Introduction

The importance of IT Service Management (ITSM) practices has never been as apparent before. IT Service Management provides the tools and processes necessary to transform from technical experts to a true service-oriented organisation capable of assisting businesses in charting a new course in this new normal. IT Service Management is the common framework for delivering IT services and ensures that IT runs smoothly and aligns with business needs.

By implementing IT Service Management techniques, businesses can develop the well-run IT departments they require to succeed in this decade and beyond. It also builds departments that are imbued with a strong service mentality, real business knowledge, and have a quicker time to react to market changes.

Are tickets, SLAs, and CABs still relevant in an era of DevOps, AI, and IoT? What will IT Service Management look like in the 2020s? Let’s take a closer look at this blog.

IT Service Management Shortcomings

The old approach to IT service management is teetering on the verge of extinction. IT Service Management continues to be held back by an obstinate culture that refuses to adapt in the face of the fourth industrial revolution when practically every enterprise heavily focuses on digital transformation

Unfortunately, IT Service Management systems are frequently created just to solve "squeaky wheels," implying that such IT Service Management systems are entirely operational in nature. Naturally, these implementations include incident management, change management, service desk, and maybe request fulfilment—all of which are critical procedures to have. However, it stops there. Services are not defined, design and strategy activities are not institutionalised, and continuous improvement is a last-minute consideration. The reason for the halt is that the "squeaky wheels" in information technology operations have not been addressed.

Certain IT Service Management initiatives fall short because they are too focused on procedures and not enough on services. In their haste to embrace IT Service Management, many firms place a premium on process design and implementation. The concept of a "service"—the value and outcomes provided to a business is frequently pushed aside, if not entirely ignored.

A third area in which IT Service Management solutions frequently fall short is business-technology alignment. Aligning IT activities with business demands makes a lot of sense, but it has a fatal weakness. Aligning business and IT requires the business to invite IT to participate in the development of the business strategy. "The company" frequently proceeds in its own manner and integrates IT only when a technological requirement arises, without regard to present IT capacities.

IT Service Management in the 2020s: The Importance of Digitization

Over 60% of firms are moving or increasing their IT spending to prepare for the digital future1. Various industries are expanding their reliance on technology with a faster rate of change and more business criticality.

To keep up with this fast-paced environment and its associated demands, service management must be nimbler and more accessible. The pandemic's disruption has further heightened the urgency of this transformation.

According to IDC, 61% of firms noticed a spike in the number of support cases compared to before the pandemic1. This survey reflects that the number of assistance cases increased in the post-pandemic. This is partly due to the pandemic's drive for remote work and the technologies required to meet such demands.

Meanwhile, as tickets began to pile up as a result of the epidemic, there was a significant push for digital transformation across practically every area of the workforce. Another IDC report estimates that direct investment in digital transformation will exceed $6.8 trillion by 20232. According to estimates, it will grow at a 15.5 percent compound annual growth rate between 2020 and 2023 as businesses use existing strategies and investments to transform into digital-at-scale firms2.

And by 2022, IDC predicts that over 70% of firms will have increased their usage of digital technology, altering existing business processes to boost customer engagement, staff productivity, and organisational resilience.2

Despite the clear link between increased ticket numbers and growing digital growth, service management is not usually considered a strategic solution. Another survey found that more than half of IT Service Management and senior leaders agree that better strategic alignment is important for digital transformation to be a success.

Consider the benefits of a modernised, agile IT Service Management to close this gap.

IT Service Management in the Twenty-First Century: A Modern Agile IT Service Management

To enable new operating models and ensure long-term service delivery, we must leverage the technologies of today. As part of the IT Service Management's digital transformation and progress, four primary areas of contemporary support should be considered.

1. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) (ML)

2. Smart Knowledge Management

3. Agile Methodologies and Processes

Agile ITSM is gaining such traction that Gartner predicts by 2023, almost 80% of IT Service Management teams who have not embraced an agile approach will have their IT Service Management practices ignored or bypassed as a consequence. Maintaining an agile mindset allows IT Service Management and service desk teams to quickly respond to digital changes and to change their plans for the future.

4. The Human Factor

In a nutshell: Why is IT Service Management Still Relevant Today?

Digitization and technological advancement are only likely to bolster the effectiveness of existing IT Service Management methods and procedures. The fundamental tenets that distinguish IT Service Management as distinct and critical to any organization's success remain the same. The following are five reasons why IT Service Management is still important and will be for a long time to come:

IT Service Management Done Right: IT Service Management Services Provided by ISSQUARED

ISSQUARED’s Fabulix Service Manager enables you to improve service management across your business. With our pre-built templates, you can get started immediately. Among our core IT Service Management services are the following:

Incident Management: When an end user contacts the service desk with an issue, a comprehensive ITAM and configuration system may immediately display all of the IT assets that person uses, the end user's location and position within the organisation, recent similar events, and much more. This can save both the service desk staff and the end user precious time. Additionally, it enables the rapid and correct referral of concerns to the most qualified support staff and demonstrates how frequently an issue has occurred previously, what was done about it, and how it was addressed.

Problem Management: Without an accurate IT Service Management system in place, determining the root cause of events affecting an IT infrastructure might feel like hunting for the needle in a haystack. However, resolving the same issue with the assistance of an integrated IT Service Management system is easier and faster. With the use of asset data, connections between what would appear to be several unconnected issues can be made, and resources can then be focused on the proper asset rather than going through each one until the underlying cause is identified.

Change Management: What are the dangers associated with change? Consider updating a server whose services would be impacted if the update does not proceed as planned. Without this knowledge, how can you determine the risks that your business faces as a result of changes? Obtaining that information requires an understanding of your assets, i.e., your servers, their connections, and the software they run. This data will be derived via a complete IT asset management system.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to digital transformation and its implications for IT Service Management, it is not just a matter of implementing a few modifications. It's all about total metamorphosis.

When external factors work to influence actions, change happens. For instance, you may alter the technology to create a new style of interaction, but this alters strongly held ideas. Through transformation, actions become natural, and in this way, the intended result is achieved. Here is an illustration: While replacing your laptop with a new one may speed up the process, you will still work the same way and use technology in the same way.

To change, you may decide to install new software on your laptop and abandon firmly held views about how you work and connect with co-workers, as well as how you handle issues or do research. Consider the impact of the cloud on IT Service Management. Cloud technology has changed the way we connect. Instead of just embracing and using the new technology in the same way we did when these systems were on-premises, we have changed how we connect.

In a nutshell, although change is reversible, transformation is not. This is true for service desks, digital transformations, and life in general.

References

1. IDC - Global ICT Spending