Enterprise Desktop Alerts and ITSM Communication at Global Scale

The Challenge

Communicating at Enterprise Scale Across 46,000 Users

Willis Towers Watson operates globally across multiple time zones, business units and IT environments.

For a distributed organisation of this scale, communication must be:

• Immediate
• Targeted
• Measurable
• Integrated with IT Service Management systems

Traditional channels such as email and intranet posts were insufficient for time-sensitive updates, major incidents, and approval-based workflows.

IT teams required:

• Greater visibility for change and incident communications
• Reduced process circumvention
• Faster user acknowledgement
• Improved end-user experience during major incidents

Corporate teams required:

• High-visibility enterprise announcements
• Targeted messaging by department or region
• Engagement measurement

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The Solution

A Dedicated Enterprise Instance of Heed

Willis Towers Watson deployed Heed across 46,000 users globally.

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1. Desktop & Mobile Alerts

Real-time push notifications to employee desktops and mobile devices ensured vital communications were seen immediately.

-> Why desktop alerts are essential for effective internal communication

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2. Lock Screens, Screensavers & Wallpapers

WTW leveraged interactive screensavers and lock screen messages to reinforce:

• Corporate messaging
• IT awareness campaigns
• Key training initiatives
• Service disruption notifications

Idle time became a strategic communication opportunity.

-> Why corporate screensavers deserve a spot in your internal comms toolkit.

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3. Tickers for Time-Sensitive Updates

Scrolling desktop tickers enabled persistent communication for:

• Incident updates
• Service degradation
• Time-sensitive operational messages

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4. Surveys & Quizzes

Heed enabled interactive feedback collection and comprehension checks across global teams.

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5. User Targeting & Segmentation

Messages were personalised based on:

• Department
• Role
• Location
• Function

This ensured relevance and reduced message fatigue.

-> Why a dedicated corporate screensaver and desktop wallpaper tool beats group policy

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6. Real-Time Analytics

WTW gained visibility into:

• Delivery rates
• Readership
• Interaction rates
• Engagement metrics

This transformed communications from assumption-based to data-driven.

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ITSM-Specific Use Cases

Heed became tightly integrated into WTW’s IT Service Management processes.

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Change & Security Approvals

Desktop alerts ensured change approvals were visible and actionable, reducing workflow circumvention.

-> The hidden hurdle of approvals: why they slow you down and how to fix it

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Automated Incident Communications

During major incidents, Heed delivered proactive and highly visible alerts to impacted users, improving transparency and user experience.

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Gated Communications

Automated alerts could be reviewed, edited or redistributed before sending ensuring governance and compliance.

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ServiceNow Integration

Bi-directional messaging and omnichannel alerts ensured coverage for users without desktop access. Find out more about Heed's Service Now integration.

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The Impact

By embedding Heed into both corporate communications and ITSM workflows, Willis Towers Watson achieved:

• Faster incident response visibility
• Improved employee awareness
• Reduced missed approvals
• Measurable engagement
• Improved end-user experience during outages

Heed became a governed, targeted enterprise communication channel operating at global scale.