Auchan Retail (Eastern Europe) has switched from the ServiceNow platform to the SimpleOne business process automation platform. The workflow for the IT and logistics departments was developed on SimpleOne. Currently, the client, together with the SimpleOne supplier, is developing the company’s corporate ESM platform, connecting other service departments to it and adding new functionalities.
Choice of Solution
One of the main requirements for choosing the platform was the possibility of customizing the logic and interface of the user portal according to the client’s needs. In the ServiceNow platform used by Auchan Retail, a “non-standard” portal was implemented and the client wanted to keep it the same, so that the transition to the new system would be as unnoticeable as possible for employees.
After comparing different systems, preference was given to the ESM platform for automating service business processes, SimpleOne. The main factors influencing the decision were the resistance to failures, the presence of widgets and a builder for customizing the portal in SimpleOne, as well as the possibility of developing the system independently thanks to the no-code and low-code solutions.
“We were looking for a robust platform that could handle high loads and automate not only IT, but also other company services. We considered several options – larger and smaller. In addition to the most optimal combination of price and quality, SimpleOne attracted us because it is a young and promising company.”
– comments Max Strogih, IT director at Auchan Retail.
Project Progress
Auchan Retail’s transition to the SimpleOne ESM platform began in March and was completed in August 2021.
The project began with a current state analysis, needs analysis and prioritization. After research and testing, the platform was deployed and moved to the pre-production stage.
“The project team, made up of us, the supplier and the integrator, was responsible for ensuring the overall success. As a result, we managed to overcome all the operational and technical challenges that arose throughout the process, implementing a stable system. Since then, we have focused on functional improvements, which continue to this day.”
– says Max.
One of the challenges of this project was the fact that the previous system was highly customized for the client. The platform had accumulated a number of specific configurations and rules that needed to be replicated in SimpleOne. To implement this additional functionality, we carried out several iterations together with Auchan Retail’s experts. As a result, we were able to achieve the desired goals, improve processes, expand automation and establish a clear direction for future development.
Results
Firstly, the IT team was integrated into the system.
On the new platform, we use ticketing tools for managing and resolving requests and incidents, together with a knowledge base and SLA. We have a very large IT department. In addition to the corporate teams, many contractors also use the service, which makes the escalation chains for certain requests quite complex. However, the platform handles all of this effectively.
After integrating the IT department, the logistics department also migrated completely to the platform. For example, the platform enables interaction between the logistics department and the stores to resolve complaints, incidents and other cases. The department’s experts note that since the platform began to be used, transparency in interactions has increased.
Currently, more than 500 people are active on the corporate system, almost double the number of users before the ServiceNow migration.
Regular customer surveys to assess the quality of corporate IT support also show improvements after the migration:
Users are satisfied with the IT service and notice an increase in the speed with which requests are resolved. Of course, the reasons for these improvements in IT service can be complex, but it is clear that without an adequate IT system, they would not have occurred. If we can resolve IT issues quickly, without obstacles from the system – and if the system actually helps us – performance indicators improve. The system operates stably and fulfills its functions, which positively impacts the perception of IT support by staff and the efficiency of employees and business users as a whole.
Using the SimpleOne platform’s functionalities, the company has significantly improved its monitoring tools and automated the registration of requests, which has raised the level of service for internal customers:
Now the team has more resources to identify and recognize problems before users face them. This allows them to resolve them early, avoiding negative effects for the business.
“Our goal is to develop our system so that any employee in the company, even if they don’t know exactly where their problem should be solved, can find the answer using a single platform. We plan to integrate other services, making them more transparent, efficient and understandable, just as we have already achieved with the IT and Logistics areas. The SimpleOne platform allows us to achieve this goal.”
– concludes Max.
