What Is ITSM?

• ITSM Definition

  ITSM Definition

  IT service management (ITSM) is a tactical approach for effective management and delivery of IT services with an underlying goal of continuous improvement and value creation for customers.
• What is ITSM used for?

  What is ITSM used for?

  Outlined below are some IT service management practices organizations can implement and enact to standardize and streamline their IT offerings:

  Service request management: This ITSM practice is focused on supporting the agreed quality of service in an effective and user-friendly manner. Service requests have standardized procedures ranging from a simple system password reset to requesting access to a resource like a file or a folder. These requests are pre-defined with a formalized process for initiation, approval, and fulfillment.

  Incident management: In ITSM terminology, an incident is an unplanned interruption that obstructs routine IT operations or degrades services. Incident management requires building a cohesive strategy to identify and respond to such outages with the quick restoration of services, so it doesn't affect end users significantly.

  Problem management: This practice tackles the impact and likelihood of incidents by homing in on the actual and potential root cause while managing workarounds. While problems cause incidents, problem management helps teams investigate and analyze the problems to develop documentation, solutions, and long-term resolutions to prevent future occurrences.

  Change management: As a function of ITSM, change management enables businesses to effectively add, remove, or modify anything that could impact IT services. Change management or change control helps organizations respond to change requests by introducing standardized workflows and protocols to ensure risks across their environment have been assessed for changes to proceed.

  IT asset management (ITAM): This practice generally encompasses all hardware, software, networking devices, and non-IT assets involved in business operations. ITAM is intended to help organizations plan and manage the full lifecycle of devices and includes the acquisition, operation, care, and disposal of organizational assets.

  Configuration management: This ITSM practice aims to collect and maintain accurate and reliable information about the configuration of services and the configuration items (CIs) that support them. Cataloging CIs and their dependencies or relationships across the organization’s environment, especially in a configuration management database (CMDB), can heighten the visibility and understanding of problems or proposed changes to a team’s infrastructure.

  Knowledge management: This ensures on-demand availability of information and knowledge to stakeholders. As an ITSM practice, knowledge management involves the maintenance and continual improvement or review of knowledge and information to ensure its effectiveness and relevance.

  Capacity and performance management: This practice allows organizations to improve the availability of critical IT resources and ensure services address their ongoing and future needs. As part of ITSM, it supports service desk teams in addressing incidents and problems concerning capacity.

  Service level management: This creates a mutual agreement between IT service providers and end users regarding the minimum expected level of service and the types of services offered. These requirements are generally documented in a service level agreement (SLA), serving as a contract articulating the agreed-upon business targets for service delivery to be assessed, monitored, and managed against.
• What is an ITSM framework?

  What is an ITSM framework?

  Modern IT teams may look to various service management frameworks, such as ITIL and COBIT. These frameworks serve as a guiding resource and outline essential practices businesses should consider following for consistent, effective IT service delivery. Among these frameworks, ITIL is the most globally recognized framework for adopting and implementing ITSM practices. The central idea of ITIL is to focus on value and manage and deliver IT as a holistic service rather than a siloed function handled by multiple departments individually. The guiding principles of ITIL also promote collaboration and teamwork and can make employees more productive.
• What is ITSM software?

  What is ITSM software?

  IT service management tools streamline and automate the tasks vital for seamless management and delivery of top-quality IT services. These tools can manage multiple complex functions of modern IT services from a centralized location and enhance the productivity of the help desk and service teams. With ITSM tools, IT teams can avoid repetitive and mundane tasks, such as setting up a new user or addressing password reset requests, and streamline these activities. Standardizing service processes and addressing internal and external customer requirements becomes straightforward with such solutions. ITSM software enables organizations to continually improve their services, reporting IT activities to identify areas of betterment across the IT service lifecycle.

  The presence of multiple IT service management solution vendors in the market makes it challenging for businesses to pick the right solution. Ideally, consider an ITSM platform that’s:

  • Easy to set up and deploy: The ITSM tool should have an intuitive UI and easy navigation options. Consider a tool with self-service capabilities paired with robust reporting to help drive improvement and other key business initiatives.
  • Flexible: ITSM software should be able to integrate with a business’s existing technology systems. It should also be agile enough to support ongoing and future help desk, asset management, change management, and similar ITSM practices.
  • Promotes collaboration: Using separate, disjoint tools for various ITSM processes creates departmental silos and prevents cross-team collaboration. Businesses should consider ITSM tools that support the end-to-end delivery of IT services.
• What is the difference between ITSM and ITIL?

  What is the difference between ITSM and ITIL?

  IT service management (ITSM) refers to designing, operating, controlling, and delivering value, in the form of IT services to the customers. This encompasses practices from incident and change management to problem and knowledge management. ITSM encourages service providers to align their activities with strategic business goals and deliver value to users in the form of services.

  ITIL refers to the framework of recommendations and guidance for ITSM practices for organizations to adopt and follow. The overarching ITIL framework can help streamline delivery and heighten the efficiency of ITSM practices and workflows.