Service Management (ITSM) defines how IT teams deliver service to customers. It includes the design, creation, and delivery of IT services as well as technical support. It is an integral component of customer satisfaction in the technology industry.

CIOs must take a central role in ITSM delivery. They must ensure their services are meeting customer and quality standards. This article will serve as a guideline for ITSM services in today’s evolving tech landscape.

What is ITSM?

In most circumstances, ITSM is a three-step process as follows:

1. Build and implement IT technology
2. Create and enforce the best processes
3. Ensure staff and users follow the best processes

The core processes of ITSM include:

• Service Request Management: This process requires developing standard procedures for customer requests including access to software and hardware.
• Knowledge Management: Knowledge management involves creating, sharing, and using the company’s knowledge to achieve key goals.
• IT Asset Management (ITAM): ITSM oversees the company’s assets ensuring they are accounted for, maintained, deployed, and updated as needed.
• Incident Management: This process involves responding to incidents and ensuring systems are in working order.
• Problem Management: Problem management involves looking at the underlying causes of incidents to prevent them in the future.
• Change Management: This process ensures that changes are handled properly to minimize risks and resolve issues.

What are the Benefits of ITSM?

• Ensures teams are focusing on business priorities and meeting key metrics
• Encourages collaboration
• Presents a streamlined project management approach
• Empowers teams to make decisions and improve processes
• Improves customer service
• Provides a quick response to incidents and minimizes risks

Adapting ITSM to Today’s Evolving Landscape

These guidelines are basic and extremely adaptable. Leaders must encourage teams to adapt policies to ever-changing customer and industry needs. Here are some ways they can motivate teams to roll with the changes.

• Empower Teams: Leaders must make teams feel empowered to make decisions. They can determine which technologies to implement in various situations. They should have the freedom to pivot when necessary.
• Create a Unique Framework: You can read up on adaptable ITSM or look at other company practices, but the process is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Companies can get inspired by the ITIL (Information of Technology Infrastructure Library) and similar frameworks, but they must further adapt them to suit their individual needs.
• Promote Collaboration: CIOs should encourage collaboration between teams, end-users, and departments. They must determine technology’s effects company-wide to arrive at the best solutions.

Choosing the Best ITSM Frameworks

Companies that choose the best ITSM frameworks will adapt well to evolving technology landscapes. The main options are ITIL and DevOps.

• ITIL: This most widely used technology helps companies adapt to transformation by integrating a flexible approach. It allows companies to develop a holistic, customer-centered framework based on collaboration, simplicity, and feedback. Some consider ITL rules as being too rigid, but teams that think of the framework as guidance will find simple, adaptable solutions.
• DevOps: DevOps emphasizes agility by encouraging collaboration between software development and IT operations teams. It allows companies to build, test, and release quality software at a faster pace. It focuses on continuous development and augmented delivery that moves away from silos.

The Impact of AI and Automation

AI and automation play a major role in the evolving ITSM landscape. Here are some ways your company can make the most of its offerings.

• Automates Mundane Tasks: Teams are often weighed down by mundane tasks that interfere with their ability to adapt technology accordingly and make wise company decisions. AI automates many of these tasks to free teams up to focus on more pressing concerns.
• Provides Valuable Statistics: Companies can use AI-generated data to determine how their ITSM benefits their organization. They can measure its effects on productivity and customer satisfaction. They can identify weak spots and improve accordingly.
• Improves Customer Service: AI can be incorporated into ITSM to improve customer service. For example, chatbots can be used to provide answers to clients when service reps are unavailable. Incident categorization helps teams understand why incidents occurred so they can identify trends. Intelligent ticket routing can ensure the right customer matters are handled by the most qualified service reps.

Want to learn more about maintaining an adaptable environment in your company? Sign up for our CIO newsletter today.