Increased efficiency, more capable technology, and greater customer satisfaction – every IT service provider wants results like this. But how? What if we told you implementing the right service process model can deliver all of these perks and more? Implementing IT service management (ITSM) tools and processes provide a comprehensive, effortless solution to structuring and supporting IT services. ITSM enables IT teams to combine their back-end tech expertise with customer-facing, service-oriented organizational methods. This not only allows IT to streamline their processes, but it also ensures that their work perfectly aligns with overall business objectives and needs. Because of these substantial benefits, the ITSM industry continues to grow and expand in popularity. According to a study released by BMC, the global cloud ITSM market is expected to reach just over $12 billion by 2025.
To offer more clarity surrounding how the ITSM process works, we’ve created this short guide explaining each of the steps involved with Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) service management processes.
What Is the Purpose of IT Service Management?
The main purpose of ITSM is to ensure that the optimal tools, processes, and staff are put in place to achieve individual IT goals and align them with a business’s overall objectives.
Here are just a few examples of what ITSM can accomplish:
- Creating a framework that’s designed to optimize the value of IT services.
- Implementing ITSM tools that drive digital transformation.
- Outlining future-proof IT management practices.
- Increasing efficiency to lower IT costs.
What Are Steps of the Service Process for ITSM?
IT service management best practices are outlined using the Technology Infrastructure Library or ITIL framework. In short, the ITIL steps in the service process function to guide how ITSM is implemented. Here’s a brief breakdown of the service management processes in ITIL:
1. Strategy
The strategy stage is the first step in this process and is focused on:
- Defining market targets
- Developing strategic assets
- Preparing for deploying upgrades
- Establishing financial management processes
- Defining ROI measurement
- Managing service portfolios
The service strategy stage is responsible for aligning the individual IT and business strategies of an organization. It provides the initial link between business strategies and IT strategies of the organization.
2. Design
The service design stage of the ITSM process is responsible for defining and outlining IT strategies. Usually this process involves implementing new services or making updates to existing infrastructure. This includes outlining procedures for:
- Security management
- Capacity management
- Catalog management
- Availability management
- Supplier management
- Continuity management
- Service management
3. Transition
This is the creation and testing stage of the ITIL process. In the transition phase, the IT and ITSM teams will collaborate to build and test new tools, services, and upgrades before officially adopting them as part of the business’ operational framework. This includes:
- Transition planning
- Change management
- Asset configuration
- Release and deployment management
- Service validation
- Testing evaluation
This step is critical when it comes to ensuring that the IT services can function properly to meet the goals and objectives created in the strategy phase of this process.
4. Operation
As the second to last phase of the ITIL process, the service operation stage is when all processes, tools, and changes are officially implemented and put into action for customers to use and interact with. This can go one of two ways; either the customer loves or hates the changes. If the previous steps were followed correctly, then the customer is likely to be delighted. Here are a few tasks associated with this ITIL stage:
- Event management, to spread the word about recent upgrades and changes
- Incident management if things do go wrong
- Request fulfillment
- Access management
5. Continuous Improvement
In the continuous improvement stage, all other stages in the ITIL process are analyzed to identify areas of improvement and review customer pain points. This stage includes the following activities:
- Service reporting
- ROI measurement
- Service measurement
This last stage functions as a review and helps inform future ITIL processes to arm the IT team and business leadership with the information needed to keep improving.
Upgrade Your ITSM Process with Startly
What do you think? Ready to see what ITSM has to offer you? Hold on, we have one more piece of advice. To get the most out of ITSM, you need the right tools. Until recently, many organizations had to cobble together an ITSM solution by using multiple tools at once. As you’ve probably guessed, that wasn’t very efficient.
That’s why we created Startly, the all-in-one ITSM and Professional Services Automation platform. Startly’s self-sustaining ecosystem harmonizes all processes seamlessly and allows multiple teams to collaborate easily – no more jumping from platform to platform, everything is right where you need it.
Startly is affordable, powerfully built, and easy to use – what more could you ask for? Learn more about how Startly can power your ITSM solutions here.