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Award Nominations

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 10-28-2019
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As promised in our recent meetings it is time to raise your profile and highlight your best work by entering a colleague into our Support Analyst competition. Across all sizes and types of organizations, award winners and finalists benefit from industry exposure through a coordinated PR campaign and exposure to some of the most influential people in the profession. Our program offers unique PR and marketing collateral through articles and interviews written by our content team and featured in our newsletter. Also, some of our event media partners highlight finalists in their magazines and report on the results following the event.  Does someone on your ...
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Annual Awards Banquet

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 10-02-2019
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Save the date for the annual HDI Houston awards banquet on December 5, 2019 from 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm.  Additional information will be available soon.  Regards,  HDI Houston Board
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October 2019 HDI Houston Chapter Meeting

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 10-02-2019
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The next HDI Houston meeting will be held on Oct 24, 2019 from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM. The overall purpose of ITSM is to help organizations deliver outcomes that are aligned with the needs of the business. Why, then, do service management implementations sometimes fail to deliver the hoped for benefits? This session will answer that very question. Of course, there are many benefits to using an ITSM framework. Predefined best practices and efficient processes/procedures help provide structure, which reduces risk and increases efficiency. This structure also makes it easier to hire for the right skillsets, train internal staff, and handle ...
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Annual Networking Night @ Minute Maid Park

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 08-15-2019
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HDI Houston | Annual   Networking Night @ Minute Maid Park HDI Houston will be hosting our annual Networking Night at Minute Maid on  September 18th   versus the Texas Rangers! Click here to register for this fun networking event.  You won’t want to miss the opportunity to network with 100 of your peers and top IT Leaders and Professionals in the greater Houston area!   This event is our opportunity to   show appreciation and value for our practitioners. Networking with peers and   exchanging information and knowledge, including creating new relationships in a   casual setting has always not only been a value to the practitioners but to ...
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AUGUST | HDI HOUSTON MEETING

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 07-31-2019
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Join us on August 28, 2019, for the August HDI Houston Meeting. Robert Half Technology will present an engaging session of "The future of work: adapting to technological change". "For decades, people have worried that one day machines could take over their jobs. Robert Half research suggests that there’s little to fear about emerging technologies — if you’re prepared. Instead, there will likely be many opportunities to take advantage of. In this PowerPoint presentation, we discuss how new technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things will affect the workplace and the nature of your job — and the jobs of your employees. We ...
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May 2019 HDI Houston Chapter Meeting

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 04-30-2019
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Join us on  Wednesday, May 22, 2019 , at the May HDI Houston Chapter Meeting to learn about Knowledge Centered Service! Learn why HISD IT loves Knowledge Centered Service (KCS) and why you'll love it too! Session Overview: A case study of Knowledge Centered Service (KCS) by Houston ISD Information Technology. Learn about KCS and taking service to the next level by:  - Providing consistent, standardized solutions  - Providing solutions at first contact  - Providing exceptional, reliable support  - Decreasing escalations  - Improving customer satisfaction  - Improving employee satisfaction  - Providing growth opportunities for staff  - ...
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April | HDI Houston Meeting

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 04-03-2019
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Join us on Thursday, April 25, 2019 , at the April HDI Houston Chapter Meeting to learn more about Agile initiatives, embracing current DevOps, and new ITIL recommendations.  Our guest speaker is Anthony Orr. For more than thirty years, Anthony Orr has worked in various IT strategy, managerial, consulting, executive advisory, marketing, and technical positions helping organizations in over 50 countries achieve their service management goals. He currently works at DXC Technologies as a Principal ITSM Executive Advisor. He also works as an IT industry investment advisor for corporations, investment firms, and non-profits. He is the VP of Special Events ...
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Gartner positions TEKsystems on Magic Quadrant

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 03-19-2019
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A note from one of our fabulous sponsors! Gartner positions TEKsystems on Magic Quadrant Have you heard the news yet? I’m thrilled to share that TEKsystems has been named to Gartner’s 2019 Magic Quadrant for Managed Workplace Services. We feel humbled to be one of 21 companies included in this year’s report and believe our dedication to helping clients drive change and enable transformation is what got us there.   To learn more about the Magic Quadrant and to download a f
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February Chapter Meeting

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 03-02-2019
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Thank you for joining us at the February HDI Houston meeting. It was a great learning and networking opportunity, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon. Thank you IronEdge for providing an insightful session on Metrics we love for Service delivery, and thank you TekSystems for sponsoring the event! https://www.ironedgegroup.com/  https://www.teksystems.com/e
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28 Cities Planning to Hire Technology Professionals in the First Half of 2019

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 02-13-2019
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28 Cities Planning to Hire Technology Professionals in the First Half of 2019 Robert Half Technology surveyed 2,800 IT technology leaders in the U.S. to learn more about their hiring plans, what skills are in urgent demand for their teams and their top priorities for the first half of 2019.  Overall, the research revealed that it’s still a challenge to find skilled technology professionals: Not only did IT leaders say they plan to expand their full-time teams, but the majority are also incorporating the specialized skills of  project professionals  into their staffing strategies.  Companies struggling to keep talent on board are making investments ...
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Looking forward to the February HDI Houston meeting!

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 02-07-2019
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Metrics ALWAYS a struggle in my world.  Project managers have it easier there are more tried and true standards but what do we measure for Service Delivery?  How do we understand where we are and what are the pain points?  SO happy to see the HDI February meeting will tackle this problem with a group that has been there done that!  Click here to register to attend the February meeting.   Priscilla Smith HDI Houston, VP of Membershi
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Thank you for attending January's HDI Houston Meeting

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 01-25-2019
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Thank you, Robert Vaughn and Robert Half, for the insightful presentation on digital do’s and don’ts in the workplace!  It’s good to be reminded of best practices in soft skills as we tend to concentrate on our more technical value add.  Looking forward to our February meeting stay tuned!! - HDI Houston Boar
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Top jobs for 2019...

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 01-16-2019
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I noticed the list of top jobs for 2019 and SOFTWARE DEVELOPER was # ONE!  It’s been a long time since US based companies have hired developers in house in such numbers and paid them top wages.  So happy to see the trend shift as I know my company is wanting more technical resources as well and those who understand the Service Management concepts and have the technical skills will be in big demand.  Looks like 2019 will be a good year for my fellow IT professionals. Priscilla Smith HDI Houston, VP of Membershi
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What HDI means to me.

By anthony orr posted 01-16-2019
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There is no better feeling than the feelings of helping another person and the feeling of achieving a personal goal in life. The key word is "Help" as in Help Desk Institute. Although, HDI is more than its acronym. The people that are apart of this organization are unique in their ability to put their hearts knowledge and time forward in helping others. The Houston HDI team is outstanding. President John F. Kennedy, said "Ask not what your country can do for you, but for what you can do for your country". We at HDI, say simply 'Ask what you can do for others". Our meetings are all about people, improving their work capabilities, knowledge, opportunities, and ...
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Looking forward to our upcoming meeting...

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 01-09-2019
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Looking forward to our upcoming meeting as I am realizing there is a robust set of training on Business Etiquette offered by everyone from well-recognized training providers to Linkedin Learning videos.  As I browsed the topics I realized even someone like me who feels like they are business savvy needs to be aware and give their professional image some care and feeding at times.  Technology is driving what people look for and what is appropriate.  Things like digital signatures that strike the right tone and the best use of autoresponders are things we are rarely taught. Come do some self-evaluation of your own digital image with us on 23 January! Click here ...
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A New Year Resolution, by Priscilla Smith

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 01-07-2019
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In reflecting on the new year and new ways of working at my company, I have to consider how ITIL will continue to merge and work with Agile process and how this will create a DevOps environment development and operations can work with and appreciate.  Our challenge continues to be to reduce cycle time and respond quickly while still creating value and improvements for the customer while adhering to processes that work for everyone.  The process is essential as processes are repeatable and essential in measuring effectiveness and efficiencies and to continue to improve.  So, the new year’s resolution will be to break down our ITIL processes to deliver them in ...
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2018 Award Winners

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 12-19-2018
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We are excited to announce the nominees and winners of the HDI Houston 2018 awards! Congratulations Yosha Calvin, Houston ISD - Analyst of the year Jesse Yoho, Ironedge Group - Analyst of the year finalist Travis Dozier, Exxon Mobil ( TEKSystems ) - Desktop Support Technician of the year Ismeal Pena, The Menninger Clinic - Desktop Support Technician of the year finalist A special thanks to our HDI Houston Board, Symphony Summit our event sponsor , and Ric Mims  our special guest speaker for making it a night to remembe
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Our KCS Journey...

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 12-15-2018
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Our KCS journey… The story of a Technology Departments Knowledge Centered Service journey. Technology support is tough! It takes a specific type of person to navigate the personalities, constant changes, and ups and downs support teams face daily. Not only does it take a toll on our teams mentally, but emotionally as well. As caring leaders, we want to help our customers, colleagues, and teams, but we don't always know the answers, and asking other teams for information can sometimes feel like going into enemy territory. So how can we make it better? How can we share knowledge in a consistent and repeatable method that ...
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The Philosophy of Customer Service

By Robin Stone-Loftin posted 12-03-2018
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Register for the Annual HDI Houston Awards dinner featuring Ric Mims! Topic : The Philosophy of Customer Service Customer service is incredibly important to any business. A customer service philosophy is a focused mindset that comes from the leadership of your company. By implementing a philosophy that puts the customer first, you'll empower your team to deliver value to your organization. By delivering that value, high levels of customer satisfaction and retention are then realized. Ric Mims CIO CJM IT Consulting Ric Mims has more than 24 years of experience in service desk management, ITSM consulting, and operations. Ric has held various ...
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HDI - Where the best and brightest become leaders

By Tina Baugh posted 09-04-2018
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HDI has released a quick, new video to help you and your boss understand the value of your HDI membership. Join and become the leader we know you can be.
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