[Data Analysis]Software end users are happy with the quality of product support provided. However, they frequently raise concerns about the long wait…

The IT manager's goal is to improve the support process by addressing the "long wait time for resolutions." Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the most appropriate tool for this task. KPIs are specific, measurable metrics used to evaluate the performance and efficiency of a process. By analyzing KPIs such as 'Average Time to Resolution,' 'First Response Time,' and 'Ticket Backlog,' the manager can objectively identify bottlenecks, set performance targets, and track the impact of process changes over time. This data-driven approach is fundamental to process improvement.

A. Infographic: An infographic is a tool for visually presenting data and findings after an analysis is complete, not for conducting the initial review itself.

C. Survey: The organization already has user feedback indicating the problem (long wait times). Another survey would gather more user opinions but would not analyze the internal process causing the delays.

D. UAT: User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is a phase in the software development lifecycle to validate that a system meets user requirements; it is not used to review an operational support process.

---

1. University Courseware: In materials for business process management

KPIs are defined as essential tools for process analysis. "Process performance measures (or Key Performance Indicators - KPIs) are a prerequisite for process improvement. They are used to determine how well a process is performing with respect to its goals."

Dumas

M.

La Rosa

M.

Mendling

J.

& Reijers

H. A. (2018). Fundamentals of Business Process Management. Springer. (This is a widely used textbook in university courses). Chapter 8

"Process Monitoring and Mining

" extensively covers the use of KPIs for process evaluation.

2. Official Vendor Documentation: Documentation for IT Service Management (ITSM) and data analytics platforms consistently highlights the use of KPIs for service desk improvement. For example

Microsoft's documentation for its customer service analytics tools emphasizes tracking core KPIs to enhance efficiency.

Microsoft. (n.d.). Customer Service historical analytics report. Microsoft Learn. In the "Summary report" and "Agent report" sections

the documentation details key metrics like "Average time to resolution" as critical for evaluating and improving support performance.

3. Peer-Reviewed Academic Publication: Research in information systems and service management confirms that monitoring KPIs is central to improving IT support functions. Studies show that metrics directly related to time and efficiency are crucial for identifying and resolving process bottlenecks.

Iden

J.

& Eikebrokk

T. R. (2013). Implementing IT Service Management: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Information Management

33(3)

512-523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2013.01.004. This review discusses how ITSM frameworks like ITIL rely on metrics and KPIs to measure

control

and improve service delivery processes.