Download full articleIf you have already worked in any Service Desk around the world, you have probably had to manage tickets in an ITSM tool. Even small companies or support teams benefit from such tools, mainly because there is a wide variety of options available on the market. However, I usually hear questions like: Why do I need ITSM software to run my incident management practice? What are the benefits? Is there any rule to choose the perfect one? Well, I hope I can help clarify, with this article, to those having these questions still unanswered.
In a fast-paced environment like IT/Incident Management, where the focus is to mitigate any impact to the business as quick as possible, not using an ITSM software to centralize and standardize your support would only increase the time to acknowledge or even the time to resolve your incidents, as the support team would have to get the issues reported by another way, like email or in person, which is impractical. In this case, ITSM software provides a way to receive the incidents, categorize by priority, keep all the history of actions taken, just to mention some aspects. So, software like this is a must if you want to provide quality support to your stakeholders and equip your team with a tool to control their work effectively.
Besides the benefits already mentioned, like history and priorities, there are many other advantages of using ITSM software to run your incident management practice, and I will focus on only two of them that play a pivotal role on the day-to-day operation: reporting and interaction with other practices.
If a company has an ITSM tool running Incident management, it is not uncommon that other modules are in place to cover different practices like Change Enablement, Problem Management or Service Request Management, and it’s crucial to be able to exchange information about incidents with these practices. Can you imagine running a problem management without information about the recurring incidents or with no visibility if a recently implemented change has generated incidents? These interactions are key to the success of any IT Service Management team. The second aspect is reporting and having the right information about your incidents (such as recurrency, duration, time to acknowledge and priorities, just to name a few). It is imperative to manage your practice by putting the right effort where it is necessary. Reporting is the compass that drives your actions within the incident management practice and ITSM software is a key aspect to accomplish it.
Therefore, if an ITSM software is so relevant, how to choose the correct/better one?
This answer would depend on many aspects, as there is no one-size-fits-all solution in this field, because each company has its own budget, maturity, specific needs that maybe some software will not deliver. It is important to realize that you probably don’t need the most robust and expensive software just because it gives you the feeling that it is going to resolve everything. An ITSM software solution helps manage incidents, but if your process is not well-defined, does not involve the right stakeholders, or lacks proper measurement, the tool is less likely to be effective. Also, you must be cautious to not fall in the trap of adapting your process to the tool, as it must be the opposite, and the software must enable you to handle your process like it is written. Remember: Never adjust your process to the ITSM tool, just because the software is currently not capable of something. Adapt the software and align it so that you have the features and support you need.
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Paulo Tourinho graduated from FATEC-Guaratinguetá college studying IT. Since then, he has built his career entirely in service management and was introduced to ITIL in 2009. At various other workplaces such as AT&T, British Telecom and Farfetch, Paulo was able to consolidate this knowledge and become an ITIL Managing Professional and ITIL Ambassador while using these concepts to deliver a unique customer experience. Paulo currently works with H.B.Fuller. He has contributed to the development of ITIL 4 and was a reviewer for the ITIL 4 Service Request Management publication. He is married with the love of his life with whom he has a little daughter.
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