Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital is renowned for its commitment to providing world-class medical services to children. To support its mission and improve operational efficiency, the hospital partnered with Pink Elephant, a leading IT service management consulting firm, to implement Freshworks, a versatile customer support and service desk software. This versatile service desk and customer support solution has brought about a revolution in paediatric care at the hospital.
The Challenges Faced
Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital faced several challenges before implementing Freshworks:
- Lack of Service Desk System: The hospital had no previous service desk system in place, making it challenging to manage and track service requests effectively.
- Memory-based Processes: Service desk agents relied on memory to recall and manage service requests, leading to potential errors and delays in response times.
- Absence of Points of Reference: There was no centralised repository for service requests, making it difficult to maintain a historical record of support interactions.
- Limited Managerial Oversight: Managers had no way to systematically check the progress of ongoing work or assess the quality of services provided.
The Vision for Change
The hospital’s vision was a service desk solution that would address each of these challenges and enable faster, more efficient support to patients and staff. They were looking for a solution that was:
- Cost-effective: To maximise their resources for patient care.
- User-Friendly: To ensure quick adoption and ease of use among staff.
- Quick to Implement: To minimise disruptions and downtime during the transition.
- Expandable: To accommodate the hospital’s future growth and evolving needs.
The Solution: Pink Elephant and Freshworks Collaboration
Freshworks was recommended as the comprehensive service desk and customer support platform to address the hospital’s needs. The key features and benefits of Freshworks include:
- Real-time Access and Feedback: Freshworks provided service desk agents with real-time access to service requests, allowing for prompt responses and updates.
- Cost-effective: Freshworks offered a cost-effective solution that aligned with the hospital’s budget constraints.
- Ease of Use: The intuitive user interface of Freshworks ensured that staff could quickly adapt to the new system.
- Quick Implementation: Pink Elephant and Freshworks collaborated to ensure a swift and seamless implementation process, minimising disruptions.
Looking Ahead to Achievements
The hospital plans to leverage Freshworks to extend its service desk capabilities into other hospital operations beyond the service desk. The goals include:
- Extend the use of Freshworks to streamline other hospital operations beyond the service desk.
- Continuously improve the quality of patient care and support by leveraging data-driven insights.
- Foster collaboration among their teams to enhance overall hospital efficiency.
According to Tshepo Shuenyane, Director of Information Technology, ‘’The successful implementation of Freshworks has driven collaboration throughout the team, allowing us to provide better support to our patients. The system just works, making it a valuable asset for the hospital’s mission of caring for children in need.’’