12 customer in focus

Photography: Aad Hoogendoorn

TOPdesk 5
The LUMCs first experiences

Remco Jansen (l) and Willem van Duyvenvoorde - LUMC

Text: Stefanie Klaassen

customer in focus 13

When we asked Remco Jansen, IT Change Manager, the purposes for which Leiden University Medical Centre uses TOPdesk, he answered us with another question: What dont we use it for? The LUMC was full of condence when it took part in the beta programme in April, and justiably so: they soon made the nal switch to TOPdesk 5. We asked them about their initial experiences.

Every day, 6,000 users within the LUMC can use the Self Service Desk to ask their IT-related questions. The operating IT department has been using TOPdesk for some time. Jansen explains that the department gradually started using more modules and supported more and more processes with TOPdesk. The organization really depends on TOPdesk: we register 6,000 incidents a month. The IT department has a strong focus on innovation and is very happy with the latest version.

The transition to TOPdesk 5

The LUMC got off to an enthusiastic start with the beta programme. It all went very quickly from that point on, says Van Duyvenvoorde. We are very happy. All the new features were easy to implement. Our experience with previous TOPdesk beta programmes was also positive. We went live before the ofcial release we started working with TOPdesk 5 at the beginning of May. It was a great experience, says Jansen. We hardly needed any troubleshooting. The excellent support from consultants ensured that everything went smoothly.

Board is the best new feature. There were complaints about the Task Board not being included in the old version. All tasks were grouped in separate to-do lists for each module. Our colleagues think the current arrangement is much more insightful. Everything is included in a single overview, which the group really likes. We use each of the new features: the Plan Board, Task Board and Dashboard. They worked very well for all of us. We already use them a lot, but we are only getting started, says Van Duyvenvoorde.

Time to adjust
The LUMC has been using TOPdesk 5 since the beginning of May. The rst experiences were positive, says Jansen. We denitely like the new version, and its very easy to get used to. We got off to an optimistic start with TOPdesk 5 and really knuckled down. Help desk coordinator Willem van Duyvenvoorde tells us that he welcomed the new possibilities with open arms and immediately started using the Plan Board. The team needed time to adjust at rst, but soon familiarized themselves with the new interface and features. The new graphical style makes you wonder, where is everything located? But the clear overviews are easy to get used to. There were no complaints, says Van Duyvenvoorde. Its very intuitive. I think that the newness is what scares most people. It looks different, and that always takes getting used to. We had hardly any trouble at all, though, says Jansen.

New features
The biggest improvements in Van Duyvenvoordes eyes are the Dashboard and Plan Board. Its so easy. I used to create schedules in Excel, but now I use the Plan Board. My team creates their own schedule. I just need to monitor things. Both Jansen and the technical IT staff in the Operations group think that the Task

Denitely recommended
The launch of a new version does not mean TOPdesk is sitting still. Jansen and Van Duyvenvoorde think it is important to know that TOPdesk is continually developing its software. They are very glad that they have always had such a good relationship with the organization, as it makes it easy for them to join discussions or share their wishes. TOPdesk has always been willing to listen to ideas from customers, says Jansen. TOPdesk takes note of our input. That means a lot to us. For instance, we noticed a minor issue in the beta version, which was removed from the release version at our request. If the software hadnt been in development, this wouldnt have been possible. The developments are taking the software in the right direction, and Van Duyvenvoorde and Jansen denitely recommend TOPdesk 5 to everyone.

MY TEAM USES THE PLAN BOARD TO CREATE THEIR OWN SCHEDULE

Willem van Duyvenvoorde - LUMC