Network Support Representative

Anonymous

North Carolina (SAA)

Documents

Individual state requirements may vary. Please contact your local apprenticeship office to ensure this version is suitable to your state’s requirements.

Work Process Schedule

Work Process Content

On the Job Training

Anonymous

255

Skills

Level 1

Review, learn and successfully practice organization's safety procedures and practices. Review, learn and successfully practice organization's help desk standard procedures and practices. Participate in responding to routine customer help desk calls effectively using the organization's safety and standard procedures and practices.
Know the organization's standard procedures and practices for routine customer help desk calls.
Independently staff and successfully operate the organization's help desk and respond to routine customer calls on multiple occasions using standard safety and help desk procedures and practices.
Learn why proper grammar and spelling are important in documenting trouble tickets. Ask a co-worker or supervisor to constructively analyze your trouble ticket documentation and determine if remedial work in this area is appropriate. If so, consider appropriate English usage courses and the use of spell and grammar checking software.
Know why grammar and spelling are important in documenting calls.
Explain to coach why grammar and spelling are important in trouble ticket management. Demonstrate use of proper spelling and grammar in logged trouble tickets.
Operate the organization's help desk and use the call tracking and monitoring system. Identify the customer and establish qualification for service. Then prioritize and document the customer's requests and identify any special requirements. Log trouble ticket information on customer needs and problems, status of actions and resolutions achieved. Log phone calls, personal visits, faxes and emails into the system.
Know how to operate the organization's system for tracking and monitoring help desk calls and needed responses. Know how to gather and confirm trouble ticket information and to enter customer requests and or problems, update status and document resolutions.
Effectively operate the organization's help desk system for call tracking and monitoring. Provide appropriate documentation or conduct observation session with coach.
Study and learn the organization's standard procedures and criteria for escalating problems to other IT groups. During help desk operations escalate problems to the appropriate groups for resolution.
Know the organization's standard procedures and criteria for escalating problems to other IT groups.
Effectively escalate problems to the appropriate IT group for resolution. Provide appropriate documentation.
While operating in the call center or help desk, use the customer's name, identify yourself and your company and offer assistance to set the tone for the call and build rapport establishing an atmosphere of trust and respect.
Know the benefits and components of a standard greeting and why using the customer's name during the greeting is important.
Demonstrate to the coach your effective use of standard greeting principles including using the customer's name in your communications. Conduct an observation session with coach.
Operate the help desk and answer user’s questions about the operations of desktop hardware and software applications and telephones. May be conducted with qual card items HD1.1.1, HD1.2.2 and HD1.3.4
Know how to answer customer questions about desktop hardware and software applications and telephones.
Know how to answer customer questions about desktop hardware and software applications and telephones.
Review, learn and successfully practice the organization's procedures for providing first level troubleshooting assistance such as showing a customer how to diagnose common problems, walking a customer through a solution, helping a customer to install software, etc. Provide support from the help desk, a service center, and personal workstation, via email or in-person desk side.
Know the organization's practices and procedures for providing first level troubleshooting support to customers.
Successfully provide first level troubleshooting support to customers including how to deliver several aspects of assistance from a help desk, service center, personal workstation or desk side in-person.
Remain current in hardware and software enhancements and applications by conducting all the following. Read IT reference materials and IT related periodicals. Participate in discussions with peers, coaches and venders on latest IT advances. Access and review web based information and other information sources on hardware and software applications. Discuss with peers and coach and how new hardware, enhancements or applications might be used by the organization. Note: this is an ongoing effort for all three apprenticeship levels and time spent may be part of other qual card items.
Know how to employ information sources to remain current in IT hardware and software enhancement and applications.
Demonstrate current awareness of IT technologies and possible applications. Provide appropriate documentation.
Review, learn and successfully practice the organization's procedures for providing desk side IT support to customers.
Know the organization's practices and procedures for providing desk side customer assistance with personal computer operations.
Independently make successful field calls to deliver desk side IT support for customers.
Learn and practice organization's help desk operator's responsibilities to customers. Accept ownership of inquiries and problems, deliver quality customer support, understand and document customer needs, and manage customer expectations. May be conducted with qual card items HD1.1.1, HD1.2.2 and HD1.3.4.
Know the responsibilities of the organizations help desk operators to their customers.
Demonstrate a working knowledge of the responsibilities of the help desk operator and the ability to put them into effective practice.
Learn and practice how to identify, assess and validate the caller's educational background, first language (if other than English), product familiarity and other human factors in order to facilitate communication. If appropriate, develop caller assessment metrics to use in training and to maximize the quality of the support incident. This may be conducted with qual card items HD1.3.1 and HD1.3.5.
Know how to identify, manage and overcome barriers to communication
Demonstrate avoidance of potential communication barriers when providing customer support. Conduct observation session with coach.
Study, learn and effectively practice organization's help desk policies, practices and procedures. Effectively participate in responding to customer help desk calls including significant independent operations under a variety of situations. Provide status of trouble tickets and actions taken to correct problems.
Know the organization's help desk operations and customer interaction principles for effectively providing support to a variety of users.
Independently operate the organization's help desk and provide effective and responsive assistance in a variety of situations for a variety of users.
Study, learn and effectively practice the basic psychology of a customer in need, how to speak and behave with the customer in a clear confident manner to foster customer confidence. Understand customer needs and how to articulate possible solutions. May be conducted with qual card items HD1.1.1, HD1.2.2, HD1.3.3 and HD1.3.4.
Know how to effectively communicate and interact with the help desk customers.
Demonstrate effective communication and interaction with help desk customers. Conduct observation session with coach.
Learn, understand and document the organization's policy and practices for the use of computer equipment and software. Use this information to provide customer support regarding approved and unapproved software and equipment and how approved items may be used. Provide information on the use of internet applications and practices to maintain security and integrity.
Know organization's usage policy and practices for utilization of computer hardware and software.
Present documentation to the coach to demonstrated understanding. Successfully provide customer support on the usability of computer equipment and software.
Review, learn and successfully practice the organization's procedures for backing-up and recovering end user disk drives and files including; manual back-ups, automated scheduled back-ups, making ghost images, etc. Assist and train customers in these procedures.
Know how to assist and train customers in the back-up and recovery of disk files.
Successfully assist and train customers in using backup procedures and in recovering lost files.
Review, learn and successfully practice how to install, configure and use common office software tools such as; Word, Excel and Power Point. Assist and train customers in these procedures.
Know how to assist and train customers in using common office software tools.
Successfully assist and train customers in using common office software tools.
Solicit feedback from customers on the quality of service and their needs and desires for service. Document this information, analyze it and develop a paper or presentation on how customer services could be improved.
Know the organization's procedures for obtaining customer feedback and using it to improve service.
Present a paper or oral presentation on customer feedback and how it can be used to improve service. Coach considers the paper or presentation acceptable.
Review, learn and successfully practice the organization's procedures for operation and using the telephone system. Assist and train customers in these procedures.
Know how to assist and train customers on the use of the organization's telephone system.
Successfully assist and train customers in using the organization's telephone system.
Study, learn and employ the organization's basic client/server account management. Learn and practice procedures for account access including set-up, password resets, account locking and unlocking, and basic account security.
Know the basic operations of the organization's network account administration tools.
Demonstrated ability to successfully create, delete, and modify network accounts and to perform password resets, account locking and unlocking and other basic access procedures.
Study and learn the hardware and software characteristics of the organization's printer systems. Provide customer support to manage printer systems either from the help desk or in-person. Physically clean and re-supply printer systems and manage their operation such as starting and stopping spoolers and clearing queues to maintain efficiency
Know the basics of printer management.
Successfully provide support for the organization's printer systems.
Participate in the physical maintenance and cleaning of all local and network equipment under the purview of the help desk or support center. May be conducted with qual card item HD1.4.6.
Know how to physically clean and maintain local and network devices.
Successfully clean and maintain local and network equipment.
Conduct surveys of user software using organization's tools. Determine compliance with licensing requirements and document all unlicensed or out of date software found. Recommend license acquisitions or updates where appropriate.
Know how to inventory user software to determine currency and legality
Work with coach to assure all software is appropriately licensed and updated.
Participate in a physical inventory of the organization's IT equipment, requesting an IT asset from existing inventories, and developing specifications for requisitioning of new IT assets. Participate in preparing for and disposing of IT assets.
Know the concepts and practices for IT asset management including acquisition, inventory, management and disposal.
Show successfully inventories, processed IT asset requests, procurement requests and completed IT asset disposal process documents.
Identify the basic desktop computer components and peripherals used in the workplace and participate in their maintenance and repair.
Know how to maintain and repair the basic desktop computer components and peripherals used in the organization.
Demonstrate to the coach your knowledge of the basic desktop computer components and peripherals of the organization. Demonstrate the repair, replace and assemble these components.
Review, learn and successfully practice the organization's procedures for installing software upgrades on servers or users’ personal computers. Provide support both desk side in-person and using remote technical assistance tools where applicable.
Know the organization's practices and procedures for installing software upgrades on servers or users’ personal computers.
Demonstrated ability to successfully deploy software upgrade for servers and personal computer users.
Review, learn and successfully practice how to install and properly configure personal computer operating system (DOS and Windows) features.
Know how to configure personal computer operating system features.
Successfully install and configure personal computer operating system software on several computers.
Review, learn and practice the organization's procedures for providing customer support for moving, adding or changing their accounts, computer equipment or telephones. Log all requests, assist in conducting the requested actions and document the changes into the organization's appropriate records. This is an ongoing effort for levels 1 and 2 and may be conducted as part of other qual card items.
Know how to provide move, add and change (MAC) services for users’ accounts, computers and telephones.
Successfully provide move, add and change support for a variety of users. Support provided is within organization's guidelines and customers consider it effective.
Participate in the removal and disposal of old computer equipment and cabling. Learn the procedures to follow to insure the network is not damaged or compromised. May be conducted with qual card items ND1.4.5
Know the organization’s procedures for removal of old computer equipment and cabling.
Successfully remove old computer equipment and cabling without damaging or compromising the network.

Level 2

105

Study, learn and practice the components of the organization's problem management process. Assist in solving customer problems using the process and accessing the resources required. Document the steps taken and the responsibilities assigned in managing and resolving three or more problems.
Know the organization's problem management process and the roles various parts of the IT department have in problem resolution.
Demonstrate ability to use the organization's problem management process. Coach approves documentation on steps taken and roles assigned in managing and resolving three or more problems.
Study, learn and practice supporting customers with advanced office configurations such as remote mail access and management, extended word processing and spreadsheet options and configurations.
Know how to support and troubleshoot advanced office applications.
Demonstrate ability to support clients with advanced office applications.
Review, learn and successfully practice the organization's procedures for monitoring service quality including recognizing and responding to service abnormalities. Evaluate procedure effectiveness, document findings and if possible develop recommendations of improvement in procedures.
Know the organization's practices and procedures for monitoring operation and performance of IT infrastructure services.
Monitor IT service quality and respond to service abnormalities. Discuss findings on the established procedures effectiveness and recommendation for improvements with the coach. If coach approves set-up and document new procedures.
Study and learn how to assess and escalating serious problems to other IT groups. During help desk operations escalate serious or unusual problems to the appropriate group.
Know the organization's procedures for assessing and escalating serious or unusual problems to other IT groups
Effectively assess and escalate serious or unusual problems to the appropriate IT group for resolution. Provide appropriate documentation.
Collect weekly data on trouble tickets and their resolution for four weeks. Document the data using the organization's standard formats and present the reports to management for approval at the proper time each week. This effort may be done as part of HD2.1.3.
Know how to provide standard weekly status reports to management on trouble ticket operations and resolutions.
Status reports are accurate, on time and in accordance with organization's standard formats.
Learn the organization's procedures for determining the priority or severity of calls and implement them in the help desk setting. In the absence of specific operating procedures, develop criteria to use such as: Number of personnel affected, Impact on the organization, Workload at the help desk, Ability to provide a solution
Know the variables that determine the priority/severity for a call.
Demonstrate ability to effectively follow call priority/severity standards. Recommend any changes needed to increase the effectiveness of the procedures and discuss with coach.
Operate the help desk, field trouble tickets, assess potential problems and prioritize trouble ticket responses in accordance with help desk workload to effectively manage time. Document two weeks of trouble ticket responses, the prioritizations applied and how workload was impacted.
Know how to monitor help desk workload, manage time and prioritize trouble tickets.
Effectively manage time while operating the help desk and responding to trouble tickets. Present documentation on the prioritization of trouble tickets and how it impacts workload.
Study, learn and practice the components of the organization's problem management process. Assist in solving customer problems using the process and accessing the resources required. Document the steps taken and the responsibilities assigned in managing and resolving three or more problems.
Know the organization's problem management process and the roles various parts of the IT department have in problem resolution.
Document problems using the organization's problem management process. Coach approves documentation on steps taken and roles assigned in managing and resolving three or more problems.
Study, learn and practice supporting customers with advanced office configurations such as remote mail access and management, extended word processing and spreadsheet options and configurations.
Know how to support and troubleshoot advanced office applications.
Support clients with advanced office applications. Provide documentation and/or schedule an observation session with coach.
Review, learn and successfully practice the organization's procedures for monitoring service quality including recognizing and responding to service abnormalities. Evaluate procedure effectiveness, document findings and if possible develop recommendations of improvement in procedures.
Know the organization's practices and procedures for monitoring operation and performance of IT infrastructure services.
Demonstrate ability to monitor IT service quality and respond to service abnormalities. Discuss findings on the established procedures effectiveness and recommendation for improvements with the coach. If coach approves set up and document new procedures.
Learn and practice developing, testing and implementing solutions for a variety of problems discovered during troubleshooting operations. Propose three of more solutions for problems detected during troubleshooting conducted under qual cards items HD2.2.2, HD2.2.3 and HD2.2.6. Using the organizations IT test bed or special testing configurations, test and evaluate the solutions. If found acceptable, successfully implement the solutions.
Know how to recommend, test and implement solutions for problems detected during troubleshooting.
Test, get approved and successfully implement two or more problem solutions.
List all the principal network devices in use by the organization by the manufacturer and model number. Using the organization's library of manuals, specifications and other information, determine if information exists on all network devices in use. Document findings. In areas where information is lacking or unavailable use the Internet, telephone and surface mail to obtain the technical information needed.
Know how to find reference material and information on the organization’s network devices.
Provide findings and any new information obtained to the coach. Documentation is considered adequate and new information is entered into the organization's library.
Review, learn and successfully practice using the organization's tools and procedures for proving remote customer troubleshooting assistance such as walking a customer through a problem investigation, showing a customer how to test their system, helping a customer to evaluate software issues, etc. Evaluate procedure effectiveness, document findings and if possible develop recommendations of improvement in procedures.
Know the organization's tools, practices and procedures for providing remote customer troubleshooting assistance.
Successfully provide remote customer troubleshooting assistance on several occasions from the help desk or personal workstation. Discuss findings on the established procedure effectiveness and recommendation for improvements with the coach. If coach approves set up and document new procedures.
Remain current in hardware and software enhancements and applications by conducting all the following. Read IT reference materials and IT related periodicals. Participate in discussions with peers, coaches and venders on latest IT advances. Access and review web based information and other information sources on hardware and software applications. Discuss with peers and coach and how new hardware, enhancements or applications might be used by the organization. Note: this is an ongoing effort for all three apprenticeship levels and time spent may be part of other qual card items.
Know how to employ information sources to remain current in IT hardware and software enhancement and applications.
Remain current on IT technologies and their possible application. Provide research and notes to coach and discuss.
Learn and practice the characteristics of a service-based attitude in assisting help desk customers. Demonstrating a willingness to take ownership of the problem and see it to resolution. Provide assistance with a positive attitude being respectful and courteous. List the characteristics for a service-based attitude.
Know the characteristics of an attitude governed by service and the impact of a service-governed attitude.
Discuss the characteristics of a service-based attitude with the coach and provide appropriate examples demonstrating a service-based attitude in supporting customers.
Learn and use active listening principles in operating the help desk and responding to customer calls. Listen to the customer and acknowledging via feedback, paraphrasing and repeating to assure proper information is being communicated. Record examples of these principles and their use.
Know the principles of active listening and how it can be used to improve communication between the customer and help desk operator.
Demonstrate ability to use active listing techniques to enhance communication with customers. Provide recorded examples of customer calls where active listing was used to demonstrate effective use of these principles
Learn and practice a proactive approach to communications with customers and technical groups by using regular updates and status reports. During situation changes and escalations keep all parties fully informed of the status of actions being taken. Provide standard liaison between users and technical groups. Document status reporting on 5 or more occasions of customer support and liaison.
Know how to be proactive in managing communication with users and technical groups by using regular updates during status changes and escalation. Know how to be proactive in maintaining liaison between users and technical groups.
Demonstrate ability to keep customers and technical groups fully informed during status changes and escalations. Provide documentation on communication and liaison actions taken on 5 or more occasions to coach. Coach considers actions taken proactive and fully adequate.
Learn the organizations procedures, surveys, escalation and other tools for analyzing customer assistance calls to determine trends and systemic problems. Participate in conducting surveys, analyzing results and proposing improvements in service quality. Participate in using organizations tools for analyzing call trends and systemic problems and determining where service improvements can be made. Document the results including recommendations for improvements.
Know the organization's procedures, including surveys, escalation and other tools for analyzing customer assistance call trends and systemic problems.
Describe to the coach how and when surveys and other tools are used in the organization and how resulting information is assimilated. Present documentation on survey results, call trends and other data that support recommendations for improvements to coach. Coach considers documentation and recommendations appropriate.
Train users on basic PC and telephone security procedures such as maintaining current virus protection, backing up files and documents, appropriate subjects for telephone communications and those to avoid, internet security procedures, etc.
Know how to provide basic PC and telephone security training to users.
Demonstrate ability to effectively train users in basic PC and telephone security procedures.
Learn and master the self-help tools used in the organization including fax-back systems, IVR-based systems, web-based and online systems. Support and train customers in resolving their own requests and problem using these tools. Document examples of successful training and where training has reduced the level of help desk requests.
Know how to support and train users in the use the self-help tools implemented in the organization.
Demonstrate ability to support and train users in the organization's selfhelp technologies. Provide documentation on training successfully achieved and, if possible, where user call rates have declined as the result of the training.
Review and document the organization's existing self-help and training materials and identify areas where these materials may be inadequate or need upgrading. Select one area and develop new or improved training materials for use by the organization.
Know how to assess training needs and develop new self-help guidance and training materials.
Present proposals for new or improved self-help or training materials to the coach and management. Coach considers the proposals adequate and the materials well developed. If approved by management, implement the new materials.
Study, learn and employ the organization's client/server account logon and validation architecture. Learn and practice creating, deleting, and modifying network accounts. Independently perform procedures for password resets, account unlocks, security memberships, and system lockdowns. Note: This is a continuation of the effort started in Level 1.
Know the operation of the organization's network account administration and management tools.
Demonstrate ability to independently create, delete, and modify network accounts and to perform password resets, account unlock, security memberships, and lockdown procedures. Demonstrate understanding of how this architecture is employed in organization.
Study, learn and practice the organization's security policies, procedures and practices as they apply to the help desk, internet, and desktop systems. Understand scenarios hackers and solicitors use to obtain information on systems and users. Provide security support to users during help desk operations.
Know the basic principles and practices for internet, help desk, and desktop security.
Demonstrate ability to maintain security of the help desk and associated infrastructure. Describe appropriate responses to suspect callers and hackers to maintain security and to assist in their identification.
Learn and use the network and desktop tools for updating and configuring desktop/PC operating systems, BIOS and drivers. Independently assist users in these operations remotely from the help desk or desk side.
Know how to update and configure desktop/PC operating systems, BIOS and drivers.
Update and configure OSs, BIOS's for 10 or more user's desktops/PCs. Provide support both remotely from the help desk and desk side.
Install operating systems on several computers with network interface cards. Connect the computers to the network using a hub, a crossover patch cable or using wireless networking cards. Assign IP addresses and validate connectivity.
Know how to install and network personal computer operating systems.
Demonstrate ability to successfully install and network personal computer operating systems. Provide records of validated connectivity obtained on the systems installed and networked.
Conduct a survey of network and support tool software in use by the organization. Determine compliance with licensing requirements and document all unlicensed or out of date software found. Recommend license acquisitions or updates where appropriate.
Know how to inventory network and support tool software to determine currency and legality.
Work with coach to assure all software is appropriately licensed and updated.
Study, learn and effectively use client/server email account logon & validation architecture and telephone account management tools. Learn and practice creating, deleting, and modifying email and telephone accounts. Perform procedures for distribution list membership, mailbox limit settings, voice mail and other email and telephone services.
Know the basics of email and telephone account administration and management tools.
Create, delete and modify email and telephone accounts and perform distribution list membership, mailbox limit settings and other email and telephone client services. Explain how these architectures are employed in organization.
Participate in network services back-up and recovery. Validate that back-ups work properly in a lab environment.
Know the practices and procedures for network services back-up and recovery.
Independently execute successful network services back-ups and recoveries.
Learn and successfully practice the procedures for installing new application software on servers and user PCs. Verify new software licenses, install the new software, configure it for the server or PC and conduct checks or tests to verify proper installation.
Know how to install new software applications on servers and user PCs
Successfully install 5 or more new software applications on servers and user PCs.
Learn the organization's procedures for ordering and procurement of new IT equipment and software. Independently order and complete procurement of 5 or more pieces of computer hardware and 5 or more pieces of software. Order supplies needed to support IT operations on 2 occasions.
Know the organization's procedures for ordering PC equipment, copiers, software and supplies.
Equipment, software and supplies are correctly ordered and procured within time and cost guidelines
Review, learn and practice the organization's procedures for providing customer support for moving, adding or changing their accounts, computer equipment or telephones. Log all requests, assist in conducting the requested actions and document the changes into the organization's appropriate records. This is an ongoing effort for levels 1 and 2 and may be conducted as part of other qual card items.
Know how to provide move, add and change (MAC) services for user’s accounts, computers and telephones
Demonstrate ability to successfully provide move, add and change support for a variety of users. Support provided is within organization's guidelines and customers consider it effective.
Study a recent or current installation plan and learn the steps used in site preparation and work plan development. Apply what is learned in preparing a site and developing an installation plan for a minor new installation or upgrade to the network. Assess the work as it progresses and identify variances that require updates to the plan.
Know the basics of how to prepare a site and develop a work plan for an IT installation.
Review the site preparation and the final work plan with the coach to validate its completeness and effectiveness. Assess the work progress and identify variances to the plan and updates to the plan as found necessary.
Participate in installing and configuring new workstation, PC and server hardware and network devices. Study new equipment manuals and installation instructions. Develop an installation and configuration plan and follow the plans during the operation.
How to install and configure new computer equipment and network devices.
Successful independent installation and configuration of new computer equipment and network devices.
Participate in the design, fabrication, installation and testing of network cabling such as calculating cable lengths accounting for bend and termination requirements, pulling cable through conduits, terminating cables, and conducting continuity checks.
Know how to install, terminate and test a variety of IT cabling such as copper and fiber optics.
Install, terminate and test copper and fiber optic cables. Successful removal of outdated cable when necessary.
Learn and practice the organization's procedures for the configuring and documenting software used in LAN and devices. Participate in configuring and documenting 5 or more significant pieces of LAN and network device software.
Know how to configure and document LAN and network devices’ software.
Configure and document 5 or more significant pieces of LAN and network device software. Configurations are successful in maintaining LAN or network performance and documentation is acceptable.

Level 3

Collect weekly data on trouble tickets, their resolutions, system operations and any unusual or "special" problems for 6 weeks. Document the data using the organization's standard formats or develop special reports where necessary for unusual or special cases. Present the reports to management for approval as required by standard reporting or as necessary for special reports.
Know how to provide weekly status reports to management on trouble ticket operations, resolutions, system operations and unusual or "special" problems encountered.
Status reports are accurate, on time and in accordance with organization's standard formats. Special reports are accurate and timely.
Review, analyze and identify trends in customer inquires, feedback and customer assistance including items such as repeat calls, rework, and persistent problems. Based on knowledge gained during the analysis process identify and document potential actions to improve quality of support. Present findings to management for action.
Know how to gather and analyze customer inquires, feedback and assistance call trends to improve quality of service.
Coach considers documentation and proposals acceptable. If management approves proposals are implemented.
Conduct or assist in conducting a one-time survey, an on-going survey or an annual survey and assess the resulting data to determine the effectiveness of the organization's desk side or desk side customer support skills. Document the assessment and develop recommendations for changes to the support procedures to improve the organization's service quality.
Know how to use of the on-going survey, the annual survey or the onetime survey to provide a quality assessment of the help desk's practices, procedures, tools utilized, and methods for providing help desk and desk side customer assistance.
Present the assessment and recommendations to the coach and management. Coach considers assessment accurate and recommendations acceptable.
Study and learn help desk performance measurements (metrics) used by the organization such as the average speed to answer (ASA), the average abandon rate (ABA), talk time, availability, and first contact resolution rate. Use the metrics to determine if performance is at, above or below organization's requirements for a period of at least one month. Document any recommendations to improve performance as shown by the metrics.
Know how common help desk service metrics are developed, maintained and assessed to monitor and improve performance.
Demonstrate understanding and ability to use the organizations service metrics. Present results of the one month assessment of the metrics to the coach along with recommendations to improve performance. Coach considers assessment and recommendations acceptable.
Study and evaluate one or more incident monitoring method used by the organization including but not limited to one-on-one, remote service (live or recorded), and customer satisfaction surveys. Develop a short paper or presentation showing how incident monitoring can help to ensure the call documentation process is followed, validate information provided to the customer, identify areas where processed are not acceptable, and promote proactive behavior.
Know the organization's mechanisms and methods for incident and call monitoring, how this monitoring benefits the company and customer and its quality assurance aspects.
Provide the paper or presentation to the coach and group of peers. Coach considers knowledge and paper acceptable.
Participate on a team investigating a major network or help desk problem. Assist in determining the exact scope and details of the problem, developing possible solutions, assessing those solutions and determining the solution to implement. Consider technical factors as well as costs and time to implement and use business case analysis or a similar procedure to assist in the analysis.
Know how to analyze major problems with network or help desk operations and research solutions.
Demonstrate ability to support the analysis and research of major network or help desk problems as determined by other team members and the coach.
Learn and practice developing, testing and implementing solutions for a unique or unusual problem discovered during troubleshooting operations. Propose and test solutions for these problems and document the procedures used and results obtained. If found acceptable, successfully implement the solutions.
Know how to develop, test and implement solutions for unique or unusual problems detected during troubleshooting.
Two or more unique problem solutions are tested, approved and successfully implemented. Procedures are documented for future use on similar problems.
For a problem analyzed and researched in qual card HD3.2.1 or HD3.2.2, document all the steps of the analysis process, research conducted, and the solution decided upon and how the solution was implemented.
Document and communicate problems, solutions, and the implementation process.
Present documentation showing all factors of the process to management and coach.
Remain current in hardware and software enhancements and applications by conducting all the following. Read IT reference materials and IT related periodicals. Participate in discussions with peers, coaches and venders on latest IT advances. Access and review web based information and other information sources on hardware and software applications. Discuss with peers and coach and how new hardware, enhancements or applications might be used by the organization. Note: this is an ongoing effort for all three apprenticeship levels and time spent may be part of other qual card items.
Know how to employ information sources to remain current in IT hardware and software enhancement and applications.
Demonstrate ability to remain current on IT technologies and their possible application.
Learn and follow the guidelines and procedures established for several troubleshooting sessions. Arrange to train a group of peers or new employees in complying with the established guidelines and procedures.
Know the importance of following established guidelines and procedures for troubleshooting and how to use them.
Demonstrate understanding of pre-established guidelines and procedures for troubleshooting. Successfully conduct a training session for peers or new employees.
Study and learn the process for setting up and documenting new troubleshooting procedures. Find one or more troubleshooting situations where existing procedures are inadequate and set up and document new procedures to fit the situation.
Know how to set up and document new troubleshooting procedures when necessary.
One or more sets of new troubleshooting procedures are set up and approved by the coach.
Learn the differences between open and closed questions and how they can be used in troubleshooting problems. Utilize these techniques in dealings with customers to assist in solving problems.
Know how open and closed questioning techniques can be used to assist in troubleshooting problems by directing the conversation toward successful conclusion.
Successfully use open and closed questions in troubleshooting problems. Cite examples of each and how they affect help desk performance parameters.
Learn the purposes and operations of the other technical groups in the IT organization. Assess user needs for additional assistance and obtain that assistance by providing effective liaison and communications with the other technical groups. Identify boundaries of responsibility, determine requirements for other groups' support and provide effective communications among all concerned.
Know the operations of other technical groups within the IT organization and provide liaison for the user with these groups.
Demonstrate ability to assess user needs and provide effective liaison for users with other technical groups so support is effectively provided.
Use an existing or develop a new short survey to solicit users’ requirements for IT related training. Compare the results of the survey with the existing training materials and identify two or more areas where training appears to be inadequate to support user needs. Gain approval from coach and develop materials and procedures for providing the new or improved training. Test the training materials for effectiveness on selected users and modify as necessary. Present the new training materials and procedures to the coach and management.
Know how to identify and develop new or improved training users may require improving their ability to use IT systems and services.
New training materials are judged effective by coach and if management concurs they are placed into service.
Learn basic knowledge management principles and how they are implemented in the organization. Use and understand the organization's tools and processes for treating information as a resource. Identify and use the methods in place at the help desk to capture and reuse knowledge for improving quality of service.
Know the principles of and uses for knowledge management and how it is implemented the organization.
Explain to the coach the principles of knowledge management and how it is implemented in the organization. Provide examples of how knowledge management is used to improve the quality of help desk support.
Study and learn the organization's information security policy and why constant awareness and prompt action is necessary to maintain information security. Review recent security violations and develop a formal presentation showing how awareness and prompt action did, or could have reduced damage to information and systems.
Know the importance of information security and of reporting security breaches immediately when they occur.
Give the presentation to the coach and IT personnel. Coach considers the presentation thorough, accurate and effective in showing how prompt action can mitigate security problems.
Assist in the management and/or supervision of the help desk. Obtain responsibility for and manage and/or supervise various help desk functions for significant periods of time. Act as help desk manager or supervisor during the absence of the manager or supervisor.
Know the principles of management and supervision of the help desk and associated services.
Periods of management and supervision are successfully conducted. Discuss principles of effective management with the coach to show depth of knowledge.
Participate in the installation and configuration of wireless connections such as; Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), networked pagers, networked cell phones, RF wireless device connections, etc. Develop and document installation plans as required.
Know the practices and procedures for connecting wireless devices and users.
Successful independent installation and configuration of various wireless devices and end user network connections. Installation plans judged effective by coach.
Participate in the installation, testing and turnover of a new network segment. Assist in developing and documenting a detailed work plan for the installation. Utilize the plan during the installation.
Know the basic procedures for installing and implementing new network architecture and system configurations.
Develop a detailed work plan and successfully install, test and turnover a small network segment for an office or small building. May be conducted as a principal team member or independently.
Study and learn the organizations procedures and tools for large scale software deployments. Assist in installing, configuring and testing the software for two or more large scale software deployments using the organizations tools and procedures. Assess and document the effectiveness of the deployment and develop recommendations for improvements that may be apparent.
Know how to conduct large scale software deployments.
Demonstrate ability to deploy operating systems, applications, patches and client computer configuration changes on a large scale. Present documentation of the deployments effectiveness to coach along with any recommendations for improvements.
Participate in the design and installation of cabling for a new or upgraded network segment. Determine cable paths and layouts, types and capacities of cables needed, and connections and terminations required. Participate in the installation and testing of all the cable types required.
Know the principles of cable design and installation for a new or upgraded network segment.
Successful participation in network cable design and installation. Provide documentation or results as required.
Participate in document reviews and discussions on organizational network architecture and supporting technologies. Develop a paper for oral presentation that accurately explains the organizational network architecture and supporting technologies.
Know the basic principles of the organization's network and LAN architectures and technologies.
Paper is presented to the coach and coworkers and demonstrates a basic understanding of the architectures and technologies in use.

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