Top tips for happy end users

According to a survey released today by Fujitsu Services, one third of office workers admit to using IT as an excuse for poor performance. Thirty-eight per cent would refuse to work as hard if their IT systems crashed, and 15 per cent would leave the office early.

On the back of the research (see http://www.silicon.com/a56028), Fujitsu Services has come up with a few hints on how to make the techno-lives of your organisation's staff as pain-free as possible, and make sure IT isn't blamed for everything ...

1. Keep IT running
Maintain the IT infrastructure and manage services to ensure failures don't happen. If problems do arise make sure plans are developed to get systems up and running as quickly as possible and keep staff informed of how long this will take.

2. Back IT up
Ensure all information is regularly backed up and archived so information can be found even if it has been deleted. A third of office workers use the excuse of IT problems for poor work performance, so improved document management could mean improved employee efficiency.

3. Support is essential
Quick IT support should be available to all employees through whatever method is most convenient to them. Support staff should have the ability to explain how to solve problems regardless of the level of understanding of the user.

4. Education, education, education
Six per cent of employees still believe they are IT dinosaurs, needing a lot of help to get to grips with technology. As not all employees have the same level of skill at using technology, training programmes need to be implemented to improve employee understanding, enabling them to be more efficient and require less IT support.

5. Give them what they want
Eighty-six per cent of IT users love the efficiency it provides, but you can always get better. Companies should develop an integrated IT environment to save time and ensure users don't have to input the same data over and over again. It can also help to personalise the service offered by understanding the exact requirements of the user. Employees tend to have more sound advice than even the best outside consultant so listen to what they want.

6. Speed IT up
Update hardware and software to ensure systems run quickly and efficiently, allowing workers to react more rapidly to requests. Three quarters of office workers admit to becoming frustrated waiting for applications to work.

7. Knowledge is power
Twenty-one per cent of office workers hoard electronic records, but IT should make reporting and sharing information more easy. This can be done by ensuring employees know where information can be found and updated so everyone has easy access to business critical information. This can be achieved through implementing a knowledge management strategy.

8. Make IT happen
One in five users would rather not use IT so make sure that you don't have more systems and processes than you need. Operations should be appropriate to company size, more IT - resources will not necessarily make the company more efficient so use what you have efficiently.

9. Make IT personal
IT is a great communications tool but there should always be room for face-to-face contact - over a half of office workers want more personal interaction. Provide facilities and opportunities for colleagues, customers and suppliers to meet either in person or through videoconferencing.

10. Make IT clear
Develop an acceptable use policy for the web and email. Ensure employees have a clear idea of what is acceptable content for email to encourage clear communication and prevent the misunderstandings that almost half of office workers believe happen over email.