With business now so dependent on technology, ITSM is what IT teams use to keep on top of the multitude of service requests they deal with each day. But ITSM maturity is a wide spectrum, and organisations at the bleeding edge have a clear advantage. Read on for tips on how to advance your ITSM agenda and keep tech running in tip top shape.
From sending an email, or setting up a video call, to logging a sale into the CRM system, or applying for annual leave — so much of what we do in today’s work environment simply isn’t possible (or at the very least, is incredibly cumbersome) without IT. That’s why it doesn’t take too much to go wrong before IT teams find themselves facing a deluge of service requests. In the MENA region, these IT teams are already tasked with innovating, while keeping existing systems running in tip-top shape. And while in 2023, IT spending grew at a health 6.6%, this year, a more cautious economic outlook has eased this back to just 5.2% — meaning IT teams need to do all this ever more efficiently.
“From sending an email, to logging a sale, or applying for leave – so much of business today runs on IT. And its ITSM systems that empower tech teams to keep things running. But while widespread, not all ITSM solutions are being used effectively, making ITSM maturity a need of the hour.”
Sean Sebring, Solutions Engineering Manager at SolarWinds
In an effort to achieve this, many have turned to IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions as these combine effective processes, experienced staff, and advanced technology to tackle work-related challenges. By transforming IT service delivery, these tools enable organizations to continuously enhance performance and unleash their full potential.However, while almost every IT team today uses some form of ITSM, not all of them do so effectively.
ITSM Maturity Key to Unlocking Promised Potential
As with other IT investments, simply implementing an ITSM solution often does little good. We already see that in the Middle East, 54% of organizations reported that their investments in digital transformation projects through 2023 had been wasted. Just as in gardening where sowing seeds is merely the first step, if regional enterprises hope to see their ITSM saplings grow into prospering palms, they will need to nurture these solutions towards maturity. And to advance your organization’s ITSM maturity, you must first understand it.
Assessing ITSM Maturity
Assessing ITSM maturity involves evaluating an organization’s processes, people, products, and partners for their readiness to face the challenges of today’s hybrid ecosystems. This exercise is not just technical. It’s also a strategic imperative that empowers enterprises to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, mitigate risks, and build upon overall business success. By taking a holistic view of the landscape, you can establish where you are and decide how to best move forward.
Start by examining where you stand in relation to the ITSM maturity model. According to this standard, organizations move through five stages, from chaotic implementation to strategic integration, as their IT tools, processes, and strategies evolve.
- Starting: ITSM practices are just beginning to take root. IT processes are not documented and are initiated on a case-by-case basis, which makes it challenging to maintain consistent or effective service delivery.
- Managing: Just like seedlings in a garden, ITSM practices need nurturing and a steady hand to manage growth, ensuring that young plants are not left to fend for themselves in an inhospitable environment. During this phase, teams respond to incidents and initiate IT processes as they occur but often lack systematic planning. As a result, they get trapped in endless troubleshooting loops.
- Standardizing: At this stage, ITSM practices are used in major areas within the organization to anticipate and prevent issues by continuously improving IT processes. Processes are documented and followed more consistently.With ITSM practices becoming more ingrained, the organization is like a gardener who prunes and stakes plants, establishing a pattern for sustained health, strength, and growth.
- Advancing: This stage sees the organization’s ITSM practices blooming as they are refined and cross-pollinated with other business processes, like diverse plants growing together to create a more robust ecosystem.
- Maturing: In this stage, ITSM practices are the mature perennials in the organization’s garden. They are deeply rooted in the culture, thrive in a well-organized environment, and are continuously nurtured for peak performance. This is the pinnacle of ITSM maturity, in which IT becomes a strategic asset aligned with organizational goals.
Advancing ITSM Maturity
Once you understand where you are in your organization’s ITSM maturity phase, you can identify how to get the most out of your tools, services, and practices. A robust ITSM strategy should balance short-term objectives with long-term goals, promoting an environment of continuous learning and adaptation. You should focus on the tools and investments that make sense for the season your organization is in, but also keep an eye toward the future — an oasis may start with one tree, but it doesn’t spring up overnight.
As you plan, continue evaluating your organization’s digital capabilities in relation to ITSM. This will help you understand how your current processes and technology can be transformed to deliver more effective services. Metrics act like growth markers in a garden, allowing the organization to measure its development and identify areas needing attention or improvement. One helpful metric to track is incident response time, which measures how quickly the service team responds to and resolves incidents. It’s a process akin to checking the speed of seed germination. Another indicator of performance is the average number of active tickets. Keeping this number manageable is like preventing weeds from overrunning a garden, ensuring issues don’t choke service delivery.
Additionally, recognizing the importance of a skilled IT workforce is integral to advancing ITSM maturity. Training and certifying IT teams in ITSM ensures that they have the expertise required to lead initiatives, offer insights, and make data-driven decisions that align with company goals.
A Continuous Improvement Journey
Remember, getting the most out of ITSM is about ensuring your organization is efficient and working at its best. That is a process that takes time, effort, and patience. For this reason, it’s important to track and evaluate performance through regular ITSM assessments that highlight areas for improvement and measure progress against goals. By proactively identifying opportunities and addressing issues, your organization is not merely “keeping the lights on,” but reaching toward the sunlight of growth and innovation.
About the Author
Sean is passionate about the wonderful world of IT service management best practices! With a background in IT support, project management, and process improvement, he has expertise in observing, dissecting, building, and growing the service management processes and practices of anyone who will lend him their ear.
