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| Help Desk Terms -- A |
| Abandon Rate |
| The percentage of total calls received that self-release from ringing or queue before reaching a support team member. |
| Abandoned Call |
| A call in which the caller hangs up (disconnects) before an operator or agent answers the call. Se also ACD Automatic Call Distributor. |
| Absorbed Overhead |
| Overhead which, by means of absorption rates, is included in costs of specific products or saleable services, in a given period of time. Under- or over-absorbed overhead: the difference between overhead cost incurred and overhead cost absorbed: it may be split into its two constituent parts for control purposes. |
| Absorption Costing |
| A principle whereby fixed as well as variable costs are allotted to cost units and total overheads are absorbed according to activity level. The term may be applied where production costs only or costs of all functions are so allotted. |
| Action Lists |
| Defined actions, allocated to recovery teams and individuals, within a phase of a plan. These are supported by reference data. |
| Action Plan |
| A document used to guide the implementation of business process improvements. It contains task assignments, schedules, resource allocations, assignments, and evaluation criteria. |
| Action Taken Codes |
| A series of pre-established codes that identify possible alternative dispositions of customer calls. |
| Active Line |
| A telecommunication line that is currently available for transmission of data; a line that has been activated. |
| Active Listening |
| Active listening is a technique that can be developed to replace the body language that we are unable to use when we are on the telephone. It means using verbal acknowledgements to let the customer know we are listening. For example “MmmHmm”, “Yes, I see”, I understand. |
| Activity |
| A named process, function, or task that occurs over time and has recognisable results. Activities use up assigned resources to produce products and services. Activities combine to form business processes. |
| Activity Accounting |
| The collection of financial and operational performance information about significant activities of an enterprise. |
| Activity Analysis |
| The breakdown of an enterprise into manageable segments for detailed analysis regarding cost and performance. |
| Activity Dependence |
| An activity intermeshed with other activities in such a manner that the first (i.e., dependent) activity cannot be executed until one or more outputs of other activities within the process have been received. |
| Activity Diagram |
| A graphic presentation of all or part of an IDEF0 activity model. Three possible types include Node Tree, Context Diagram, Decomposition Diagram. |
| Activity Measure |
| A performance value assigned to an activity's primary output. |
| Activity Model |
| A graphical representation of a business process that exhibits the activities that make up the business process to any desired level of detail. An activity model reveals the interactions between activities in terms of inputs and outputs while showing the controls placed on each activity and the types of resources assigned to each activity. |
| Activity Model (as-is) |
| An activity model that portrays how a business process is currently structured. It is used to establish a baseline for subsequent business process improvement actions or programs. |
| Activity Model (to-be) |
| An activity model that results from a business process redesigned action or program. The TO-BE model shows how the business process will function after the improvement action is implemented. |
| Activity, Non-Value Added |
| Any activity that provides a negative return on the investment or allocation of resources to that activity. Within broad limits, the enterprise benefits by allocating fewer resources to non-value added activities. |
| Activity, Value Added |
| Any activity that contributes directly to the performance of a mission, and could not be eliminated without impairing the mission. |
| Activity-Based Costing |
| A form of cost accounting that focuses on the costs of performing specific functions (processes, activities, tasks, etc.), rather than on the costs of departments or units. Activity-based costing generates more accurate cost and performance information related to specific products and services than is available to managers through traditional cost accounting approaches. |
| Activity-Based Management |
| A system of management that seeks to optimise the value added activities performed by the enterprise while at the same time minimising or eliminating the non-value added activities, resulting in overall improvements in the effectiveness and the efficiency of the enterprise in serving its customers. |
| Adapt |
| Architecture Design, Analysis and Planning Tool. This tool provides a complete picture of an information system infrastructure including computers, communication links and devices, applications and databases. ADAPT is based on COTS software and can be also used as a management tool to support inventory control etc. |
| Agent |
| A common term used to indicate a Service Desk/Help Desk or Support Centre employee whose primary job responsibility is responding to customer calls. These employees typically provide first-level or second-level support. |
| Alert |
| Warning that an incident has occurred. |
| Alert Phase |
| The first phase of a Business Continuity Plan in which initial emergency procedures and damage assessments are activated. |
| Allocated Cost |
| A cost that can be directly identified with a business unit. |
| Allocation |
| An accounting method typically used to apportion a cost or expense based upon estimated usage or volume. For example, the cost of operating a Service Desk/Help Desk or Support Centre is often allocated among its various customer groups based upon headcount, number of workstations, or service volumes. |
| Analyst |
| Typically, a person who defines problems and develops procedures for resolving them. Often used interchangeably with agent. |
| Appletalk |
| Apple Computer's protocol suite including LocalTalk, EtherTalk, and TokenTalk. LocalTalk is the 230.4-kilobitper-second media-access method Apple developed for use with the Macintosh. EtherTalk and TokenTalk are Apple's communication protocols-such as AppleTalk Printer Services (ATPS) and AppleTalk File Protocol (AFP~--using the Ethernet 802.3 and 802.5 standards, respectively. See 802.X. |
| Appletalk File Protocol (AFP) |
| Apple Computer's network protocol that provides access between file servers and clients in AppleShare networks. |
| Application Portfolio |
| An information system containing key attributes of applications deployed in a company. Application portfolios are used as tools to manage the business value of an application throughout its lifecycle. |
| Application Software |
| Application Software, also know as end user programs such as word processors, spreadsheets, database applications. For example MS Outlook, Lotus Notes, MS Word, Internet Explorer, Oracle |
| Apportioned Cost |
| A cost that is shared by a number of business units (an indirect cost). This cost must be shared out between these units on an equitable basis. |
| Architecture |
| An organised framework consisting of principles, rules, conventions, and standards that serve to guide development and construction activities such that all components of the intended structure will work together to satisfy the ultimate objective of the structure. |
| Arrival Time |
| The time that a technician arrives on site in response to a service request. |
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) |
| Technology resulting from a broad field of computer development that studies the nature of intelligence-how people think, arrive at solutions, make decisions, and so on-with the goal of developing systems which mimic these capabilities. A defining feature of Al systems is the ability to learn from past experience without the need of specific human intervention. See machine learning. |
| As-is Model |
| A model that represents the current state of the organisation without any specific improvements included. Can be either an activity model or rule model. |
| Asset |
| Component of a business process. Assets can include people, accommodation, computer systems, networks, paper records, fax machines, etc. |
| Asset Management |
| Implementing a set of operating and accounting procedures intended to maximise the return on investment (ROI) of the equipment assets of an organisation, especially capital assets. See asset tracking. |
| Asset Tracking |
| The process of recording the location, condition, status, and ownership of the equipment assets of an organisation. See Asset Management. |
| Assignee |
| The specific agent, other staff member, or outside consultant who is designated to manage and resolve a specific service request. The assignee may change multiple times during the life of the service request. |
| Assignment |
| The process by which the responsibility for taking the next action for managing and resolving a customer service request is designated to a specific individual, function, or organisation. Typically, the Service Desk/Help Desk or Customer Support Centre continues to monitor the service request and tracks it until the request is closed. |
| Asynchronous/Synchronous |
| In a communications sense, the ability to transmit each character as a self-contained unit of information, without additional timing information. This method of transmitting data is sometimes called start/stop. Synchronous working involves the use of timing information to allow transmission of data, which is normally done in blocks. Synchronous transmission is usually more efficient than the asynchronous method. |
| Attribute |
| A property, quality or characteristic inherent in or ascribed to someone or something (an entity). An attribute has a name and a value. Attributes are used to identify and distinguish between entities and to provide descriptions of entities. Attributes are named with singular, generic nouns. |
| Audio Messaging Interchange Specification (AMIS) |
| A standard that links different voice messaging systems and remote locations, so they can exchange messages in one large mailbox. |
| Audio Text |
| A system that provides callers with specific information in a pre-recorded audio format, usually through an interactive voice response front-end. |
| Auto Attendant |
| A technology that allows callers to route their calls to a known telephone extension number or to obtain the desired extension number from the system. A touch-tone phone or speech recognition system is required. This feature is typically integrated with an automatic call distribution (ACD) system. |
| Automated Call |
| A call that is handled entirely by automated service delivery or call management systems and does not require the intervention of a human operator or agent. |
| Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) |
| A telephony technology that answers a call and routes or distributes it to the next available analyst based on pre-established rules and provides hold queues for calls. |
| Automatic Number Identification Service (ANIS) |
| A telephone service that automatically identifies the calling telephone number and displays this number at the receiving station or transfers it to an associated computer system such as a problem management system. |
| Automatic Software Distribution |
| The distribution of software from remote locations with minimal operator intervention. The software programs can be distributed and installed directly on client workstations, requiring little involvement from the Service Desk/Help Desk or Support Centre staff, operations staff, or the customer. |
| Automation Tools |
| Applications that help the Service Desk/Help Desk or Support Centre quickly prioritise, elevate, track, and resolve service requests either without or in support of the Service Desk/Help Desk agent. See support technologies. |
| Availability |
| Ability of a component or service to perform its required function at a stated instant or over a stated period of time. It is usually expressed as the availability ratio, i.e., the proportion of time that the service is actually available for use by the customers within the agreed service hours. |
| Availability (Analyst) |
| The percentage of time an analyst is available to take or make calls. This is used to measure the productivity of the Service Desk/Help Desk and the analyst. |
| Availability (System) |
| The measured customer up-time of a system or application, calculated as a percentage over a specific period. |
| Average Abandon Rate (ABA) |
| The percentage of customers that hang up before their call is answered. A metric used to determine staffing level requirements. |
| Average Call Duration |
| The average length of time taken to handle a call, based on the number of calls taken over a set period of time. |
| Average Handling Time (AHT) |
| The average time it takes a support representative to resolve a user problem. |
| Average Hold Time |
| The average lengths of time callers are on hold before their calls are answered. See average wait time |
| Average Length of Call |
| The average time required to process a customer call, from initial receipt to final closure, including both on-phone and off-phone time. See call cycle time. |
| Average Speed of Answer (ASA) |
| The average time required for an analyst or an appropriate automated response tool (such as an IVR) to respond to an incoming call. |
| Average Talk Time (ATT) |
| The average time per call that an analyst spends actually talking with a customer on the phone. This is a common ACD statistic. |
| Average Wait Time |
| The average length of time a caller holds before abandoning the call or being helped by an agent. Also called average hold time. |