IT service management (ITSM) is a set of policies, processes and procedures for managing the implementation, improvement and support of customer-oriented IT services. Unlike other IT management practices that focus on hardware, network or systems, ITSM aims to consistently improve IT customer service in alignment with business goals.
ITSM encompasses multiple IT management frameworks that can apply to centralized and de-centralized systems. There are multiple frameworks that fall under the ITSM discipline, and some address unique industry-specific IT needs, including those in healthcare, government or technology. Businesses using ITSM consider IT as a service, with a focus on delivering valuable services to internal and external stakeholders, rather than a department that manages technology.
What does ITSM do for your business?
ITSM offers various frameworks for businesses to create management standards around IT services and customer service practices. It encompasses quality management, software engineering, change management, information security management as well as popular management framework standards like ISO 9000, ITIL and ISO/IEC.
It isn’t so much what ITSM can do, but what businesses can do with the frameworks that live within the ITSM discipline. They are designed to bring organization and structure to service-oriented IT departments, aligning IT goals with business needs and goals. It’s used as a guide to help businesses effectively align IT goals and business goals, especially for companies that are customer-focused. If your company has already embraced change management for any changes, you’re already on the path to building an ITSM environment – it’s all about improvement and growth in processes, services, products and software.
One primary discipline that falls under ITSM is the service desk which acts as a hub for users and customers to contact well-trained staff to manage issues in an organized and coordinated manner.
ITSM tools are designed to regulate how IT services are delivered within a company, based on budgets, people, processes, and outcomes. ITSM tool ideally should contain the following at least:
- Incident management
- Internal ticketing
- IT service models
- Asset management tools
- License management
The service desk is viewed as a primary IT function in ITSM to provide a SPOC to accommodate and manage users, IT staff, customers and IT objectives. An IT service desk, call center or help desk is the central hub for incident tickets, service requests, questions, internal issues, client and customer service and more.