Configuration control, or systems configuration management, is the means to establish knowledge about the operating capabilities and functional readiness of the endpoint device or server, and to control that functional state from a central location. These same tools can then provide the inventory scanning, remote control, and other tools in order to fix specific operational failures. Help desk is a natural outgrowth of configuration control-essentially the face of IT configuration management on the customer side. As such, it's the first pragmatic move toward customer-driven service management. This group is concerned with break-fix, realizing a "once-and-done" call, cutting costs while boosting operational consistency and proving its value through direct metrics. The help desk's primary task is to make sure the technology works as expected. This requires the ability to track incidents, assign them to a technician for resolution, and report on successful resolution. Tracking incidents is how IT knows what tasks customers are trying to accomplish and where IT resources need to be focused to meet those needs. This is not yet service management, but it is an absolute prerequisite to service management, and the knowledge and discipline learned in an effective help desk can later be leveraged to address business-specific needs.