What is ITSM and How Can It Help Your Business?

The Basics of ITSM 

What is ITSM and how can it help your business? As you know, data and technology are continuing to expand into all aspects of business. IT services are a part of small and large companies across the globe. But not every IT department feels empowered to create positive change in their organization. And the IT users may not feel like their IT needs are being met. 

It’s in these crosshairs where ITSM, or IT Service Management, comes into play. ITSM refers to a system set up by an organization to determine how IT services are deployed to increase customer/end user satisfaction in conjunction with business goals. 

That’s a complicated definition! Put more simply, ITSM focuses on creating and implementing processes that benefit the customer instead of viewing technology and IT services as separate parts with individual goals. ITSM, as its name suggests, views ITSM as a service, not as a tool. 

The easiest way to sum up ITSM? Moving beyond putting out constant fires to proactive problem solving. 

The Components of ITSM 

ITSM is comprised of many moving parts. Think of all the digital services and electronic hardware that the typical office environment uses to complete a regular day of work: laptops, printers, email provider, user server, file sharing program, apps, keycards, etc. All those individual components should be a part of a larger, ITSM process. When the entire IT ecosystem is running based on best practices and everyone in IT is on the same page, ITSM is paving the way to serious benefits for an organization. 

How ITSM Can Help 

There’s a laundry list of ways that ITSM can benefit an organization: 

• Organizes and standardizes IT processes 
• Installs processes that documents and standardizes deliverables 
• Cuts down on costs for the organization 
• Increases efficiency of IT 
• Decisions are made on best practices and historical data 
• Manage expectations better 
• Minimize incidents 
• Improve customer satisfaction 

That is a serious amount of upside for an organization for implementing ITSM.  

How to Implement ITSM 

Seeing that list probably made you want to jump in and figure out how your business can implement ITSM and start reaping the rewards. You may be wondering why your business hasn’t already implemented ITSM practices. 

You’ll need to do some reflection and planning before you can implement a new IT standard within your organization. Ask yourself the following questions first: 

• Is your team mature enough to implement ITSM? Larger IT teams tend to get the most bang for their buck when it comes to overhauling and implementing ITSM. 
• Is the cultural shift necessary for ITSM to be successful achievable in your organization? 
• What is the ultimate issue that you are trying to solve for your organization? 
• Based on that, what kind of framework are you hoping to adopt? 

Your answers to the above questions will determine if ITSM is the right choice for your organization or if a few strategic changes will provide the results that you are looking for instead. Your organization may also be too new or have too small of an IT team to really implement the processes that lead to success.  

How to Select an ITSM Tool 

You may be thinking that you’ve never encountered an ITSM tool before. However, most of us probably have at some point in our time as application and software users. Have you ever submitted a support ticket? Service Desk software is an example of an ITSM tool. The service desk is a pillar of ITSM and acts as the Single Point of Contact for the IT team to interact with users. 

How do you select the right ITSM tool for your organization? Here’s another chance to reflect on your organization’s needs and determine the right tool for your IT team: 

• What problem are you trying to solve that you think would benefit from an ITSM tool? 
• What are your organization’s requirements for ITSM? 
• What are your/your organization’s expectations for an ITSM tool? 

Not sure where to start with the wide range of ITSM tools available? Here’s one list of the  Top ITSM tools for 2020: 

• BMC Remedyforce 
• Cherwell Service Management 
• Freshworks Freshservice 
• Ivanti Service Manager
• Atlassian Jira Service Desk

What about ITIL? 

If you’ve been dabbling in the world of ITSM, you’ve probably come across another similar acronym: ITIL. Although ITIL is a broad enough subject to write a separate book about, not just another blog post, you often see it come up when you’re reading about ITSM.  

ITIL, or IT Infrastructure Library, provides the resources, processes, and methods for enacting ITSM. ITIL is one of the most popular frameworks for approaching ITSM but they are not the same thing. It’s kind of like how a square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square. ITIL is a way to view ITSM, but not all ITSM is ITIL.  

Where to Start 

Not sure where to start? Is your head swimming with IT related acronyms?  

Oceanforce Solutions experts can help you review your organization’s ITSM needs and implement an actionable plan. Our experts can help you determine what solutions will be best for your organization and can help you get started or set up and implement the solution for you.