IT Happiness Monitor for measuring end user satisfaction.

Prepare

What is true for management information in general also holds true for IT satisfaction surveying: ‘garbage in = garbage out’. The value of measuring can be negated by using poorly thought out questionnaires, having insufficient preparation, ineffective communication, incorrect methodology and/or faulty interpretation of the results. Poorly executed surveys are not only worthless, but may even lead to incorrect decisions being made.

In the preparation phase, we will make sure the following topics are covered:
1. Definition of a clear objective
2. Definition of survey scope and end user groups
3. Definition of methodology & survey frequency
4. Internal communication planning

Involve

We have found that by having end users involved in the evolution of your IT systems, fewer unjustified complaints and criticisms come through as a result which helps when building the next stages of a truly efficient IT organization. Making people feel as though they can express their opinions and requirements is something that will have positive results in the long term. Trend surveys, i.e. measuring the evolution of the satisfaction level through time, help to reinforce this positive attitude while simultaneously providing helpful information and feedback on the way your IT services perform.

We help to create differentiated communication to various stakeholders:
– General management
– IT Management
– IT Teams
– IT end users

Measure

We offer different survey programs. For smaller organizations we advise to start with a baseline survey, followed by trend surveys. For larger organizations we provide different monitoring programs, like the Quarterly and Monthly Survey. These continuous programs make use of a quarterly or monthly sample. This is the ultimate way to understand the perceptions of your IT end users on an ongoing basis. This approach will provide you with frequent insights, developments, trends and observations of your IT user satisfaction. This approach does not require input from an IT end user more than once per year as we make use of these samples.

In the start-up stage, we will share our survey approach. Some key aspects:

1. We don’t make surveying complicated. We measure IT satisfaction using clear, simple, easy to answer questions using a proven structure and design. We also we include open questions as well as these will obtain the most valuable answers.

2. There is no need to invent the wheel again. Using our scales and concepts that have been proven will allow you to gain access to benchmarking capabilities.

3. We help to distribute short, good looking surveys for targeted user groups using target and differentiated communication as much as possible. Also we have found that it is more effective asking your end users to complete short surveys than it is to have them compete boring 15 minutes surveys. Where possible, we advise to have all surveys signed by (local) management to help boost response rates.

Analyze

Analyzing and interpreting the research findings correctly is a crucial aspect when it comes to decision making and the direction / operational actions which can be derived from your survey. Analysis of your results will require sophisticated analytics tooling and experience, which we have in place by using QlikSense technology. The survey analysis will provide you answers on:

1. What is our overall IT user satisfaction is and what are the differences between user groups, business divisions, regions, locations, buildings, job roles?
2. What is the satisfaction on the different IT topics which we’ve included in the survey?
3. What are the open comments telling us about the reasons for the good and bad performances?
4. How do the results compare with other organizations?
5. How do the results compare with what we thought they would be (SELFIE/mirror survey)?

Benchmark

Satisfaction with IT is a very important indicator for the quality of IT and the quality of IT communication. When incorporating our best-practice methodology and questions, you have the ability to not only measure end user satisfaction within your IT organisation but to benchmark these responses against other organizations held within our client base. With benchmarking you can:

• Define your goals and objectives
• Communicate within your team(s) as to how your IT department is doing when compared to other departments and organizations
• Use visual representations and comparisons as an additional motivational driver for improvements

Communicate

We help you to communicate your survey results with the entire organisation. If available, utilize internal (or external) communication professionals who can share the information with specific target groups in an effective way, e.g. through the use of well-thought-out infographics. Communicate which actions have been taken as a result of these surveys, both within the IT team and to the end user. It is wise to avoid creating unrealistic expectations, but the communication of changes as a result of the IT satisfaction survey is vital to on-going successes.

Change & Improve

Explain the actions you have undertaken and use positive quotes from your users to underline your actions. Celebrate improvements with your IT team!
By improving your IT organization you will improve your end user perception allowing your organisation to gain productivity, reduce cost, improve quality of work, greater flexibility and ultimately, increase your competitive edge in the marketplace. When communicating your improvements, use
tangible, quantifiable achievements. Our consultants are more than happy to support you in this process.