Article ID: BM029
Category: Business and Management
Title: Save Our Second Line

There can no longer be any doubt about it - the decline of the second line has begun, and as a consequence, we stand to lose a major industry asset. We can either let this beneficial service slip away or we can get a better grip on it.

For years in IT support, the pattern of structure has been simple. We have a customer-facing first line, taking the initial telephone calls and Emails that kick off the query resolution process. These first liners are typically paid less than their second line counterparts. The first line logs the calls, fixes those it can on the spot (which proportion of fixes I call the 'Spot Rate') and assigns those it cannot fix to a second line function.

This higher echelon of technical expertise thus deals with more complex enquiries. It has to diagnose, use reason and analysis, dig further into the inherent complexity of the enquiry. So the work is apparently more interesting and challenging, the skills more complete and honed. What's more, second liners get to visit the user's location - unlike the first line, they are not joined by a headset cable to an item of office furniture. And furthermore, they are paid more than helpdesk work typically attracts. Small wonder then that 'promotion' to the second-line has ever been the aspiration of the first line operative.

But those who want to make that career step had better get a move on - because the way things are going, unless we actively decide otherwise now, in a couple of years, there will in many companies be no second line to aspire towards.

The pressures have been there fore a while. Operating systems are more secure, so the users can change (and thus perhaps damage) less than they used to. Where there is a problem, we can often roll the system back to 'last known good' - we re-image the machine rather than re-construct it. The first line has been steadily increasing its spot rate, so fewer enquiries actually get to the second line, and those that do are less technically taxing than was previously the case.

The desktop analyst's job has changed relatively little. He still takes assigned enquiries from the first line, still moves equipment about, still does installations, still knocks off those quick at-desk one-to-one training sessions, still has a hand in the odd small-scale project - but the mix of the work is changing. There are fewer call assignments because the first line is fixing more. The installations are less interesting because the networks group retains more of the access permissions than before, so the second line has less to do there and it is the most interesting bit that they have lost. The training is changing, because the users either already have the basic knowledge or what they need is so deep within the functionality of the application that no generalist technician can really know more than the user. And increasing user expertise has also reduced the number and complexity of the projects. In fact among the proportions of the second-liner's typical workload, the only one that seems to be increasing is the 'moving-equipment-about' one. Common complaints I've heard recently from second line staff include "Our jobs are being de-skilled", "We're turning into porters" and "I'm just a gopher for the network team."

Of course as the work gets less challenging, morale will suffer. So many IT support departments are reporting falling morale in a once-proud second line team. Consequently, quality suffers, as do relationships with users. Complaints increase.

And then, as morale declines, so too does job ownership - it gets harder to care. So the easiest and most pleasant work gets done first, as motivationally-challenged second liners struggle to find job satisfaction in the misery that their jobs have become. So they cherry-pick their way through the outstanding calls, leaving the less attractive jobs for 'somebody else'. But all the potential somebody-else's are feeling and doing the same, so the backlog starts to rise as output falls.

The next thing that happens, sadly all too often, is that cracks appear in the management structure. When the second-line work was plentiful, varied, engaging and interesting, we didn't have to worry much about man-management. The second-line manager or team leader was just another of the crew. In fact, he probably ended up in that position because he was the best technician and we couldn't afford to lose him, but HR's pay structures meant we couldn't give him any more money to persuade him to stick around, so we had to make him a 'manager' to get him onto a different pay-scale. It didn't matter that much then that he really couldn't man-manage his way out of a paper bag because we were all so busy with worthwhile activities. But it matters now, as morale plunges ever lower and the second-line leader has never had a clue what to do about it.

The problem is that the second-line is currently between two states. The work is becoming less challenging for them, but they are not yet completely obsolete because we still and may always need some form of direct user support. Nevertheless, they are probably over-qualified, and perhaps being paid too much to leave of their own accord.

There is a risk to IT. The second-line is the physical face of IT. That's the bit that goes to the user's desk, the one that does the IT thing most publicly. And if there is a frown on that face, it's going to get noticed and corporate confidence in IT's professionalism may take a dive.

There is a risk to the business. While de-motivated second-liners are cherry-picking, the rising backlog means that users are losing productivity while they wait for their problems to be solved, their new kit to be delivered or their installations to be properly completed.

Nevertheless, we are stuck with a second line for some time to come. In fact unless the Development Department manages to lock the desktop down completely and IT management finds a way of subjugating all, even the most senior, political and vociferous users under their control (yeah, right) and IT strategy becomes absolutely business-compatible (as if) and the business stops moving the goalposts (not on this planet) then we will always have a need for a second line. So we had better make sure that it is a productive and proactive, well managed, procedurised and job-satisfactory second line.

We have no choice. We simply must sort out our second line. So what to do?

We get a grip of the problem. We review their processes, remove impediments, improve man-management at the local level. We retrain the staff, show them how to take more ownership of their job, remind them of their professionalism, teach them how to stay motivated even when bored or under incredible pressure. We re-examine the service portfolio, find out what should be done where, look for opportunities and efficiencies. We look at team leader activities, focussing more tightly on tasks, duties and responsibilities so they know not just what's expected of them, but exactly how they should go about producing it. We don't just put talented people in place and hope they'll figure it out - we tell them how to do their jobs. We stop this reactive, organic growth in IT and make it more ordered and managed.

Let's save our second line. It's still important. We still have to get it right.

Noel Bruton is an independent consultant and trainer who assists IT Services groups and helpdesks to improve the service they provide. Based in the UK, he has a worldwide clientele since establishing his consultancy practice in 1991. He is the author of 'How to Manage the IT Helpdesk - a Guide for User Support Managers' (ISBN 07506 49011) and 'Managing the IT Services Process' ISBN 07506 57235). He writes extensively in the IT press and is a popular speaker on the IT Support conference circuit.

For more information on on Noel Bruton's services, either call +44 (0)1239 811646 or email noel@noelbruton.com.