The Fast and Easy Guide to IT Service Management

Things to Help You Get Started with IT Service Management

IT Service Management (ITSM) is a method of managing information technology activities that focuses on providing excellent service to users or customers. ITSM is used for designing, planning, delivering, operating, and controlling Information Technology (IT) services that are managed by service providers or IT department.

The key purposes of ITSM are to align IT services with the needs of user, improve IT services quality, create an effective use of costs for IT management, support service quality, and increase customer satisfaction value. ITSM has several characteristics such as adopt a process approach to management, focus on customer needs, focus on IT services for costumers, and emphasize on continual improvement of IT services.

In addition, there are also four perspectives or attributes that could be used to explain ITSM which consists of people, partners, process, and product. People consist of customers, users, IT managers, and C-level management. Then, partners contain of service providers and external parties or suppliers. After that, process consist of methodology and ITSM policy and procedures. Lastly, product (technology) consist of tools, technology and IT products.

Key Benefits of ITSM Implementation

In disruptive era, companies need to proceed by using IT since the implementation of IT has helped organization in various sectors such as finance, human resources, sales, and procurement which causes a competition among existing businesses in giving added value to their products and services. Therefore, organization shall have a good implementation and management of information technology through processes, human resources, and IT in order to support business. ITSM implementation has proven to give many benefits to organization such as improve efficiency, better customer experience, and greater performance control.

First, ITSM could improve efficiency in organizations by helping them optimize processes and workflow as well as bring automation and set up important alerts which has resulted business to save time by decreasing manual effort and rework. Then, ITSM could also provides better customer experience through a better IT service. It helps organization to deliver the right value, guarantee the quality of IT service excellence, and understand the needs of customer. Lastly, ITSM could increases IT control and management in organization by using key performance indicator. These controls will provide insights into employees' actions and how they can optimize the ITSM processes in organization.

What is the Relationship Between ITIL and ITSM?

ITSM is a method for designing, planning, delivering, operating and controlling information technology (IT) services that focus on providing excellent service to users or customers. Meanwhile, IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is an ITSM framework used as a tool to support the ITSM implementation in companies that provides a very broad framework to describe the entire ITSM. It also contains of a comprehensive and consistent documentation of ITSM best practices.

ITIL has gone through several updates and ITIL V4 becomes the latest version of ITIL which complements the ITIL V3. ITIL V3 itself consists of IT management lifecycle divided into ITIL Service Strategy, ITIL Service Design, ITIL Service Transition, ITIL Service Operation, and ITIL Continuous Service Improvement. Nowadays, ITIL is used in ITSM due to its complete and structured stages that could manage all IT components and end-to-end process of IT services consist of IT configuration items, software, hardware, application, infrastructure, network, IT resource, IT supplier, IT budgeting, IT planning, IT flow processes, IT reporting, IT performance control & monitoring incident & problem IT, IT risks, IT security, IT service guarantee, and quality of IT services.

5 Steps to Implement IT Service Management

ITSM implementation is necessary for improving the IT processes. It encourages IT team to create a more structured approach to service management, increase IT organization transparency, and implement new functions that drive customer satisfaction. In order to implement ITSM in organization, there are five steps needed to be implemented.

1. Document the current process and understand stakeholder expectations: This involves assessing the existing IT processes and determining what stakeholders hope to achieve with the ITSM initiatives before planning begins.
2. Conduct a gap analysis: Identify the differences between the current state of operations and the desired future state that aligns with the ITIL standard. This includes figuring out the tasks required to close the gap.
3. Design a roadmap: Create a plan that outlines the priorities for changes and provides perspective on the implementation process. This roadmap should be updated regularly.
4. Put the plan into action: Implement the roadmap based on the established priorities. This step includes communicating progress and expectations to stakeholders.
5. Conduct a review: Check if the goals of the implementation were achieved and if the process went according to plan. Ensure corrective actions are implemented for continuous improvement.

Conclusion

If the implementation of ITSM has been carried out properly in organization/company, then the quality of service, customer satisfaction, and company performance will function optimally in line with the goals and vision of company’s business.

To gain these benefits and truly advance your service management capabilities, explore our comprehensive ITSM Maturity Assessment with ITIL service.

Reference:

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itsm-needs-evaluation/