Our systems must always be operational – downtime is not an option

System availability is critical for every organization—but in emergency services, it can be a matter of life and death. When every second counts, as in the coordination of emergency response, a reliable service management tool is essential. With expert advice and support, Cegeka has helped elevate the service management of a regional emergency service center in the Netherlands to a higher level. 

“If our systems go down, we’re unreachable—and that puts citizens at risk.” 

Bas van den Bergh* needs few words to explain why service management is essential to his emergency service. As Team Coordinator of Management at the regional emergency service centre, he works in an environment where dispatchers remain alert and ready for action every moment of the day.

Supreme concentration 

The emergency service handles incoming emergency calls and ensures that the appropriate assistance—police, fire brigade, or ambulance—is dispatched as quickly as possible. This requires absolute focus, as situations can escalate at any moment. From serious traffic accidents and violent crimes to robberies and hostage scenarios, the emergency service is the first line of defence. 

Working in this high-pressure environment demands more than just a steady hand. “You need to keep a cool head and ask the right questions, but you also need what we call ‘super ears,’” explains Bas van den Bergh. “Our staff are not only speaking to callers; they also need to hear what their colleagues are doing. In a hostage situation, for example, you may need to take over tasks instantly. We used to only handle calls—now we also coordinate follow-up actions. That makes the work even more demanding.”

Downtime is not an option 

It’s no surprise that the emergency service operates 24/7 without pause. SLA guarantees of 99.9 or even 99.99% uptime may sound like technicalities elsewhere, but here, those decimals represent a real difference—potentially between life and death. “Our systems must always be up and running,” says Bas. “Downtime is simply not an option.” 

For years, the team relied on an in-house service management tool to track issues. But as it no longer met their growing needs, the organization decided to switch to TOPdesk. While the implementation was handled by TOPdesk itself, Cegeka was brought in for ongoing management and further development—ensuring the platform remains reliable, scalable, and future-ready.

Professionalise with TOPdesk 

“We were looking for management expertise,” Bas reflects. “A partner that could help us fully implement our service management processes within TOPdesk and support us in taking the next step toward professionalisation.”

Cegeka deployed a TOPdesk specialist to work on-site at the helpdesk office. In close collaboration, the functionalities within TOPdesk were expanded and optimised to better suit the organisation’s needs.

“What made the collaboration so valuable was the way Cegeka truly immersed itself in our organisation. Their specialist worked from our office for several months, engaging with our staff, listening closely to their questions and needs, and facilitating open, sometimes challenging, discussions,” Bas explains. “Implementing a new tool like this demands a lot from an organisation. The specialist knowledge Cegeka brought in was exactly what we needed.”

Continuing under its own steam 

Cegeka also ensured long-term continuity. Their engineer carefully documented the setup and trained an internal colleague to take over the management role. Today, the helpdesk team manages TOPdesk entirely on its own. 

Bas: “Cegeka brought structure to TOPdesk and acted as project leader, which brought real momentum to the process. They contributed ideas, encouraged valuable discussions, and helped us make the right choices. Thanks to Cegeka, we’re now able to move forward independently. For example, we’re currently working on aligning all processes across the different emergency services. These are exciting discussions—we’re constantly evolving.” 

*Name changed to protect the organisation's privacy.