IT service management or ITSM refers to policies and practices for the implementation, delivery and management of IT services for end users. ITSM takes into account the needs of end users, who can be employees, business partners or customers, as well as the goals of the business.
One of the most widely used guidance frameworks in ITSM is known as Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). The ITIL framework looks at service strategy, service design, service transition, service operation, and continual service improvement.
With ITSM, companies can increase productivity and efficiency as outsourced IT services increase system performance and availability and reduce interruptions and disruption to business operations. ITSM can also increase compliance and reduce risk.
There are many advantages to IT service management and a company can benefit from these through managed IT support.
There are also several best practices when implementing IT service management and these are the top five practices.
IT solutions of all kinds implement strategies and plans that are based on accepted frameworks and policies in the industry. This is important, but so is an understanding of different ITSM frameworks or processes.
Service support, for instance, includes change management, configuration management, and release management, while service delivery includes capacity management, financial management, and availability management.
A framework like ITIL will look at these different elements and certification gives IT teams the necessary skills and knowledge to understand the different aspects of an ITSM framework.
As mentioned above, ITIL is one of the most widely used guidance frameworks but managed IT support need not be limited to ITIL. There are several other guidance frameworks and IT teams can use a combination of frameworks instead of using one in isolation.
A few other ITSM guidance frameworks that are used when providing IT solutions are Six Sigma, Business Information Services Library (BiSL), Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF), and Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies (COBIT).
If there are other ITSM frameworks available, should organisations still spend on ITIL certification? The answer would be yes, since it is always best to customise your implementation plan taking into account more than one framework. This is what makes IT service management successful.
ITIL certification consists of five levels and can benefit both employers and employees. Certification provides IT personnel with a valuable skill set and gaining the required certification and training when it comes to ITSM implementation can benefit organisations greatly.
IT help desk and similar software are key to providing tech support to the end user. With IT help desk software, users can troubleshoot problems, track their issues and access assistance on services and products.
An IT help desk can also simplify ITIL and other ITSM frameworks and is an essential tool for users.
However, it is also important to ensure your ITSM implementation aligns with the end user’s values and requirements. Whether your end user is an employee, customer or business partner, managed IT support must customise implementation plans to meet their needs.
This is an important practice followed across the industry, especially when it comes to outsourced IT services.
Any organisation would want to perfect their IT service management plan before implementing it. With outsourced IT services or managed IT support, a company can access the expertise they require, but perfecting an IT implementation plan may take time. Industry professionals suggest going by the 80-20 rule, whereby 80 percent of ITSM processes are useful and 20 percent of ITSM processes are vital.
This rule or practice allows IT teams to prioritise processes that are of highest value and ensure the implementation plan aligns with the end user’s requirements and business goals.
However, it is also important to keep in mind that ITSM requirements are not uniform across industries. ITSM requirements are unique to a business and can change from timeline to timeline. This is why it is considered a best practice to implement ITSM without waiting for the perfect plan or the perfect time.
This of course does not mean implementation should be haphazard. There are negative impacts of unorganised ITSM implementation and it is important that you avoid the repercussions of implementing a poorly developed ITSM plan.
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