Technology, data, and processes are everything in the modern workplace. As the number of systems has grown and the ability to connect them has become more complex, services become fragmented, resulting in failed service experiences. And, if service fails, work stops. Cherwell empowers organizations to improve service experiences and automate workflows using data from across contexts and business units. The company delivers a meaningful, measurable, digital service transformation, and it does so very quickly. Cherwell CORE, the company’s central software solution, is a purpose-built no-code development and delivery platform that serves as the logical foundation for Cherwell’s ITSM solution, Cherwell ESM solutions such as HR and Facilities, and custom-built workflow applications to meet a client organization’s requirements.
How has this pandemic shifted the way Cherwell operates, and how have your people responded to the crisis?
At Cherwell, some of the workforce worked remotely before the pandemic, and the company was able to transition to a fully global remote workforce within a week of the COVID announcements here in the US. The transition to remote working was simple due to our accessibility to collaborative software such as Zoom and Slack, as well as nimble leadership that was able to transition our teams quickly to the new way of work. With incredible teamwork striving to bridge the gap between in-person communication and online, our workforce has responded positively to the move to remote work.
When the crisis first occurred, executive leaders were quick to communicate with our workforce on a regular basis to keep them informed and engaged in the ever-changing environment. In particular, travel, IT, and logistics became topics for day-by-day updates.
Cherwell’s Communications and HR teams partnered to organize Virtual Breakroom meetings inviting all staff to allow them a point of engagement and connection outside of regular business meetings. The VBR program became a space to discuss relevant topics like IT tips and HR tips for remote working, as well as fun trivia, team spotlights, and more.
Cherwell began the move in mid-March and completed the transition to a fully remote workforce over one weekend essentially. From a business operations standpoint, Cherwell provided three new mergeable applications to our customers to help them with the transition to remote work. These included a crisis management app, a remote workforce app, and an application for when offices are ready to move back to the office.
What are you most proud of that Cherwell has achieved over the last few years?
The last two years have been pivotal for Cherwell as a great period of growth and change while adapting to new market opportunities beyond IT Service Management ($4M estimated addressable market) and into Enterprise Service Management ($30M estimated addressable market).
Most recently, in the first half of 2020, the company quickly addressed the needs of the suddenly remote workforce of its customers. In addition, initiated by CEO, Sam Gilliland, who took the helm in 2018, Cherwell began to bear the fruits of its own internal transformation process to integrate and automate work across the global company to scale while winning larger and more geographically diverse customers. The internal transformation project has produced some incredible results including achieving between 67-74% savings in the time it takes to onboard a new customer.
2020 opened with a bang as Cherwell launched a new major product release – Cherwell Service Management version 10.0. The innovative release was designed to expand the value of service management through enhanced user experience and more options for engagement. Cherwell’s also continued to enhance options for its customers with a growing stable of partners — from Channel and Service Delivery to Integrations with the Technical Alliance Partnership (TAP) program. 2020 also marked the introduction of the new Cherwell Marketplace hosting a range of applications from TAP partners, customers, and Cherwell adding an immediate expansion to the Cherwell core service management solution.
In 2019, Cherwell acquired a total of six top workplace awards including Best CEO for women, Best Company for Professional Development, Best Company Outlook, Best Marketing Team, and two best overall places to work recognitions. Add in a newly updated unlimited PTO policy and flexible work options, and our employees are reporting a happy, thriving environment where they can feel confident not just in their careers, but in themselves. The last 12 months have successfully propelled us forward to reach our company goals, and we cannot wait to see where the next 12 lead us.
How would you describe your workplace culture, and what attributes would you say contributed to your success amid the COVID crisis?
As a workplace, Cherwell is all hands-on deck. Although the organization has lost some in-person conversations and “watercooler” chats, at Cherwell, we made the most of working remotely from home. Our workplace culture is one built upon our four values of heart, hunger, humility, and honesty. Cherwell aims to be inclusive of all of the unique experiences and backgrounds our global workforce provides, and our workplace culture is a very flexible one. With weekly check-ins on Zoom with, the Virtual Breakroom opportunities, and even virtual happy hours, teams began creating a new type of culture while solely working from our screens. Our leadership has taken the approach of putting customer care and employee experience at the forefront of our business operations, meaning that our workplace culture is solely focused on the wellbeing of our teammates. That being said, Cherwell’s leadership is cautious to return to the office any time soon, recognizing that employee safety is of the utmost importance. The attribute of care is at the center of all that we do, caring for our people, our partners, our customers, and each other. That is what has helped our success in transitioning to a fully remote workforce amid COVID.
Are there any guiding principles that Cherwell lives by? How have these principles positioned you to have an edge over your competitors?
Our core values drive every moment, conversation, and piece of work we promote. Heart, hunger, humility, and honesty were the values Cherwell was founded on and what we continue to practice every day. In 2019 a Core Value Awards program was instated that occurs quarterly at each All-Hands meeting. This program serves to recognize nominated individuals within the company that truly exemplify one of our 4 values. It’s an opportunity for teammates to recognize their peers, and for executive leadership to see the day-to-day stories and differences that individual contributors are making.
When it comes to our role in the market, Cherwell position ourselves as a brand of care, modeling after our 4 H’s in all that we do with our customer community. Often, customers will report back to us saying how much they appreciate that our people care for them above all else. Cherwell is often categorized as a ‘nice company,’ and to us, that is the best competitive edge we need to be paired with our easily customizable and implemented no-code enterprise service management solutions. Cherwell stands out against competitors because we offer the greatest business value from a product standpoint, as well as the heart to see our customers through their digital transformation journeys.
What has been the biggest challenge for Cherwell to overcome as a business, and how did you rise to the occasion?
The greatest challenge for us as a business has been gaining relevancy amidst a sea of Silicon Valley tech giants. As a startup from a bit off the radar in Colorado, while experiencing rapid growth, the company has had to adapt and scale in many ways as an outlier for the area.
Thankfully, Cherwell’s sharp and adaptable leadership team is quick to hire the right people, make the right decisions, and take the necessary steps in growing our product to improve our awareness in the industry. In the last two years, Cherwell has been consistently recognized as a challenger or leader in many of the relevant industry reports including Gartner Magic Quadrant for ITSM, the Forrester ESM Wave, Info-Tech’s 2019 ITSM report, and more. Our leadership team recognizes the fine balance between innovating our no-code solution to be the best it can be while hiring the best people for the job to help direct that growth and innovation.
What are some of the best practices you and your staff do to stay connected, in general, and in times of crisis?
As we mentioned before, communication is the key to staying connected with our global workforce during times of crisis. Our leadership team is heavily engaged and responsive to the concerns and opinions of our employee base. When COVID hit, Cherwell’s Communications, HR, and IT leaders quickly partnered to provide weekly emails of status updates and tips for transitioning to remote work in addition to regular reassurance and direction from the top: our CEO. The development of a Virtual Breakroom program – promoted on Slack and conducted on Zoom – offered a light-hearted outlet for employees to engage with one another and stay connected. The culture is one that encourages the use of video when meeting virtually to stay better connected. Regular daily check-ins, and the flexibility for teammates who need a break, when juggling work from home, family, pets, and responsibilities, is encouraged. The company recognizes that one schedule fits all is not effective, and our culture supports our team members finding not just a work-life balance, but a proper work-life blend that suits their needs.
