December 2014, Issue 4, volume 16

A HEALTHY
SERVICES
SYSTEM
Read more on page 6

More in this issue:

Managing your services with NEN 15221

Facilitating Reservations Management: everything to your liking?
Protecting your TOPdesk environment

EDITORIAL

Christmas party

The holiday season is around the corner; a time of year that

can be particularly stressful. Youre probably already worrying
about what to cook for Christmas dinner, and its often busy
at work. You have to balance budgets and meet deadlines. The
holiday period also means its time for office Christmas parties.
Its the perfect opportunity to unwind and reflect on the past
year with your colleagues.
TOPdesk also organizes an annual Christmas party. Organizing
this event is serious business. We have a designated party
planner; posters are spread throughout the building to
announce the festivities; and colleagues from all departments
help out with the decorations, turning the lunchroom into
a stunning party location. The dinner is always prepared by
colleagues, including a dessert buffet. Managing this event is
no mean feat.
Facilitating a Christmas party takes a lot of time and effort. You
need to reserve rooms and prepare or order plenty of catering.
This situation is also visible in our software. In this magazine
you can learn more about TOPdesk 5.5s revamped Reservations
Management module. This all-new module lets you easily
streamline your reservations process. Perhaps youll even
use the module to book a room and catering for next years
Christmas party!
Enjoy your read!
Milou Snaterse

10

CONTENTS December 14

WE CANT ALLOW
OURSELVES TO WORK IN
DIFFERENT SYSTEMS
Richard Kamman
IMT Knowledge Centre Manager

Read more on page 6

04

NEWS

06

A HEALTHY SERVICES SYSTEM

11

FACILITATING RESERVATIONS
MANAGEMENT: EVERYTHING
TO YOUR LIKING?

14

MANAGING YOUR SERVICES WITH

NEN 15221

17 COLUMN

Slowly but surely

18 RESERVED?

Get more out of your meeting rooms

20

WORKING SMARTER

Protecting your TOPdesk environment

24

TIPS + TRICKS
ON THE COVER:
Read more about Amphias
investment in one service
management tool on page 6.

Stay up to date
To stay up to date on the latest TOPdesk
news and service management

Discover TOPdesk 5.5

developments, follow us via the

following channels.

TOPdesk has released the latest version

of its software: TOPdesk 5.5. This version

TOPdesk Newsletter

Downloading TOPdesk 5.5

TOPdesk 5 customers can download

presents a completely renewed Reservations

the newest version for free. If you are not

Management module. It has become easier to

using TOPdesk 5, you can request a free

@TOPdesk _UK

reserve a room with desired assets, such as a

demonstration account. Want to learn more

facebook.com/TOPdesk

projector, for both Self Service Desk end users

about the new features?

linkedin.com/company/topdesk
community.topdesk.com

and operators. Services such as coffee, tea or

lunch can easily be added to the reservation.

Visit www.topdesk.com/topdesk55.

Whats more, the Reservations Managements

look and feel is completely revamped.

@TOPdesk
TOPdesk on University Tour
@c1boon Thank you @topdesk_
uk for the umbrella, a brilliant

In October, TOPdesk UK visited three

location, such as a visit to the Scotch Whisky

design - ready for the British

universities to share our vision on service

Experience and a tour around the Cutty Sark,

winter!

management, provide tips and tricks and to

to unwind after a busy day.

demonstrate our latest software features.

Each location held roundtable discussions,

We would like to thank all attendees for

which offered attendees the chance to

making the TOPdesk University Tour 2014 a

exchange ideas and experiences with each

success. Were you unable to attend? Please

other and with TOPdesk. We also hosted

visit www.topdesk.co.uk/unitour to view

unique post-event activities for each

photos and presentations.

TOPdesk fifth in the Main Software Top 50

@pcenserver Upgrade to

This year, TOPdesk has placed fifth in the Main

The Main Software 50 2014 top three

Software Top 50. A result of which we are very

comprises RAET, RES Software and VeliQ. We

proud!

want to congratulate them with this result!

#TopDesk54 in #Production
has been #successfully done.

The Main Software Top 50 is an award

@TOPdesk I still find this a

presented to the most successful non-listed

very good product. Have a

Dutch software companies every year.

nice weekend!!

TOPdesk also scored well in the 2013 list.

NEWS

Calendar
14
JAN
Consultation hours
TOPdesk office, London

21
22
23
24
JAN
JAN
JAN
JAN
BETT show
ExCeL, London

18
FEB
Consultation hours
TOPdesk office, London

TOPdesk and SSLv3.0 problems,

or POODLE vulnerability
Google recently released information about a

not affect our customers. This means that

vulnerability in the design of SSL version 3.0,

after this change, very old browsers like IE6

the so-called POODLE bug. This vulnerability

are not able to connect to TOPdesk anymore.

makes it possible for an attacker to intercept

Or any other internet services, like Twitter

communication between TOPdesk and a user.

and Evernote, that have implemented the

SSL version 3.0 is one of the older protocols

same change. We have informed customers

available to secure connections between web

who may be affected by the changes, and

servers, like TOPdesk, and users, and is mainly

provided advice on what to do to ensure

still available to support very old versions of

that the POODLE bug does not affect their

browsers. Recent browsers use more secure

organization.

alternative protocols like TLS.

More information about the vulnerability and
TOPdesk has decided to disable this old

how we have responded to it is available on

protocol to ensure that this vulnerability will

the Extranet.

A festive theme for your TOPdesk

TOPdesk has been giving the Self
Service Desk a special holiday
makeover for a couple of years
now. Our latest Christmas look and
feel is now available to download.
Give your Self Service Desk and
general login page a festive feel.
The Christmas look and feel can be
downloaded on TOPdesk Extranet.
If you have any questions or
need help installing the add-on,
please contact TOPdesk Support
on +44(0)20 7803 4200 or via
support@topdesk.com.

6 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014

Mirjam Spanjaardt and Richard Kamman from Amphia Hospital

A HEALTHY
SERVICES SYSTEM

CUSTOMER IN FOCUS
Amphia is a progressive hospital that
prioritizes the quality of care. In order to
safeguard excellent care in the future,
Amphia has invested in one tool for all
supporting departments. This lets them
streamline internal processes, but above all
provide better services to their end users.
TEXT: MILOU SNATERSE PHOTOGRAPHY: AAD HOOGENDOORN

Amphia is one of the biggest peripheral, top-clinical hospitals in the

An application to make life easier

Netherlands, with four locations in the south of the country. The

The IMT, HR, Housing and EHR/Medical and Organizational

hospital pays a lot of attention to quality care and certification. It also

Information knowledge centres already use TOPdesk as a service

provides training for a variety of specializations. Amphia is progressive;

management application. This has made TOPdesk a crucial system

this is demonstrated by the fact that they were one of the first Dutch

in which all processes come together. The final knowledge centre,

hospitals to introduce a large-scale Electronic Health Record (EHR).

Facilities, is currently switching to TOPdesk as a CAFM system. The

This was an important step towards a better quality of care and

laboratories will also switch in due time.

patient security. Amphia also continually improves its information

Kamman says, We are always looking for applications to make

provision. The hospital strives to achieve optimal information

life easier. We want to implement the applications we eventually

provision with as few applications as possible. This was an important

choose on as grand a scale possible, so that we dont end up with a

reason to roll out TOPdesk throughout the entire organization.

fragmented application landscape. This was an important reason to

A single incident registration system

roll out TOPdesk across the entire organization. The entire chain must
eventually work from a single source to make collaboration easier.

Amphia is subdivided into care centres and knowledge centres. All

Also, the care is so interconnected that we simply cant allow ourselves

the hospitals care departments belong to care centres. The knowledge

to work in different systems.

centres comprise the supporting departments. In 1997, the Information

and Medical Technology (IMT) knowledge centre was the first to start

The ease of collaboration in one tool

working with TOPdesk as an incident management system.

Working together in one system has proven to be a success. Were

Mirjam Spanjaardt, Head of IMT Application Management,

seeing more and more connections develop, says Kamman. For

explains how TOPdesk is used within the knowledge centre: We

instance, when a new employee commenced before, there was a

use TOPdesk for everything: from something simple like a forgotten

mountain of paperwork to do. Now we register this whole process in

password to the most complex matters, like equipment that no

TOPdesk in one go. A series of events is created, and these make sure

longer works. In most cases we have to find out whether we can

that the right actions take place. When the employee actually joins

resolve the problem within our own knowledge centre, or have to

the organization, their email address is ready and they can get straight

escalate it to a second party.

to work. There is a similar exit process. This shows us that an HR action

TOPdesk is used intensively as an incident management system

within IMT. Richard Kamman, IMT Knowledge Centre Manager,
illustrates this: When the EHR was introduced, TOPdesk was used to

had immediate consequences for IT, and vice versa. And this is how we
continue to expand TOPdesk.

register all incidents. During the implementation period, we received

Increased efficiency

as many as five thousand calls a month. The number has since

One of the most important reasons for Amphia to bring its processes

dropped to two thousand a month. Amphias use of TOPdesk is not

together in one service management application is efficiency.

limited to just IT questions, however: the application is also used for all

Everyone had their own hobby horse, but if we hadnt stepped in,

questions regarding HR and housing.

there is a fair chance that more comparable tools would have been
purchased, says Kamman.

8 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014

For Amphia, TOPdesk is the incident management system for an array of applications.
In addition to TOPdesk, Amphia has introduced a large ERP system, CareCTRL, for all
calls relating to medical apparatus. The hospital wants to use both applications to
create an optimal information provision set-up.
Kamman says, Eventually we want a link between TOPdesk and CareCTRL, so
that all calls registered in CareCTRL are synchronized with TOPdesk. In time, all
incident registrations and assets have to end up in TOPdesk, so that we have just one
registration system. This will make it even easier to collate questions in the future.

Continuous improvement
One of the next steps forward will be using the Self Service Desk. In hospitals,
everyone is in a hurry, says Kamman. If the help desk cant be immediately reached
by phone, people register their problems later, or even not at all. This isnt what we
want. It is much easier if people can register their calls themselves, from their own
workstations. This lets users register calls when theyre ready and able. Meanwhile,
we can immediately see who logged the call, and have access to all the information
we need to respond effectively. The help desk is now busiest at the start of the day.
This is also set to change when we start using the Self Service Desk. Well be taking a
big step forwards in terms of efficiency.
Kamman says that he does not see TOPdesk as a system for supporting
departments, but rather a system for end users. Spanjaardt adds, This is why we
use the term call rather than incident. This is easier and better for everyone. With
Facilities joining in, we are taking the next step towards a user-friendly, integral
system for the end user. We are working towards more chain formation, collaboration
and clarity.

Looking to the future

There are big changes ahead for Amphia. A new Amphia hospital will enter use in
2018. Currently under construction is a future-proof, modern hospital that can offer
high-quality care, with plenty of attention for high-quality education. A new building
means a lot to move and a lot of changes for the supporting departments. Kamman
says, Moving offices affects the room number, telephone number and IP address.
Soon all processes will be in TOPdesk, so we wont need to set up isolated actions.
Instead, we can set up a chain of actions, increasing the efficiency of our efforts.
Spanjaardt and Kamman have big plans for the future. What we would like is that
in three years, end users have an app on their phone that lets them register calls.
The location is immediately clear thanks to the phones GPS. Maybe the caller could
include a photo, or scan an object using a bar code. If this is the scenario were facing,
it means someone can register their problem in a few seconds. And that we can
process it quickly at the back end.
Making everything as straightforward as possible for the end users, so they can
easily register problems. That is Amphias goal.

TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014 9

WE CANT ALLOW
OURSELVES TO WORK IN
DIFFERENT SYSTEMS
Richard Kamman
IMT Knowledge Centre Manager

Tips from Amphia

Bringing together different supporting departments is no
mean feat. Kamman and Spanjaardt provided some tips for a
successful integration.

1
2
3

Define the problem, then look for the best solution. Can
TOPdesk provide the answer?
Start training people on time. Make lessons part of the
project. The more familiar people are with the product,
the greater the support within the organization.
Make sure the functional management is set up properly
right away. The knowledge you gain during a project
is crucial for functional management: when you make
decisions about the tools set-up, you are also making
decisions about the functional management.

4
5

Be open to change. In the end, you have to be able to

collaborate. Having the right to veto doesnt work.
Always remember that you are dealing with a user
project. The end users have to be able to get to work. This
is why you shouldnt approach the project as a technical
process. Instead, stay close to the users and let them
think about the problem and a possible solution.

Make sure you understand each other. For instance, it is

easy for miscommunication to occur between you and
a supplier. If necessary, draft a glossary. This will make
it clear to everyone whether a call is the same as an
incident.

10 TOPDESK

TOPDESK 5.5
Discover the new Reservations Management
The new Reservations Management module features an updated reservations planner. This
lets both Self Service Desk users and operators easily reserve a room and assets like a projector,
for instance. Services such as tea and lunch are also added in a few clicks. Whats more, the
Reservations Managements look and feel is completely revamped.
Discover the new Reservations Management at www.topdesk.com/topdesk55

Tekst: Stefanie Klaassen

TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014 11

FACILITATING RESERVATIONS
MANAGEMENT: EVERYTHING
TO YOUR LIKING?
Innovation is important to TOPdesk. We support our customers
with software that is smart and as user-friendly as possible. With
the arrival of TOPdesk 5.5, TOPdesk offers an all-new Reservations
Management module as a result of extensive research. What makes
this module that much better than before?
TEXT: STEFANIE KLAASSEN

Optimal user-friendliness

tests, we imagined the creation of a new reservation as a pop-up that

Is everything easy to find? How can we get all the information in a

appears over the planner. However, tests proved that this wasnt very

single overview? How do we make it easier to reserve rooms? Can

practical. It made more sense to move this functionality to the side,

we make overviews of available services clearer? Keeping these

in the panel that was originally intended for additional information.

questions and more in mind, we changed a lot in the Reservations

In the new module you can use the side panel to immediately create

Management module. We listened carefully to you in order to create

a new reservation and edit an existing reservation. Many customers

a module that better meets your needs. Various customers took part

had some trouble editing existing reservations in the old version. This

in interviews and tested the software, helping us to optimize the

is why that part has undergone quite a few changes. Now when you

user-friendliness in the new Reservations Management. A case of

move a reservation, services such as coffee and tea and assets such as

discovering what works and what doesnt. Read on to discover the

laptops and projectors automatically move along.

improvements to this new module.

Old and new insights

In addition to these points for improvement, we also received a

lot of positive feedback, continues Van der Heide. This is obviously
just as important, because you have to know what to keep or develop

One of the main improvements in the new Reservations Management

further. Customers were happy with the structure of the planner, the

is the interface. Various development methods resulted in new

reservations overview, which displayed all information. This is why the

insights on this subject. Renske van der Heide, a product manager

planner is back in the new Reservations Management. We also decided

at TOPdesk who was involved in revamping the Reservations

to keep a number of rarely used functionalities, but make them more

Management module, explains. The combination of usability

usable. It only became clear how to use some of these functionalities

tests and interviews granted us considerable insight into how our

after they were explained; once the users understood the feature, they

customers use the module and what we can improve. Before the

indicated that they wanted to use it in future. This was the case for

12 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014

the functionality for issuing and returning facilities such as a laptop or

you ordered certain services, such as coffee and tea, explains Van der

projector, and the overview of items to be issued and returned on that

Heide. However, it turned out that customers wanted to be able to

day. The customer input helped us improve everything, making it more

set up lead times without reserving additional services. The tests also

logical and usable.

proved that people created a lead time around an additional service

Practical and straightforward

as a workaround. This service was then linked to the room, so that

you had the room for an extra fifteen minutes. However, this also

The great thing about the new Reservations Management is that you

had downsides: when creating a list of services, the lead time was

always use the planner. All important information can be found on

included. People asked if this could be removed.

one screen, so you always have all the context information at hand,

Van der Heide continues, We kept seeing this phenomenon, and

says Van der Heide. I also like how TOPdesk deals with conflicts.

we have addressed it. Now an agreed-upon lead time can be booked

When scheduling a reservation, the side panel immediately lets you

around the reservation, giving you time to get everything set up,

know whether there is a conflict for the fifth reservation, for instance,

regardless of the booked services. This extra time for a reservation

or that you are scheduling over another reservation. Clicking on the

can be determined per room, because a specific appointment might

conflicting reservation takes you straight to this reservation in the

require a number of items. Double booking is no longer possible with

planner. You can easily resolve the conflict by dragging the reservation,

this approach: lead times prevent the overlapping of reservations. This

including the accompanying services, to a new time. This meets the

makes communication with customers easier.

wish to be able to easily edit a reservation.

Lead times and services

A hard deadline?
If agreed upon, reservations can be created up to a certain number

When scheduling lead times, TOPdesk used the booked services lead

of hours beforehand. The same is true for editing a reservation. But

time. These were used as a basis to adjust the reservation and supply

how hard a deadline is exactly has proven to differ from situation to

the lead times. The reservation itself never had lead times. This

situation. We saw this as a bit too black-and-white, says Van der

meant you could only reserve the room for longer than scheduled if

Heide. In practice, it turns out that such deadlines arent that general.

All your rooms, assets and services in one clear planner

An image displays the available room in the Self Service Desk

TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014 13

A vacant room can be used at the last minute. However, certain things

were hardly ever rejected in practice. And the reservation approval

are less flexible, like booking lunch. For instance, one customer enabled

phase proved to be more than just a monitoring step: the request

people to book fresh pie until the day before the appointment. There

included a comments field, which was used to request services or

was a set deadline, and everyone knew it. Again, catering you can

indicate wishes. This was not actually the intended use of the field.

often book up to twenty-four hours in advance, everyone understands

What it boils down to is that this field had imperceptibly created an

that. Meanwhile, a room without catering is easier to reschedule. You

extra step. This means that it was no longer a reservation request,

can forbid this by setting deadlines, but people might just use the

but a request for services with the reservation in question. Customers

room anyway.

already dealt with this phenomenon by creating selections of

Facilities departments are known as being very hospitable. Even

reservation requests with or without a filled out comments field, so

if there are set rules concerning deadlines, it may still be possible

that service requests could be processed separately. This does make

to request changes after the deadline has passed. Van der Heide

it easier to lose requests, though. Moreover, this method resulted in

says, We deal with such flexible, exceptional circumstances by only

extra work for a lot of people. In the new Reservations Management,

prohibiting changes after the deadline for services which state this

the comments field has been removed by default, so the operators of

explicitly. Operators in turn must be able to change certain things. In

reservation requests no longer encounter particulars in the comments

such cases, TOPdesk only displays a warning. Customers never really

field. We have also added clear buttons for requesting catering or

broached this topic, but we heard about it after further questioning.

lunch separately to the Self Service Desk so that these services can

This is something that a customer may not put forward, but in

be requested correctly. This lets you use the reservation request as

practice, TOPdesks previously assumed theory proves insufficient.

intended, if this step is desired, and all (service) requests are sent to

Reservation or service request?

the correct operator.

Finally, Van der Heide noticed another common workaround: When

requesting a reservation via the Self Service Desk, a reservation was
always a request first. This then had to be approved, but such requests

Curious about the results?

Visit www.topdesk.com/topdesk55 for more information.
Here you can also discover the new look and feel in a video.

One portal for your customers

14 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014

STEFAN VAN OPSTAL & NIENKE BEST

... are both TOPdesk consultants and help customers set up,
improve and optimize their processes.

MANAGING YOUR SERVICES

WITH NEN 15221
Have you ever considered outsourcing your service desk to a
supplier? Handing over the control of your departments front
piece might sound complicated and risky, but NEN 15221
guarantees success.

be used as future reference. What was

your service desk tasks: external suppliers

Plan Determine the quality of

your services

can effectively translate terms like hospitality,

Are you aware of your customers needs and

performance improved or worsened over

efficiency and flexibility into good services.

expectations when it comes to services? If

the past two years?

A service that meets these requirements

you outsource your service desk, does your

There are many advantages to outsourcing

the initial situation and has your teams

In addition to benchmarking, NEN 15221

sounds perfect, but also complicated. How

customer expect the service desk to answer

offers a number of tools to document your

do you manage this and ensure optimal

most questions themselves? Or wont they

service levels (customer needs). Your service

service levels?

mind being put through to a specialist? It

levels are determined per service. You can use

might seem obvious, but before you can

them at a later stage to measure your service.

is a lot easier if you comply with the NEN

make good agreements with your supplier,

Documenting these service levels and being

15221 standard. NEN 15221 offers facilities

you need to know what your customer

aware of supply and demand is an important

organizations a guideline to bring the

expects from the service. In other words:

preparation for good management.

definition and administration of different

its important to document the customers

organizational layers more in line. This ranges

needs, including the needs origins and

part of your services, but often difficult to

from drawing board (what does my customer

possible solutions.

determine. Make sure you dont limit yourself

Outsourcing your most prominent services

expect?) to managing your outsourced

To better understand your customers

Documenting service levels is an intrinsic

to your own organizations expertise and

services (does my supplier meet my

needs and the desired quality of the service,

involve your supplier during the preparations.

expectations?). Using the Plan-Do-Check-Act

you can perform a benchmark analysis.

You know your organization, but your

method, you can easily follow this process

Benchmarking not only grants insight into

supplier has experienced thousands of

and keep track of your outsourced services.

customer needs, but the results can also

organizations processes. This knowledge

TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014 15

And not only with your supplier, but also

levels, because your supplier knows which

Check Does every party meet

the agreements?

questions are important.

The services are determined and clear

is only possible when you regularly test

agreements are made with the supplier;

your processes, helping you make (minor)

does this mean the supplier can simply get

adjustments.

can be useful when determining your service

Do Choose a supplier

your customer. Continuous improvement

Creating clear reports helps you assess

Once you have determined the quality

to work? Experience has shown that this is

of the services and which services you

not the case. In the Plan phase you discussed

whether you are on the right track with

want to outsource, it is time to select a

the requirements of the services with your

the services you provide. Make sure you

supplier. Where do you start? The first step

customer. Benchmarking and service level

discuss the services with both parties and

is translating your service levels to delivery

agreements can help you set performance

plan evaluations at the right moments.

terms and conditions regarding the services

indicators (KPIs). You can use these KPIs to

This lets everyone learn from mistakes and

you expect from your supplier. You can use

measure your performance. It lets you collect

complaints, and prevents recurring issues.

these terms and conditions to select the

information about the quality of the services

right suppliers.

and whether your suppliers performance

Pragmatic and clear

meets expectations.

The Plan-Do-Check-Act method lets you

Going into business with a supplier not

only means investing time, but money as

Reports can also help you measure

well. It is therefore important to do your

whether your services meet the KPIs.

preparation to proactive improvement.

research: the supplier should match your

According to NEN 15221, a good report

It is important to focus on continuously

organization. The goal is to build a long-

is based on a number of criteria, such as

improving the facilities services process

term relationship that revolves around

signaling problems at an early stage.

in order to create added value for your

good collaboration. Your supplier not only

manage your outsourcing process from

customer. Learning from mistakes and

acts as partner in the service delivery to your

Act From reactive to proactive

improvements

customer. Together you bear responsibility

A good service partner knows whats going

moments and good communication with

for the final result.

on. Your supplier understands what is

the supplier and customer into your service

going well and what needs improving. You

delivery, you can even outsource a complex

facilities management agreements (SLAs)

can imagine that when the customer is

service like your service desk with ease.

using a checklist. This concerns all general

unsatisfied with the response methods or

and specific agreements that should be

the solution offered, you dont want to wait

described in an SLA. The general terms can be

a year to tackle these issues. You want to do

Want to know more?

applied to any SLA while the specific terms

it right away. Its important to continuously

Contact TOPdesk Consultancy via

are different for every service. The checklist

improve, instead of suddenly having to

+44 (0)20 7803 4200 to learn more

helps prepare the creation of the agreement.

adjust your services. It is therefore important

about outsourcing your services and

This lets you prevent major, and often

to regularly and directly share the results

quality improvement.

expensive, adjustments in the future.

from the Check phase with your supplier.

delivers the services agreed upon, but also

Part two of NEN 15221 helps you create

complaints is an intrinsic part of this.

When you incorporate enough adjustment

16 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014

JEFFREY VERSTEGEN
is a technical TOPdesk consultant. As a technical specialist, he mostly deals
with links between TOPdesk and other software applications, adjusted imports
and customized web forms to support organizational processes.

RESERVED? Get more out of your meeting rooms

In practice, meeting rooms are not always used to their full potential.
Installing digital signage screens next to your meeting rooms can help
keep your end users up-to-date and increase the rooms occupancy.
When it comes to information provision on

start and end time of the reservation, the

text (text that does not come from TOPdesk).

location, more and more paper solutions are

meeting organizer and the subject. In addition,

You can change the template at any time

making way for digital solutions. Tablets are

you can display the services linked to the

without changing the data that is displayed.

used instead of notebooks, and office spaces

reservation, such as lunch or tea. These are only

are digitized. Digital signage screens are one

a number of obvious examples, but certainly

Is this room available?

example of this.

not limiting. Which details can and cant be

A room is obviously not always reserved.

shown depends on your set-up and technical

When a room is not in use, the screen can

booked a meeting room, but someone else

possibilities. Your technical consultant can

display the next reservation, giving you

is using it. When you ask the other party for

inform you during the implementation.

real-time information about the rooms

You may recognize this situation: youve

clarification, it turns out they are in the wrong

availability. This could be convenient when

room by accident. This situation costs both

Your own set-up

parties a lot of time, and one of you has to

A technical TOPdesk consultant can help you

find another available room. It would be really

set up the screens. This works as follows:

useful if, upon arrival at the meeting room,

TOPdesk exports an XML text file based on

any type of flexible room: a consulting room

you could immediately see which meeting is

the criteria you discussed with the consultant.

or treatment room, for instance. Creating a

being held at that moment. Digital signage

An example of such a criterion is that you

reservation in TOPdesk grants insight into

screens might be a solution.

only want to display todays reservations.

who is currently using the room. As you can

Next, the export created by TOPdesk is sent

see, displaying information about meeting

to a server. This server wirelessly transfers

rooms is only one of the many ways you can

Digital signage screens can be linked with

the data to the digital signage screens. In

use this application.

TOPdesk thanks to a customized solution,

future, the screen always displays the current

helping you display the available reservation

information based on TOPdesk data. You can

Choosing a customer solution

information from TOPdesks Reservations

compare the look and feel of the screens with

Linking TOPdesk with digital signage screens

Management module. A technical consultant

an e-reader, and there are several sizes and

gives you a lot of options. A consultant can

can support you during the implementation

types to choose from.

help you with the solution: what is already

What are digital signage screens?

to determine which information is displayed

Thanks to a template, you can adjust

someone has forgotten to reserve a room or

when a meeting is planned last-minute.
In general, these screens can be used for

possible, and what are the advantages and

on the screens. For instance, you could display

the order in which the TOPdesk fields are

disadvantages of this solution? It is important

details about a current reservation in a room

displayed on the screen. The template also

to consider these questions before you

registered in TOPdesk. This could include the

lets you adjust the text layout and enter static

continue.

COLUMN
Wolter Smit, CEO of TOPdesk

Slowly
but surely
I was lucky enough to join my parents for winter sports from a
young age. Over the years, the ski slopes showed me just how
creative people can be. There are so many different ways to enjoy
making your way down the piste. I saw bigfoots (very short skis)
and monoskis (two connected skis). You could have a helicopter
drop you off on the slope or hop on a PistenBully. Lots of these
novelties came and went. If, like me, youve been on your skis
for some time, you become a little sceptical about the next fads
chances of survival.
When the first snowboards hit the slopes in the nineties1, I
wasnt convinced. Though real skiers viewed snowboards with
some contempt, more and more snowboarders appeared. Now
we have reached the point that if youre a bit older on your first
trip to the snow, theres a considerable chance youll learn to
snowboard, not ski.
Why did snowboarding stick? The simplest reason is that it adds
more than the other hypes. You can easily go off-piste. It feels more
like surfing. To many it seems easier and safer. But above all: it is
not a fad. It originated in the sixties and is still popular.
Something similar is happening in the service management
field. That trends come and go is true here too. Many are fun
and amusing, but are safe to ignore because they will disappear
anyway. Can anyone still imagine us all being on SecondLife?
Probably not; a good example of a fad.
Some innovations are unstoppable. Because they actually
solve a problem, because theyre easier to use, or because theyre

all service requests in a single tool. Why does this trend seem to

cheaper. The transition often doesnt take place all at once, but

be so slow in making headway? Maybe its like the snowboarders

is slow and steady instead. From country to country. A good

and the skiers: the cultures are so different that they dont seek

example of such a slow but sure innovation is the idea that an

one another out. But snowboarders and skiers have gotten used

organizations employees shouldnt have to think about which

to each other over time. This makes sense, because they both use

service desk to visit to get something done. Should someone go

the same lifts. FM and IT will eventually get used to each other as

to the IT or Facilities desk if they want their computer fixed? And

well. Slowly but surely.

what about catering?

One desk for all supporting departments doesnt just make
things easier for the employee. Its also simply cheaper to process

Did you know that snowboardings roots are in surfing? Look up Snurfer

if you want to know more about the origin of the snowboard.

18 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014

LUKKE JOUSTRA
... is a TOPdesk consultant. As a technical specialist, she
mostly deals with links between TOPdesk and other software
applications, and custom-made forms to support organizational

DIGITAL FORMS
IN ACTION
All seats in a taxi are filled. Frequently asked customer questions are
automatically answered. A new software application is requested and
processed in a few clicks. These solutions are possible with custommade digital forms.

As a standardized tool, TOPdesk has a large number of possibilities.

but within the technical limits, is quite a challenge. I always ask the

However, some organizations have the need for a bespoke solution

customer what they want to fix. I then write a detailed description

and choose to use our customer solutions. As a TOPdesk consultant I

of what the solution is for and what it should look like. Depending

have started to profile myself more and more as a technical specialist

on the expertise needed for the execution, either I or someone from

and often visit organizations that use the possibilities offered by these

Customer Solutions get to work on the actual adjustment.

solutions.

I will now describe three smart uses of XFG bespoke work that I have

Standardized or custom-made

encountered in various organizations. These uses clearly show the

added value of custom-made forms.

The TOPdesk Form Designer is a commonly used module. Customers

can easily create and adjust digital forms. An additional tool that is
often used for digital forms is the XML Form Generator (XFG). This
tool makes it possible to create digital forms that correspond to
the customers wishes. These XFG forms are created by (technical)

Want to know more?

consultants. Updates and adjustments are also arranged through

If you want to know more about a possible XFG-based solution for

TOPdesk. The XFG forms have already helped a lot of customers carry

your organization, please contact us via +44 (0)20 7803 4200 or

out necessary activities and processes.

info@topdesk.com. Or ask your consultant about the possibilities.

Customizing a digital form entirely to the wishes of the organization,

TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014 19

Automated answers
The service desk often answers a lot of the same questions and

this is mostly solved by using a FAQ or knowledge base. Unfortunately,

it appears that asking the service desk a question is easier than
consulting a FAQ or knowledge base. An organization that uses TOPdesk
has requested a smart solution for this problem. Customers are asked
specific questions with the help of digital forms. By asking specific
questions you can determine which category the customers question
belongs to, so you can automatically show corresponding standard
solutions. If the desired solution is not in the list, the customer can
still go on to ask the service desk a question. By offering an FAQ or
knowledge base in this form, you can let customers help themselves and
prevent the service desk from doing unnecessary work.

Quickly processing software requests

Perhaps you have experienced this before: an employee requires

a software application and it takes days or even weeks before it is

installed on his or her computer, even though the implementation
does not even need to take place on the computer itself. An
organization with the same problem started offering a digital form as
solution. The form triggers an automatic check whether the manager
is authorized to request the software application. If so, the manager
gets to see a selected list of software applications from which he or

Requesting a taxi ride

Most taxis have at least three seats available. A large

she can choose. The one-off and/or monthly costs of the software
are also shown in this list. If this information is correct, the request
can be processed. Via a link with the Active Directory, the software

organization, the employees of which often travel by taxi to

applications are automatically linked to the requester. After logging on

other branches, wants to use these available seats as efficiently

again, the employee has direct access to the software.

as possible. In theory, if multiple employees want to travel

from A to B around the same time, they could travel with the

Choosing a customer solution

same taxi.

Combining TOPdesk with digital forms offers a lot of possibilities.

TOPdesk has created a digital form to make this possible. The

Are TOPdesks standard features insufficient and do you want to use

form requires all the necessary information from an employee:

technically complex forms, or create links between forms and other

What are the departure and arrival locations? What time does she

applications within the organization? The Customer Solutions team

or he need to be picked up? What time does she or he arrive at the

can create custom digital forms for your organization. You discuss the

location? This information ends up in TOPdesks Call Management

solution together with a consultant: what are the standard possibilities,

module. The planner of taxi rides can easily sort the travel date

and what are the pros and cons of this specific adjustment? Only

and time filled in by employees from an overview of current calls.

when the pros outweigh the cons, for example user-friendliness over

It can also sort by pick-up and drop-off location. This way, the

budget, will you take the next step. The forms are created on location in

planner sees at a glance which employees can share a taxi and

collaboration with a technical consultant who provides a cost indication

plans this in the calendars of the taxi driver and employees.

and talks you through the rest of the project.

20 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014

PATRICK MACKAAIJ
is an information distribution coordinator. He is specialized
in technical issues and optimizing processes.

PROTECTING YOUR
TOPDESK ENVIRONMENT
Security incidents regularly make the headlines. In this article, we
outline what you can do to protect your TOPdesk environment.
If you manage an on-premises TOPdesk, all points are relevant
to you. Do you use TOPdesk SaaS? Then a selection of the points
below apply to you.

TOPdesk customers who outsource the management of their

environment to us via TOPdesk SaaS are guaranteed that their

own login account.

On the Access tab, check whether Remote Access has been

environment is in safe hands. TOPdesk is ISAE 3402 type II-certified.

deactivated for the TOPdesk Administrator Console. Only use Remote

This report was composed by an external auditor. It demonstrates that

Access if you do not want to grant your TOPdesk Application Manager

TOPdesk has taken sufficient measures to cover identified risks. By

(or their workstation) access to the TOPdesk server via remote desktop.

doing so, TOPdesk gives its customers certainty about the quality of its

In all cases, you should adjust the standard password of the TOPdesk

services.

Administrator Console.

Limit remote access to the TOPdesk Administrator

Console

Windows Authentication for Microsoft SQL Server

The TOPdesk Administrator Console grants access to important

your database server? If so, check whether TOPdesk logs in to the

settings, so it is important to be careful about remote access. The

database server via Windows Authentication instead of SQL Server

Console lets you manage the database connection, activate licences

Authentication. With Windows Authentication, SQL Server verifies the

and some modules, restart TOPdesk and install customer solutions.

login data via your central Active Directory. This is easier and safer

After installation, the TOPdesk Administrator Console can only be

than having SQL Server maintain its own local administration.

accessed from the server on which TOPdesk is installed, and it has its

Do you use Microsoft SQL Server database 2008 or higher as

If TOPdesk logs in via Windows Authentication, the Administrator

WORKING SMARTER

Consoles Database and Licence tab will display the code

;integratedSecurity=true. If TOPdesk does not log in via
Windows Authentication, you can add this text yourself. Determine
the service account TOPdesk uses to start up and make it the owner of
the database on the SQL Server. Reboot TOPdesk and check whether it

1. Via Modules > Supporting Files > Overview, open the Operators
overview.
2. Use the Set up overview button in the top right corner to add the
Administrator column.
3. Sort on the Administrator column by clicking the column name.

works. If so, remove the former SQL Server account.

Limit the use of TOPdesk authentication

Via Modules > Supporting Files > Overview > Permission Groups,
browse the permission groups to see who is able to make adjustments

TOPdesk has its own authentication method. You can grant access to

in the Technical Settings. Technical Settings can have a considerable

the system using Operator and Person cards. TOPdesk supports other

effect on how TOPdesk works, and should therefore only be available

authentication methods as well. Kerberos Single Sign-On lets users log

to the technical managers of TOPdesk.

in automatically. You can also opt for LDAP authentication, in which

After the installation, TOPdesk has an operator using the login

case TOPdesk verifies the information entered by the user via SAML or

name and password admin. The operator with the admin login name

with an LDAP server such as Active Directory or NDS.

always has TOPdesk administrator authorization. Check whether the

If you do not use TOPdesk authentication, deactivate this method

and make the password on the Person and Operator cards non-

password for this account is no longer admin.

If you are a TOPdesk application manager, you may want to

mandatory. The TOPdesk application manager can determine the

consider using a separate login account for tasks that require TOPdesk

authentication method for both the Self Service Desk and the

administrator authorization. This reduces the risk of unwanted access.

Operators Section via Technical Settings > Login Settings. TOPdesk will

It will also help you implement changes to TOPdesk more consciously.

then use an authentication method to be determined by you, and the

accompanying password policy for your network.
The exception to this rule is the TOPdesk operator using the admin

Disabling parameters in the URL

Via System Settings > Technical Settings > Login Settings you can find

login. This account can always log in to TOPdesk in the event of typing

the Allow authentication parameters in URL option. This lets you log

errors or malfunctions relating to the authentication method. In

in to TOPdesk by adding the following to the URL you use to access

addition, TOPdesk administrators require a TOPdesk password if they

TOPdesk: &j_username=[username]&j_password=[password].

want to use Settings Management.

You can use these codes to view or add to TOPdesk from external

Limit the use of the TOPdesk administrator

authorization
Operators with the TOPdesk administrator authorization have access
to the entire application and can manage all settings. That is why it is
important to protect these accounts with a strong password.
Do you use TOPdesk SaaS? Then only our own managers have access
to the TOPdesk administrator account in your environment. If you
use TOPdesk on-premises, you can view which operators are TOPdesk
administrators:

applications, for instance. In addition to external applications, some

customers use the Event Management module to control TOPdesk.
You can check whether your TOPdesk is used in this way via Settings
Management > Settings > Action Explorer.
We strongly advise only using this setting if you use SSL. Without
SSL, you run the risk that login details will be intercepted and viewed.
Only activate Allow authentication parameters in URL if you actually
want to (temporarily) use this option.

22 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014

Editorial
Secure the connection with TOPdesk using HTTPS/SSL

Download this issue and more at

You can encrypt all traffic between a TOPdesk users workstation and the TOPdesk server using

www.scribd.com/TOPdesk

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Organizations primarily use SSL if they process confidential data or
use public networks, such as the internet, which may be monitored by others. If SSL is active,

The TOPdesk Magazine covers subjects that

the TOPdesk user will see the secure lock icon in the web browsers address bar.

are topical in the world of professional

If you use TOPdesk SaaS, your environment was secured with SSL upon delivery. For TOPdesk

service desks in IT, facilities and other

on-premises, the Management Manual describes a method to gain a free SSL certificate via

service providing organizations. TOPdesk

Portecle and Certification Authority StartSSL, which is recognized by all major web browsers.

Magazine is intended for managers, service

Install updates, also for third-party software

desk employees, facilities organizations and

electronic city councils anyone who is

In order to develop as safely as possible, TOPdesk closely follows the developments in the

involved with supporting clients on a daily

security risk field. Before delivering a new version, TOPdesk asks an external party to perform

basis. This concerns both the processes and

a security penetration test (pentest) and a network scan. Depending on the risk, TOPdesk fixes

the technology behind these services.

any detected vulnerabilities before delivery or in the first service pack.

Researchers can report security incidents via the TOPdesk Extranet or the general email

TOPdesk Magazine is a TOPdesk publication

address security@topdesk.com. After reviewing these calls, TOPdesk responds accordingly. If

Tel: +44 (0) 207 803 4200

there are several vulnerabilities as a result of for instance a security audit, the duration may

Email: editorial@topdesk.com

vary per call. In the response we confirm the registration and, when possible, indicate the
next steps.
For TOPdesk SaaS users, high-risk security incidents are resolved through an environment

Editor-in-chief: Milou Snaterse and Nicola

van de Velde

update. For TOPdesk on-premises users, we want to limit the number of updates you have

Editors: Stefanie Klaassen, Milou Snaterse

to deal with. This is why we group solutions for security incidents and always make these

Translators: Laura van Rosenberg, Leah Clarke

available to all customers at once using service packs. In addition, multiple changes to the

and Nicola van de Velde

software make it difficult to isolate the adjustments for a specific security incident. Grouping

Contributors: Nienke Best, Fiona Ijkema,

these adjustments reduces the chance that these incidents are abused. This is why we

Lukke Joustra, Stefanie Klaassen, Patrick

recommend always using the most recent service pack.

Mackaaij, Stefan van Opstal, Wolter Smit,

With on-premises installations, make sure to keep track of security updates for your

Milou Snaterse, Jeffrey Verstegen

third-party software, such as Java or your database server. TOPdesk advises testing such

Layout: Louise van der Laak

updates in your acceptance environment as quickly as possible. If a security update leads

Photography: Menno van der Bijl, Aad

to compatibility problems on TOPdesks side, we will release a service pack as quickly as

Hoogendoorn

possible. The Java version used to test TOPdesk versions can be found on this page:
http://help.topdesk.com/install/java.

Copy editor: Nicola van de Velde

A print run of 7,500
Quarterly magazine
Languages: Dutch, English
Copyright 2014 TOPdesk. Although this
publication has been produced with the
utmost care and attention, the writers
cannot be held responsible in any way for any
damages that may occur due to errors and /
or deficiencies in this publication.

Shared Service Management

The natural way for all your departments to work together

IT

Let your services flourish with Shared Service Management. TOPdesks

Creating a cohesive work environment has never been easier.

service management software features modules that are designed

Want to find out how TOPdesk can also support your departments?

specically for supporting departments such as IT, FM and HR. In fact,

Call us at (0)20 7803 04200 or visit topdesk.co.uk.

it is the only tool that perfectly integrates these processes.

Service Management Simplified

24 TOPDESK MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2014

tips + tricks
Reserving your favourite facilities more
quickly as operator

View available assets directly in the Self

Service Desk

Reservations Management has been completely revamped in

Assets can be located in a specific room permanently and by

TOPdesk 5.5. Reservations are now made in the planner; there

default. These assets do not have to be reserved separately.

are no more separate Reservation cards.

You can make sure users can directly see in the Self Service
Desk which assets are already present by default as follows:

In the planner, all reservable objects and rooms are sorted per
branch. This may create a long list of branches and facilities,
making it difficult to find the facilities important to you. There

1. In the Operators Section, go to the Asset Management

module.

are two ways to quickly find them.

2. Open the Object card of the facility that is available by

1. Filter menu

3. On the General tab, set the location link to Branch and fill

default (a projector, for example).

Left of the planner you can filter facilities by:
Branch
Minimum capacity (room)
Type (room)
Type of Object
Availability

in the room where the object is by default for Room.

4. Only check Visible in Self Service Desk on the
Reservations tab. Please note: the object cannot be
reservable.
> The object now appears under the Assets available in
this room heading when the room is selected in the Self
Service Desk.

2. Favourites
By marking a facility as favourite, it automatically appears at
the top of the planner. How to mark a facility as favourite:
1. Go to the planner.
2. Hover your cursor over the icon of the facility that you wish
to mark as favourite. The icon disappears and a white star
appears.
3. Click the star, which will turn yellow.
4. Refresh the planner.
> The facility now appears at the top of the list under the
Favourites heading.

www.topdesk.com