Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) has signed on with ServiceNow, a provider of cloud-based information technology service management software. The ServiceNow platform streamlines the delivery and management of services: It creates a single system of record, automates tasks, and consolidates legacy systems.
IS&T has already begun to use ServiceNow internally to handle changes to its production systems. Next up, the IS&T Service Desk is preparing to move a small set of high-volume queues from Request Tracker, its current ticket-tracking system, to ServiceNow. Pat Sheppard, IS&T’s director of provider and consumer support, notes that “This is an initial rollout to get IS&T more familiar with the tool and better able to standardize on one platform.”
Over the next year, IS&T will use a phased approach to launch additional ServiceNow solutions, both internally and for customer-facing services. IS&T will reach out in advance to those who will be affected by the changes.
One goal in adopting ServiceNow is to have the IS&T Service Desk involved in triage and dispatch for issues across IS&T, to serve as a front door for incoming issues and as a center for coordination. This strategy, enabled by ServiceNow, will provide a more consistent process across IS&T and for end users.
ServiceNow for help requests
This month, as IS&T moves that small set of high-volume queues to ServiceNow, IS&T customers who have outstanding Service Desk tickets may receive email about their tickets being handed off to ServiceNow’s “incident management” system. These cases will be given new incident numbers, but users will still be able to see the status of their requests and add updates.
Over the next six to nine months, IS&T will migrate its remaining Request Tracker queues. Customers who open new help requests with IS&T will receive notifications from ServiceNow; these will look different than those sent by Request Tracker. Customers will still be able to send email, call the Service Desk, or come to IS&T’s Walk-in Center in Building E17-110 for help.
In conjunction with this rollout, IS&T is moving its Knowledge Base from a Confluence-based tool to the ServiceNow Knowledge Management module.
Getting to know ServiceNow
ServiceNow is a true software-as-a-service vendor. IS&T performed an in-depth evaluation before choosing ServiceNow, a choice mirrored by many of MIT’s peer institutions in higher education.
If you’d like to learn more about ServiceNow, visit the product documentation on their website. ServiceNow also sponsors a community wiki and a conference for developers.
If you have specific questions about ServiceNow, contact the IS&T Service Desk.
