The challenge
An IT services organisation was underperforming on two critical metrics: first-time resolution rate (54 per cent, against a target of 70 per cent) and average incident resolution time. Customers were experiencing repeated escalations, inconsistent communication, and prolonged resolution cycles. The service desk team was working hard but was caught in a cycle of reactive firefighting, with insufficient time or tools to address upstream root causes.
Management had attempted process documentation and additional training without significant improvement. The issue was systemic — rooted in how work flowed between teams — rather than a skills or effort problem.
Our approach
We spent time at Gemba — in this case, sitting with the service desk and second-line support teams, observing how incidents flowed from receipt through triage, assignment, investigation, and resolution. The primary finding was that the handoff between first and second line was the critical failure point. Insufficient information was captured at first line, leading to repeated return-and-rework cycles. Escalation criteria were unclear, resulting in tickets being bounced between teams. And there was no visual mechanism for tracking escalated tickets, meaning items disappeared into queues where they could sit for days without attention.
We redesigned the handoff process with input from both teams, creating an escalation template that ensured all required information was captured before handoff. We implemented a visual escalation board that made the status of every escalated ticket visible to both teams. And we established a daily management tiered meeting structure: a 15-minute service desk huddle each morning reviewing the day's priorities, and a weekly cross-team review addressing systemic issues and repeat incident patterns.
We also worked with team leaders on coaching skills — helping them shift from managing tickets to managing the flow of work and developing their team's diagnostic capability.
The results
First-time resolution improved from 54 per cent to 73 per cent within eight weeks. Average resolution time reduced by 28 per cent, driven primarily by the elimination of handoff rework and the improved visibility provided by the escalation board. Escalation volumes also reduced, as better first-line resolution meant fewer tickets needed second-line involvement.
The daily management routines gave both teams a structured operating rhythm and the visibility to manage work proactively rather than reactively. Team leader coaching ensured these routines were sustained beyond the initial implementation period.