Freshworks is reshaping IT service management by using artificial intelligence to not only speed up responses but also measure true productivity gains for enterprises including mid-sized companies like Seagate and New Balance.
- AI shifts focus from response speed to employee productivity in service desks
- Freshworks supports mid-sized firms transitioning service operations with AI
- New tools enable custom AI workflows and multi-vendor agent management
What happened
Freshworks has significantly expanded its AI-driven IT service operations platform, attracting mid-sized customers such as Seagate Technology and New Balance Athletics. CEO Dennis Woodside described efforts to consolidate fragmented service data into a single enterprise-grade system to enable these organizations to compete with larger enterprises.
At the Freshworks Refresh event, executives revealed new capabilities including experience level agreement (XLA) analytics, designed to measure whether AI enhances employee productivity rather than just response time. The platform also supports IT teams by automating routine tasks, allowing skilled workers to engage in more complex projects.
Why it matters
The transformation of service operations through AI addresses a fundamental shift in performance metrics. Traditional measures based on response time are becoming obsolete because AI can deliver instant responses. Freshworks’ XLA framework offers a new approach by assessing the impact of those responses on worker efficiency and satisfaction.
Additionally, the introduction of tools like Freddy AI Agent Studio and MCP Gateway lets organizations build custom AI workflows and integrate models such as Claude or ChatGPT within existing platforms. This helps IT departments manage increasingly complex environments involving multiple vendors and automation agents, thus maximizing operational agility.
What to watch next
Ongoing adoption of AI in IT service operations will require organizations to develop clear productivity metrics to justify investments. Analysts warn against deploying AI solutions indiscriminately without targeted goals. Freshworks’ new analytics capabilities aim to help businesses avoid this pitfall by providing actionable insights into AI-driven productivity gains.
Future developments will likely include expanding AI oversight features that enable IT teams to orchestrate diverse agents and workflows on a unified platform. Monitoring how businesses balance automation with human expertise and how Freshworks evolves its no-code environments will be key indicators of sustained momentum in this space.