Longer version published at 2001 55th Annual Quality Congress, American Society for Quality, Charlotte, NC.Support for all users of computer hardware, software, and networks is crucial for full realization of the value that these digital intelligence amplifiers can offer a scholarly community. Bloated
applications, opaque user manuals, infelicitous interactions among peripherals and the computers
and networks to which they are attached, and short mean time-to-failure for some pieces of
hardware provide challenges for even the most experienced users. Thus even in the beginning of
the 21st Century, when it is asserted the technology has “matured,” the value that can be derived
from use of IT services is directly proportional to the level of effective IT support that can be
provided for the customers of these services. The focus of this narrative is how one maintains
and continually improves the quality of that support