IT service management

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Information technology service management (ITSM) are the activities performed by an organization to design, build, deliver, operate and control IT services offered to customers. [1]

Contents

Differing from more technology-oriented IT management approaches like network management and IT systems management, [2] IT service management is characterized by adopting a process approach towards management, focusing on customer needs and IT services for customers rather than IT systems, and stressing continual improvement. The CIO WaterCooler's 2017 ITSM report states that business uses ITSM "mostly in support of customer experience (35%) and service quality (48%)." [3]

Process

Execution of ITSM processes in an organization, especially those processes that are more workflow-driven, can benefit significantly from being supported with specialized software tools. [4]

ITSM tools are often marketed as ITSM suites, which support a whole set of ITSM processes. At their core is usually a workflow management system for handling incidents, service requests, problems and changes. They usually also include a tool for a configuration management database (CMDB). The ability of these suites to enable easy linking between incident, service request, problem and change records with each other and with records of configuration items from the CMDB, can be a great advantage. ITSM tools and processes are commonly referred to as ITIL tools, when in fact they are not the same. More than 100 tools are self-proclaimed ITSM tools - example 'ITSM systems' include FreshService, ServiceNow and Samanage. [5] Software vendors whose ITSM tools fulfill defined functional requirements to support a set of ITIL processes, can obtain official approval, allowing them to use Axelos trademarks and an "ITIL process compliant" logo, under Axelos' ITIL Software Endorsement scheme. [6]

Service desk

A service desk is a primary IT function within the discipline of IT service management (ITSM) as defined by ITIL. It is intended to provide a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to meet the communication needs of both users and IT staff, [7] and also to satisfy both Customer and IT Provider objectives. User refers to the actual user of the service, while customer refers to the entity that is paying for the service. ITSM tools are frequently applied to other aspects of business, this practice is often called enterprise service management (ESM). [8] One of the big pushes in ITSM is automation of mundane tasks, this allows people who perform these tasks to take on more critical tasks, this process called IT process automation.

The ITIL approach considers the service desk to be the central point of contact between service providers and users/customers on a day-to-day basis. It is also a focal point for reporting incidents (disruptions or potential disruptions in service availability or quality) and for users making service requests (routine requests for services). [9]

ITIL regards a call centre or help desk as similar kinds of tech support which provide only a portion of what a service desk can offer. A service desk has a more broad and user-centered approach which is designed to provide the user with an informed single point of contact for all IT requirements. A service desk seeks to facilitate the integration of business processes into the service management infrastructure. In addition to actively monitoring and owning incidents and user questions, and providing the communications channel for other service management disciplines with the user community, a service desk also provides an interface for other activities such as customer change requests, third parties (e.g. maintenance contracts), and software licensing. [9] Computer emergency response teams (CERT) are specifically dedicated computer security incidents.

Frameworks

Relationships between ITSM frameworks and other management standards Itsm-context.png
Relationships between ITSM frameworks and other management standards

As a discipline, ITSM has ties and common interests with other IT and general management approaches, information security management and software engineering. Consequently, IT service management frameworks have been influenced by other standards and adopted concepts from them, e.g. CMMI, ISO 9000, or ISO/IEC 27000. [10]

Various frameworks for ITSM and overlapping disciplines include:

Professional organizations

There are international, chapter-based professional associations, such as the IT Service Management Forum (itSMF), [16] and HDI. The main goal of these organizations is to foster the exchange of experiences and ideas between users of ITSM frameworks. To this end, national and local itSMF and HDI chapters (LIGs or local interest groups for itSMF) organize conferences and workshops. Some of them also contribute to the translations of ITSM framework documents into their respective languages or publish their own ITSM guides. There are several certifications for service management like ITILv4, TOGAF or COBIT. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Configuration management</span> Process for maintaining consistency of a product attributes with its design

Configuration management (CM) is a management process for establishing and maintaining consistency of a product's performance, functional, and physical attributes with its requirements, design, and operational information throughout its life. The CM process is widely used by military engineering organizations to manage changes throughout the system lifecycle of complex systems, such as weapon systems, military vehicles, and information systems. Outside the military, the CM process is also used with IT service management as defined by ITIL, and with other domain models in the civil engineering and other industrial engineering segments such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings.

Information technology (IT)governance is a subset discipline of corporate governance, focused on information technology (IT) and its performance and risk management. The interest in IT governance is due to the ongoing need within organizations to focus value creation efforts on an organization's strategic objectives and to better manage the performance of those responsible for creating this value in the best interest of all stakeholders. It has evolved from The Principles of Scientific Management, Total Quality Management and ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

COBIT is a framework created by ISACA for information technology (IT) management and IT governance.

The IT Service Management Forum (itSMF) is an independent, international, not-for-profit organization of IT service management (ITSM) professionals worldwide. Around the operation of IT services the itSMF collects, develops and publishes best practices, supports education and training, discusses the development of ITSM tools, initiates advisory ideas about ITSM and holds conventions. The itSMF is concerned with promoting best practices in IT service management and has a strong interest in the international ISO/IEC 20000 standard. The itSMF publishes books covering various aspects of service management through a process of endorsing them as part of the itSMF Library.

Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0 is a series of guides aimed at helping information technology (IT) professionals establish and implement reliable, cost-effective services.

ISO/IEC 20000 is the international standard for IT service management. It was developed in 2005 by ISO/IEC JTC1/SC7 and revised in 2011 and 2018. It was originally based on the earlier BS 15000 that was developed by BSI Group.

Incident management (IM) is an IT service management (ITSM) process area. The first goal of the incident management process is to restore a normal service operation as quickly as possible and to minimize the impact on business operations, thus ensuring that the best possible levels of service quality and availability are maintained. 'Normal service operation' is defined here as service operation within service-level agreement (SLA). It is one process area within the broader ITIL and ISO 20000 environment.

Software asset management (SAM) is a business practice that involves managing and optimizing the purchase, deployment, maintenance, utilization, and disposal of software applications within an organization. According to ITIL, SAM is defined as “…all of the infrastructure and processes necessary for the effective management, control, and protection of the software assets…throughout all stages of their lifecycle.” Fundamentally intended to be part of an organization's information technology business strategy, the goals of SAM are to reduce information technology (IT) costs and limit business and legal risk related to the ownership and use of software, while maximizing IT responsiveness and end-user productivity. SAM is particularly important for large corporations regarding redistribution of licenses and managing legal risks associated with software ownership and expiration. SAM technologies track license expiration, thus allowing the company to function ethically and within software compliance regulations. This can be important for both eliminating legal costs associated with license agreement violations and as part of a company's reputation management strategy. Both are important forms of risk management and are critical for large corporations' long-term business strategies.

Infra Corporation is a division of EMC Corporation that produces infraEnterprise, which is a multi-tier web-based IT Service Management software tool. The software is based on ITIL and it implements a number of ITIL processes, including Service Desk management, Change Management, Release Management, Configuration Management, Availability Management and Service Level Management. The tool also includes a knowledge base module, which complies with principles of Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS).

Omninet German software development company

Omninet, headquartered in Eckental, Germany in the region of Nuremberg, is a medium-sized software development company known as an international orientation innovator in the area of business process management software. Its subsidiaries and offices are located in Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Russia; it has also a sales office in the United States. Omninet is a Microsoft Gold partner.

An ITIL Visual Configuration Management Database is a series of spreadsheet applications that integrates the CMDB with Change Management and Service Level Management. A Visual CMDB provides a unified view of IT infrastructure in a visual representation. This common view is a cornerstone for implementing a successful Configuration Management process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Axios Systems</span> IT Management Software Vendor

Axios Systems was a provider of Service Desk, IT Service Management and IT asset management software. Its assyst enterprise application suite was the first to support ITIL best practices. In March 2021, the company was acquired by IFS AB and its product was rebranded as IFS assyst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Release management</span> Process of software building

Release management is the process of managing, planning, scheduling and controlling a software build through different stages and environments; it includes testing and deploying software releases.

Micro Focus Service Manager is one of the applications acquired by Micro Focus when it purchased part of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Software (HPES) in 2017. Before 2017, it was owned by HP when it purchased Peregrine Systems in 2005. The application was originally known as PNMS. After releasing the first version of PNMS, Peregrine Systems eventually added functionality such as Request Management, Call Management, and Change Management and rebranded the application as Peregrine ServiceCenter.

Omnitracker is a proprietary business process platform developed by Omninet GmbH in Germany. Omnitracker is developed as modular software for medium and large companies. It is used to track, control and evaluate relevant business processes. The main area of application is the support of ITIL compliant processes, which manages requests, incidents/ errors, customer inquiries from the moment of creation to completion. Omnitracker received certifications of the Federal Association of IT-Mittelstand and Pink Elephant that covers nine processes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tudor IT Process Assessment</span> Process assessment framework

Tudor IT Process Assessment (TIPA) is a methodological framework for process assessment. Its first version was published in 2003 by the Public Research Centre Henri Tudor based in Luxembourg. TIPA is now a registered trademark of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). TIPA offers a structured approach to determine process capability compared to recognized best practices. TIPA also supports process improvement by providing a gap analysis and proposing improvement recommendations.

The Service Design Package (SDP) contains the core documentation of a service and is attached to its entry in the ITIL Service Portfolio.

FitSM is the name for a family of standards for lightweight IT service management (ITSM).

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of practices and a framework for IT activities such as IT service management (ITSM) and IT asset management (ITAM) that focus on aligning IT services with the needs of the business.

Data center management is the collection of tasks performed by those responsible for managing ongoing operation of a data center. This includes Business service management and planning for the future.

References

  1. ↑ "FitSM Part 0: Overview and vocabulary". Itemo. 24 August 2016. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 Brenner, Michael; Garschhammer, Markus; Hegering, Heinz-Gerd (15 August 2006). "When Infrastructure Management Just Won't Do - The Trend Towards Organizational IT Service Management". In Eva-Maria Kern; Heinz-Gerd Hegering; Bernd Brügge (eds.). Managing Development and Application of Digital Technologies: Research Insights in the Munich Center for Digital Technology & Management. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 131–146. ISBN   978-3-540-34129-1.
  3. ↑ "The IT Service Management Survey 2017" . Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  4. ↑ "Brenner, M. Classifying ITIL Processes - A Taxonomy under Tool Support Aspects" (PDF). IEEE. 2006..
  5. ↑ Jan van Bon. "(crowdsourced list of) ITIL tools". list.ly. Retrieved 29 January 2015..
  6. ↑ "ITIL Software Scheme". Axelos. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  7. ↑ ITIL Service Design (2011), p. 22.
  8. ↑ "Enterprise Service Management". Gartner. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  9. 1 2 ITIL Service Design. The Stationery Office. 2011. ISBN   9780113313051.ITIL Service Operation. The Stationery Office. 2011. ISBN   978-0113313075.
  10. ↑ "FitSM Foundation slides handout". Itemo.org. 1 May 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  11. ↑ "(crowdsourced list of) Alternatives to ITIL". list.ly, Jan van Bon. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  12. ↑ "FitSM". Itemo. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  13. ↑ "USM Wiki". SURVUZfoundation. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  14. ↑ "USM en het Dienstverleningsconcept". NORA. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  15. ↑ "Microsoft Operations Framework". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  16. ↑ "itSMF International".
  17. ↑ Shiff, Laura. "Popular IT Service Management (ITSM) Frameworks". BMC Blogs. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
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