S 2.12 Services and counselling for IT users

Initiation responsibility: Head of IT, Top Management

Implementation responsibility: Head of IT

The use of IT systems requires comprehensive training of the IT users. In addition to training which enables the IT users to properly handle the information technology used, IT users must be provided with information and advisory services regarding any problems encountered in current operations. Such problems may result from hardware defects or faulty software installation, but also from operating errors. All users should know the unit and/or persons who they can contact in case of any IT problems. IT support should also record information regarding potential security problems and forward it to the responsible persons, e.g. the security management team.

In larger organisations, it may therefore be a good policy to assign a central unit with attending to the needs of IT users and to inform all employees of the designation of that unit. This requirement may be practicable, in particular, in cases where a large number of decentralised systems such as PCs is involved. It must be ensured that the IT support is available during the users' working hours so that IT problems can be solved promptly. In case of flexible working hours, users may be present at their workplace at irregular times. For this reason, service hours should be defined which meet the requirements of the relevant organisation and which should be based on the hours during which the majority of the employees are at work.

A telephone hotline should be set up for the support of IT users as many problems can be solved faster by phone than in writing. Support only by e-mail is not sufficient as in case of failure of an IT system, the network or the servers involved, it may not be possible to describe the problem in this way.

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