Workspace Reservations, Receptions... Eight Advisory is Revolutionizing its Operations with Service Now

Breaking with traditional IT practices, Eight Advisory took the bold step of using ServiceNow to transform the management of its workspaces. With support from Inetum, the financial consulting firm deployed the Workplace Service Delivery module to centralize meeting room reservations and related services via a unified interface. This atypical ServiceNow integration addresses a strategic challenge: ensuring high-quality customer service in a context of strong growth.

“At Eight Advisory, we were in a phase of transition. For a long time, we operated in start-up mode, but as we approached our 15th anniversary and with our growth exceeding 1,000 employees, we needed to adopt a true governance structure,” explained Vassili Andricopoulos, Director of Information Systems. The relocation of the Paris headquarters at the end of 2023, bringing together 700 of the 1,000 employees, served as a catalyst for this transformation. 

Before this project, Eight Advisory operated with a generic email account and a room booking tool that few people actually used. “We had no IT service management or meeting room booking tools. Everything was done by email or informal phone calls,” said the CIO. This approach no longer met the requirements of a rapidly expanding firm, where the quality of customer service is an essential prerequisite.

AutoCAD for Real-time Visualization

The challenge went beyond simply booking rooms. It was necessary to coordinate all related services—catering, IT support, visitor reception, while ensuring the confidentiality of meetings. ServiceNow, traditionally used for Information Technology Service Management (ITSM), was therefore adapted to specific business needs.

Selected after a call for tenders, Inetum worked hard to meet the client's requirements as closely as possible. “The main challenge was integrating AutoCAD plans to enable a complete visualization of the available offices and rooms,” explained Laurine Fleurier, project manager at Eight Advisory. 

The tool now deployed allows employees to view available spaces directly on the building plans, making it easier to select rooms according to their specific needs. The solution also includes synchronization with Microsoft Exchange and an Outlook add-in for seamless integration into the everyday work environment.

“There are a whole host of options available,” said Laurine Fleurier. “When a room is reserved, it is possible to add various services: coffee, breakfast, specify a break time, define the number of participants, etc. And if you specify that the meeting is confidential, the team in charge of preparing everything does not enter the room. You can also hide the subject of the meeting on the display screens.”

The deadlines posed an additional challenge. “We absolutely had to be up and running for the opening of our new headquarters on November 27^th, 2023, just under three months after the project was launched!” Said Laurine Fleurier. This constraint was made all the more complex by the fact that the rollout was taking place at the same time as the relocation of all the teams.

Immediate Benefits and Prospects for Expansion

Despite these significant constraints, Inetum met the deadlines. “What I liked was their proximity and responsiveness,” said Vassili Andricopoulos. This agility was particularly evident during an incident that occurred on December 24^th, Christmas Eve, which was resolved within a day thanks to the emergency mobilization of an architect. 

Beyond streamlining the booking process, the platform provides unprecedented visibility into office space usage. “We can now analyze metrics, identify irritants and potential areas for improvement. It's a radical change from the purely intuitive management we had before,” noted Laurine Fleurier. 

This initial success paves the way for new uses. Eight Advisory is now considering deploying ITSM for ticketing, particularly with a view to ISO 27001 certification. 

This use case demonstrates how ServiceNow can transcend its traditional applications to enhance the employee experience, transforming a relocation constraint into an opportunity to modernize business processes.