Using the BMC Helix Digital Workplace guest portal for self service
The BMC Helix Digital Workplace guest portal allows users to access self-service features without prior registration. A guest portal serves as a user-friendly gateway to information, services, and resources without requiring users to log in or disclose their personal identity. It is designed to provide stakeholders with easy access and quick transactions for public services. The anonymous access to the guest portal could be an opportunity for guests to experience the organization's portal, boosting brand exposure.
Within this guest portal, Employee Navigator enhances the self‑service experience by allowing users to submit service requests, and search for information from website, through chat or search.This capability makes it easier for users to find answers on their own instead of navigating multiple pages, and reduces Support queries.
Employee Navigator is available from catalog pages, search views, and the chat panel, and offers a focused set of features for quick interactions. Each session supports up to 20 questions, and users can start a new session whenever they need more help.
Guest portal overview
Guest users can access the portal directly via the URL without logging in with any credentials.
The following image shows an example of a guest portal interface.
The following image shows an example of the guest portal welcome screen.
The following user roles are involved in the guest portal administering and usage:
- Super administrator—Assigns company to configure the guest portal.
- Guest administrator—Configures the guest portal URL, customizes appearance, and sets up the guest portal for the guest users.
- Guest users—Access the portal anonymously to submit requests without registration and find useful information in the helpful how-to articles.
How guest portal is different from the external portal
External portals allow users outside an organization to access specific information, services, or applications typically used by business partners and customers. External users log into the portal with their own credentials and submit the requests. For example, contractor employees log into the organization's external portal to submit requests for workplace allocation or IT assets.
The guest portal does not need any credentials to access it. The guest portal provides public access to specific information and limited services that are common and do not need registered users or disclose personal identity. For example, parents can access the school guest portal and send a request for the new admissions and fee structure, or citizens can post a request for fixing malfunctioning streetlights on the local government's public portal.
Scenarios
Guest users can use the public portal to independently access information, submit service requests, or report concerns by engaging with the portal’s self‑service options or by asking questions directly through Employee Navigator.
Requesting admission‑related details using Employee Navigator
Paul, a guest user, wants information about the school admission process for his child. Instead of browsing through multiple pages on the guest portal, he opens the chat and asks:
What documents do I need to submit for my child’s school admission?
Employee Navigator responds with the required document list and offers to initiate a service request for admission assistance. During the process, Paul provides details such as his child’s name and his contact number. After submitting the information, he receives confirmation that a service request has been successfully created.
The school administration team then reviews the request and follows up either by emailing the next steps or calling Paul directly to guide him through the rest of the admission process.
Requesting fee structure information
Paul, a guest user, visits the school's public portal and accesses the BMC Helix Digital Workplace guest user console. As a parent of a prospective student, he wants to understand the fee structure before moving forward with the admission process. However, he cannot find detailed information about the fees on the website, so he decides to submit a request for the fee structure.
He navigates to the the studio page named Parent Support and finds the catalog service Request Fee Structure.
Actions on the portal:
- Paul opens the Request Fee Structure request.
- He enters the following details in the questionnaire:
- Grade: 5
- Description: I would like to know the complete fee breakdown, including tuition fees, transport, and other applicable charges for Grade 5.
- Preferred Mode of Response: Email/ phone
- Paul submits a request without registering with any credentials and receives acknowledgement.
Posting a request anonymously in good faith
Bill, a vendor who regularly delivers office diaries to the procurement department encounters unprofessional and rude behavior of the housekeeping staff member frequently. Feeling disrespected, the vendor believes that such behavior can undermine the company's professional environment. With concern about maintaining a respectful workplace for both visitors and employees, the vendor decides to report the incident in good faith through the company's public guest portal.
Actions on the portal:
- Bill opens the Feedback and suggestions service available on the company's portal.
- He enters the following details in the questionnaire:
- Date
- Location/ Department details
- Feedback description
- Suggestion for improvement (Optional)
- Contact for correspondence (Optional)
- In order to foster a respectful and positive environment, Bill submits a complaint anonymously in good faith through the company's guest portal without having to register.
Capabilities available to guest users
| Supported | Not supported |
|---|---|
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To submit service requests from the guest portal
The guest portal offers limited service requests that can be made anonymously.
- Click the guest portal URL and access the BMC Helix Digital Workplace console for the guest users.
- From the Catalog page, search for the service request that you want to submit.
- Open the required service and click Request Now.
- Fill in the details and respond to the questionnaire.
- Click Submit request.
To view the privacy policy
- Click the profile thumbnail icon.
- Click Privacy Policy to view the privacy policy description.
Click here to expand...
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause |
|---|---|
After clicking the guest portal URL, it shows the following error message: This site has been temporarily disabled by the administrator. Please try again later.
| The URL might have been temporarily disabled by the administrator due to configuration changes. As a result, guest users cannot access the portal during this time. Once the guest administrator completes the updates and enables the URL setting, guest users can access it again. |
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