For the majority of organizations deploying diverse types of IT services is a prime need nowadays. This is what companies belonging to sectors like retail, healthcare, insurance, FMCG and others need to do for survival. These IT related services have become integral to operations and activities including sales, advertising, customer relationship management and promotional activities etc. To ensure such wide range of IT services properly, these organizations resort to ITSM. IT Service Management is the deployment and management of IT services in a systematic and planned manner which is meant for helping the businesses meet their objectives. IT service management is deployed by skilled IT service providers and they use a mix of process, people and technology.
Nuances of ITSM
Broadly speaking, ‘IT services’ is an umbrella term that covers a lot of technologies, assets and services in a company. For instance, IT services cover stuff like computer peripherals, networking, software, cloud service and more. The ITSM team handles all nuances related to these and they are also responsible for troubleshooting problems and fixing any issues related to these. They make use of different ITSM frameworks/tools to meet their objectives. Popular ITSM frameworks include Six Sigma, TOGAF, The COBIT framework, Microsoft Operations Framework.
Implementing ITSM in an organization
With time, deployment of ITSM in a company has changed drastically. Gone are those days when the IT team handling ITSM used to rely on hardware peripherals and standalone software to manage their work. With internet speed and access improving by leaps and bounds, Cloud-based ITSM solutions have become increasingly popular. It is more manageable and cost effective-eventually. The companies often resort to ITIL– an industry-accepted framework of guidelines to deploy ITSM effectively.
Need to tweak and customize ITSM
While deployment of ITSM is essential, it is important to understand it should not be deemed as a static or fixed formula! With the evolution of IT technologies and changing customer needs, ITSM needs to be modified as well. You may start with an out-of-the-box ITSM solution but over time- necessary modifications have to be made. Without the necessary modifications made to the ITSM strategy- your company will not get the desired output- as it is. So, you need to know the best ways to revamp the ITSM strategy for your organization. The strategy may include modules like problem management, incident management, change management, service catalogue and more.
Top ways to revamp/tweak your company’s ITSM strategy
When you want to tweak and improve the existing ITSM strategy of your company, thinking from the perspective of the end users is crucial. After all, the strategy is being deployed to fulfill their expectation and needs in a better manner. It is also important that the processes of ITSM deployment in the organization are not too complex and the employees are able to run and handle processes without hurdles.
Below listed are the top ways to tweak the ITSM policy of your organization.
-
Effective and seamless monitoring – In almost every ITSM tool/framework, there is some option to keep monitoring the processes and overall workflow. As the organization grows and more processes are deployed in the workflow, the provisions for monitoring processes in the ITSM system should be enhanced. This will ensure the employees can attain the ideal output and productivity is not jeopardized.
-
Simplification of process approvals and configurations – As it is, ITSM processes are handled in the organization by a dedicated team and the employees have to work in sync. The different departments have to collaborate as well. So the ITSM system should be simplified and tweaked from time to time to ensure the necessary access approvals and configurations remain simple. The employees should not have to spend much time in accessing a database or sharing information with other departments while using the system- for example.
-
Enhancing knowledgebase with relevant and updated content – You have to understand that customers have become smarter and more knowledgeable compared to the past! They can find queries to their basic answers by using online search using Smartphones or PCs easily. So, your company’s knowledge base and FAQ sections should be enhanced and updated from time to time. This is necessary to ensure the users get answers to their queries and do not feel irate or frustrated in the process.
-
Deploying SLAs – It is necessary that you make it clear to the customers regarding the extent of support they will get while seeking services from your company or buying products etc. This can be done by defining and clarifying SLA or Service Level Agreements. This essentially sets the expectation for your company’s end users. The IT team can also monitor if the services are being provided to the end users in a defined way.
-
Simplification and enhancement of support access – Every company deploying an ITSM framework or tool has means for the end users. However, it is important to ensure the ITSM tool offers multiple means for the users to access support from the company. Apart from IVRS, the system should include provisions for live chat and email-based support- for example.
-
Utilizing user inputs/views for betterment – Sometimes, you may not be able to understand issues faced by end users despite your best efforts to tweak the ITSM framework. So, taking their inputs and ideas to improve the experience and services is prudent. This can be useful for enhancing user interface or altering existing service request generation process.
-
Enhancing CMDB – The Configuration Management Database or CMDB can be described as a vast data repository used mostly for configuration management. This is, after all, a vital process of ITIL framework whose major functions are controlling, discovering as well as keeping track of IT assets and their configurations. For ITSM procedures like incident, change, release and alignment of those with business requirements- decisions have to be taken on current and accurate information. This is where the CMDB comes into the picture. This data helps IT managers and system administrators resolve problems better and respond to problems in an organized manner. They can also plan for upcoming company events and moves well. For example, troubleshooting a network outage affecting all computers in the company becomes easier when you know the servers and routers linked with those PCs. So, enhancing the CMDB helps in deploying ITSM and extracting the maximum.
-
New technologies – Enhancing the ITSM framework to make it capable of handling new and emerging technologies is must for staying competitive. The framework should be tweaked from time to time to meet diverse business and user needs. For instance, the users should be able to make service requests regardless of which Smartphone OS they use. Similarly, the framework may be enhanced to let users deal with interactive media elements without fuss.
Where it all leads to?
So, deploying ITSM is just not enough to improve company workflow and meet business objectives. Modification of the framework or tool is vital to ensure your business goals are met. The ITSM framework can be improved in many ways. Using inputs from end users is also important in this regard. Keeping the entire set of process simplified and adapting to the technological changes can also be necessary.