When most people think about an IT service desk, they don’t usually consider what’s available beyond accessing traditional IT support. While end-user support and problem solving issues are foundational services customers should expect, an outsourced IT service desk can offer so much more than a resource to fix broken computers.

Below are 5 value-add services you could be getting from your IT service desk:

HR support

Whether you’re bringing on new hires or terminating access for departing employees, it requires completing time-consuming administrative tasks that can occupy multiple people on your team. Rather than using valuable internal resources or leaving the process up to a hiring manager, an outsourced IT service desk can efficiently and accurately handle this process for you. For example:

  • Sending welcome emails
  • Granting system access
  • Ordering computer equipment and mobile phones

Onboarding and offboarding can be complex, especially in a growing company. Let your outsourced IT service desk work with you to develop custom task lists for different roles.

Facility management

If employees need to report a repair or have questions about your facilities, do they have easy access to a response management team? Does it require a separate call center? Your IT service desk can perform this service for you to manage facility requests by triaging inquiries and responding by contacting appropriate facility services.

For many organizations, this burden lands on an internal resource. If these issues don’t fit with their daily responsibilities, they may not have the time or the information to respond effectively. Even with dedicated facilities teams, using an IT service desk to receive and triage requests can help reduce time-consuming administrative tasks and allow valuable team members to focus on critical projects.

Root Cause Analysis

Although it may seem easier to simply fix problems as they arise, understanding the root cause is a better long-term solution that can prevent problems in the future. An outsourced IT service desk can focus on preventative maintenance while your internal team focuses on larger projects. A well-functioning service desk will:

  • Run root cause analysis reports and bring recommendations and solutions to the table
  • Identify problem devices through asset integration
  • Manage asset refresh cycles, watching for issues with assets approaching end of life

A strong IT service desk will not only provide first-line support to your end-users, but also provide a multi-tiered leadership structure to help strengthen your environment and improve the overall customer experience.

Endpoint security auditing

Viruses, missing operating system patches, unmanaged software deployments, and a lack of end-user file backups can pose considerable threats to any organization. By running regular checks, your IT service desk partner can keep you connected to what’s happening on your network. In addition to proactively defending against cybersecurity threats, an IT service desk can:

  • Report on installed software or hardware across all endpoint assets
  • Track software license allocation for planning or audit preparation
  • Centralize software security patch detection analysis, approval, and deployment
  • Automate encrypted cloud-backup of end-user documents for secure, reliable offsite backup and recovery

Increase employee satisfaction with training

If employees are repeatedly calling the help desk with the same problems, it may point to a training issue. A robust IT service desk should offer solutions that will reduce calls and increase end-user satisfaction. Training can be delivered through job aids, one-on-one support to walk users through regular tasks, full training sessions, or any combination of training tactics. When employees feel more comfortable with technology, they use it more effectively, which increases productivity, job satisfaction, and engagement. It also reduces end-user downtime, which can cost your organization thousands in lost productivity for the impacted employee.

These are just a few ideas for non-traditional services you can arrange through an outsourced IT service desk. It starts with a conversation about your current challenges and requirements. Look for a partner that offers unique ideas and custom-tailored solutions that can reduce your administrative costs, improve the onboarding experience for new employees, and help you track and maintain your network, assets, and facilities.