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Help desk automation improves service and reduces cost for large retailer

We partnered with a major UK retail chain whose IT help desk was delivering slow response times with knock on effects throughout the organisation.

Overview

After conducting service design workshops, we developed a concept combining an AI chatbot to automate high-volume, low complexity inquiries and Make.com workflows to integrate systems and prioritise tickets more effectively. Following proof of value via developmental pilot projects, we scaled a comprehensive solution in just eight weeks. As well as dramatically improving employee satisfaction scores, this delivered annualised savings of £400k, representing a year one ROI of 260%.

Woman with laptop

Challenge

The company’s IT help desk was overwhelmed due to slow response rates caused by time-consuming manual processes.

  • Routine tasks like password resets and account provisioning took hours or even days to resolve.

  • The team spent excessive time handling repetitive inquiries, leaving little capacity for proactive and strategic work.

  • Support requests were inconsistently logged across fragmented legacy systems, reducing ticket status visibility.

These challenges placed unnecessary strain on the IT team and limited their ability to deliver high-quality support, impacting overall productivity and staff attrition.

Solution

We implemented our proprietary four step process:

Phase 1. Assessment

We ran service design workshops with client teams to map current state workflows and identify AI and automation opportunities.

This activity highlighted bottlenecks in ticket routing, prioritisation and fragmented systems. Post workshop analysis corroborated with 12 months of historical data led to an understanding of the most valuable automation use cases:

  • Applied AI chatbots for handling high volume requests password resets.

  • Automated ticket routing based on issue categorisation and urgency.

  • Make.com workflows for integration of data flow across disparate systems.

To unlock the highest ROI potential, we defined the following success metrics: 70% faster resolution times, 40% reduction in ticket volume and 35% improvement in employee satisfaction scores.

Phase 2. Prototype

With clear opportunities established, we validated automation concepts through targeted pilots.

  • We built a concept level AI-powered chatbot to handle common inquiries such as password resets and system access requests.

  • We created Make.com workflows to streamline issue categorisation and escalation processes.

Pilot projects ran at around 15% of full scale for one month establishing clear proof of value with minor tweaks.

Phase 3. Scale

Following successful validation, we scaled the concepts across two key regions where the retailer operates.

  • We deployed the help desk chatbot across multiple channels including intranet and slack to ensure easy accessibility for all employees.

  • We integrated the Make.com workflows into the help desk process in three stages allowing for staff training.

  • We connected the solution with all existing systems.

Full implementation was completed within eight weeks across all regions, improving the help desk experience for thousands of employees.

Phase 4. Measure

We monitored key performance metrics against planned targets for six months following full implementation.

  • Self-service options lowered ticket volume by approximately 40%, enabling faster responses for high-priority cases.

  • Task resolution times were reduced by 70% overall.

  • The IT team was able to work in a more proactive and strategic way, seeing satisfaction scores increased by 45%.

The project reduced operational costs by £400,000 annually due to reduced manual effort and improved efficiency, representing a year one ROI of 260%.

Conclusion

By aligning tactical automation with strategic goals, we delivered immediate operational improvements while creating long-term value for all stakeholders. This not only meant a vast improvement in the employee experience for the IT team, but also far better service being delivered across the organisation. The significant savings made, enabled the retailer to invest in strategic IT initiatives, creating a virtuous circle of progress.