IT service management

In this article, you will learn:

What is IT service management?

IT service management (ITSM) allows an organization to maximize its business value by using information technology. They are activities performed by an organization to design, plan, deliver, operate and control the information technology services offered. It works from the original strategy through design, transition and live operation.

Why is IT service management essential?

IT service management is essential for a business to adopt for various reasons that would benefit them greatly in multiple aspects. The reason for companies to adopt ITSM is:

Before ITSM, there was a disconnect between the activities of the IT organization and public and private entities that usually relied on IT for support. Without a strong connection between business organizations and IT, there were a lot of problems that were arising like:

Organizations had to spend ample amounts of time addressing incidents and performing manual operational tasks, IT expenses were not justified, and the IT organizations also lacked transparency and focused on maintaining a static infrastructure that paid no heed to service delivery.

The use of ITSM was starting to get rid of all the problems in a process-oriented approach. It focuses on maintaining service agreements that enable the business to function well.

Benefits of ITSM processes

There are many benefits of the ITSM process. It helps you improve your business to a significant aspect in many ways, like:

1. - Lower costs for IT operations
  - Higher returns on IT investments
  - Minimal service outages
  - Ability to establish well-defined and manageable IT processes
  - Efficient analysis of IT problems to reduce any repeat incidents
  - Improved efficiency of IT helps desk teams.
  - Well-defined roles and responsibilities
  - Clear expectations on service levels and service availability
  - Risk-free implementation of IT changes.
  - Better transparency into IT processes and services

Why does your business need ITSM?

Beyond the various benefits it provides, ITSM has become a crucial part of any organization. It takes a structured approach to service management that also increases transparency and accountability of the IT organization implementing new functions that drive customer satisfaction. There are many other reasons as to why one should use ITSM like:

It improves efficiency

IT service management helps organizations maximize their resources. A component or ITSM is IT asset management which is a set of processes used to optimize the life cycle of IT assets seeking out the most cost-effective strategies for asset procurement and disposition.

Risk-free implementation of IT changes.

When there are insufficient planned changes planned and implemented, it may cause an interruption in the business or its service. IT organizations make sure to implement changes and create changes with formalized roles, processes and policies. They work together and have clear transparent communication with their customers and make sure they approve of the changes based on their potential impact. They make sure to test any flaws with the changes in the design stage to avoid any surprises.

Improves accountability:

IT organizations improve accountability through standardization. It helps them enhance compliance with IT policies and procedures for delivering services. It standardized service delivery with businesses by implementing functions along with formal documented processes for providing each type of service.

Improves effectiveness

Organizations greatly benefit from the formalized systems when they are executed effectively. . Adoption of structured incident response can decrease your average response time allowing you to focus on crisis management that will help reduce the meantime to recover if a service interruption occurs. It increases effectiveness through processes of continuous service improvement.

Increases access and communication channels.

IT organizations that adopt IT service management improve access and communication between IT operators and the between the organization and business. This is done by establishing an IT service desk that acts as the point of contact between them. It supports processes like incident management, event management, and request fulfilment and ensures that every user has access to the support by going through appropriate channels.

Using ITSM to reduce cost

ITSM helps significantly in reducing operational costs. Adoption of IT service management allows IT organizations to scale their operations quickly without a need for excessive hiring due to the futures that reduce manual workload for IT operators. It helps automate repetitive tasks that one would have to do manually over and over again. It takes time away from problem-solving tasks on tedious and repetitive tasks like resetting a password. Automation saves time and improves employees retention rates.

A user can open a self-help portal or hatbox and enquire their difficulty and get an instant automated response reducing the need for someone from the desk service to do it manually. It reduces the need for employees in this aspect which is good. In case an employee had to quit working the trouble of training, another would also not be there as ITSM solutions automate repetitive tasks that reduce the time and money required to get the job done.

How to implement ITSM processes?

There are various steps to implementing IT service management processes that would help improve the effectiveness of your organization. Steps such as:

Auditing the current ITSM operations and identifying gaps:

Before implementing the IT service management processes, it is preferred to chalk out the organization’s goals to have something to work towards. IT services catered explicitly to it is crucial to identify areas where IT service management processes can be involved that should include the right people, relevant technology and profitable workflow. The awareness of what is at stake and potential risks along with strategies to recover should also be prepared in case of discrepancies.

Educating, communicating and involving stakeholders during the process:

It is essential to have an environment that is receptive to change. Such a domain can be created by ensuring that all stakeholders are convinced about the benefits of strategizing and implementing the IT service management processes. Communication with the people outside the implementation team is also essential through things like workshops and meetings to ensure that everyone involved is on the same page.

Outlining critical success matters and keeping tabs of KPIs and metrics:

While the ITSM implementation progresses, it is essential to monitor the IT help desk’s performance using metrics and KPIs. With built-in reporting capability, it can offer a performance analysis and help in the decision making as the reports contain high-level granular data. It is crucial to measure the relevant metrics like lost business hours, infrastructure stability, ticket volume trends, software asset utilization, incident response time, problem resolution time and more along with the right KPI to avoid wasting time on irrelevant ones.

Using relevant tools to automate processes:

It is essential to choose an IT help desk tool that fits your organization’s needs perfectly because it is highly unlike to use the functionality of all its features right away. So it is better to carefully choose a suitable tool that is customizable and flexible to match your current IT requirements with the possibility of scaling up in the future than to invest in one blindly. You have to find a tool that is practical, user friendly, includes integrations with other IT tools and is budget-friendly. It should also allow you to reach into only one place for the functions and not be scattered.

Developing feedback:

IT improvement can’t just stop with implementing. It needs to be continually developing so constructive feedback from end-users helps identify pain points, visualize their desired state, and build roadmaps for further improvement.

ITSM best practices

There are various ways to improve your IT service management practices like by:

1. 1. Putting your clients’ firsts
  2. Learning the frameworks
  3. Implementing timely
  4. Planning before purchasing
  5. Preparing for a culture change
  6. Automation
  7. Monitoring for improvements

Top ITSM metrics to measure:

As previously mentioned, it is crucial to focus on measuring the relevant metrics. The measurements can give you direction to the improvement of your activities. The measures of metrics are:

1. 1. Service availability
  2. Time to resolve
  3. First, call resolution rate.
  4. SLA breach rate
  5. User/customer satisfaction
  6. Cost per contact
  7. Net promoter score

What is an ITSM tool?

IT service management tools help regulate how IT services are delivered within a company based on its budgets, people, processes, environment and outcomes. The tools help better support the production environment. It facilitates tasks and workflows associated with the management and delivery of quality IT services.

How to select an ITSM tool?

There are certain things to keep in mind when selecting an IT service management tool.

1. 1. It is preferred if you don’t straight away start with a list of the available IT service management tools. The most crucial step is to assess what is required for your business and then make purchases catering to your needs.
  2. It is better to aim for a single corporate IT service management tool. The consistency of the ITSM process should be taken into consideration. It has to be made sure that it adds to the technology management overhead; otherwise, it’s just a waste of money.
  3. It is essential to differentiate between tools that are must-haves and tools that are the tie to have. Adequate tools need to be the ones that help progress your work.
  4. The integration with IT and business should not be taken into consideration.
  5. Scoring IT service management tool vendors beyond the offered tool functionality is also significant.
  6. Weighing your requirements correctly and adequately, is also vital.
  7. Let the primary users of the tool play a vital role in the selection of the device since it’s for them to use, and they might know what would suit the best.
  8. The relationship between the ITSM tool vendor is also an essential factor to consider for purchasing an ITSM tool.

ITSM vs ITIL

ITSM is the concept that refers to the activities, processes, policies, and procedures performed by an organization to design, improve, implement, and support IT services. It supports the management of information technology in organizations and delivers value to the customers.

1. - ITIL teaches best practices to implement ITSM while ITSM combines the use of that framework with various business perspectives to deliver quality IT services,
2. - ITIL is more focused on IT, while ITSM is more focused on businesses.
3. - ITSM is a methodology applied to manage services provided, whereas ITIL is the best practice framework of ITSM. It provides the necessary tools and techniques to deliver services.
4. - ITSM is over organizational implantation while ITIL is a collection of process standards that guide the delivery and support of IT services.

ITSM processes in the ITIL:

The ITSM process includes five stages based on the ITIL framework:

1. 1. Service strategy that includes strategy management, financial management, demand and capacity management etc.
  2. Service design that includes design coordination, risk management, service level management, capacity and availability management etc.
  3. Service transition that includes change management and evaluation, project management, knowledge management, release and deployment management
  4. Service operation that includes incident and request fulfilment management, problem management and technical management
  5. Service improvement that includes IT service review and process evaluation.

What is an ITSM certification?

ITSM certification gives you the upper hand in IT services management. Accomplishing a diploma in one of the five levels is of great value. You can also earn a certificate in all the levels if desired. It enhances your skills and helps you come to a better understanding of ITIL management.

To get ITIL certified, you have to take five exams at the end of your training course. It is possible to study privately if done so then you can book an exam without a training course via places like PeopleCert.

What is the future of ITSM?

The future of IT involves the improvement of customer service experience. The future for ITSM holds:

1. 1. It enhanced IT support. The future will bring a further expansion of IT to support, and the framework of ITIL will strengthen the ability to provide consistent support. ITSM will become the default way to reach the IT department.
  2. With the extensive use shortly increased use of automation will also be adopted, which would lead to a positive initiative and an increased deflection of tickets.
  3. The chatbot will be added. With significant growth and change in AI technology, chatbots will lend its support to supporting ITSM services.
  4. We have improved customer service with better speed, quality and cost.
  5. It increased AI adoption. This refers to specific AI technologies that supplement ITSM rather than AI as a whole since developing and implanting the adequate and right AI is the way to progress ITSM.

AI in ITSM:

AI had a massive benefit in ITSM consisting of AI as desk service agents performing a variety of tasks. AI helps IT meet the growing expectations of users in terms of faster service and the last, most efficient technology. AI leverages data and allows accelerated business performance.

The drawbacks of AI are:

1. 1. The lack of education since AI is not entirely developed yet there may be some unresolved bugs.
  2. It can have inconsistent data management.
  3. Sometimes people may use unauthorized apps to get things done faster, but that increases security risk in the workplace. Therefore, AI here raises the possibility of shadow IT.
  4. AI will not replace the humans but assist them. Just AI may lead to improper change management.

The accelerators of AI would be :

1. 1. Enterprise service management
  2. Knowledge management
  3. Digital transformation
  4. Agile frameworks
  5. Self-service culture

FieldEZ ITSM software:

FieldEZ is a hybrid service management solution that helps organizations manage their field operations through automated job scheduling and work order management. It can be deployed with on-premise or hosted in the cloud. It allows technicians to locate customers, diagnose problems and decide on the corrective action from their devices, and it also features ticket management, auto-scheduling and assignment.

FAQ:

What is an IT service management tool?

IT service management consists of tools that help regulate how IT services are delivered within a company based on its budgets, people, processes, environment and outcomes. The tools help better support the production environment. It facilitates tasks and workflows associated with the management and delivery of quality IT services.

What is a service management system?

A service management system can be described as a sizable modular system that can incorporate all or most aspects of a service-oriented organization.

What is the purpose of IT service management?

IT service management’s primary purpose is to make sure that the appropriate process, adequate technology and people and put in place to make sure the organization can achieve its previously set goals.

What is the best ITSM tool?

ServiceDesk Plus is considered the best ITSM tool in 2020.

What are the five stages of ITIL?

The five stages of ITIL are:

1. 1. Service Strategy
  2. Service Design
  3. Service Transition
  4. Service Operation
  5. Continual Service Improvement

What is the difference between ITIL and ITSM?

ITIL is the Information Technology Infrastructure Library that is defined as a framework with the best practices for delivering efficient IT support services. It aims for resource optimization and reviews existing processes to continue to improve. In contrast, ITSM is the concept that refers to the activities, processes, policies, and procedures performed by an organization to design, implement, improve, and support IT services. It supports the management of information technology in organizations and delivers value to the customers.

ITIL teaches best practices to implement ITSM while ITSM combines the use of that framework with various business perspectives to deliver quality IT services.

Is Jira an ITSM tool?

Jira Service Management provides ITIL problems, change and service management customizable templates.

What is the ITSM process?

The ITSM process would be referring to the process of designing, delivering, managing and improving IT services of an organization. It is focused on aligning IT processes and services with business objectives to help an organization grow.

Is ServiceNow an ITSM tool?

Yes, ServiceNow is an ITSM tool.cIt provides a modern, cloud-based silo-busting device management solution.