Runshaw’s IT Services Team aimed for the stars… and go beyond what they thought was possible
Our IT Services Team recently celebrated receiving a prestigious 5-Star World Class rating following their Service Desk Certification (SDC) audit – an outstanding achievement that reinforces their commitment to excellence in service management.
This recognition was highlighted at the Service Desk Institute (SDI)’s Spark25 and SDI Awards event, held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole. The SDI Service Desk Certification (SDC) is the only industry-standard accreditation designed to assess and certify service desk quality. Achieving certification requires a rigorous audit against the Best Practice Standard, evaluating performance across key operational areas. SDI’s expert auditors verify compliance, awarding one of four statuses: reactive, proactive, customer-led, or business-led. To achieve World-class 5 star status organisations must have successfully achieved 4 star status in two consecutive Audits, without a drop in Audit Score.
Over the years, our IT Services Team has fully embraced the SDC framework, using it as a foundation for continuous improvement and shaping their 3Ss strategy – ‘Simple, Sustainable, Secure’ to enhance the customer experience for both students and staff across Runshaw.
On the night of the awards, the team proudly accepted their trophy, securing Runshaw College’s place among an elite group of only three service desks to achieve the 5-Star – World Class rating. This milestone is particularly impressive as the team is the only public sector team to have ever reached this level – noted as an extraordinary feat for a small internal IT team within a public organisation.
Their success stems from an unwavering commitment to industry-leading frameworks, including ITIL best practices, Agile methodologies (Scrum.org), Cyber Essentials certification (IASME), and strong collaboration with industry partners and networks to ensure best practices are continuously refined.
The team’s Head of IT Services Alex Harding, proudly brought the trophy home to Leyland, expressing immense pride in the wider team’s dedication and hard work. This achievement, a testament to their collaboration and continuous innovation, marks an exciting milestone as they look forward to further advancing their services in the years ahead. The team extends its heartfelt gratitude to the many individuals and organisations who have played a role in their journey to success.
Special thanks to:
- Andrew Gant, whose research and leadership on SDC guided the team’s progression from 3 to 4 stars and ultimately to winning Best Service Desk 2022.
- David Sharrock & Janet Ivill, for their strategic leadership and senior-level representation.
- Industry partners, including Deakin’s Group, DTJ ELECTRICAL LIMITED, Dell Technologies, FourNet, Pugh Computers Ltd, Jisc, Recycle IT, and the Service Desk Institute (SDI) for their continued support.
- John Noctor, Barclay Rae our auditors, and the team at SDI for their encouragement, championing successes and consistently inspiring the team.
At Runshaw College, our students are at the heart of everything we do. Achievements like this not only enhance the learning experience but also ensure the dedication and expertise of our staff are celebrated and recognised at the highest level. A huge congratulations to our IT Services team – your hard work and commitment to excellence continue to set new standards! Follow Runshaw’s IT Services team below on LinkedIn.
Published by: CR & MU
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