How to Implement IT Service Management in Your Organization

In today’s fast-paced digital environment, companies need to keep up with all of the emerging trends. Customer service remains key for a lot of organizations, and IT service management is a practice that you should consider if you want to centralize, optimize and automate your business processes.

Also known as ITSM, IT service management is how IT teams manage the end-to-end delivery of IT services to their customers. This also includes processes and activities related to the overall design, creation, deliverability, and support of those IT services. At its core, ITSM holds the belief that IT should be delivered as a service, which is why it is also common among professionals looking for IT outsourcing solutions.

Let’s give an example – let’s say you have a problem with your work laptop, specifically an issue with your software. Instead of dealing with it yourself or having someone from your team handle it, you would create a ticket and send it to the IT support team. That is a basic example of how ITSM centralizes and automates important processes. But how do you implement IT service management for the whole organization?

Step 1: Define your IT strategy and all of its layers

The first step is to define your vision and strategy; specifically, your IT strategy and all of its initiatives. The key to proper IT service management is a systematic approach, wherein you measure and guide the progress of your ITSM implementation projects. 

The three domains of IT are of particular attention: front-end IT (technology systems, service operations, transition, etc.), middle IT (processes and operational workflows), and back-end IT (administrative/data capabilities, analytics, monitoring, business intelligence, AI, etc.). Taking these domains into account helps you visualize and orchestrate a proper IT service management plan.

Step 2: Carefully choose your ITSM software and tools

Nowadays, there are plenty of IT service management tools to choose from; however, not all of them are the same. Revisit the step above to see which tools cover your primary needs and ensure everything is compatible with the system you are using.

Choosing the right ITSM software is critical, as the service desk is among the main foundations of ITSM. That is why we recommend looking for ITSM tools that are:

• Easy to use: Tools that come with a clean and intuitive self-service portal and dashboard make it easy for everyone to request help or track processes
• Promote collaboration: Your ITSM tools need to be organized in a platform that enables people to work together and resolve things quickly.
• Meet your needs: Ultimately, your tools and/or software need to support your business and align with its model.

Make sure your chosen tools include updates and identify which version of the framework is supported. Ensuring these details are correct will help you build more agile processes which are tailored to your specific needs. If you are looking to hire a specialized IT service management consultant or outsource to an agency, you should follow the same approach, carefully look at the services they provide, and determine how they will help you run a more tech-efficient business.

Step 3: Communicate And Train

Once you set things in place, create the metrics that you need to follow, and make sure that your ITSM tools are compatible and ready, think about training. Studies show the key reason for IT project failure is lack of training, which is why your ITSM implementation needs to be impactful and communicated on every level in the organization.

Consider your IT service management strategy as more than just another software implementation project. Make sure to communicate and describe it as a technology-driven initiative that will significantly improve the way your entire workforce operates.

Step 4: Automate

As we mentioned in the beginning, automation is a key benefit of ITSM. However, it is also a phase that comes only once everything is properly set up and everyone understands the concept of IT service management. 

Automating small and redundant tasks frees up your employees to be more productive and focus on more important actions. For instance, your employee heading up VoIP network solutions can now rest assured knowing you have a team of IT professionals monitoring that, leaving them to focus their energy elsewhere. The key to proper IT service management is allocating work properly by having all IT operations provided by experts.

Summary

IT service management is an initiative that prioritizes the team by removing redundant IT tasks from their plate. It provides tools that help teams improve the way they work, all while helping them learn and improve. ITSM is at the forefront of many modern organizations, enabling employees and teams to operate quickly and efficiently.