4 Features of a Great ITSM Platform
There are all kinds of IT service management (ITSM) platforms out in the market, so how do you go about finding the right one for your company? From cost to administrative needs and implementation style - each vendor offers different options. Whichever vendor you pick, there are four features that make up a great ITSM platform.
ITSM Platforms Need to be Customer-Centric
There are often a lot of cooks in the kitchen when it comes to ITSM. Decision-makers, thought leaders, staff, and admin support all interact with your ITSM platform in different ways, and you need to be sure your platform is easy to work with.
A platform that puts forward a customer-centered focus is a critical factor. It also needs to allow for the adoption of the ITIL framework at a pace that is right for your organization – growing from low to medium adoption up to guru.
One of the best ways to ensure anyone can pick up your ITSM platform and use it - from those in IT to other departments like HR, finance and facilities - is to pick a vendor that offers a codeless ITSM tool.
Product Strategy for ITIL
ITSM is evolving, and your platform needs to be able to adapt as well. A nimble and agile platform that is committed to a road map for the future will ensure that your systems are ready for every evolutionary change in the ITSM sector.
Without a configurable platform, you won’t be able to quickly adapt to the changes and evolution in maturity – especially as it relates to the adoption of ITIL best practices. In addition, you want to make sure your ITSM tool is easy to use, own and operate - meaning you don't need a big team of admins to make sure the tool works properly. Cumbersome and complex ITSM tools can quickly drain your resources and impede success.
ITSM Self-Service Portal and Automation
If you are working on an ITSM team, you are undoubtedly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of requests. Getting your arms around this problem involves several key steps, and one is to implement a centralized portal. self-service With ITSM spending on the rise in the coming years, plenty of questions need to be answered, but none are more prominent than: “Are you ready?”
One of the most compelling reasons to go to a self-service portal is that it actually contains valuable information—and you can easily find it. Self-service portals cut down on call volume and free up your help desk relieving them of the burden of being swamped with redundant and mundane tasks.
Additionally, you can pair your ITSM platform with an integration and automation tool like iPaaS (integration platform as a service) and fully automate all those requests for password resets and the like. This eliminates the manual, mundane tasks and frees your team up to work on larger, more practical projects.
Integrated Knowledge Management
A highly indexed knowledge base with the ability to take iterative feedback for updates and integrated service buttons will drive adoption. There is much talk amongst the TeamDynamix customer base on the topic of Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS®). In fact, many who have implemented KCS are now seeing significant improvements in incident resolution and student satisfaction.
Essentially, the knowledge base is your user base, and the challenge is how to document and enhance this knowledge for crowd consumption. You want to be able to offer your staff a one-stop-shop for all ITSM questions and service requests, and even get other departments onboard!