George Washington University
Helix Upgrade and BMC Chatbots
Organization
The George Washington University is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress.
Challenge
The George Washington University (GW) partnered with RightStar to address various challenges related to BMC products and services, including Remedy, Discovery, Helix, and Remedy Chatbots. The university required upgrades, implementations, and integrations to enhance customer service levels, provide knowledge base distribution, and streamline service request processes. Additionally, GW aimed to improve the student, faculty, and staff experience by leveraging technology and automation.
Solution
RightStar collaborated with BMC to implement BMC Chatbots, which offered a solution to the challenges faced by GW. The objectives included 24×7 Chatbot agent support capabilities, reducing live agent calls, integrating with other systems like Digital Workplace, and enabling end-to-end fulfillment of common activities. RightStar assisted with the initial analysis, Chatbot design, setup, configuration, and refinement of Chatbot dialogs. The trial go-live period provided valuable insights and feedback, leading to a successful outcome.
Results: The pilot period demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive automation at GW. Students engaged with the Chatbot, named MARTHA, 4,581 times during the pilot period. Furthermore, the service desk received 8,106 requests during the same period. The successful results included a reduction in time to self-service resolution, a 25% decrease in self-service case deflection, and an 11% case resolution via chatbots. The implementation of Chatbots benefited GW by providing always-available assistance, freeing up service desk technicians, managing support costs, and potentially expanding to other knowledge areas beyond IT.
Summary: GW implemented a chatbot named MARTHA, powered by IBM Watson and connected to a BMC Remedy Helix service desk. MARTHA addressed students’ technological queries and improved the overall student experience. By leveraging Chatbots, GW reduced the cost of service management and enhanced accessibility for students. The successful implementation within a three-month timeline resulted in high adoption rates and positive feedback from students. Donna Hill, Assistant IT Director at GWU, expressed satisfaction with the implementation.