Every Service Desk Certification journey is different. For Runshaw College, it has been a journey built on continual improvement, learning, and never standing still.
Since first joining the Service Desk Certification programme in 2022, the team has used every assessment as an opportunity to improve how they work, support their customers and demonstrate the value IT brings to the wider College.
Read more about:
➡️ Runshaw College IT Services Achieve 4 Star Business Led SDC Certification
➡️ Runshaw College-The First Educational Organisation To Achieve 5 Star ‘World Class’ Certification
The latest Surveillance Audit Update
Now, four years later, Runshaw College has become the first educational organisation to receive SDI’s 5-Star World Class Certification. Their latest surveillance audit showed just how much progress the team continues to make. The auditors highlighted a strong culture of continual improvement, excellent leadership, close collaboration across the College and consistently high levels of customer and employee satisfaction.
Here are some of the great results they achieved:
🔹 97.68% World Class assessment score
🔹 9.4/10 Customer Satisfaction
🔹 9.5/10 Teamwork
🔹 9.2/10 Staff Morale
Q&A with Runshaw College Team
We caught up with Alex Harding, Head of IT Services and Data Protection Officer, to reflect on Runshaw College’s SDC journey, what has changed over the past four years, and what they’ve learned along the way.
Looking back at your first assessment, what do you think has changed the most?
The biggest change has been the maturity of the whole team, and how embedded continual improvement has become. When we first started the assessment journey, we were focused just on providing good service day to day.
Today, improvement is part of our culture. We use data more effectively, have stronger governance, clearer processes and a much greater focus on customer outcomes. IT Services is now seen as a strategic enabler of teaching, learning and business operations rather than simply a support function.
What has been the biggest benefit of remaining in the Service Desk Certification programme over the past three years?
The biggest benefit has been having an independent benchmark that keeps us focused on continuous improvement. It is easy for organisations to become comfortable with their current performance. The certification programme provides objective challenge, identifies opportunities we may have overlooked and helps ensure we continue to evolve. It has given us confidence that our service is not only performing well internally, but is also achieving recognised industry standards.
Has the independent assessment process helped support conversations with leadership or demonstrate the value of the Service Desk?
Absolutely. Independent assessment provides credibility and evidence that goes beyond internal reporting. The assessment findings, benchmarking and recommendations help demonstrate the value we deliver to the organisation. It supports conversations with senior leaders by linking service performance, customer experience and continual improvement to wider organisational objectives. Having external validation has been particularly valuable when discussing investment, priorities and the strategic contribution of the team.
Which improvement are you most proud of since beginning your Service Desk Certification journey?
I am most proud of the culture we have built within the team. Processes and technology are important, but sustainable success comes from people. We have created a culture where colleagues take ownership, look for opportunities to improve and genuinely care about the experience of staff and students. That culture has helped us achieve consistently high levels of customer satisfaction, strong team engagement and recognition through World Class certification.
What advice would you give to another organisation considering Service Desk Certification?
Approach certification as a journey rather than an accreditation exercise. The real value comes from the learning, feedback and continuous improvement opportunities that the programme provides. Be open and honest during the assessment process, involve your whole team and focus on delivering value to your customers rather than simply meeting requirements. If you commit to the process, the benefits extend far beyond the certification itself.
Interested in starting your own Service Desk Certification journey?
Whether you’re preparing for your first assessment or looking to build on existing success, the Service Desk Certification programme provides an independent benchmark to help you measure performance, identify opportunities for improvement and demonstrate the value your Service Desk delivers.
➡️ Learn more about how to start your SDC journey!
