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It didn’t start with a bold vision. It started with a problem.
A global retailer, the third-largest in the world, was struggling under the weight of its own complexity. Service requests were lost in email chains. Processes were manually stitched together. KPIs existed, but only on disconnected spreadsheets. And the platform that once promised efficiency had become a blocker to progress.
As CIOs, we often face this moment:
Do we patch the cracks? Or do we rebuild with purpose?
We chose the latter.
The inflection point
The legacy ITSM and ITOM platform was collapsing under demand.
- The portal was built for IT, not the business.
- The service catalogue was technical and confusing.
- Non-IT departments from HR to Finance had no access to structured support.
- Visibility? Minimal.
- Automation? Virtually nonexistent.
But the biggest issue wasn’t technical. It was cultural.
We realized we weren’t just lacking tools. We were lacking a service mindset, one that reached beyond IT and enabled every part of the business. That’s where the journey began.
How we rebuilt – and why it worked
We didn’t “implement a tool.”
We designed a transformation.
1. We put people at the centre.
Agile squads were built with real governance:
- Product Owners with business vision
- Process consultants to challenge the status quo
- Developers, UX, QA and data analysts working in sprints
- Stakeholders across departments involved from day one
2. We simplified before automating.
Before writing a single line of code, we mapped, challenged and redesigned over 70 core processes.
“There’s nothing worse than automating a task that shouldn’t exist.”
3. We rebuilt the service experience.
- Business-friendly portal
- Smart, dynamic forms
- Knowledge base aligned to real usage
- Services designed for speed and clarity
4. We automated the right way.
Using a wonderful ITSM tool and integrations with ERP, CRM and more, we automated:
- Password resets and access provisioning
- Onboarding and offboarding
- Email setup and approvals
- Real-time document flows
- Multi-channel workflows (portal, mobile, email)
5. We measured everything.
From NPS to SLA, from backlog to resolution time – every KPI was connected, visible and actionable. Our Service Desk evolved from reactive to predictive.
The results: what every CIO wants
600+ digital workflows
70,000+ hours of productivity unlocked per year
R$ 8 million/year in cost savings
+20 NPS points
+2,000 leadership hours saved on reporting and metrics
Significant reductions in backlog, rework and incident reopen rates
But the biggest win?
A shift in mindset.
Departments no longer saw IT as “the help desk.” They saw it as a strategic partner – an enabler of value.
Lessons learned
- Don’t start with tools. Start with outcomes.
Ask: What should the business feel when this is live? - Own the narrative.
Your team is not just building workflows — they’re rebuilding trust. - ESM is not about replicating ITSM.
It’s about democratizing service delivery with business-centric design. - Governance is not optional.
Design your squads and rituals with care — they are your delivery engine. - Don’t automate chaos.
Fix the process before touching the platform.
What’s next: the ESM flywheel
We’re now entering the next phase:
- Process Mining to understand reality versus assumption
- AI & GenAI Agents to guide users and accelerate resolution
- Hyperautomation with bots that connect decisions across silos
This is not about digital transformation any more. It’s about operational intelligence and how we make smarter decisions, faster.
Final thought
As CIOs, we carry the responsibility of more than systems. We carry the expectation of progress.
This journey reminded me that transformation isn’t a single launch. It’s a leadership discipline and a commitment to connecting process, technology and people in pursuit of real value.