REMOTE WORKPLACE SUPPORT SERVICES
Swedish Manufacturer of Outdoor Power Products
Challenge
Customer’s global business lacked a consistent approach to process and IT due to its development through mergers and acquisitions. The company therefore wanted to introduce a unified approach to operations to improve service and provide consistency.Solution
GDC Services provides 3rd line support for Customer Workplace which includes following services:
- fat clients management (desktops/laptops) including troubleshooting of complex issues, implementation of complex changes etc.;
- thin client management (Futro/IGEL clients) including remote support via Scout Enterprise / IGEL consoles, firmware updates etc.;
- virtual desktop (Citrix XenApp / XenDesktop accessible from both fat/thin clients) support including management of Citrix XenApp / XenDesktop farms;
- antivirus management (Symantec Endpoint Protection);
- image management;
- software distribution;
- patch management;
- application packaging (as an option);
- hardware certification.
GDC Services runs 2 major projects:
1. Automation tool migration (MS SCCM 2007 has been replaced with latest version – SCCM 2012) which allows to introduce such new features as:
- self-service portal;
- extended toolset for 1st and 2nd support lines;
- ability to integrate SCCM with Intune – MS solution for Mobile Device Management.
2. Upgrade of current Virtual Desktop infrastructure (Citrix XenApp 6.0 has been replaced with Citrix XenDesktop 7.6) which allows to:
- stabilize environment, decrease number of incidents;
- extend toolset for troubleshooting for 1st/2nd support lines -> increase first call resolution, decrease overall resolution time;
- resolve issues with personalization (GPO’s have been fully reviewed).
GDC Services runs several activities to increase overall stability and quality of service:
1. Citrix Stabilization project:
- health check (full check of entire Citrix environment, analysis of results, develop SIP);
- disaster Recovery tests to check stability of environment in case service interruption;
- implementation of Monitoring to prevent any influence to end-users;
- Citrix servers patching.
2. Image management process review:
- develop image management procedure to avoid any misunderstandings before involved parties and decrease efforts and timeline for image updates;
- LLD for images in scope created;
- idependent pre-UAT checks – to ensure that image is ready for testing and compliant with best-practices;
- checklist for testing created – to ensure that all details are being checked.
GDC Services also involved in several activities outside of current scope:
- Mobile device management implementation;
- Antispam solution;
- Sharepoint application check and implementation;
- Monitoring end-user experience using Lakeside Systrack;
- Hardware certification;
- AD GPO’s revision;
- New images creation;
- Help out with Application packaging
Results
The customers began to see the benefits of the new approach; chief amongst them are the improved service levels and availability achieved through standardized hardware, software and support. This is making the business overall more effective and efficient in operation.
- Full compliance with the customer business processes and requirements (including SLA)
- Reduction of the number of incidents by stabilization of the infrastructure
- Resources availability and flexibility
- Competitive and flexible service costs
- Continuous service improvement
- Access to wide GDC Services knowledge base
