Hello,

My apologies for how long it has taken to get a response but I have now received a statement from iSolutions about your query:

Within iSolutions we are currently looking at our future IT Support Strategy for both staff and students. COVID 19 has forced a dramatic increase in remote working, requiring the University’s people and systems to quickly adapt to a less physical, more digital workplace. Strategic programmes such as Future Ways of Working and MSE are driving change, and we need to build on these changes and the opportunity to drive improvement

 

One of our key areas of focus for the next 12 months is our Contact Centre Strategy. This strategy defines an approach for unifying the different contact systems and lays out an immediate roadmap for contact system development, replacing our current telephony solution used by the iSolutions Service Desk team with a modern omni-channel solution. The contact strategy has a wide scope, covering all inbound and outbound communications to the University, including but not limited to switchboards, contact centres, service desk calls, webchats, bots, email, self-service forms and other webforms, providing a significant improvement on our current offering of phone, email and self-service.

 

It is anticipated that this project will have an overall positive impact on student experience by improving on existing contact channels – one of which will be online chat. This will also give us the opportunity to offer an extended service so as part of this programme we will be looking at operational elements such as our opening hours. Therefore to answer the first question - yes an online chat service is absolutely a viable option for the IT Support Team, and something we will be looking to introduce, as part of our new, improved contact centre solution in 2023.

 

In terms of the second question - As part of our IT Support Strategy, we are also looking at our in person support model for both staff and students. Our current proposition is largely staff focussed, and the support we offer students through services such as Hartley Library helpdesk is on a ‘best endeavours’ basis. We recognise the opportunity to do more to support our students with their IT needs. We are therefore currently piloting a new ‘Tech Hub’ in Sir James Matthews Building and will also be launching a new hub in ECS later this year. These hubs will be introduced to provide an ‘end to end’ service to staff and students, whether that is support purchasing specific IT equipment, help resolving IT issues, or training in how to use our systems and services. We have launched initially with limited services, but the plan is to work with staff and students to develop this proposition, and then to roll out these hubs across all UOS campuses. It is envisaged that the hubs will have flexible opening hours, with an on-campus presence where and when the staff and students need them.  

 

TL;DR The iSolutions team are already working on a chatbot option which will be rolled out from next year, as well as opening two new helpdesks at Sir James Matthews Building and ECS building later this year. 

I hope you are satisfied with the response, any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at vpeducation@susu.org.

Emily 

 

Hello, 

Thank you for your submission. I have raised this with the iSolutions and I am awaiting their response. 

Emily