Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Marsha Burmeister
Committee Member
Soledad Arguelles
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
access to information, administrators, analysis, archival, attrition, automated workflows, budget shortfall, cell phone communications, document archival, document ratings, Domino Designer, e-mail communications, effective work order processing, erroneous information, hardware support, hardware/software problems, IBM Lotus Notes, implementation, incentives, information transfer, information technology, knowledge base, knowledge base contributions, knowledge base documents, knowledge representation, online document ratings, online knowledge base, pager communications, peer review, peers, problem resolution, problem resolution strategies, relevant knowledge, service requests, software problems, support solutions, technology support specialists, unstable work climate, validated knowledge, work order processing, workflow automation
Abstract
The applied dissertation was designed to provide better access to problem resolution strategies and tips to enable effective work order processing for the district technology support specialists. The technology support specialists were dependent on cell phone, pager, and e-mail communications with their peers to gather information and resolve hardware/software problems. However, accessibility to peers was limited, erroneous information was being transmitted, work effort was duplicated, delays occurred in work order processing, and problem resolution knowledge was lost when attrition occurred.
Using IBM Lotus Notes® Domino Designer®, the writer developed a central, online knowledge base with automated workflows for peer-review, document ratings, and document archival as a vehicle for the technology support specialists to contribute support solutions. Technology support specialists were encouraged to use the knowledge base first for problem resolution. Author recognition by administrators was the incentive for knowledge base contributions.
An analysis of the data following implementation revealed that current, relevant, and validated knowledge base documents existed for the most requested services for hardware support. Also, participants’ online document ratings indicated that the knowledge documents selected were helpful and resolved the problem. However, the unstable work climate of the organization, due to an unexpected budget shortfall, had a negative impact on implementation. Nonetheless, technology support specialists are willing to share knowledge when given clear goals, time, and incentives by administrators.