How Atomicwork transformed Ammex Corp's service management with AI

When we first started talking to Ammex Corp, one thing that immediately struck us was their commitment to improving their systems and processes and their interest in adopting new technology. When AI arrived, they saw an opportunity and were actively on the lookout for an AI-powered solution  that helped them improve their service management. And Atomicwork turned out to be just what they were looking for.

Ammex Corp is a leading safety gloves distributor in the US. Headquartered in Seattle, WA, and founded in 1988, the company has a significant presence not only in the United States but also in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. With a diverse team spread across multiple locations, and more than $100 million in revenue, they needed an efficient and modern service management solution that could scale globally.

The need for change

Ammex Corp’s journey with service management tools began with Jira Service Management (JSM), which provided a solid foundation for various IT service needs. However, it soon became apparent that JSM lacked the flexibility and advanced AI-driven features that Ammex required to scale efficiently.

The strategic push towards a more self-service-focussed system came from Chad Ghosn, Ammex’s CIO and CTO, who emphasized the need for a tool that would drive employees to find their own answers without increasing headcount. Rinno Camlit, IT Director at Ammex, spearheaded the implementation, recognizing the potential of conversational AI in ITSM. “We were seeking to upgrade our existing ITSM solution by integrating AI technology,” Rinno explained.

Given the rising popularity of AI chatbots, particularly ChatGPT, we were particularly interested in adopting a conversational AI system. We were looking for AI capabilities that could handle basic and repetitive inquiries using our knowledge base, all within a conversational interface. Rinno Camlit, IT Director at Ammex Corp

But Jira Service Management wasn’t solving this problem for them.

Rinno pointed out that while their initial goal was to achieve simpler integrations between their existing IT systems—like Azure Data Warehousing, Salesforce, Great Plains, and other O365 applications—the available add-ons were limited in scope, did not adequately address their use cases, and were prohibitively expensive.

Having been with Ammex for 9 years, Rinno has been instrumental in the company’s transition to AI. The advancements demonstrated by AI technologies like ChatGPT excited the team, and Chad’s determination to integrate AI into their IT operations provided the final push towards exploring what was possible in the IT space.

Why Atomicwork?

The decision to transition from Jira Service Management to Atomicwork was influenced by several factors. Rinno mentioned that the complexity and cost of maintaining JSM were significant concerns. Atomicwork in comparison offered a simpler, more cost-effective solution that could be seamlessly integrated with their existing infrastructure and tools, particularly Microsoft Teams.

Atomicwork has significantly enhanced our capabilities, particularly in automating the transition of tasks from Level 1 to Level 2 support. Previously, many of these tasks required simple approvals from senior staff members. Now, both approval and execution of these tasks can be completed in less than a minute with just a few clicks. For example, adding new users to specific Azure AD Groups has been streamlined. Rinno Camlit, IT Director at Ammex Corp

• Ease of use and implementation: One of the standout features of Atomicwork in Rinno’s experience is its user-friendly interface and ease of configuration. Rinno emphasized that even team members without specialized training could quickly learn to navigate and set up workflows within Atomicwork. This simplicity greatly contrasted with their previous system, which often required certified specialists to manage and configure, something they were happy to do without.
• ‍AI-driven efficiency: Ammex Corp is leveraging Atomicwork’s AI capabilities to handle repetitive tasks, such as answering common help desk tickets and sharing knowledge. This automation not only frees up valuable time for the IT team but also ensures quick and accurate responses to user queries. Rinno shared that Atomicwork’s ability to filter and respond to repetitive questions significantly reduces the workload on human agents.

When they started out with Atomicwork, the IT team saw an immediate 20% deflection rate. By refining documentation based on employee interactions with Atom, they’ve since raised it to 65% and are now aiming for 80% across the board by year-end.

Implementation journey

Rinno enjoyed how the transition to Atomicwork was methodical and well-coordinated. Ammex Corp managed to migrate their IT help desk operations within two months. This was followed by the migration of their people operations, including HR, logistics, and finance departments.

Rinno pointed out that the implementation process was smooth, with no major surprises. The Atomicwork team was well-prepared to address any challenges, and Rinno and his team were pleasantly surprised by the additional features and capabilities that Atomicwork continued to develop and roll out at a rapid pace.

Real-world impact

The adoption of Atomicwork has had a significant positive impact on Ammex Corp’s operations.

Here are some of the key benefits Rinno observed:

• ‍Centralized operations via Microsoft Teams: Atomicwork’s integration with Microsoft Teams streamlined various approval processes and communication channels. The IT team, along with other departments, can now manage requests and approvals directly through Teams, simplifying workflows and enhancing productivity.
• ‍Knowledge base utilization: With a strong emphasis on documentation and knowledge management, Ammex Corp has been able to leverage AI to quickly find and deliver relevant documents and answers. This has improved the efficiency of their service management and ensured that accurate information is always accessible.
• ‍Cost savings: The move to Atomicwork has also brought about cost savings. Rinno noted that the expenses associated with Jira Service Management were significantly higher, especially for an internal ticketing system. Atomicwork's cost-effective solution is better suited to Ammex Corp’s needs, providing similar capabilities at a fraction of the cost.

“The ROI on deploying Atom across our teams has been incredible. Unlike Jira Service Management, Atom allowed us to maintain our IT service team without adding a single headcount in six months. It handles simple queries that used to interrupt our Finance team, and it provides our CEO with real-time updates on shipments and orders - questions that would normally require a phone call or an email or a meeting, disrupting someone’s day,” remarks Chad.

Moreover, Atomicwork offered improved insights into the types of information Ammex’s employees frequently request or need. This understanding enables the IT team to tailor documentation more effectively to meet those needs.

The future is modern service management

While the implementation has been successful and the team is delighted with Atomicwork, Rinno acknowledges that they are just scratching the surface of Atomicwork's potential. Features such as asset management, which could potentially allow remote actions like rebooting machines promise to further streamline operations and reduce reliance on multiple products.

Rinno is optimistic about the future with Atomicwork and would recommend the platform to other enterprises. He believes that the solution offers significant advantages for companies, especially those already utilizing Microsoft Teams.

“Additionally, we are excited about a forthcoming Atomicwork feature that promises substantial functionality. This includes the ability to interact with Salesforce CRM data and Azure SQL directly through Atom. This development would enable us to pose questions directly to the system, such as "What are my tasks for today?" or "How much did we sell yesterday?" This potential for direct interrogation and data retrieval through conversational AI is something we look forward to utilizing,” added Rinno.

Ammex Corp's modernisation of their service management solution highlights the transformative potential of Atomicwork’s modern ITSM solution. By simplifying workflows, enhancing efficiency, and reducing costs, Atomicwork is enabling Ammex Corp to focus on what they do best—manufacturing and distributing high-quality safety gloves—while leaving the complexities and effort of service management to AI.

As Rinno puts it, Atomicwork has essentially extended their team, providing the support and tools needed to thrive in a modern, fast-paced business environment.

Like Ammex, if you want to transform your service management processes, schedule a demo with our team.