No technical service is complete unless it comes with associated specialized support. IT support started as part of IT services with no clear distinction to what it constituted.
A clear idea of IT support emerged in the 1980s as more and more customers wanted some additional ongoing support for their technology issues. People needed expert assistance in fixing their computer hardware, software installations, maintenance, and other equipment, be it networks, printers, and so on.
Thus, support operations started to exist as their own service offering other than the initial product and services delivered. As technology continuously evolved, the nature and scope of IT support have also evolved over time.
And currently, it is quite safe to say that no business can do without subscribing to IT support in Toronto and surrounding areas like Mississauga, Markham and Richmond Hill. Whenever you use IT services, you will also seek IT support, whether with installations, maintenance, upgrades, training, or any ad hoc issue resolution. In the current era of IT-as-a-service, IT support services are often included as part of the service package.
Trends In IT Support: How IT Support Is Adapting To New Technologies
In the early advent of the computing era, IT support was usually the job of specialists who could be hired as in-house specialists or be available as part of a value addition from an IT partner.
As the scale of IT operations used in companies grew, IT support systems moved from specialists to general IT support technicians. In the 90s and early 2000s, IT support was more of a break-fix, where you only needed it when something broke and wouldn’t work how you wanted it to.
Then came the era of call centers where customers could call up a service line, explain their issue, and get an issue record created, tracked, and get it resolved. With rapid digital transformation worldwide, support can now be accessed via multiple channels, and issue tracking has become more efficient with the help of specialized software solutions.
As technology has become ubiquitous, IT support has become a critical part of everyday IT operations, and thus, most companies prefer to subscribe to managed services. The current trends towards IT support are inclined towards smarter, automated, continuous, and ongoing support.
Here are some of the trends that are considered essential for efficient IT support in Toronto:
- AI-based automation and streamlined support processes for efficient issue resolution
- End-to-end integration with your overall business operations and IT operations
- Industry-specific cloud platforms and targeted support
- Easy-to-use solutions that are geared towards simplifying tasks for non-programmers. Hence, solutions that employ little to no code are widely preferred.
- Omnichannel support that offers multiple means to connect with the customer.
Key IT Support Strategies: Best Practices For Effective IT Support in Toronto
While IT services are focused on getting a job done, IT support is mostly about the people. It is about solving the problems that people face with technology. Hence, the focus of effective IT support should always include both the people and not just the technology.
Here are some effective strategies that can help you with formulating a good IT support system in Mississauga, Markham and Richmond Hill:
- Make sure to have smart goals that are well-defined and measurable
- Self-service solutions can be a great way to minimize the resolution times and ensure a streamlined support process
- Gather employee feedback and evaluate it to improve your support operations.
- Establish and execute a continuous improvement plan
- Make sure to provide omnichannel support
- Make use of automation in your help desk solutions
- Build and keep an updated knowledge base. Plan a knowledge management strategy and improve on it as required.
- Ensure your hardware and software are updated with the latest patches and updates. Be proactive with maintenance.
- Build and maintain a solid relationship with your stakeholders and decision-makers.
- Make good use of your data and get insights on further improvement
- Employ strict security measures and data compliance strategies.
- To enable smooth transactions, try to maintain a single point of contact with your service providers.
Case Study/Example: A Successful IT Support Scenario
Brastel is a telecommunications company with a rich history and a huge consumer base in Japan. They provide telecommunications services such as international calling and business phone services for businesses and individuals. To increase their service quality, they created two brands specifically catering to their telecalling and remittance services.
However, handling the support calls for all these operations became extremely challenging due to the sheer volume of customers, and the many different communication channels that agents had to switch between to connect with customers.
Using automated IT help desk support solutions helped Brastel reduce these complexities and significantly improve their ticket handling time, a 39% decrease in the ticket resolution process. The help desk solution used a knowledge base, automated workflows, and live chatbots to help achieve improved performance and productivity.
Conclusion: The Future Of IT Support in Toronto and its Importance for Businesses.
IT support is and will continue to be a critical part of everyday business operations. As the scale and scope of IT operations within a company increase, so will the need for IT support. Figuring out the best strategies to keep your IT support operations efficient will be critical to maintaining your business continuity and quality of services.
The future of IT support is geared towards improved efficiency, self-help solutions, targeted support, and quick turnaround times. You need to stay ahead of the technology curve to reap the benefits and perform better than your competition in Toronto and surrounding areas like Mississauga, Markham and Richmond Hill.
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