Emerging Issues in After-sales Enterprise Information Technology Support Using Web-based Self-service Systems

This paper reports key findings from a workshop conducted as part of a critical success factors (CSF) study of after-sales transfer of support-oriented knowledge from a large multinational information technology (IT) services firm to enterprise customers, when a Web-based self-service system (WSS) is employed. The paper provides a relational model of stakeholder-based, Web-based enterprise customer service and a descriptive staged framework for the transfer of IT support-oriented knowledge from an IT service provider firm to an enterprise customer. A set of CSFs for such knowledge transfer is summarised. The paper identifies key managerial issues for IT service providers and highlights a need for managers to resolve associated tensions. The findings suggest that researchers and practitioners should consider WSS within a complex network of service providers, business partners and customer firms, and that corporate entities and end-users may perceive WSS issues differently. The findings further indicate that a WSS is increasingly viewed as a commodity, suggesting a need to identify new differentiating elements for WSS