Support Tiers Explained
Not all customers require the same level of access to the Galtec Service Desk, and agreements are commercially modelled for customers who require access to specific tiers. The following section breaks down the definition of capability and responsibility for each tier. Your Statement of Services will define which elements you have access to. For customers who only have 1 or 2 tiers included within the agreement, Customer is expected to carry out all activities for the non-included tier.
1. 1st Line Service Desk Access:
The 1st Line team on the Service Desk is the initial point of contact for customers seeking technical assistance. This tier comprises skilled engineers who are well-versed in triaging and addressing a wide range of technical issues. The key features of the 1st Line Service Desk Access are as follows:
1.1 Ticket Triage: When customers raise support tickets, 1st Line engineers promptly assess the nature of the issue during the triage process. They gather essential details, such as the symptoms, impact, and urgency of the incident and will proactively seek more information if more details are required to progress the ticket.
1.2 Ticket Prioritisation: Based on the information gathered during triage, the engineers determine the priority level of the ticket. Priority levels help ensure that critical issues receive immediate attention and resolution. This step is critical to ensure the correct response SLA is assigned to the ticket based on the priority.
1.3 Information Capture: Where insufficient information has been provided to narrow down or identify the specific issue, engineers will carry out further investigation to establish the required technical information to progress the case.
1.4 Joiners, Movers, Leavers (JML): Set up of new users and devices as per the defined procedures, and decommissioning of leavers and sharing of data to relevant business units.
1.4 Basic Incident Resolution: Whenever possible, 1st Line engineers leverage their technical knowledge and predefined procedures to resolve the incident at hand without the need for further escalation.
1.5 Escalation to 2nd Line: If the 1st Line team cannot resolve the issue during triage or identify that the problem requires more in-depth investigation and expertise, they escalate the ticket to the 2nd Line Service Desk engineers.
2. 2nd Line Service Desk Access:
The 2nd Line Service Desk consists of senior engineers with extensive technical expertise and troubleshooting capabilities. They take over from the 1st Line and focus on more complex issues. The main features of the 2nd Line Service Desk Access are as follows:
2.1 Detailed Investigation: Upon receiving escalated tickets, the 2nd Line engineers thoroughly review the notes and information gathered by the 1st Line team. They conduct further in-depth investigations to pinpoint the root cause of the problem and continue communications with the customer team.
2.2 Testing Process and Environments: To address stubborn, recurring or intermittent issues, the 2nd Line team creates controlled testing environments to replicate the problem. This allows them to simulate the same production criteria to recreate the issue and then test fixes without impacting the live environment.
2.3 Advanced Issue Resolution: Armed with a deeper technical understanding, the 2nd Line engineers develop solutions or workarounds to rectify the issue. They aim to deliver comprehensive resolutions to customer incidents.
2.4 Third Party Escalation: Troubleshooting and scoping issues with specific third-party applications which are covered under vendor support, managing the plan through to resolution.
2.5 Escalation to 3rd Line: In cases where the 2nd Line team cannot fully correct the issue or when the problem requires specialised expertise or project-level attention, the ticket is further escalated to the 3rd Line Service Desk.
3. 3rd Line Service Desk Access:
The 3rd Line Service Desk is the highest tier of technical support, staffed by senior project engineers who possess exceptional skills and knowledge in complex IT solutions. The key aspects of the 3rd Line Service Desk Access are as follows:
3.1 Case Review and Strategy Definition: 3rd Line engineers thoroughly examine all notes, testing results, and prior investigations from the lower tiers. They formulate a strategic approach to address the issue effectively.
3.2 Specialised Expertise: This tier comprises experts in specific technologies, systems, or project management. They bring specialised knowledge to the resolution process, tackling intricate technical issues and challenges.
3.3 Communication Strategy: The 3rd Line team establishes clear communication strategies as the resolution progresses. They keep the customer informed about the progress, anticipated timelines, and any further actions required. Service Delivery Managers also provide communication support during this time and provide tailored communication updates dependent on the nature of issue.
3.4 Collaboration with Other Teams: While the 3rd Line team takes the lead on complex issues, they often collaborate closely with 2nd Line engineers to benefit from their in-depth knowledge of the problem. The 3rd Line team also communicate with senior vendor technical resources to explore unexpected behaviour to production systems and create a feedback loop for issues identified with the platform to be resolved in future patches.