ITSM Processes and How to Implement Them

Information technology service management, also known as ITSM, allows organizations to manage their IT services more efficiently and devote more time to developing strategic initiatives and processes. By efficiently analyzing IT processes, ITSM can reduce IT issues and establish manageable processes for your IT team to implement. 

ITSM aligns itself with IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) frameworks that involve incident, change, knowledge, and problem management, allowing IT teams to address changes or issues within ITSM processes.  This helps to solve problems efficiently and effectively. By adopting a specific approach to IT processes, ITSM attempts to address the customer’s unique needs while achieving your organizational objectives. 

What is ITSM?

ITSM is the overall process of how IT teams manage IT resources and services to customers. ITSM typically covers all aspects of managing IT services within an organization, including the following implementing stages:

• Service strategy 

• Service design

• Service transition

• Service operation 

• Continual service improvement

ITSM focuses on aligning IT processes with an organization’s objectives for maximum efficiency and productivity.  ITSM is a strategic approach that provides and improves IT services for clientele, as well as support managers and workers in the IT department. 

Why is IT service management important? 

ITSM is important to organizations because it seeks to improve the quality and efficiency of IT processes that ultimately provide a better customer experience. If your company is utilizing information technology in any way, chances are it’ll be helpful to have ITSM to manage those services. ITSM can improve your customer relationships by ensuring that transactions between IT professionals and customers are positive and manageable. As a service, ITSM allows your customers to feel comfortable doing business with you without the worry of technological issues or infrastructure.

ITSM processes

When deciding to implement the ITSM process in your workplace, you should consider consulting the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). The ITIL is an ITSM framework of best practices for managing and delivering IT services. The ITIL outlines the five stages or practices of ITSM listed below:  

Read more: What Is ITIL? A Beginner’s Guide to the ITIL Process

1. Service strategy

The service strategy is the foundational stage of the ITSM process. Service strategy encompasses defining your organization’s IT services, the process on how to carry out those services, and developing the assets required for it. During this stage, you should assess your target audience’s needs and determine what your IT team needs to do to meet them. This is also the stage where you should assess the allocation of your company’s resources to implement the ITSM processes.

2. Service design

Once you have identified the IT services your company will offer, you can begin to plan and develop those services through the service design stage. You should identify any potential risks of your services and if you need to change or improve them in any way. The service design stage requires you to assess the capabilities and availability of your IT infrastructure, tools, and resources. You should evaluate your IT services’ compliance with legal policies and stay continuously updated on new and evolving technologies.

3. Service transition

The service transition stage is when you build and test the IT services that have been developed to ensure that processes are correctly in place. Whether you’re implementing new IT processes, updating any pre-existing IT processes, or both, the service transition stage ensures they will not disrupt the flow of business within your company. You should employ change management methods to guarantee you’re executing beneficial changes, controlling and maintaining the deployment, and releasing new IT processes.

4. Service operation

Now that the new IT processes are deployed, they’ll need to be fully implemented into a working environment. The service operation stage involves closely monitoring the new processes and attending to any issues swiftly and efficiently. An IT team should manage any issues or problems that arise from the new services and minimize the impact of any incidents that may have resulted in an IT problem. 

5. Continual service improvement

Continual service improvement is an ongoing stage of the ITSM process. You can always continue improving and developing your IT services in response to singular incidents, customer feedback, and market demands. An IT team should continually utilize its past successes and failures to improve your company’s IT services' effectiveness. Reviewing services and infrastructures can help find room for improvement, and performing benchmark assessments will identify if your services require maintenance. 

How to implement ITSM 

To effectively implement ITSM into your work environment, you should begin by identifying your organization’s goals and any improvements where new IT processes can thrive. You should include all members of your organization in your decision to implement ITSM, this involves communicating with employees, stakeholders, and anyone outside the IT team who may be unaware of what these new processes mean for the company. 

Once you have communicated with your organization, you should determine which IT management tools will best serve your implementation of ITSM. The best way to effectively implement ITSM is to ensure a cycle of continuous improvement, feedback, and communication of analytics, risks, and changes involved with the processes to those inside and outside of your IT team.

ITSM industry analysis

The ITSM industry is rapidly growing due to the development of new technologies and IT services that companies plan to implement into their daily business processes. 

Many organizations increasingly rely on IT services as they implement software, hardware, and technological processes into the work environment. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that employment in computer and information technology occupations, including IT service management jobs, is projected to grow much faster than average for all occupations from 2023 to 2033 [1]. 

How to get started in ITSM 

An IT support certificate can qualify you for several entry-level IT positions. An IT service management certificate can provide you with fundamental IT skills such as networking, installing operating systems, building computers, and troubleshooting. 

Many companies will recognize your credentials in IT, especially if you have completed coursework from an accredited program. An IT certificate can help you perform IT work more effectively, gain hands-on experience, develop IT knowledge, and, in some cases, even help you become an expert in specialized software programs.

Getting started with Coursera

On Coursera, you can explore courses and certificate programs to develop or expand your IT skills. The Google IT Support Professional Certificate covers how to perform IT tasks and provide customer support. Consider earning this Professional Certificate to demonstrate your proficiency in IT-related programs and qualify for entry-level positions in the IT career world.