To help customers plan ahead when considering their IT and telecom-related service needs, IBM and AT&T have prepared general guidelines on service delivery lead times for some of the most frequently requested services.  Estimated times are listed in business days.

Infrastructure Services

Create Time Sharing Option (TSO) userIDs (mainframe access), 3-5 days

Perform workstation break/fix, 2-4 days

Create mappings to workstation printers or file systems (less than 9), 3-5 days

Install new workstation software (after delivery of workstation), 3-5 days

Install individual workstation (after delivery of workstation), 3-5 days

Perform single workstation office move, 3-5 days

Perform project (more than 9) workstation office move, 8-12 days*

Implement simple firewall change, 10-15 days

Implement complex firewall change, 15-20 days

Managed Network Services

Voice

Centrex/Key system/PBX Analog for 1-9 lines, 7 days

Centrex/Key system/PBX Analog for 10-19 lines, 10 days

Centrex P-Phone for 1-9 lines, 10 days

Centrex P-Phone for 10-19 lines, 15 days

ISDN telephone for 1-5 lines, 15 days

Feature changes on voice line, 5-7 days**

Voicemail password reset (Unified Arts only), 3 days

Voicemail change/add/delete to existing line, 5-7 days**

Existing auto-attendant change (Unified Arts), 10 days

Toll-free service (simple), 5 days

Audio and web conferencing, 5 days

Data

VPN userID, 7 days

Complex data software change, 30 days**

Simple LAN port activate, 7 days

Complex LAN port install (includes switch add and configuration), 45 days

Other

Call center seats - simple change, 15 days

Call center seats - add CRM only, 15 days

Circuit or transport order (such as T1, T3, T45, DSL, Metro E, PRI T1), 45 days**

Requests for Solution (RFS), individual case basis

*Or as negotiated with requesting agency as part of move project plan

**Depends on complexity of request

The lead times serve as a planning tool and are estimated from the time an order is accepted (when all requirements are verified by the customer and service provider).  Typically, the more complex the requested service, the longer the necessary lead time.  Factors affecting complexity include the number of lines or locations, the area being served, bandwidth required and quantity needed.

The Consolidated Service Desk continues to receive positive scores on point-of-service surveys, with both IBM and AT&T earning a rating of "satisfied" from respondents during the third quarter of 2011 (July, August and September). 

The survey asks respondents to answer questions by choosing from a range of answers:

• Very satisfied
• Satisfied
• Somewhat satisfied
• Somewhat dissatisfied
• Dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

GTA is working to set service level agreement (SLA) expected and minimum values using data collected from January through September of this year.  The response rate for the quarter is 27.4%, with a total of 1,333 surveys returned.  The input helps to ensure that the Service Desk meets customers' needs.

The Consolidated Service Desk also receives feedback outside the surveys. Recently, a DHS employee wrote:  "I was having Novell issues and I called the Service Desk this morning.  Deborah Harmon was exceptionally pleasant, kind, polite, mindful of my personal time and extremely patient.  I just had to let you know her service was exceptional."

Agency heads from 12 of the 14 full-service GETS agencies responded to a customer satisfaction survey in August.  The annual survey was conducted by the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government. 

Service providers AT&T and IBM each received a composite score on a 10-point scale, based on an algorithm that uses all of the survey response scores.  The 2011 survey follows a 2010 survey and a 2009 baseline survey conducted prior to the transition of service delivery to IBM and AT&T:

IBM (Technology Infrastructure Services)

2011:  4.39

2010:  5.84

2009:  5.10

AT&T (Managed Network Services)

2011:  5.74

2010:  6.05

2009:  5.70

Earlier this week, 220 business managers from full-service GETS agencies also were asked to complete a customer satisfaction survey.  Results will be available in January 2012. The semi-annual survey was sent to a different group of business managers in May.

Scores from the executive and business manager surveys will be used along with results from other surveys to calculate the annual service level agreement (SLA) for overall GETS customer satisfaction.

AT&T held two focus group webinars last month with customers who receive managed network services through GETS.  Participants from eight colleges and eight agencies and government entities suggested Service Catalog improvements and discussed support issues requiring AT&T's attention. 

AT&T is reviewing several recommended Service Catalog improvements with IBM and the Service Catalog board, including:

• a "cheat sheet" to assist those who don't place orders often
• a checklist of features for those who order voice ports
• the capability to make multiple changes with a number rather than having to select individual service lines
• a listing of available handsets for standard Centrex lines

Several issues related to installation of services and completion of work by field technicians will be addressed with AT&T internal groups.

AT&T appreciates customers' participation in the sessions and plans to conduct more focus groups in 2012 for partial-service and full-service GETS customers.