Carlson School of Management
Department of Information Technology

Staff Survey
Autumn 2007

Executive Summary of Results

Background

The purpose of the Carlson School of Management information technology staff survey was to gather relevant information from the staff regarding available information technology services and support. In general, we wanted to explore staff perceptions about the current state of IT support, and to listen for any “gaps” in technology service. Toward this aim, the survey was divided into three sections: First, modes and frequency of IT usage. Second, questions regarding IT support staff and services. A final section at the end offered staff some open-ended questions.

Key Findings

Our survey showed that most Carlson School staff need and seek help with IT a few times a month to a few times a year. It showed that they seek help most frequently from local (cluster) support, second from a non-IT staff person or web site, with the Carlson School Help Desk a close third. The preferred mode of contact was about evenly divided between email and face to face interaction, with the phone also used extensively.

We asked about IT service outages and the timeliness and availability of support. They told us that service outages definitely affect their work, but that the frequency of these outages have remained about the same in the past year. When we asked our customers whether they were satisfied with our service, we found they expected and didn’t always receive a clear and quick resolution of problems, and good communication at all stages.

Our open-ended survey questions revealed some major themes from our surprisingly short-tenured Carlson School staff (at least 20% of respondents said they have been with us less than a year). Specific gaps were noted in wireless coverage, web site ease of navigation, and Help Desk customer service. A system to communicate the status of their service requests is much needed.

Communication, timeliness, and clear problem-solving procedures were the major issues, as were effectiveness and customer service. Generally we are seen as under-staffed and not accessible enough, sometimes ineffective and often not easy to communicate with. However, positive comments exceeded the negative. Excellent IT staff performance in particular cases was noted with appreciation. Negative comments were usually specific to systems or hardware rather than overall IT structure or staff.