Habitat’s directors for more information on the group’s SAP implementation by creating a category for SAP calls.
“Habitat could eventually do these things with other service solutions,” says Josh. “The problem is it would take two guys three weeks to come up with a solution that worked for us and probably cost us the earth in doing so. That’s what makes Numara FootPrints so beneficial for us. We recognise its ease of use, flexibility and manageability.”
For more information on Numara Track-It!, please visit www.numarasoftware.co.uk.
About Numara Software, Inc.
Serving over 50,000 customer sites worldwide, Numara Software is a global leader in providing practical software solutions for service management to IT professionals. From a single technician running a help desk to 1000 technicians managing a complex service desk, IT organizations of all sizes trust our award-winning solutions, featuring Numara Track-It! and Numara FootPrints, to track requests, automate workflows and support internal and external customers.
Unlike other complex, difficult-to-implement, and costly products, we offer robust, affordable and easy-to-use solutions that can be quickly deployed without disruption to your business. Our flexible solutions can be implemented right out of the box or configured to match your unique IT environment and business processes. They can also be leveraged to support non-IT operations, such as human resources and facilities, allowing you to optimize your investments in licensing, maintenance, training, and support.
We’re passionate about helping people successfully manage their IT environments. To register for a one-on-one guided walkthrough, attend a webinar or download a trial, please contact the UK sales team on: 0800 195 2373 or visit: www.numarasoftware.co.uk.
For further information:
Paula Elliott
C8 Consulting Ltd for Numara Software
+44 (0) 118 9001132
paula@c8consulting.co.uk
Source: Numara