[Interview] Accomplish tasks the smart way: Applying AI to make Service Desks smart

In this interview with Thorsten Jacobs, a Data Scientist and Team Lead in Seavus with a Ph.D. in Physics, and Emilio Marinone, Machine Learning Engineer with a MS in Robotics, we focus on the importance of implementing an AI-powered Service Desk solution, how can a service desk become smart and how AI has brought enterprises to the edge of transformation.

You will be one of the speakers at the Seavus breakfast seminar that will take place on August 29 on the topic of AI in ITSM. What could we expect from the seminar?

Thorsten: The event will start with an introduction that will present what businesses can do with AI and how AI works. It is perfect for people who have little background in AI but also for those that would like to see some real-life implementation processes and delve deeper in the area. Seavus CTO, Toni Trpkovski, will be one of the speakers as well and he will discuss the latest trends in Service Desks and what AI can do for a service desk to make it work smarter.

Emilio: We will also show a live demo of how an AI-powered Service Desk works nowadays and through the demo, participants would be able to see numerous benefits for the IT support and the whole business environment in general.

Thorsten: Yes, I would also like to add that the event is business-oriented, and it is a great opportunity for decision-makers who want to implement AI in their business. At the event, we will also have a face recognition system that will greet guests and participants. The aim is to show the multi-faceted uses of AI and the endless possibilities of its implementation.

AI has transformed companies and revolutionized work processes. How can a Service Desk become smart? Or, in other words, how does AI affect the whole process?

Emilio: Most Service Desk system nowadays requires users to manually set up and decide the type of ticket, issue or project at hand. That information is used to assign the ticket to the most appropriate resolution group or person. This is where AI steps in; as it is capable to understand from the context of the ticket and assign it to the most appropriate group depending on the type of issue. In a later development phase, when there is enough collected data from similar issues, the historical data will be used to help the user solve certain issues without event having to open a new ticket. Thus, if the available documentation is filled with new problem-solved cases, the easier it will be to reuse the solutions in future scenarios.

Thorsten: I would also like to add that the smart Service Desk system is created by implementing a machine learning model that goes through previously resolved tickets and learns how to classify them. And to do that successfully, it needs to understand the context, not just certain allocated keywords. This is where machine learning steps in. The model breaks down the text into its components (meaningful chunks), and it gets better and better with time from the received feedback. Once we got the core model that has learned from historical data, we integrated it into the whole system, set it up on the web and integrate it with the service desk itself. Thus, the support team could focus on more complex and important tasks, since part of their work has been automatized.

What are the benefits and achievable goals of building an AI-powered help desk?

Thorsten: An AI-powered Service Desk is faster and much more efficient since the user no longer has to manually select the ticket type. It means that the message will be sent to the right person, making communication between employees faster, smarter and simpler.

Emilio: Not to mention that in most cases, tickets are not even created because the user gets suggestions based on historical data related to the issue at hand. Thus, the person who resolves the issue can get help based on previously solved cases. This results in a large increase in productivity. To summarize our points, I would say that a smart Service Desk will save time and resources as it is a much more efficient and flexible solution. And it will also enable a higher service level agreement by guaranteeing faster response time and more efficient ticket resolution.

How can Seavus help in implementing intelligent enterprise Service Desk solutions? What is your contribution in the implementation process?

Thorsten: We develop customizable Service Desks based on businesses needs and their data. Despite the flexible customization, we help in the implementation process, maintenance, upgrades, configuration, licensing, consulting services, or everything needed to have a Service Desk running smoothly. Think of it like hiring extra resources that will do all the classification of tickets and come up with solutions for most of them.

Emilio: Seavus can also offer a full solution by installing and creating a service desk with the best possible practices, and in case no historical data is available, we use our model that is proven to be efficient. The solution can be installed on-premise or on any cloud service the business is already operating on. The implementation time depends on whether the customers already have an established system, or they need a new one from scratch. In any case, the time frame is within months. Our job, i.e. Thorsten’s and mine, is to put all our efforts into making the AI Service Desk system smarter.

From IT service management to employee service management: Smart Service Desks extend the productivity gains and help IT companies leverage cloud technology to a whole new level. What does the future hold for service management systems?

Thorsten: Overall, I believe that Service Desks systems move towards creating a better user experience. Based on previous experiences, these systems will become more and more efficient. By using natural language processing, machine learning, and analytics, we could solve issues faster and even get insights into the most common problems so that we can solve them before they even occur to other employees. By paying special attention to all elements at hand, we are creating smart solutions that leverage businesses to a whole new level.

Emilio: I couldn’t agree more. And if there are repetitive scenarios in those common issues, the Service Desk system would manage to resolve the ticket before it is sent to a support team.

If interested in the topic, read more about the breakfast seminar we are organizing on August 29 in our Stockholm office. We’d be happy to see you there.