CASE STUDY | ENTERPRISE SERVICE MANAGEMENT

Efficient Management of Enterprise-Wide Service Requests with OTOBO

Use case: Administration and contract management, marketing, facilities management, finance, human resources, and software development
Users: 400 employees
Service agents: 30
Implementation: 2022

OTOBO’s service management platform has got SKZ Würzburg covered from top to bottom. Whether it’s IT, Admin, Marketing, Facilities Management, Finance, HR, or Software Development – OTOBO makes sure service requests are tackled swiftly and efficiently. And the payoff? Top-notch service quality every time, no matter what department you’re in.

The challenges

When the current solution no longer cuts it

The homegrown helpdesk built on Lotus Notes just wasn’t cutting it anymore. Critical information about the status and resolution of service requests was getting lost in the shuffle, and without a trustworthy ticketing system, it was like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded.

Recurring service requests: a major pain point in IT and central service departments

Repetitive service requests were killing us in both IT and all other service areas, causing a massive workload. Constant phone calls asking about the status of tickets were taking our teams away from their day-to-day tasks.

Service was at a breaking point: Can I get help now, please?!

“Our employees were used to calling in requests,” explains Marcel Sommer, IT Manager at SKZ. With the typical consequences: Every call interrupted ongoing work at the SKZ service desk. Neither availability nor response times for requests were optimal, and task management within IT was a mess. It was frustrating on both sides.

“A structured capture, efficient processing, and transparent documentation of requests were impossible to achieve. That’s why we decided to go with a new ticket system for these areas, to take some load off their shoulders and optimize our processes,” Marcel Sommer summarizes the starting point and motivation for finding a new solution.”

OTOBO wins over with flexibility, user-friendliness – and personality

“We initially stumbled upon the OTRS ticket system at a trade show. But it quickly became clear that the subscription costs would be way too high for our planned scope.”

The continued search for a truly “free” open-source solution led us straight to OTOBO.

“The central functions in the demo system, such as process workflows or ticket splitting, immediately convinced us to take the next step. The chemistry was right during our phone call with the OTOBO team, and their offer was convincing too. That sealed the deal – OTOBO would be our new service management platform.”

The good first impression has been confirmed in practice: “The overall package is a great fit. We’re extremely satisfied with OTOBO. The self-service portal’s interface is modern and easy to navigate. This enables intuitive and simple operation, reducing training and onboarding efforts for our colleagues. The agent interface impresses with its comprehensive functionality. OTOBO is exceptionally flexible – from simple forms to complex workflows, everything can be modeled with it.”

For experienced administrators with the right know-how, OTOBO offers a multitude of possibilities to automate administrative tasks – e.g., by feeding PowerShell connectors in third-party systems with commands to trigger actions there. Unlike many out-of-the-box systems, you really have full control over the system and its interfaces with OTOBO,” Marcel Sommer summarizes.

Enterprise Service Management – Introducing OTOBO Across All Service Departments

From day one, all departments were on board with IT. The goal was clear: capture requests in a structured way, process them efficiently, and document everything transparently to save time and boost service quality.

First Steps Toward Efficient Enterprise Service Management

By introducing OTOBO as our central solution for Enterprise Service Management (ESM) at SKZ, we can now manage all service processes on one platform – from the initial contact to final resolution.

We’ve simplified, structured, and made workflows more transparent.

“What really impressed us was the collaboration between IT, department heads, and the experienced OTOBO consultant. During setup, we created queues for our departments and had OTOBO up and running right away.”

Today, around 400 employees use the OTOBO self-service portal to easily submit service requests. Thirty employees across various departments manage requests using the agent interface, including ten specialists in IT Operations Management (ITOM) and IT Service Management (ITSM).

The benefits of our new workflows with OTOBO quickly won over even skeptical colleagues: Requests are processed in a structured way and documented comprehensively. Handoffs run smoothly. Communication between departments has significantly improved. OTOBO minimizes errors and reduces response and resolution times. Teams are relieved of repetitive tasks.

“The quality and reliability of our services – and consequently employee satisfaction – have improved significantly,” Sommer summarizes.”

Continuous Adaptation and Improvement

OTOBO’s implementation is an ongoing process of adapting and flexibly implementing new requirements across the entire organization.

The SKZ IT team takes ownership of the implementation, working closely with department heads from other service areas to ensure that internal processes are seamlessly reflected.

Thanks to the knowledge transfer during workshops, many extensions like setting up Access Control Lists (ACL) to handle access to specific information can be handled independently. For specific questions or uncertainties, the competent support is a valuable asset. “OTOBO’s support is simply superb. I constantly hear from my colleagues how competent and helpful the OTOBO team is. Instead of just pointing us to a self-help link, they take personal time to solve problems with us,” Marcel Sommer emphasizes.”

HR Service Management – Streamlining New Employee Onboarding

The HR department was drowning in phone calls, just like other service areas. So, they were eager to adopt OTOBO from the start, despite some initial concerns about data protection.

“Our IT department doesn’t have access to HR systems, and that includes the HR queue in OTOBO. If someone needs access, they need written approval from HR management. Plus, OTOBO ensures we have a paper trail of all activities, so we’re compliant with regulations.”

Today, tasks like reporting sick leave, correcting time tracking, and approving overtime are handled in OTOBO in a way that’s secure and compliant with data protection regulations.

We’ve mapped out and automated the onboarding process using OTOBO’s process management features. It kicks off as soon as the employment contract is signed: HR enters personal data into an OTOBO process ticket, which automatically gets forwarded to the new employee’s manager. The manager adds info about the workspace, like room assignments, and requests for office supplies and IT equipment.

Linked tickets for all sub-tasks are created automatically: IT gets a request to provide technical gear. Facility Management is notified about setting up the workspace. HR can order employee IDs, door signs, and business cards from Marketing with just one click. The status of all sub-tasks is visible at any time within the original process ticket, and completed tasks get reported back. This ensures managers always have a clear overview, and everything is ready for the new employee’s first day.”

“Our next step is to roll out a system for requesting new personnel positions and plan the offboarding process for leavers through OTOBO.”

Employee Training – Worth it

“As with any complex software solution, user adoption hinges on initial training – and OTOBO was no exception,” reports Marcel Sommer.

After getting trained himself, he took charge of training the service agents: “I taught them the ropes in 1- to 2-hour hands-on sessions at the system, covering the essential know-how,” says Sommer. “It worked like a charm, and my colleagues were thrilled.” We also offered all other employees a 30-minute crash course on OTOBO’s new self-service portal. “The self-service portal is super intuitive, easy to navigate, and not overly complicated – making it a breeze to use. You can find what you need at a glance – participants picked it up in no time,” Sommer concludes.

What’s Next?

We’ve already got our next projects lined up in the pipeline. The focus is on automating workflows to speed up tedious processes and boost reliability.

To achieve that, we’re planning to integrate more processes into OTOBO, such as the offboarding process or rail card ordering – from initial request, through financial validation by accounting and approval by supervisors, all the way to placement.”

WANT TO LEARN MORE

Contact us

Contact