Numerous factors impact Service Desk staffing numbers, making industry benchmarking and comparisons very difficult. Even when benchmark data can be found, the scope of services, and even the definition of what constitutes 1 Service Desk FTE, vary considerably.
Before you read on, I’d like to warn you that there is no magic formula for determining the optimum number of staff for your Service Desk. However, I will share a few methods that are available and then I’ll provide a comprehensive list of things that you should consider when you need to justify your Service Desk headcount, justify an increase, or are looking at ways to reduce it.
First, let’s look at some of the options that are available.