Created: 13 August 2021

The Complete Guide to IT Service Management

Do you know what IT service management is and what it entails? Read our complete guide to learn everything that you need to know about it.

Keyword(s): IT service management

The global IT service management (ITSM) market could grow by a CAGR of 18.2% between 2020 and 2027. More businesses are recognizing the benefits of utilizing managed IT services. Unfortunately, many business owners are unfamiliar with ITSM.

They're missing an opportunity to set their business up for lasting growth and success.

Are you considering taking IT Service Management courses this year? Here's everything you need to know about ITSM. After reading this guide, you can determine if IT Service Management certification is exactly what you need.

You can set yourself apart from other IT specialists and provide companies with the value they're searching for.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about ITSM today.

What is IT Service Management?

First, let's answer the question that likely brought you here: what is IT Service Management?

ITSM involves designing, delivering, and managing the IT services an organization needs. You can improve a company's current IT processes to benefit its bottom line. You can also align their IT processes with their business objectives.

Then, you can determine which IT services a business needs to set itself up for lasting growth and success. 

The ITSM processes you use can pave the way for better IT services. You can help a business improve over time.

ITSM Processes

ITSM processes usually involve five core stages: 

• Strategy
• Design
• Transition
• Operation
• Continual improvement

The service strategy stage will form the foundation for the organization's ITSM process. You'll define the services the organization will need. Then, you can develop the required assets to keep the process moving.

You'll first need to assess the company's marketing, offerings, and competitors. Gathering this research can help you better develop a customized strategy for the company.

You'll also manage the organization's IT budget.

It's important to determine the potential demand for the defined IT services. Then, you can make sure the company has the capacity to meet customer needs.

Once you understand the customers' needs, you can develop the right services and meet the customers' requirements. You can maintain a positive relationship between the company and its customers. 

The service design stage involves designing the IT services a company will need.

You'll manage the designs to ensure services are consistent and effective. You'll also need to maintain a service catalogue. The catalogue provides information specific to the company's IT offerings and status.

You can also complete a risk assessment to identify potential risks. Identifying risks early on can help you plan potential workarounds. 

Service transition involves building and testing IT services and processes. This stage ensures the processes flow properly. It also ensures you remain proactive and ensure the designs don't cause potential disruptions.

The service operation stage involves implementing the new designs into a live environment. There's still the chance you'll encounter a few hiccups. You'll need to monitor the processes and workflows to continue making improvements. 

Continual service improvement involves tracking your key performance indicators (KPIs). Tracking KPIs can ensure you're meeting goals and objectives.

You'll continue finding areas for improvement and new development, too. The latest customer needs, demands, and feedback can lead to future developments. 

The Benefits

How can companies benefit from an efficient IT service management process?

Every business requires IT service management to some extent, whether they're a small business or a huge corporation. ITSM ensures any problems or changes are properly managed. Proper management can help businesses avoid incidents down the road.

Otherwise, these incidents could cause unnecessary downtime. Downtime can impact a company's productivity and bottom line.

Customers might get frustrated, too. The company might lose loyal customers, impacting their customer retention rate and ROI.

Instead, they can benefit from managed IT services and utilize best practices. With ITSM, businesses can:

• Minimize service outages
• Lower IT operational costs
• Improve the ROI on their IT investments
• Analyse IT problems to avoid repeat incidents
• Establish roles and responsibilities for their IT team
• Improve the IT help desk team's overall efficiency
• Implement IT changes risk-free
• Develop better transparency into IT services and processes
• Establish defined, repeatable, manageable IT processes
• Establish clear expectations regarding IT services

ITSM can benefit businesses, end-users, and help desks.

Business Benefits

Businesses will have the ability to modernize and enhance their IT service deliverability. Their worker and process productivity will rise. Meanwhile, they can reduce unplanned downtime, which also reduces unnecessary costs.

Businesses will have an easier time adhering to industry regulations, too. Meanwhile, they can improve their accountability for offering high-quality IT services.

End-User Benefits

End-users rely on fast, simple incident resolution and service request fulfilment. Otherwise, frustrations can rise.

ITSM can help automate ticket routing and assignment. It can provide live status updates, too. End-users can benefit from a streamlined, defined process as a result.

They'll have an easier time finding solutions to their problems and requests.

Improving the user's experience can improve customer satisfaction. The company's ROI could rise as a result. In fact, there's an 80% increase in revenue for businesses that improve the customer experience.

Help Desk Benefits

ITSM can benefit service desk teams, too. With ITSM, you can improve transparency and visibility. The help desk will have an easier time tracking IT processes as a result. 

When the IT service staff can function effectively within their roles, they can improve the customer experience as well. 

Creating a formalized knowledge base and service catalogue can boost transparency. It can also create defined processes for resolving future incidents. The documentation can reduce errors and minimize guesswork.

The help desk staff will have an easier time completing their work. Meanwhile, companies can reduce costs by hiring fewer employees. 

IT Service Management: Your Guide to Organization Growth

To recap, what is IT service management? ITSM can help businesses improve the workflow of their IT processes. They could set their businesses up for overall growth as a result.

Consider earning your IT Service Management certification. You become a valuable asset to any organization. You'll gain the skills you need to stand out as an applicant, too.

Ready to start taking ITSM courses? You came to the right place.

Explore our courses and enrol today to get started.