Unlock business value with intelligent ITSM platforms

There are many Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) platforms available on the market today that promise transformative results. It goes without saying – these platforms may be redundant and ineffective without having the proper policies and procedures in place. Intelligent ITSM platforms that incorporate automation, enables businesses to unlock the real value of ITSM.

The power of Service Management lies in the integration and automation of processes and the way in which each process feeds into the next process. By focusing on quality services, the service chain becomes more efficient and effective, increasing business value. An IT manager ought to be cognisant of how each function integrates with the next and its role in the business chain so that the impact of any break in service delivery is fully understood.

There are many relationships and interfaces between ITSM processes as defined by ITIL. The effectiveness and maturity of an individual process depends a great deal on the quality of information and the timeliness with which it is exchanged between ITSM processes. Intelligent ITSM platforms simply help to automate the quality and timeliness of the information so that seamless interaction between all processes is effected, and the warranty of the IT service can be maintained.

Point break

The human element can cause many service delivery errors or failures, through issues such as a lack of knowledge around carrying out a particular function, failure to follow the proper policies and procedures, and delivering a service outside of the expected time frames.

Think about it. When a service fails, it can often be traced back to the human element, either a miscalculation in the planning phase, an error in carrying out the function, or simply skipping steps in the process. Most systems are programmed to function in a specific manner, which is a process undertaken by a person and, usually, not a machine.

As a result, establishing a set of pre-defined processes to follow when carrying out any task will help to minimise the margin for error. ITIL provides a set of globally accepted best practices to follow which takes the headache out of trying to define these processes on your own.

By removing or reducing the involvement of the human element and streamlining the processes through automation, the potential for failure is minimised.

Automating for value

The intelligence behind ITSM platforms is in understanding where the potential points of failure are localised, and being able to address them with automated processes. For example, being able to respond to a service call automatically and auto-track the progress of the call.

Value is determined by the customers’ perception. How the customer perceives their service and their level of satisfaction with the service is where the value lies. streamlining and automating the provision of a service for efficiency and effectiveness increases the value that the customer receives.

The same can be said for value to the users of intelligent ITSM platforms. Wherever the processes follow into one another and quality, useful information is exchanged in a timely manner, the entire process of using the system becomes simplified and, thus, offers more value.

Intelligent ITSM platforms offer up a host of benefits which add value to the customer and system user, nevertheless it cannot be stressed enough that none of these benefits can be attained without ensuring the processes underlying the use of the platform flow seamlessly and without hiccup.

By Edward Carbutt, Executive Director at Marval Africa