Global Nonprofit Achieves 78% Faster IT Support with Tierless Model

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The situation

IT support had become the engineering team’s responsibility. Users had come to rely heavily on localized, hands-on support and T3 engineering teams while seeing limited value from their 24x7 US-based shared service desk. Agents lacked the mandate to remediate issues directly, so they primarily logged incidents and routed tickets to internal teams. This pass-through model placed sustained pressure on downstream specialists. 

Skilled engineers absorbed a steady stream of basic work, including common desktop application issues, standard access requests, and manual mobile device provisioning. As a result, forward-looking initiatives stalled.

Coverage constraints compounded the problem. The vendor operated on a 24/5 schedule, leaving a 48-hour support gap each weekend. Priority 1 incidents often remained untouched until Monday. 

Onsite teams felt the strain as well. High-touch staff faced frequent interruptions to resolve tickets the remote desk couldn’t handle. All this eroded trust in IT service delivery.

The solution

Astreya transitioned support to a service desk based in Manila with 24/7/365 coverage, and replaced the traditional tiered escalation model with a resolution-based approach. Agents were trained and authorized to troubleshoot and resolve issues at the point of contact. Enhanced tooling and secure access enabled agents to take direct control of end-user devices and correct issues in real time. 

To address fragmented institutional knowledge, the team implemented Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) practices. They captured, refined, and consolidated information in a centralized knowledge base. This process allowed the service desk to internalize complex workflows previously held by engineering teams and execute them with global consistency.

Stakeholder interviews established a clear operational baseline. Practice leads assessed current performance and produced recommendations aligned with industry benchmarks. A dedicated transition team worked with the client to execute a structured handover. The organization completed a migration from Zendesk to ServiceNow, including predictive analytics capabilities to anticipate future demand.

The results

• Median wait time decreased by 78%
  Faster response times reduced user downtime, improved productivity, and restored confidence in IT support availability.
• First-touch resolution improved by 11 points
  Resolving more issues at first contact lowered ticket rework, shortened resolution cycles, and eased operational strain across teams.
• Tier 3 device management volume dropped by 58%
  Fewer escalations allowed senior engineers to reclaim time for complex problem-solving and long-term technical improvements.
• Engineer-led mobile provisioning declined by 70%
  Shifting routine provisioning away from engineers freed scarce technical talent for higher-impact work.
• CSAT increased from 94 percent to 97+%
  Higher satisfaction scores reflected more consistent service quality and strengthened trust between users and IT.

Engineering capacity reclaimed

The shift to a resolution-driven service desk reshaped operational capacity. Remote agents now resolve issues through Tier 2 complexity. This change transferred a substantial volume of routine work away from Tier 3 teams, allowing internal engineers to redirect their efforts toward long-range improvements to the IT environment.

The organization now operates with consistent, high-touch global support. Continuous coverage ensures immediate response to critical incidents at any hour. Predictive analytics help the team anticipate provisioning needs and reduce backlog. Engineering teams have resumed strategic initiatives, including strengthening the mobile device lifecycle. Strong working relationships between the Manila-based service desk and internal engineering teams support sustained performance.

What made the difference

Three elements drove these outcomes:

• Resolution-first execution
  Agents focused on active remediation at first contact, supported by training and authority to act, increasing operational throughput.
• Knowledge consolidation
  KCS practices unified previously scattered documentation. Standardized knowledge improved consistency and reinforced trust across teams.
• Data-informed planning
  Analytics provided clear visibility into demand patterns. Leadership used this insight to guide staffing and service decisions.

Ready to transform your IT support?

Contact Astreya to learn how a centralized Global Service Desk can restore user confidence and release engineering capacity for strategic priorities.