ITServiceManagementSoftware

IT Service Management (ITSM) is the Customer-Facing operation within internal IT organizations, usually comprising a Help Desk with second and third level support areas – e.g. Networks, Operations, Desktop Support, Security, Change Control etc. The IT Service Management Software to support Help Desks and Service Management has developed significantly over the last few years, with many organizations on their 3rd or 4th generation of Helpdesk or ITSM product. There are over 200 products available. These products vary considerably in functionality, from high-specification multi-purpose tools to single-user systems that simply log calls. These IT Service Management Software systems generally require significant integration with e-mail, alerting and monitoring systems. IT Service Management Software is a business application and most of the work required is process, communications and people-orientated.

A major function of IT Service Management Software is to collect and maintain comprehensive data on inventory, configuration, staff, SLAs, troubleshooting and network traffic. IT Service Management Software enables the IT staff to keep the information up-to-date and consistent, and to make it readily available across the enterprise. IT Service Management software can be located by various means. Few enterprises have no Service Management tools and many are considering replacing or upgrading those that are in use.

IT Service Management Software – Types: One way to look at this is that IT Service Management Software can fall into three broad groups:

• Service Management
• Infrastructure Management
• Application Management

IT Service Management Software ensures that services are defined and changed when necessary and provide support during other stages of services. Look for IT Service Management Software that conforms through your IT processes to your business processes. Don’t purchase a tool and expect that you can change the business or IT process to conform to the tool.

IT Service Management Software – Does Size Matter?

In a very small organization a simple in-house developed database a simple IT Service Management Software system may be sufficient for logging and controlling Incidents. However, in larger organizations, a sophisticated, distributed, integrated IT Service Management Software toolset may be required, possibly linking all the processes with event-management systems.

While tools can be an important Asset in today’s IT-dependent organizations, they are a means, not an end in themselves. When implementing Service Management processes, the starting point should always be looking at the way processes work and the need for management information. This provides the information needed to define the specifications for the tool best suited to assist the organization.

The range and sophistication of tools for IT Service Management Software has grown rapidly in recent years. Tools for the automation of core processes such as Incident logging and tracking have been supplemented by computer-integrated telephony, software capable of handling complex and multiple Service Level Agreements, and remote support technology. There are a myriad of these ranging from Interactive voice response to Rapid application development tools.

IT Service Management software – automation: Some areas of IT Service Management Software are too resource intensive to be performed effectively without automation. Each tool for the automation of Service Management has advantages and disadvantages but automation is still recognized as vital. It is necessary to ensure that the combination of technology, processes and people are integrated and meet the needs of the Customers. Well remember – automation should be used to enhance Service Management, not replace it.