Challenge: from fragmented helpdesks to one clear point of entry
For years, the IT and facility teams at the Municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch faced the same issue: multiple intake channels and inconsistent workflows. Four separate helpdesks each worked with different tools and forms. As a result, requests were sometimes routed incorrectly, lost or handled too late. “The trigger was simple,” says Mathieu Rutten, CIO of the municipality.
“The ping-pong. We had four setups for our helpdesk across four different teams, and Facility Management used different tools again. That caused confusion, requests got lost, and people no longer knew where to go.”
This fragmentation caused frustration among employees and made it difficult to maintain visibility and control. Team managers lacked insight into volumes and bottlenecks.
“We wanted to work in a more professional way,” Rutten explains. “We needed better analysis, accountability, fewer errors and stronger collaboration.”
At the same time, the municipality pursued a broader strategy to standardise business operations. IT and Facility Management are crucial links in that effort. “We are making our business operations more generic and consistent across the organisation,” says Rutten. “IT and FM are strongly connected. Technology plays an essential role in that.”
Solution: one integrated service platform for IT and FM
The municipality decided to bring the existing helpdesk environments together in one modern platform. Following a tender, Gfacility was selected.
“The proposal from Gfacility was fresh and truly aligned with our needs,” Rutten recalls. “We had the impression that they really understood what we were trying to achieve. They focused on partnership. We wanted a supplier who would sit next to us and help us make this shift. And that is what happened.”
Gfacility now serves as the central system for all incidents, service requests and changes across both domains. Where requests previously came in via email or standalone forms, everything now enters through one unified channel. “We literally use Gfacility for all our work,” says Rutten. “Whether it is an incident, a change or a facility request, it all comes in there. We would not do that if it did not work well.”
Key capabilities and way of working
- One request portal for the entire organisation Employees no longer need to determine whether a request belongs to IT or FM. “A broken screen in a meeting room. Is that ICT or Facility? That discussion no longer exists. People simply log it in Gfacility and it gets handled.”
- Clear workflows and automated routing Requests are automatically assigned to the right team, improving handovers and collaboration. “In most cases the routing is correct right away. And if not, teams can easily step in and adjust.”
- Full traceability and real time insights Managers can see how many requests are open, how performance evolves and where delays occur.
- Integrated problem management Data from the platform enables structural issue detection and resolution. “We used to do problem management on the back of an envelope,” says Rutten with a smile. “Now we can identify and solve structural issues based on real data.”
Implementation success was largely driven by strong collaboration. “What stood out from the beginning was their closeness,” says Rutten. “Good preparation, dedicated experts, a compact and highly effective team. And what I appreciated: Gfacility did not just follow us blindly. They challenged us and sometimes simply said: this is a bad idea. That helped us arrive at the setup we have today and it works extremely well.”
Results: faster resolution, better control, higher satisfaction
The improvements were noticeable immediately. With one point of entry and streamlined processes, frustrations faded on both sides of the service desk.
1. Improved collaboration and reduced delays
The joint IT and FM service desk now operates as one team. Requests are handled faster and no longer bounce between departments. “The back-and-forth used to create huge delays,” Rutten explains. “We see a real improvement in resolution speed.”
2. Transparency and data driven decision making
Reporting now provides complete and comparable insights across all services. “Previously the information was fragmented. Now we have one single source, which brings major benefits.” Problem management has also matured into a structured process with measurable impact.
3. Higher end user satisfaction
Submitting a request has become simpler and more predictable for employees. “That single channel is a reliable anchor for everyone,” says Rutten. “You know that when you report something, action is taken — effectively.” Customer satisfaction has risen since adopting Gfacility. “We went from around 7.5 to an 8. That says it all.”
4. Professionalisation and organisational stability
Processes are now standardised, transferable and easier to justify. “It prevents the organisation from being burdened with how we are organised internally,” Rutten adds. “Colleagues no longer wonder where a request belongs. It is simply handled.”
Next steps: smarter signalling and AI assisted service
The municipality aims to further automate and connect service processes. IoT sources are already integrated into the building management system, and similar automation is planned for IT monitoring data. “It would be great if backend alerts automatically synced with the frontend. That is the logical next step.” Rutten also sees AI as the future: “It is only logical that categorisation will soon happen automatically. I do not see why people should keep doing that manually.”
Partnership as a key success factor
“What I appreciate most is how smooth the implementation was,” Rutten concludes. “Of course, there are always some issues, but I genuinely believe this was a true partnership. That makes such a project much smoother than what we normally experience.” His advice to other organisations: “You should not want separate systems anymore. For very acceptable costs and limited effort, you can significantly improve your operations. Implementing such a system is, in my view, a no-brainer.”
Conclusion
With Gfacility, the Municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch transformed its IT and FM service delivery into one clear, efficient and professional service channel. The improvements speak for themselves: faster resolution, fewer errors, stronger collaboration and rising user satisfaction. What started as a need for more structure has become a showcase of how technology and teamwork can drive real organisational change.
“With Gfacility we now have one clear channel for all IT and FM requests. Our services are more transparent, faster and more professional a true no-brainer for any organisation that wants to work more efficiently.”
— Mathieu Rutten, CIO, Municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch
