About the Client:
An international educational institute operating across multiple countries, serving thousands of students, faculty, and staff. The institute provides comprehensive services ranging from academic records and student support to research collaboration and campus facilities management. IT operations are critical to supporting these functions globally.
Background:
The institute previously relied on Service Pro, a local ticketing tool, to manage IT service requests and assets. However, this system lacked modern ITSM and ITAM capabilities, was not scalable, and could not integrate with other core systems such as HR and LMS platforms. Asset tracking was largely manual, and the user experience was subpar, leading to inefficiencies and delays across campuses.
Challenges:
Limited ITSM Capabilities: Service Pro could not support advanced workflows, automation, or analytics.
Manual Asset Management: Spreadsheets were used to track IT assets, leading to errors and asset mismanagement.
Poor User Experience: Students and staff found the system unintuitive, reducing adoption.
Lack of Integration: Service Pro operated in silos, disconnected from HR, student management, and procurement systems.
Insufficient Reporting: The lack of real-time analytics hindered visibility and decision-making.
Approach:
A phased implementation strategy was adopted for transitioning to ServiceNow ITSM and ITAM:
Discovery & Requirements Gathering:
- Conducted workshops with IT, finance, procurement, and academic units.
- Assessed current workflows and gathered integration requirements.
Design & Configuration:
- ITSM: Implemented workflows for incident, change, problem, and request management, along with a self-service portal and knowledge base.
- ITAM: Enabled asset lifecycle management, automated discovery, audits, and financial tracking.
System Integration:
- Integrated ServiceNow with HR, procurement, and LMS platforms to ensure seamless user provisioning and data synchronization.
- Enabled automated communications and approval workflows.
Testing & Training:
- Executed user acceptance testing, conducted staff training, and developed user documentation.
- Collected feedback to refine configurations pre-deployment.
Deployment:
- Rolled out in phases, starting with a pilot campus before expanding globally.
- Provided post-go-live support for issue resolution.
Solution:
The implementation of ServiceNow replaced the legacy ticketing tool with a cloud-based, scalable ITSM and ITAM solution. It introduced:
- A centralized, user-friendly self-service portal.
- Automated asset discovery and lifecycle tracking.
- Real-time dashboards for service performance and asset utilization.
- Seamless integration with HR, procurement, and LMS systems.
- Configurable workflows and approval chains aligned with institutional policies.
Outcome:
Efficiency Gains:
Automation of service workflows and asset tracking reduced manual tasks and accelerated resolution times.
The self-service portal empowered users to resolve common issues independently.
Improved Asset Management:
Centralized tracking minimized asset loss, ensured compliance, and enabled better financial planning through cost visibility.
Enhanced User Experience:
Users benefited from intuitive interfaces, prompt updates, and faster service delivery.
Scalability & Flexibility:
The solution scaled with institutional growth and adapted to evolving operational needs.
Data-Driven Insights:
Real-time analytics and KPIs like SLA compliance and asset utilization enabled informed decision-making and continuous improvement.