Omron Healthcare, Inc., based in Vernon Hills, IL, caters to both consumers and the professional medical community by offering products in Blood Pressure, Respiratory, Thermometry, Wellness and Professional Medical categories. Omron Healthcare is a proud sponsor of the American Heart Association High Blood Pressure Website and actively supports its mission and activities. The Issue Omron issued an RFP to outsource non-core business operations including IT helpdesk, desktop, and network functions. There was a recognized need to improve documentation and processes for tracking and responding to support calls. The firm planned to consolidate current vendors, stabilize its network, enhance productivity, and, through call center reports, identify end-user training issues. The goal was to raise the bar of service accountability and improve satisfaction and performance levels. The Solution ABS was selected to provide help desk, desktop and networking managed services. The ABS implementation team worked closely with Omron to develop work flows as well as database and call tracking requirements. ABS procedures and tools are designed to facilitate a quick and easy implementation. In this instance, the entire process was completed in less than six weeks. At the heart of the managed service solution is ABShelp, a web-based knowledge center that serves as the single point of contact for all IT users. ABS agents furnish tier one and two support to Omron personnel located across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. In addition, ABS on-site technicians provide quick response to desktop support incidents. The day-to-day administration and support of Omron networks is also provided by ABS certified engineers. After a thorough assessment of network architecture, ABS consultants identified methods to reduce downtime and improve overall performance of the network. Network monitoring capability was integrated with ABShelp so that when alerts are issued, ABShelp automatically generates a ticket ensuring, for example, that network outages can be tracked, escalated, and managed through resolution. ABS consultants continue to play a key role in assessing, designing, and implementing best practices disciplines within IT operations including but not limited to change, asset, and continuity management. Reporting is a critical element of the solution and, along with data analysis, provides valuable insight into staff performance, root cause, and trending indicators. Reports present important information in a clear and concise manner and help contribute to the decision-making process. The Result Server uptime has improved significantly, which produces a variety of tangible benefits. In addition to keeping productivity fluid with fewer interruptions, increased automation in the network support arena also frees up the network team to address more complex and critical issues. Call reports highlight end-user training issues and other infrastructure needs that make long-term solutions more evident and justified. Improvements are documented and all helpdesk, deskside, and network issues are resolved in a more timely manner. With the ABS program, best practices methodologies are being implemented in all areas of Omron's IT service. Since going live with ABShelp, call ticket closure rates have increased significantly, while real-time, on-line reports provide response and resolution times as well service level metrics. Not only does Omron have a clearer picture of its IT environment, but the firm has been able to maintain the same IT budget from year to year while simultaneously increasing its service levels. Copyright © 1998-2008 ABS Associates, Inc.