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Smart Service Management: Working Better Together with a Connected Enterprise

Published Date
Author Brooke Tajer

For the last decade, there’s been a migration away from simple IT Service Management (ITSM) towards Enterprise Service Management (ESM). And more recently, this shift has evolved further into something we’re calling Smart Service. What does Smart Service mean? When you invest in Smart Service for your organization, you’re investing in service management that connects the entire enterprise and allows everyone to interact in real-time, supercharged by integration and workflow. This evolution started with digital transformation initiatives and was spurred on by the need to modernize legacy systems while providing greater service delivery amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic.

Many organizations have quickly realized the old standards of ITSM no longer apply to their rapidly changing IT and enterprise needs. Instead, they need an ITSM platform that goes beyond the ITIL framework and looks more broadly across the entire enterprise, not just as a glorified ITSM platform but as a true enterprise platform that facilitates service, collaboration and connectivity at a level never before achieved. With the advent of iPaaS, organizations can now bring integration and workflow to the forefront – connecting ESM platforms with the entire enterprise – which is often hundreds of point solutions from CRM and ERP to specific sales, marketing, recruiting and finance applications.

What Does a Modern Smart Service Enterprise Look Like?

To start, they use smart ITSM/ESM platforms that offer the traditional support for ITIL; end-user self-service; and both change and asset management - as it always has – as well as true enterprise service for groups like HR, Marketing and Facilities, all on a single codeless platform. However, to take this further, the ESM platform can connect across the full ecosystem of applications.

Integration and workflow are more easily achieved now using iPaaS – integration platform as a service. iPaaS provides an integration layer, or hub, that connects all enterprise systems with nodes for programs like Active Directory, ERP, CRM, Office365, Zoom, Workday, Salesforce, DocuSign, etc. Leveraging a library of pre-built connectors. Once connected, you can easily build out workflows and automation using a no-code visual flow builder – all connected to your ESM platform (or running independently as needed).

A connected enterprise is nimble, it is efficient, and it drives better outcomes.

The Evolution of ITSM/ESM

Today, most organizations are looking at ESM as the norm, however by adding an integration and workflow hub you can supercharge your efforts and bring far more benefits – creating a smart service platform. Curious how this works in practice? Here’s one example of how smart enterprise service management can enable a connected enterprise:

Imagine you work in HR at a large corporation and you’ve just had an offer letter returned with a signature – a new employee is about to start. There’s much to do!

  • First, the new person needs to be created in the Active Directory by IT.
  • They need an email address, they need to get set up in several different software systems – from the ERP to a CRM, to potentially a payroll system, performance tracking, time tracking, etc.
  • They will probably have a conferencing system provisioned, Office365, perhaps some more specific systems depending upon the industry – maybe Banner or EPIC are involved – whatever it may be, these all take time to set up.
  • Finally, they need to have equipment provisioned and sent, security needs to distribute a badge, perhaps facilities needs to ready a work area… you get the idea.

In a connected enterprise, a service ticket could be generated to “Onboard Employee” and based on parameters gathered at that time, you can trigger workflows to automate this entire process including the provisioning of the user in the Active Directory, the user creation and permission settings for each of the required systems (all based on their people record in your HR system), no manual setup, no mistakes, no weeks-long ordeal.  You can even set it up to initiate the sending of a welcome gift (using a third-party gift platform) and trigger a welcome email; it could also send a text to the hiring manager to let them know that the process has been completed. All hands-free.

A connected enterprise is nimble, it is efficient, and drives better outcomes.

Smart Service in Action: Western University of Health Sciences

The team at Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) recently implemented iPaaS from TeamDynamix and has already seen great results. “Things like onboarding and off-boarding users and updating permissions involved a lot of manual, tedious work,” Tech Support Manager Matthew Wright says. “These things happen on a regular basis, and they take away time that could be used more strategically to improve our customers’ IT experience.”

With the new iPaaS platform in place, “we have been able to create internal automation that sets us up well for the future,” Nic Hayes, lead technical analyst, observes. Using the solution’s out-of-the-box connectors to common applications and systems, IT employees can easily automate IT processes without needing complex coding skills, creating true Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) functionality.

For instance, Enterprise Applications Administrator David Mitchell created an automated workflow to help with inventory control by connecting TDX iPaaS with their mobile device management (MDM) software. If an employee has a computer that hasn’t checked in within six months, Technical Support automatically receives a ticket that contains information about the device pulled from the MDM so they can follow up with the employee. WesternU has also automated processes for updating inventory records when a device is rebuilt or repaired.