Microsoft Business Productivity Online Services

The benefits of a managed desktop include avoiding viruses that plague many companies, and providing a secure environment that blocks installation of unauthorized applications.  For more information on this amazing service provided by both Microsoft and Siemens, see the MMS Introduction Video provided on my website.

Siemens provides various tiers of support for Microsoft’s enterprise customers , including Tier 1 technical support, desk side support, metrics reporting, knowledge base management, and more.  Siemens is one of the global leaders in innovations and technologies, and is the single largest engineering firm in Europe.  For more information on Siemens, see the Siemens Introduction Video provided on my website.

Who are some of the enterprise customers involved in this service?There are many well-known companies that enjoy the value offered through this service, including but not limited to: 

What were your duties, and how did they relate to these customers?

I was the sole administrator and manager for the Primus® knowledge base system.  My audience was largely Siemens Tier 1 in Canada, although I did create special articles designed to be used directly by some end-users.  When employees from these companies contact our Tier 1 helpdesk, the first thing the technicians rely upon for technical guidance is my knowledge base.  I was responsible for both updating existing articles and creating new ones where knowledge gaps existed.  When I started on this project, there were about 800 articles in circulation.  When I left, there were 1,500 articles in circulation due to my contributions. 

Updating Primus® involved working with subject matter experts in different fields, including Collaboration Services (SharePoint, Live Meeting, Communicator), Messaging Services  (Outlook, Exchange Server), Desktop Services (Windows, Internet Explorer, Software Restriction Policies), Desk-side Support Services (Bare Metal Installs and Managed Migration Processes), and occasionally directly with technical leads at Energizer® and XL Capital®.  I worked with all of these groups to validate and obtain information, and then crafted that information appropriately for the indented audience.

I was also responsible for metric reporting on the Primus usage by Tier 1.  I would publish weekly Primus reports that documented which articles were linked to tickets the most, and who were the most frequent Primus contributors.  This involved using SQL Query Analyzer with a set of common queries, MCRS (an internal tool for reporting), MCC (an internal ticketing system) and Microsoft Excel.  I used my advanced Excel skills to combine the data into something presentable and understandable to program managers and key stakeholders.  

Did you go beyond your normal duties?

Yes, on two fronts. 

First, I initiated a self-help initiative to drive down costs to the Helpdesk, and to increase customer satisfaction through self-remediation.  I reviewed key articles and converted these to self-help documents.  When an end-user would contact the helpdesk on specific issues, the techs would send the user these documents I created.  Many end-users were happy to have the documentation, and in some cases preferred it over support from our Helpdesk.  They even said that they would pass them around to their coworkers, thus lowering total calls to the Helpdesk. 

Second, I created training videos for the BPOS staff on the internal tools needed to service our customers.  According to a Group Manager with the project, “David has been instrumental in… creating training videos for our customer’s common issues. The short training videos for our field techs have been great as they have cut down on travel costs for getting to the sites to do training, and the tech can keep them as reference in the future. Great job David!”  For more information on how I created these types of videos, please see the Self-Help Videos section of my website.

You were with the BPOS group for 2.5 years.  How successful were you in providing services to Microsoft and their customers over this time period? 

I’m happy to say that I was very successful.  Tatiana Lewis, Operations Manager with BPOS, gave a written letter of recommendation.  Furthermore, other managers and coworkers were enthusiastic in their feedback on my website.

Can I view a KB article?

Only if you are involved with Microsoft BPOS services and delivery.