Vignette 3: Bank Software Help Desk (Martin 2000)
|
|
|
Cooperative Arrangement
|
|
Small group of workers (manager plus three other employees). Location within a site and close co-location. . Ability to overhear and oversee one another. Focus on the
collaborative techniques personnel use to carry out the work on the bank software help desk.
|
Representation of Activity
|
|
There is no explicit representation of the collaborative activity as a whole, however details of some collaboration and information to initiate and support collaboration is represented
in the various systems used. The main system in focus is the ‘Capricorn’ call recording system, which the staff use to time, classify and
provide narratives to calls. This supports teamwork through its record of previous interactions with customers including which operator dealt with the
call. The operators collaborate on other tasks such as setting up new users for the banking software package and this
has a record on the system.
|
Ecological Arrangement
|
|
Banking Executive Help Desk Plan.
Key: S = supervisor, O1-3 = operators, PC = personal computer, F etc. = files, in-out trays,
miscellaneous forms bits of paper etc., T = telephone, FPL = flashing phone
light.
|
|
Coordination Techniques
|
|
The operators collaborate in a number of ways. Commonly when calls are answered the answering operator will look up
the ‘Capricorn’ record. This allows them to view any details of previous contacts and who dealt with them. Most often this either leads
to a discussion with the previous operator or simply the handing of the call over to them. The workers collaborate to share knowledge
in general and of specific cases. Help may be volunteered as operators overhear or see one another but is also explicitly elicited. The
operators may work together in a more explicit, less ad hoc manner when carrying out task that require them to all access
the same application at the same time or when working to complete a series of activities towards a deadline. An example of the former is
in setting up new users to the electronic banking application they support, and of the latter is ensuring that the money transfers for the day make the
2pm deadline.
|
Community of Use
|
|
Inter organisational group of workers on a bank help desk (three phone operators and a supervisor).
|