Global IT Bar Program

San Francisco · New York · London · Singapore

Overview

The goal of the IT Bar initiative was to establish a consistent, modern, employee-friendly support experience across all major corporate offices—San Francisco, New York, London, and Singapore. The IT Bars serve as physical, walk-up support stations where employees can quickly receive help with devices, onboarding, technical issues, and day-to-day productivity blockers in a warm and approachable environment.

The program was designed to improve operational efficiency, reduce ticket volume, and create a human-centered, frictionless support experience globally.

Challenges

1. Global consistency across four regions

Each office had different layouts, employee workflows, peak hours, and cultural expectations. Creating a unified support experience required alignment across Workplace, IT, and regional leads.

2. Physical layout and space limitations

Some offices (like NYC and London) had limited physical space for an IT Bar.
Others (like SF) required a larger footprint to support employee volume.

3. Balancing warmth with security + professionalism

The IT Bars needed to feel friendly and welcoming, while still respecting:

• device-handling processes

• privacy expectations

• security best practices

4. Cross-functional coordination

Implementing a global program required alignment across:

• IT Support

• Workplace/Facilities

• Security

• Procurement

• HR

• Regional office managers

5. Standardizing tools, processes, branding

Each office previously handled walk-ups differently. The program needed:

• standardized signage

• consistent workflows

• unified hours

• universal accessibility guidelines

• clear intake + triage methods

What We Did

1. Designed the IT Bar service model

Created a consistent approach for:

• what services an IT Bar provides

• how employees check in

• how issues are triaged

• how devices are handled

• escalation pathways (IT / Security / Engineering)

2. Defined space layouts & environmental design

For each office, tailored the physical space to optimize:

• walk-up flow

• visibility of the IT Bar

• queueing / waiting

• privacy for device troubleshooting

• accessibility

Kept branding light and modern to match the company identity.

3. Standardized global signage & visual cues

Designed a universal set of:

• signage

• microcopy

• wayfinding markers

• “how to get help” visuals

• operating hours templates

So all IT Bars felt like one unified program.

4. Created operational documentation & training

Wrote and deployed:

• the IT Bar Runbook

• service-tier expectations

• device-handling SOPs

• employee-support workflow

• escalation playbooks

• after-hours support flow

Ensured that technicians globally followed the same procedures.

5. Partnered with Workplace & Security

Collaborated to ensure:

• compliant device storage

• secure handling of BYOD

• seamless coordination with building security

• badge access & workstation placement

• privacy considerations for sensitive support cases

6. Launched pilot → rolled out globally

• Started with SF as the pilot

• Collected feedback on layout, workflow, signage, employee experience

• Applied learnings to NYC, London, Singapore

• Standardized the global IT Bar model post-deployment

Impact

1. Consistent employee experience globally

Employees in any office know exactly where to go, what to expect, and how support works.

2. Faster issue resolution

Walk-up support reduced ticket creation for simple issues, freeing IT to focus on complex problems.

3. Higher employee satisfaction

Feedback showed employees found the IT Bar:

• more approachable

• easier to use

• more efficient than previous support models

4. Reduced friction between IT and Security

Clear shared workflows meant:

• better device-handling

• fewer handoff delays

• improved coverage during onboarding cycles

5. Strong branding and presence

The IT Bar became a recognizable and reliable support resource across all offices.