Stop. Yield. Road slippery when wet. Just as these symbols tell you to proceed with caution when driving, there are many warning signs that indicate your organization might not be operating at its best. Even a help desk that receives minimal user complaints and experiences low call volumes can project signals that scream, "Danger ahead!" Thousands of companies turn to IT outsourcers to remedy a support center that is performing below par, but what are the signs that signify when it might be time to consider an outsourced support solution? Below is a simple checklist of issues discussed in this paper, that helps determine if an outsourcer can improve the health and efficiency of your current operations.

• Your level two and three support technicians solve level one service requests.
• Your help desk is staffed for average call volumes.
• End-users are not aware of agreed upon service levels.
• Support personnel handle peak call volumes in a timely manner and perform "busy work" during off-peak hours.
• Your help desk solves the same problem over and over again.
• Each support professional addresses problems their own unique way.