Stagecoach is one of the UK’s largest public transport providers, operating bus services across England, Scotland, Wales, and Guernsey. With a workforce of over 24,000 employees and a technology division of around 100 professionals, Stagecoach relies heavily on efficient IT service management to support its distributed operations.
The challenge: Evaluation over replacement
When Mark Kronage joined Stagecoach as the service desk manager, there was internal discussion about replacing the existing ITSM tool. Coming from a background with ServiceNow, Kronage initially expected a transition toward a similar platform. However, the leadership issued a different challenge: Prove what their current tool, ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus, couldn’t do before considering a replacement.
The discovery: Unlocking potential through deep exploration
Kronage took the challenge to heart, diving deep into the administration and configuration capabilities of ServiceDesk Plus to find its breaking point. However, instead of finding gaps, Kronage discovered a wealth of untapped potential.
"That piqued my interest in terms of having the ability to get into the administration of ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus and open up lots of little things that I didn't know it could do," Kronage said.
Instead of building a case for a replacement, Kronage's team began a journey of maximization and maturity. They focused on:
- Maturing core ITSM processes: They focused on improving their use of incident, problem, and change management modules, bringing structure and efficiency to their core operations.
- Elevating the user experience: The team overhauled the service portal to create a unified, single point of contact for employees.
"Being able to put the portal change in and give people one place to go for a form has been, I'd like to say, revolutionary for us," Kronage said. - Harnessing data for deeper insights: The team reintroduced Analytics Plus to go beyond standard dashboards. This enabled them to analyze trends and gain the actionable insights needed to make strategic improvements.
- Empowering admin agility: Mark found the platform's back-end to be intuitive, allowing his team to respond to business needs quickly.
"As an admin, I want to be able to listen to people's challenges... and resolve that," Kronage said. "Most of the stuff, I can go in, have a look... and I believe we can solve most people's problems." - Servicedesk Plus support experience: In situations where the solution is not immediately clear, Kronage relies on ServiceDesk Plus support for assistance. A quick email to the support team helps resolve the issue efficiently.
The result: A cost-effective partnership
The CTO's challenge set in motion a complete transformation in how Stagecoach viewed its ITSM platform. They successfully avoided a costly rip-and-replace project by investing in the tool they already owned.
Since beginning his evaluation, Kronage has yet to find a reason to switch.
"To this date, I've not been able to go back and say, 'It can't do this, we need to change this tool.' I've only been going back saying, 'Here's what we're doing with it.'"
Stagecoach now relies on ServiceDesk Plus as a flexible, easy-to-use platform that empowers their IT team.
"Being able to put the portal change in and give people one place [self-service portal] to go for a form has been, I'd like to say, revolutionary for us."
— Mark Kronage, service desk manager, Stagecoach