56945-9 The first complete, real-world guide to building and running help desks and software support centers. Quality software support is now a fundamental differentiator in satisfying both your external and internal customers. And in today's high-pressure, heterogeneous computing environments, it's more difficult to deliver quality support than ever before. The Art of Software Support' gives you proven, best-in-class integrated tools and techniques for structuring and operating a customer-focused support organization--and for overcoming the crisis mentality that's so common in support organizations. Whether you're starting a software support or help desk organization, or seeking to improve the one you already have, you'll find invaluable guidance on: *Choosing and implementing the call management model that's right for your organization. *Selecting tools--including phone systems, fax systems, knowledge bases, customer tracking applications, and other software. *Measuring support center performance. *Packaging support programs that can make your organization a profit center. Learn when to outsource--and when not to.And discover practical, easy-to-implement ideas for every stage of the software lifecycle, from new product planning and testing, to managing software bugs and fixes. The Art of Software Support also gives you time-and-money-saving tools you can use right now, including: *A sample user's guide. *Call resolution checklists. *Worksheets for determining staffing levels and justifying budgets. Perhaps most important, The Art of Software Support offers practical help with the tough challenge of supervising support people. You'll learn how to determine staffing levels, hire the right people--and keep them, even in difficult times. Whether you manage software support, or you're a support engineer working "in the trenches," The Art of Software Support will dramatically enhance your effectiveness.