At the recent IAITAM Annual Conference, Nelnet IT Manager for Infrastructure, David Peterson, and Onepak CEO Steve Andon shared how Nelnet tackled a major operational challenge: retrieving IT assets from a large, distributed workforce. If you missed the session, here’s a quick wrap-up.
Scaling asset recovery for a high-turnover, multi-site organization
With the majority of their 6,000 employees working remotely and close to 1,000 seasonal call center staff, Nelnet’s IT environment is large and complex. Following its acquisition of Great Lakes Higher Education—adding six locations across four states—managing IT assets became even more difficult.
At the time, Nelnet was using multiple disconnected systems to manage support tickets and asset inventory. Communications between IT, HR, and other departments were handled via email and spreadsheets, creating a patchwork process with limited visibility and accountability. The mailroom was struggling with sending out boxes and labels.
“We had systems—but not a process,” David explained. “It was very ad hoc.”
Streamlining Workflows in ServiceNow
While Nelnet was in the process of configuring their ServiceNow instance, the ReturnCenter.com platform served as a transition step to consolidate and streamline all their remote asset recovery activity in one online tool. Multiple users were provided access to the platform to access the ReturnCenter turnkey Box Program.
Once their ServiceNow instance was ready, Nelnet deployed the ReturnCenter App for ServiceNow, connecting IT asset recovery directly into its existing ServiceNow workflows. By pulling employee contact data from Workday and embedding return logistics into the offboarding process, ReturnCenter helped streamline coordination across the desktop support, IT asset management, and HR departments.
- Automated outbound shipping
- Tracking and routing integrated in ServiceNow
- Reduced handoffs and manual entry
“Integrating ReturnCenter saved time across IT, HR, and our mailroom, freeing up resources and reducing errors.” David shared. “We went from paper forms and Excel sheets to a unified, automated process that actually works,”
Better efficiency and resource alignment
Nelnet saw immediate gains:
- Faster asset return times
- Increased visibility for management
- Reduced backlog of termination tasks
- Freed-up capacity for IT and mailroom teams
- Improved accuracy and reporting
They even reallocated internal staff to support the return process more flexibly—without needing specialized IT knowledge.
“The ReturnCenter App allowed us to eliminate multiple manual handoffs and streamline our workflow within ServiceNow,” David said. “We finally got the process to a place that felt manageable,”
Why it matters
David summed it up best: “This process turned something that felt overwhelming into something we could finally get ahead of. ReturnCenter didn’t just make the process faster—it made it work.”
By automating remote IT asset recovery within ServiceNow, Nelnet created a streamlined, scalable process that serves both IT and HR in a hybrid work world.
Thanks to everyone who joined us live! If you’d like to learn more or see how ReturnCenter for ServiceNow could support your organization, contact us.