The technology onslaught has made for a dynamic, fast-changing environment, impacting the way organizations are running their Enterprise Service Management. In the next decade, we will see all enterprise services delivered by a combination of virtual agents and smart humans assisted by AI. One of our customers, an international fast-food giant based in the US, for example, is already using AI at the core to manage its services better by using its interactive features for feedback to help them drive the right conversations for complex cases. It even recommends correct ticket categories.
But while AI-powered service management brings literally infinite features and possibilities, the bottom-line for success of any implementation is always the ‘value’ delivered. In the above-mentioned case study, the solution can only be deemed a success because it helped reduce call volume and mean time to resolve tickets. Also, customer satisfaction has improved, and support costs have reduced thanks to users getting recommendations in real-time.
So, it’s not really about technology, whether AI or anything else. It also isn’t about the variety of features. Instead, the question that needs to be asked is: how do we ensure a value-driven approach to service management? To understand more about creating effective service management, click here.
Move from Technology First to Business First
IT Service Management (ITSM) is not about IT alone. The success of any implementation needs to be measured by how best it supports the business overall. Which is why service management needs to go beyond IT and support other business functions effectively whether it is customer services, HR, facilities management, security operations and governance, risk and compliance. There must be a single integrated enterprise platform for enhanced user experience, better control, transparency, and maintenance.
For example, when we implemented a service management platform for a leading provider of helicopter services to the worldwide offshore energy industry, we ensured that it doesn’t just support IT. Instead, it also supports other parts of the company including facilities management, HR and fleet support.
Understanding Sectoral Nuances
Each vertical has its own unique structure, nuances, style of working etc. Therefore, the right solution needs to be tailored to fit the unique needs of each vertical. We’ve done this quite diligently for our Infosys Enterprise Service Management Café. Our service catalog has specific vertical solutions for retail, financial services and manufacturing etc. For instance, we have Restaurant-in-a-Box for hospitality, Enterprise Software library for the manufacturing domain. We also have solutions such as Meet the Expert, Travel Management etc. for businesses to access industry-specific plug-and-play solutions.
Measurable Outcomes
To quote an often-used cliché, you can’t manage what you can’t measure. The value that a solution delivers has to be measured based on clearly articulated expected outcomes. For instance, for an American multinational food and beverage corporation, our ITSM and IT operations management solution helped achieve 10 percent fewer interactions to the service desk, 50 percent fewer events, 60 percent fewer process steps. Besides, we were able to streamline processes by retiring 35 tools.
For another American multinational food manufacturing company, we rolled out Global-one processes in just four months, with ServiceNow implementation in 8 languages. There was a 25-30 percent reduction in direct calls to the customer as a result of logging tickets via the service portal and chat. Also, with a persona-based user-friendly self-service portal and catalog, the company reported a 25 percent increase in user satisfaction. Not to mention a 40-50 percent reduction in timelines.
When there are clearly stated expected outcomes, it really helps align efforts to meet those outcomes. Technologies will come and go, but by maintaining a laser-sharp focus on the value that we are creating, it helps us deliver with focused efforts. More importantly, it helps create trust and satisfaction for our clients because they know we are driven not just by technological capabilities or business mandates but by a larger vision of providing customer delight.
by Arvind Raman
Global Head – IT Service Management, Infosys
