IT’S A WONDERFUL WORKFLOW
Inside the partnership redefining the future of work— one fuzzy mitten at a time.
Onboarding for Elves
hink the retail industry feels the staffing crunch
around the holidays? Try being the world’s
biggest toy manufacturer, distribution network and reindeer trainer at the same time.
T
Each year, North Pole, Inc. uses sophisticated Employee Workflows to take the friction out of onboarding and HR service delivery. With more elves working remotely due to COVID-19, keeping them connected and productive is more important than ever.
The result: Thousands of dollars and hours saved in onboarding costs and a 90% productivity boost, ensuring new hires hit the ground running whether they’re working from their home offices or the North Pole. After all, when your business campus is over 800 miles from the nearest habitable locale (bustling Qaanaaq, Greenland), you really need to put culture first.
Dear Santa...
I
n days of yore, children around the world would take pen to paper and write out their holiday wishlists for Saint Nick.
Today’s kids want a mobile-first experience, replete with personalized gift recommendations and sharing options.
That’s why North Pole, Inc. (DBA: Santa’s Workshop) is using Customer Workflows to develop a new, consumer-facing app for paperless list-making and gift request management. Already, the average time for incident resolution has been reduced to less than five minutes. The next step: Launching the much-hyped SantApp ahead of schedule, user-tested and bug-free.
personalized gift recommendations and sharing options.
Merry, Joyful, Agile
M
anufacturing a gazillion gifts and delivering them to millions of
children in a single night requires agility, not just organization.
This is especially true in a business landscape where value chains are collapsing and budgets are increasingly under pressure.
are collapsing and budgets are increasingly under pressure.
In response, businesses are searching for the right digital workflow platform that facilitates cross-functional connections so the left fuzzy mitten knows what the right fuzzy mitten is doing.
In response, businesses are searching for the right digital workflow platform that facilitates cross-functional connections so the left fuzzy mitten knows what the right fuzzy mitten is doing.
In keeping with his reputation as a fearless innovator, Santa chose the Now Platform to break down silos and simplify decision-making. Within months, the North Pole has already seen a 500% ROI in workflow efficiencies. So while his IT department, legal team and merriment analysts can continue to use their existing tools, the Now Platform connects them all via digital workflows, making collaboration as seamless as the stitchwork on a reindeer’s harness.
A Game of Risk
S
anta’s no stranger to risk mitigation. Think back
to the 1940s, when wartime parachute production
triggered a global silk shortage, causing thousands of presents to go ribbonless. Or the Y2K-era fears that sent the North Pole’s accountants into a preemptive tailspin.
causing thousands of presents to go ribbonless. Or the Y2K-era fears that sent the North Pole’s accountants into a preemptive tailspin.
As risks go, the ripple effect of COVID-19 is a formidable one—but it’s far from unmanageable. Automated risk management workflows are already proactively identifying and assessing potential threats to Santa’s day-to-day operations, like pandemic-driven product shortages (no one wants another Great Ribbon Fiasco) or security blind spots as an increased number of elves work remotely. By reducing response time from hours or days to a matter of minutes, Santa can ensure this year’s operations are holly, jolly and totally resilient.
The New “Naughty or Nice”
F
or decades, organizing the world’s children
into categories of “naughty” and “nice” has
been a painstakingly manual task. Not only is this process dated and time-consuming—it’s also deeply reductive.
But Santa is determined to reform this arm of North Pole operations. This year, AI-enabled IT Workflows will generate data-rich customer profiles that amount to more than a single adjective. Each kid’s behavior and preferences are now analyzed (and checked twice) by a machine-learning protocol, resulting in gifts tailored to their individual tastes. Not only will this improve customer satisfaction—it’s also contributed to more than $40 million in productivity gains. Rather than spending hours hitting paperwork with the “naughty” stamp, elves will be free to dedicate their time to more complex, gratifying work.
this process dated and time-consuming—it’s also deeply reductive.
But Santa is determined to reform this arm of North Pole operations. This year, AI-enabled IT Workflows will generate data-rich customer profiles that amount to more than a single adjective. Each kid’s behavior and preferences are now analyzed (and checked twice) by a machine learning protocol, resulting in gifts tailored to their individual tastes. Not only will this improve customer satisfaction—it’s also contributed to more than $40 million in productivity gains. Rather than spending hours hitting paperwork with the “naughty” stamp, elves will be free to dedicate their time to more complex, gratifying work.
improve customer satisfaction—it’s also contributed to more than $40 million in productivity gains. Rather than spending hours hitting paperwork with the “naughty” stamp, elves will be free to dedicate their time to more complex, gratifying work.
Listen: Empowering employees to focus on the work only humans (or elves) can do
Tracking the Sleigh
T
hese days, any logistics company worth its salt relies on advanced performance analytics to keep track of shipments, manage supply chains and power decision-making. So while navigating the skies via nasal illumination may have worked in years past, it was high time for the North Pole to modernize its logistics practices.
chains and power decision-making. So while navigating the skies via nasal illumination may have worked in years past, it was high time for the North Pole to modernize its logistics practices.
Now, IoT-driven workflows provide the North Pole’s ground control unit with real-time updates on Santa’s delivery status on the big night.
Live data on everything from wind resistance to the internal temperature of the sleigh’s patented GiftSak™ helps the team optimize delivery routes and make adjustments on the fly. Such efforts have already driven a 30% reduction in sleigh emissions, setting the stage for the North Pole to deliver on its ambitious sustainability goals in the years ahead.
Listen: Driving decision-making with performance analytics
The Chimney Problem
T
raditionally, Santa has accessed people’s homes on
Christmas night via chimney. However, due to urban
growth and a rise in apartment living, this approach has become increasingly impractical—and no, decorative fireplaces don’t cut it. In response, his team has contracted delivery in dense metropolitan areas out to its trusted partners, who hit the road with gifts in hand (or rather, in van) to make the drop-offs where Santa can’t.
has become increasingly impractical—and no, decorative fireplaces don’t cut it. In response, his team has contracted delivery in dense metropolitan areas out to its trusted partners, who hit the road with gifts in hand (or rather, in van) to make the drop-offs where Santa can’t.
But staying in contact with a complex network of third-party contractors is no simple matter—which is why the team relies on ServiceNow Connected Operations to facilitate response across multiple groups, including field service. Digital workflows allow Santa to monitor and take action across teams, staying ahead of potential disruptions and working quickly with vendors to ensure delivery goes off without a hitch.
Chatbot Cheer
T
he North Pole’s work doesn’t end once the
sleigh’s back in the garage. The weeks
following the holidays see a predictable uptick in customer inquiries about everything from toy returns to technical support, with most requests routed through Santa’s call centers in the midwestern United States.
uptick in customer inquiries about everything from toy returns to technical support, with most requests routed through Santa’s call centers in the midwestern United States.
While some folks have complex needs, others just want to know if their new cardigan is available in another size. Enter the North Pole’s dedicated chatbot, an AI-powered virtual agent capable of addressing common customer requests. With state-of-the-art natural language processing, users can engage just as they would with a live elf—helping offset the post-season strain and letting Santa take some much-deserved PTO.
it’s a wonderful workflow
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The Wall Street Journal news organization was not involved in the creation of this content.
at the same time.
Listen: Rethinking the employee experience, starting on day one
Listen: Solving organizational challenges with the power of workflows
or decades, organizing the world’s children into categories of “naughty”
and “nice” has been a painstakingly manual task. Not only is this process
dated and time-consuming—it’s also deeply reductive.
But Santa is determined to reform this arm of North Pole operations. This year, AI-enabled IT Workflows will generate data-rich customer profiles that amount to more than a single adjective. Each kid’s behavior and preferences are now analyzed (and checked twice) by a machine-learning protocol, resulting in gifts tailored to their individual tastes. Not only will this improve customer satisfaction—it’s also contributed to more than $40 million in productivity gains. Rather than spending hours hitting paperwork with the “naughty” stamp, elves will be free to dedicate their time to more complex, gratifying work.
hese days, any logistics company worth its salt
relies on advanced performance analytics to
keep track of shipments, manage supply chains and power decision-making. So while navigating the skies via nasal illumination may have worked in years past, it was high time for the North Pole to modernize its logistics practices.
n days of yore, children around the world
would take pen to paper and write out their
holiday wishlists for Saint Nick. Today’s kids want a mobile-first experience, replete with personalized gift recommendations and sharing options.
That’s why North Pole, Inc. (DBA: Santa’s Workshop) is using Customer Workflows to develop a new, consumer-facing app for paperless list-making and gift request management. Already, the average time for incident resolution has been reduced to less than five minutes. The next step: Launching the much-hyped SantApp ahead of schedule, user-tested and bug-free.
hink the retail industry feels the staffing crunch around the holidays? Try being the world’s biggest toy manufacturer, distribution network and reindeer trainer at the same time. at the same time.
Each year, North Pole, Inc. uses sophisticated Employee Workflows to take the friction out of onboarding and HR service delivery. With more elves working remotely due to COVID-19, keeping them connected and productive is more important than ever.
The result: Thousands of dollars and hours saved in onboarding costs and a 90% productivity boost, ensuring new hires hit the ground running whether they’re working from their home offices or the North Pole. After all, when your business campus is over 800 miles from the nearest habitable locale (bustling Qaanaaq, Greenland), you really need to put culture first.
anufacturing a gazillion gifts and
delivering them to millions of children in
a single night requires agility, not just organization. This is especially true in a business landscape where value chains are collapsing and budgets are increasingly under pressure.
In response, businesses are searching for the right digital workflow platform that facilitates cross-functional connections so the left fuzzy mitten knows what the right fuzzy mitten is doing.
In keeping with his reputation as a fearless innovator, Santa chose the Now Platform to break down silos and simplify decision-making. Within months, the North Pole has already seen a 500% ROI in workflow efficiencies. So while his IT department, legal team and merriment analysts can continue to use their existing tools, the Now Platform connects them all via digital workflows, making collaboration as seamless as the stitchwork on a reindeer’s harness.
or decades, organizing the world’s children
into categories of “naughty” and “nice” has
been a painstakingly manual task. Not only is this process dated and time-consuming—it’s also deeply reductive.
But Santa is determined to reform this arm of North Pole operations. This year, AI-enabled IT Workflows will generate data-rich customer profiles that amount to more than a single adjective. Each kid’s behavior and preferences are now analyzed (and checked twice) by a machine-learning protocol, resulting in gifts tailored to their individual tastes. Not only will this improve customer satisfaction—it’s also contributed to more than $40 million in productivity gains. Rather than spending hours hitting paperwork with the “naughty” stamp, elves will be free to dedicate their time to more complex, gratifying work.
anta’s no stranger to risk mitigation. Think back to the 1940s, when wartime parachute production triggered a global silk shortage, causing thousands of presents to go ribbonless.
Or the Y2K-era fears that sent the North Pole’s accountants into a preemptive tailspin.
hese days, any logistics company worth its
salt relies on advanced performance
analytics to keep track of shipments, manage supply chains and power decision-making. So while navigating the skies via nasal illumination may have worked in years past, it was high time for the North Pole to modernize its logistics practices.
Now, IoT-driven workflows provide the North Pole’s ground control unit with real-time updates on Santa’s delivery status on the big night. Live data on everything from wind resistance to the internal temperature of the sleigh’s patented GiftSak™ helps the team optimize delivery routes and make adjustments on the fly. Such efforts have already driven a 30% reduction in sleigh emissions, setting the stage for the North Pole to deliver on its ambitious sustainability goals in the years ahead.
raditionally, Santa has accessed people’s
homes on Christmas night via chimney.
However, due to urban growth and a rise in apartment living, this approach has become increasingly impractical—and no, decorative fireplaces don’t cut it. In response, his team has contracted delivery in dense metropolitan areas out to its trusted partners, who hit the road with gifts in hand (or rather, in van) to make the drop-offs where Santa can’t.
But staying in contact with a complex network of third-party contractors is no simple matter—which is why the team relies on ServiceNow Connected Operations to facilitate response across multiple groups, including field service. Digital workflows allow Santa to monitor and take action across teams, staying ahead of potential disruptions and working quickly with vendors to ensure delivery goes off without a hitch.
he North Pole’s work doesn’t end once the sleigh’s back in the garage. The weeks following the holidays see a predictable uptick in customer inquiries about everything from toy returns to technical support, with most requests routed through Santa’s call centers in the midwestern United States.
