Tesco streamlines IT support with DXC walk-in support centers
Client:
TescoChallenge:
- Reduce resolution time when solving an employee’s IT problem
- Provide a welcoming atmosphere for IT support
- Improve employee satisfaction with IT support experiences
Solution:
- My Tech Centre, an IT walk-in centre located at Tesco corporate headquarters
- Facility design that enables optimum customer flows and a comfortable atmosphere
- Best-practice walk-in support using proven processes and procedures
Results:
- Faster resolution of IT support issues, quickly returning employees to productivity
- Improved employee perception of enterprise IT support organisation
- Enhanced understanding of ongoing employee IT support needs
Tesco Walk-In Centre
Walk-in centre offers shop employees quick, friendly IT support
DXC Technology helped Tesco, one of the world’s largest retail companies, implement a new walk-in centre at its corporate headquarters to give employees face-to-face IT support. Employees are now getting their tech problems solved faster and in a more personal manner, which has increased both their productivity and their satisfaction with the IT support experience.
The walk-in centre, called My Tech Centre, went live in 2017 after DXC conducted a facility design review and implemented a deployment plan based on its previous experience launching similar facilities across the globe. DXC was able to design the optimum furniture layout for maximising customer (employee) flows, while at the same time making sure the furniture was comfortable and inviting, to foster a welcoming atmosphere. The walk-in centre is located on the Tesco headquarters campus in Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom, and is available to more than 6,000 employees.
Faster, more personal support
The primary goal of My Tech Centre was to provide a comfortable place for employees to get face-to-face tech support from patient, helpful colleagues. Not only would this return employees to productivity faster, but having a walk-in centre would also go a long way towards improving employees’ perceptions of IT support. Plus, by providing support to dozens of employees each day, Tesco would gain a better understanding of its employees’ ongoing IT needs.
“I can just run down there and find out a solution to a problem in a couple of minutes, rather than having a long phone call.”
My Tech Centre received a positive response from employees from the outset. Whereas a tech issue previously took 24 to 48 hours to resolve, or to even be looked at, employees now get immediate support at the walk-in centre. “It’s made it easier to do my job, because it saves time,” says Alex Powell, a buying manager for Tesco.
The one-on-one nature of the support centre has proved successful. Stuart Douglas, a program manager for Microsoft who spends time on the Tesco campus, says, “When you’ve got a problem, it’s easier to explain [in person]. You can point at things, and it seems that through that you can get [to] what the problem is quicker and then get the resolution.”
Feeling more at ease
DXC’s involvement in helping set up My Tech Centre included developing a detailed launch plan and operations playbook, formulating processes and implementing a login system. DXC also provided training to Tesco support personnel, with an emphasis on making fellow employees feel at ease when they stop by for tech help. Kevin Hughes, a data analyst at Tesco, says, “It makes all your colleagues feel a lot more at home and welcome to have a place that you can take your small little silly questions, and they can sort them out in seconds.”
My Tech Centre fits well with Tesco’s overall corporate strategy of leveraging technology to serve its customers a little better every day. Richard Copperthwaite, chief information officer, global infrastructure at Tesco, says, “Every part of our business operates with technology, and it just has to work. So being able to support it and fix it quickly when it doesn’t work is as vital as anything else in our business.” Edward Mensah, DXC’s My Tech Team lead for the project, says Tesco employees enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the centre. “The main thing you see is the calm nature of employees when they come in and you fix an issue. They tend to leave [feeling] relieved.”
DXC has had a long-standing relationship with Tesco, providing IT services and support, especially in areas such as IT infrastructure and supply chain management. Copperthwaite says his previous experience working with DXC gave him confidence going into the project. “DXC’s core strengths for me are delivering and working with us to make sure we achieved what we set out to achieve, overcoming the issues we faced, and having a personal and trusted relationship with my team to succeed.”
Building on the success of My Tech Centre at its headquarters, Tesco is replicating the solution at other offices across the globe. “We’ve got to be really at our best giving our colleagues what they need to do their jobs every minute of every day,” Copperthwaite says.
