On November 18, WashU IT successfully introduced live chat support for the entire university community through the WashU Service Desk Portal. The new feature provides the university community with a flexible and convenient way to seek assistance, complementing the existing options of email, phone and self-service.
The solution also streamlines how WashU IT teams interact with customers. IT support agents can now initiate conversations directly from request or incident tickets in ServiceNow, with messages seamlessly delivered to customers via the Microsoft Teams desktop or web application. These interactions are directly recorded within the Service Now ticket, eliminating the need to retype or copy-paste conversations. This not only saves time but also ensures accurate and comprehensive documentation.
Reflecting on the impact of the integrations between ServiceNow and Microsoft Teams solution, Brian Lawton, Senior Director, Enterprise Applications, shared: “This is a customer-focused solution, developed to enhance the customer experience. The live agent chat and the ability for our agents to reach out to the customers via Teams is another way for us to meet our customers where they are.”
Currently implemented for interactions with WashU IT, this solution has the potential to be expanded to our partners in HR, Finance, and Student Services, who also use the Service Desk portal. Extending this capability would enable these teams to deliver the same level of flexibility and efficiency in their support operations, enhancing their ability to serve their customers effectively.
The success of this initiative results from the collaboration across several IT groups. End User Services (EUS), Enterprise Systems and Solutions (ESS), End User Experience (EUX), Organizational Change Management (OCM), and Shared Infrastructure (SI), and specifically the ServiceNow team’s expertise to bring this vision to life. “I want to give a big shoutout to the team members that worked to make this project a reality. Your extraordinary teamwork and dedication in such a short time has led to a fantastic solution that benefits everyone at our institution. Thanks for all your hard work and commitment!” shared Lawton.
It’s important to note that this achievement didn’t happen overnight. The idea of developing live chat support had been in the backlog for a couple of years. While the vision was clear, we needed funding, expertise, and the right solution to do it properly. “This journey underscores the value of patience and perseverance,” says Rick Herman, Executive Director, End User Services, who made the strategic decision to place this project on hold until the right conditions were in place. “Sometimes, other priorities need to take precedence, and that’s both normal and expected. However, by staying focused on the end goal, and waiting for the right timing and opportunity, we can achieve outstanding results.” This launch is a significant milestone for WashU IT and demonstrates what’s possible when we align efforts and embrace positive change.
To learn more about this exciting accomplishment, visit the project webpage, where you’ll find detailed information and resources available to all university community members. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this achievement a reality!