Field Agents, Depot, Dispatchers - oh my! Transforming our Device Support Teams

- Michael Warden

Today in Zendesk you will start to see the implementation of a set of changes to how our Device Support Agents (DSAs) do work on Med Campus through some group name changes.  Last summer we began a process to empower our DSAs to define their own 'future state' - changing how they organized and received work, putting in place a competency matrix to help guide their careers, and quarterly check-ins to improve their interaction with management on performance adjustments and professional growth.

One of the major changes that was recommended we are now beginning to implement: the move to a common queue for Field Agents.  Our DSAs used to have all work go through the same process, whether re-imaging a computer, procuring and receiving computing supplies, or troubleshooting a hardware issue at someone's desk.  We now have three different roles supporting work:

• Field Agents:  Field Agents are the DSAs distributed out to the customers and performing their work 'at the elbow'.  The Field Agents are distributed, empowered connections to MSIS support, spending their time in the labs, out in our customers spaces building relationships and finding and solving incidents.  
• Depot Technicians:  To help keep the Field Agents out in the field, we implemented a standard workspace known as the Depot to help process the backups, new computer builds, re-imaging, property disposition - all of those valuable back office functions that are necessary for a high-functioning Device Support team.  
• Dispatcher:  The Dispatcher is a role that coordinates communication between the Field Agents, helps to supervise the Depot, and provides a single point of contact and escalation with the Service Desk. 

The Depot queue has existed in Zendesk for a while, but the Field Agent queue is brand new today.  This queue combines the old Device Support: Research and Device Support: Admin queues into a common set of work.

We'll communicate more as we activate more changes to the way DSAs perform their services, but as we go, I'd like to recognize the vision and \contribution of JD Jordan, Bonnie Thomas, and all of the Med Campus DSAs have played in helping to create and bring about this change.