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How to Overcome the Biggest Hurdles for Enterprise Service Management Adoption

Published Date
Author Brooke Tajer

When it comes to rolling out Enterprise Service Management (ESM) within an organization there can be several hurdles that impact overall user adoption.

ESM is an innovative approach to IT service management that focuses on the end-to-end delivery of services throughout an entire organization – not just IT. In essence, ESM takes a holistic view of service lifecycle management and seeks to enable efficient service delivery across all areas of the business.

ESM can help to increase visibility and control over operations, streamline processes across departments, leverage automation technology to reduce manual effort and add value to the customer experience. Additionally, it can help identify and resolve problems quickly while driving continuous improvement initiatives throughout the organization.

Expansion to ESM can be a critical part of digital transformation for an organization. Especially when you invest in an ESM platform that includes automation and integration capabilities.

Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort, have been using ESM for years and just recently switched to TeamDynamix ESM after outgrowing their previous ESM solution.

Independently owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale, Arizona, these casino and resort properties employ about 3,500 people altogether. For more than a decade, they’ve benefited from having a “one-stop” service portal that employees could use to request everything from housekeeping services to clean a room before a special event, to the purchase and provisioning of new technology or a security badge for a visiting vendor. 

“Our legacy platform didn’t have the flexibility to grow along with us as our needs evolved,” Program Manager, Adam Dunn, said.

In looking for a new ESM platform, Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort wanted the ability to configure the system easily and make changes flexibly and dynamically. “We looked at a number of systems,” Dunn said. “In TeamDynamix, we found the one that was most user-friendly.” 

With its “low-code, no-code” design, TeamDynamix is highly configurable, allowing organizations to create personalized service categories (both simple and complex) and build customized workflows for managing multistep processes.  

In addition, the platform’s enterprise Integration and automation capabilities allow IT staff to create customized integrations between TeamDynamix and other software programs using a simple, drag-and-drop flow builder. And because TeamDynamix is easy to use and configure, it lends itself nicely to ESM and can be easily adopted by departments outside of IT. 

Phase one of the properties’ implementation of TeamDynamix has involved the IT and AV departments. Phase two includes housekeeping and security.  

In housekeeping, for example, one of the areas the tool will be used to help with is resource capacity planning around events. 

“We have an event space where we host a variety of different things,” Dunn said. “We’ll be using the tool to get out in front of these and schedule housekeeping for room cleanings before and after these events. All of these housekeeping requests can be scheduled and managed through a ticket. This allows our housekeeping department to see what events are upcoming that they need to plan for and staff appropriately. And if we have a performer coming into our nightclubs, a lot of times housekeeping is tasked with clearing space, so they can see when those requests come in and make sure the right resources are available.” 

So why don’t more organizations use ESM?

For many, implementing Enterprise Service Management can be a complex and time-consuming process. From limited resources to user adoption issues, there are many hurdles that need to be overcome in order to ensure your team’s success. However, with the right strategies and tools in place, these challenges can be effectively managed so they don’t become roadblocks to progress.

The Biggest Hurdles for Enterprise Service Management Adoption

To be successful, an ESM strategy needs your entire company to buy in. But, it can be challenging for everyone to get on board. It requires a great deal of planning and foresight to ensure success – something that is not always easy to obtain. Some of the biggest hurdles leaders face when it comes to ESM adoption are:

  1. Limited Resources – While there may be an abundance of solutions available, it’s often difficult to determine which ESM tool is best suited for your organization without proper research. This can lead to long decision-making processes and ultimately, limited resources with which to make those decisions in a timely manner.
  2. Complexity – Many organizations find themselves bogged down by overly complex ESM solutions that require extensive training or external support in order to use them effectively. This can easily contribute to performance issues due to a lack of understanding, making it difficult to achieve desired goals and objectives since teams aren’t utilizing the system properly.
  3. Compatibility Issues – There’s no one size fits all solution when it comes to enterprise service management; this means finding the right tool for your business can be difficult if it’s not optimized for structures already in place within the organization. Additionally, ensuring compatibility between various solutions is critical but can oftentimes be a challenge due to the different programming languages or operating systems involved. So look for an ESM tool that features an integration and automation layer (like iPaaS).
  4. Lack of User Adoption – Even with the perfect solution in place, user adoption can still remain an issue unless users are taught how beneficial ESM can be from day one. By instilling a “why” into their actions, users become invested and more likely to accept and embrace changes within the organization quicker than prior methods.

And while overcoming these obstacles isn’t easy, there are steps organizations can take toward ensuring successful enterprise service management adoption.

How IT Leaders Can Overcome Hurdles for Enterprise Service Management Adoption

With the right strategies and ESM tool in place, you can effectively manage and overcome hurdles to adoption so they don’t become roadblocks to progress for your organization. Below are four key tips for helping you bridge the gap between theory and practice when it comes to ESM adoption:

  1. Proper Communication – As with any technological change within an organization, communication is key to successful adoption. Starting with stakeholders at all levels across the business will ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities throughout the process. This helps keep expectations realistic while also setting clear goals, so teams stay on track and focused on achieving them.
  2. Leverage Advanced Analytics – Being able to monitor performance over time is essential when it comes to understanding how well different components of your business are performing. With advanced analytics tools at your disposal, you can view data about everything from call center staff productivity levels to customer satisfaction scores and resolution times – allowing you to make informed decisions quicker than ever before.
  3. Invest in Intuitive Platforms – Introducing an intuitive ESM platform tailored specifically for your business needs can help streamline processes and make the new tool more accessible for employees. By investing in a codeless ESM platform that is easy to use and manage you can empower your employees to take the lead when it comes to service delivery within their respective departments. Additionally, the ESM tool you use should be optimized for structures already in place in order to minimize compatibility issues further down the line. Don’t just take your ITSM platform and try to implement it in HR. Make sure your ESM strategy is purpose-built with each department’s particular needs in mind.
  4. Focus on User Adoption – Even with all of the best technology solutions in place, user adoption can remain an issue unless users are taught how beneficial these systems are from day one. Make sure all users of your ESM system clearly understand the benefits they’ll get when using it. This helps employees become invested and more likely to accept and embrace changes within the organization instead of feeling like they’re being forced into something they don’t understand.

Ultimately, there’s no quick-fix solution when it comes to ensuring successful Enterprise Service Management adoption. It requires careful planning, foresight and dedication in order for it all to come together without any major hiccups along the way.

By utilizing strategies such as proper communication between stakeholders; leveraging advanced analytics tools; investing in intuitive platforms and focusing on user adoption you can work towards full ESM adoption and start seeing the benefits to your organization.

For more tips on successfully implementing ESM, check out: Tips for Getting Enterprise Service Management Buy-In