BestStart Educare, an early education service in New Zealand, manages a lean IT team that oversees an vast network of over 260 locations and 5,000 devices. For an organization with such a broad footprint, versatile and reliable ITSM tools are critical to sustaining high-quality support. To meet this challenge, BestStart Educare chose ServiceDesk Plus as its core ITSM platform, ensuring that IT, HR, payroll, admin, and marketing teams could operate efficiently under one system.
Reflecting on the experience, Chloe Wood, IT support manager at BestStart Educare, highlighted how a smooth migration, process automation, AI-driven efficiencies, and continuous engagement from ManageEngine have created a foundation for long-term operational resilience and growth.
Seamless migration with minimal disruption
Wood described the transition to ServiceDesk Plus as a well-orchestrated process, marked by exceptional support from the ManageEngine support team and the dedicated migration staff. She continued that from initial planning to post–migration follow-up, "their professionalism and responsiveness ensured a smooth transition for all five business units." Importantly, "the team took meticulous care to preserve data integrity and configuration settings, minimizing disruptions and ensuring continuity of service."
Supporting a lean IT team across multiple units
With only a small IT staff supporting a large and distributed environment, BestStart Educare needed a tool that could scale across departments. ServiceDesk Plus' ESM architecture helped meet these needs by allowing BestStart Educare to tailor workflows and reporting across IT, admin, marketing, payroll, and HR. According to Wood, "With such a broad operational footprint, reliance on versatile and reliable tools is essential. ServiceDesk Plus's multi-instance architecture enabled us to tailor workflows and reporting for IT, admin, marketing, payroll, and HR, ensuring that each unit's unique needs were met." She added, "The platform's centralized management and automation features have been instrumental in enabling our small team to maintain high service standards and respond promptly to user requests across the country."
Maximizing efficiency through automation
Automation has been another major success area, playing a pivotal role in the company's IT operations. As Wood explained, "By integrating ServiceDesk Plus with Endpoint Central, we have successfully automated routine processes such as printer installations and drive mappings. These efficiencies not only save time but also reduce errors and free up the team for more strategic initiatives." She added, "The system's flexibility in creating custom workflows and triggers has enabled us to adapt rapidly to evolving business requirements."
Data-driven insights and AI capabilities
ServiceDesk Plus's reporting and dashboard capabilities have become vital decision-making tools for Wood's team. "Customizable dashboards provide real-time insights into ticket volumes, resolution times, and user satisfaction, allowing us to identify trends and improvement opportunities quickly."
The adoption of AI-driven features within ServiceDesk Plus is a source of excitement for BestStart Educare's IT team. "AI-powered ticket categorization, intelligent recommendations, and predictive analytics have already begun to streamline operations. Looking ahead, we are eager to extend these capabilities beyond IT to other departments."
Ongoing partnership and engagement
For Wood, technology is only part of the story. What stood out equally was the relationship with the team at ManageEngine. "Beyond technical functionality, the ManageEngine team distinguishes itself through its commitment to customer engagement and product improvement. The responsiveness to feedback, openness to suggestions, and willingness to tailor solutions to our requirements have fostered a genuine sense of partnership. Regular webinars provide valuable insights into product development, best practices, and upcoming features, ensuring that our team remains informed and prepared for future enhancements."
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For organizations seeking a reliable, user-focused ITSM solution with exceptional support and a clear path to future growth, ServiceDesk Plus sets a high standard. We confidently recommend it to IT professionals and business managers looking to streamline operations, embrace automation, and prepare for the next wave of
digital transformation.Chloe Wood, IT support manager