
Everyday Workflows
What’s the process when the sales manager wants an update to a pricing page on the website? What about when the finance team hires a new accountant? How about when an employee needs a security badge, or a change in their dental insurance policy? There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of these types of requests that occur frequently within today’s organizations. Technology can help organize them, creating approvals and workflows, but it can also create chaos if we’re communicating all these requests across different channels.If the sales manager emails the marketing team for a change to the website, now we need to loop in the appropriate parties to execute the request. This probably includes a copywriter, a designer, and a web developer. Perhaps the marketing team will have to create a project through a project management tool that the sales manager has no license for, and therefore, no visibility into the status. Let’s restart this request with employee service in mind. The marketing team is the service provider, so they’ll need a clean request that they can process efficiently. The service catalog (traditionally an IT term) is a great way to provide this service. You can create a workflow, complete with approvals from the marketing team, and tasks for each member that needs to contribute a piece of this update. It will prompt the requester for all of the necessary information to complete the request. Now, everyone can collaborate within that request with comments, and the sales manager will see the status of the request. If you can build workflows and approval processes using ITSM best practices, why can’t you do it for the entire organization? Build out security requests, HR and benefits requests, and purchase order approvals in the service catalog. If there’s a workflow that requires communication with multiple parties, create a consolidated experience with optimal service in mind.“I Want Something”
The goal is to make employees’ jobs easier, and to do that, we need to complete their requests and resolve their incidents as quickly as possible. The user-friendly service portal, a robust service catalog, and the evolving knowledge base can arm service providers with the resources they need to provide efficient service and communication. It’s important that employees realize that these features are being utilized for their benefit. As you can imagine, the work on the front end always seems easier when you can call or email a request instead of filling out a form through the appropriate channel. Some call it the “I want something” approach. “I want a security code for this facility.” “I want to on-board my new graphic designer.” “I want to request an additional Salesforce license.” It seems easier for the requester to just email an “I want something” request to the appropriate service provider, and up front, it certainly is. They’re just dumping these requests in the providers’ laps. However, when the communication through multiple platforms begins, the frustration often sets in. That request for an additional Salesforce license might require a lot more information. Who is it for? What is it for? What kind of computer? What level of permissions? It might need manager approvals from multiple departments. This process will go much more quickly when a request from the service catalog can collect all of this information up front, and automate the workflow from there. So, while it might seem easier to use the “I want something” approach, the requester is actually well-served by following an internal service process. He/she will spend an extra minute or two up front, but will get the appropriate Salesforce license much more quickly that way.