Successful Transition - Outsourcing to Right Sourcing

Our client is a leading global engineering, construction and services company supporting the energy, petrochemicals, government services and civil infrastructure sectors. The company's success is due in part to its ability to deliver superior levels of customer service to their customers and their internal business units. For their Service Desk, 24x7 global availability is not an option, it is an imperative; providing consistent and reliable response is a way of life.

When an outsourcing model for the network service desk proved unable to deliver the required levels of service and meet an expected return on investment, our client chose to return to in-sourcing this vital business operation. The challenge in making this transition within five months would include not only building the supporting technology infrastructure, but also hiring a new team of competent individuals. From day one, this team had to be ready to deliver the highest quality 24x7 support.

The Client's Need

For several years our client had engaged a third-party service provider to maintain its network infrastructure and the supporting service desk. Projected cost savings were not being realized and the levels of support service were given only adequate ratings from the Service Desk customers. A Service Desk supporting a diverse enterprise requires a solid set of guidelines and practices. It also needs the flexibility and knowledge to deviate from process when the situation warrants. The reluctance of the outsourced Service Desk to think out of the box was a major contributing factor in changing their delivery model. The management team in charge of the transition project was responsible for all aspects of the transition from equipment and telecommunication services, to hiring a competent Service Desk team that could hit the ground running. They had less than five months to put everything in place. Failure to meet this schedule would result in additional expenses to retain the vendor services and cause a loss of customer confidence.

The client's management team needed to hire a team of 12 individuals with the service desk experience and technical skills required to support their complex environment. The success or failure of the Service Desk team depended on the ability of the candidates to bond quickly as a team, acclimate to a new environment, and fit into the existing team culture. Our client knew from the beginning that they needed help in finding qualified candidates, conducting interviews, and insuring that the hiring process was completed on schedule.

The Client's Decision

RSA was one of six companies, including global and local service providers, who submitted proposals for resourcing the Service Desk. RSA was selected because they offered a unique managed process along with a competitively priced solution. RSA used a project management approach for filling the positions. As the project owner, RSA would bear the burden of 95% of the hiring process and use a contract-to-hire model that enabled our client to evaluate the individuals before employment and offered an on-going replenishment program.

RSA Delivers

To meet the needs of our client, RSA:

• Formed a project team that included our client's Service Desk Lead
• Identified and obtained agreement on candidate requirements
• Executed a pre-defined and client tailored workforce delivery process
• Successfully built a complete 24x7 Service Desk Team
• Provided a sustainable process for staff replenishment based on a proven hiring methodology

The key to the success of this engagement was RSA's approach. RSA built a project team comprised of RSA recruiting professionals, RSA technical experts, and key members of our client's help desk management team. RSA's Service Deliver Process was comprised of six steps:

1. Partnering Session - RSA's recruiting team and account manager met with our client's management team. RSA had the opportunity to observe the working environment, review the delivery process action plan, establish clear communication lines, and establish operational procedures with our client.
2. RSA Candidate Search - Utilizing its network of technical professionals, extensive resource database, recently placed candidates, and internet resources, RSA assembled a list of potential candidates.
3. RSA Candidate Selection - Candidates who met the initial qualifications were interviewed by phone for technical skills and phone presentation assessment. Successfully screened candidates were invited to a day at RSA where they were interviewed by a panel of recruiters and technology experts. The candidates were then ranked based on personality, business presentation, shift flexibility, and team working attitude. Finally, the top candidates were processed through RSA's Candidate Verification process which checks references, certifications, and degrees. The final selection candidates were presented to our client, along with the candidate's resume and Technical Qualification Matching Analysis (TQMA).
4. Client Interview Process - The Service Desk Management interviewed and approved the final candidates, then provided additional feedback to RSA. RSA used this feedback for the candidate post-interview follow-up.
5. RSA Hiring Process - RSA completed all background checks, drug testing, and employment verifications for the approved candidates.
6. Conversion and RSA Follow-up - During the trial period, the Service Desk associates were employed by RSA with full benefits and worked at the client site. RSA maintained close contact with the Service Desk Management to ensure that they were satisfied with the performance of the Service Desk analyst. RSA also gave the analyst a chance to discuss their satisfaction with the position. Within 90 days, all but one of the candidates filled a permanent position. This team communication and the information gained has provided RSA with an ongoing understanding of our client's operations and needs that enables RSA to sustain and replenish the Service Desk team positions on demand. RSA provided a streamlined and sustainable process that ensured that the client's Service Desk was staffed with people who had the technology skills and personality to meet the demands of the client's Service Desk needs.

Our client's Service Desk Management team was able to meet their goal -
        ......... A Houston-based Service Desk was fully operational on schedule.

Delivering Business Value to our Client

For over two years, RSA's Service Desk Delivery Process has provided our client with:

• A Houston-based, locally operated Service Desk supporting its global network
• Consistently high marks on customer satisfaction surveys
• A Service Desk Team who will always strive for excellence
• The assurance of a sustainable source of qualified candidates
• No decrease in customer confidence due to Service Desk personnel turn-over
• Better control over training costs due to the stability of the team
• A relationship with RSA that ensures our client's business needs come first

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