EAFIT University is a private Colombian institution of higher education that holds high-quality accreditation from the Ministry of Education, offering professional training through academic programs aimed at transforming society.
Since 2005, EAFIT has been using Aranda Software’s solutions, which have enabled the university to streamline its IT support process and centralize information from its various departments.
When the Aranda Service Desk (ASDK) solution was implemented, the University needed to reorganize its IT support service, which had been managed using an in-house system with limited capabilities. As a result, EAFIT sought out the leading solutions on the market and, after evaluating the benefits of each platform, decided to implement Aranda Software’s Service Desk (ASDK).
Aranda Service Desk has been a tool that has supported the evolution of the institution’s technology services for more than 15 years. Today, it supports a robust service model within the IT Department, which comprises three divisions: Software Solutions, Infrastructure Solutions, and IT Services.
“Aranda Software has been particularly helpful in centralizing multichannel support by enabling new channels of communication between users and the University’s IT Department”
Diana Ramirez
Head of the IT Services Department – EAFIT
The implementation of Aranda Software’s solutions has enabled the University’s IT Department to improve the organization of processes across various departments, to the extent that the Service Desk has been given its own name, “SAUL,” and has established itself as a reliable solution for IT service management. Likewise, usability metrics have shown that users have embraced the tool, leading to an improvement in service.
The Aranda Service Desk was initially conceived as a support service that functioned as a ticket management system. Over the years, however, as processes evolved and the ITIL framework was adopted, the University’s IT Department found it necessary to redesign its service process.
Consequently, the department conducted an assessment to determine the maturity level of the service model in place at the time and compared it with the ITIL framework. Subsequently, based on the results of this study, they decided to launch a project to implement processes from the framework in order to achieve efficient management of the technology services offered, with the primary goal of generating value for the institution.
This restructuring positioned the Service Desk as a cross-functional solution for the entire IT Department, yielding benefits related to: process standardization, efficient supplier management, measurement and control, service efficiency and integration, improved user experience, and strategic alignment.
Users note that processes are now better organized, and they also highlight the single point of contact for the management process. The introduction of new contact channels (multi-channel approach) tailored to their needs has been a key factor in improving service.
In terms of usability and user experience, the service catalog and its options stand out, as they allow users to access all services and clearly identify their specific needs.
Surveys showed that user satisfaction rose from 4.5 to 8 in terms of service perception. “We had a service rating before rolling out the service model through Aranda; then, we conducted several follow-up assessments, and the rating was very positive. We were at a rating of 4.5 on a scale of 1 to 10, and when we finished the project, we went up to 8,” said Diana Ramírez, head of the IT Services Department at EAFIT.
“Microsoft Teams is currently EAFIT’s primary tool for managing online operations; as a result, this integration has significantly strengthened the Service Desk’s position as the best channel for requesting technology services.”
In response to the communication and operational challenges that arose globally due to the pandemic, EAFIT University adopted remote work sessions and virtual classes as an educational model to address lockdown measures, which led to the extensive use of Microsoft Teams as the primary collaboration tool. The sudden change prompted them to adapt their processes to manage various service requests in a new environment. Recognizing the situation, Aranda Software and EAFIT University worked on an integration that allows services to be managed in Aranda Service Desk from within the Microsoft Teams environment.
Regarding this integration, Diana Ramírez, head of the IT Services Department at EAFIT, commented: “Before the measures adopted in response to the pandemic, we were already looking to position Microsoft Teams as the institution’s communication tool for managing remote work, and we saw an opportunity to integrate it with Aranda Service Desk. We had already begun the work plan and were well into the initiative. Then, with the lockdown and quarantine measures, the project took on much greater importance and urgency because Teams is now our primary channel of communication at all times.”