ITSM Software Can Identify and Manage Tools While Adding Value

A recent U.K. study says that when it comes to improvements to their IT departments, most businesses said they will strive to do better in the coming months, at a lower overall cost. Specifically, more than 40 percent of the companies surveyed said they would meet these goals within the realm of Information Technology Service Management strategies, and these strategies would include adding the right type of service catalog for their business. Are you one of these companies with a focus on improvement?

Think of ITSM software as the tool that collects all of a company’s IT offerings in one place. The survey, conducted by Axios Systems in late 2009, showed that implementing ITSM software is viewed by many businesses as a viable way to make operations more efficient, including operations ranging from human resources or even facilities management departments.

If yours is one of the businesses that had to cut back on service desk enhancements in past months, the coming year’s outlook seems to be leaning toward replenishing service desk technology. The Axios survey reported that 44 percent of participants planned to implement ITSM software during the next year. One question you may be asking is, “How do I get started?”

According to Evelyn Hubbert, author of the March 2010 “Market Overview: IT Service Management Support Tools,” the market for service desk software is vast, with many companies offering comparable products. However, the more contemporary options for service desk improvements could offer both self-service opportunities for customers, along with ITSM software.

Benefits for adding ITSM software can include increased streamlining of services, lowered operating costs and a sense of greater management over an IT package. The catalog should provide an organized grouping for the IT service so that the consumer can easily find information about the service offered, its price and other agreements connected to it. It also should be arranged in a way that allows IT services to be grouped and managed.

ITSM software can help solve common business challenges, like difficulty in listing or publishing your services offered in a short amount of time without losing managerial control. Catalogs can also help convey the level of value a business is offering to its customers, and help consumers land in the right place when they need help.

Rodrigo Fernando Flores with ITSM Watch suggests that businesses should avoid launching ITSM software that goes unused by making sure the catalog is based on the needs of the customer, which can refer to using language non-IT pros can decipher. The store-front of ITSM software should be able to effectively group and categorize the different types of customers who may be accessing it and connect to the end process.

For business users, ITSM software should be immediate so that they can quickly fix a problem or find an IT solution when the need arises, since they may not always have IT solutions on their mind until a problem comes.

As your business looks to improve your IT department and remain on the cutting edge of industry technology, ITSM software is a tool to organize, monitor and manage offerings in a way that continues to add value.