For this reason, in the present article we are going to discuss:

– What IT service management (ITSM) is,

– What the types of ITSM are,

– Why it is important to use ITSM tools, and

– 5 ITSM tools to use for your business.

So, let’s start with a short description.

What Is IT Service Management (ITSM)?

IT service management (ITSM) is the term describing how IT teams (in-house or outsourced) and their clients organise all IT-related processes.

As indicated by its name, it focuses on IT solutions provision as a complete package of services rather than a one-time purchase or deployment of a product.

ITSM is usually carried out through special tools or apps in which a client submits a request to an IT-related issue (ticketing). After accepting the request, the IT team of your trust resolves the issue at hand and delivers an invoice through the app (billing).

At this point, let’s proceed to certain ITSM types, in order to better understand how it functions.

What Are the Types of ITSM?

In general, an ITSM strategy may include different kinds of processes which respectively define the ITSM types.

#1: Asset management

As we know, the computer network of each company comprises a variety of hardware and software assets.

ITSM allows the tracking of all existing or newly deployed assets and the mapping of the entire IT infrastructure of the company.

#2: Problem management

At the next step, ITSM spots all the problems that appear to the above assets, including both hardware malfunctions and in-software issues, such as bugs or patches.

#3: Incident management

Although hardware or software problems may not immediately affect the operation of the network, there is also a chance of them causing a partial or total failure of its functions.

In that case, ITSM detects all aspects of the incident and identifies the chain of events that caused it, in order to halt its reoccurrence in the future.

#4: Knowledge management

Lastly, when an IT-related issue has been resolved, ITSM tools allow IT team members to share the solution stages they followed, so as to provide guidance for others that may be facing a similar problem.

Having covered what ITSM is and what forms it can take, it is necessary to see how it can benefit your organisation through the installation of specialised tools.

Why Is It Important to Use ITSM Tools?

Even though some of the benefits of ITSM tools have already become apparent, the following four are worth mentioning in a more specific manner.

#1: Operations visualisation

As seen above, an ITSM tool aggregates all IT management actions to its platform. In almost every tool, these actions are later on categorised or included in specific dashboards, charts, scales, etc.

In this way, IT experts or even other company employees can more easily understand the process followed and monitor its evolution.

#2: Problem solving speed-up

At the same time, every time an IT issue occurs users can immediately inform their IT managed service provider (MSP) via easy “ticketing” and “billing” options of ITSM softwares.

This mode of collaboration proves to be more time efficient especially when compared to other conventional methods of communication with IT teams, such as phone, emails or messages.

#3: Cost monitoring

The “billing” option also allows company members to document the cost of IT services provided.

Sometimes even ITSM tools incorporate special time tracking features in order to record the billable hours an IT expert has devoted in solving the issue at hand.

#4: Efficiency boost

Easing up and accelerating the monitoring of IT operations inside a company increases the efficiency of both IT team members and other employees.

On the one hand, IT experts assemble their workload on one and only platform while other members of the company are given a special tool to directly report IT problems and continue their tasks with fewer distractions.

Therefore, if you are considering making use of ITSM tools in the daily operations of your company, it’s worth mentioning some of the most popular available.

5 ITSM Tools to Use for Your Business

The selection of the right ITSM tool has nothing to do but with the need and special characteristics of each company and the size of its computer network.

#1: N-able N-sight

N-able N-sight was awarded as the No1 RMM software providing options for both small or medium sized enterprises and large companies.

It offers a cloud-based suite of solutions including

– Asset administration and inventory, 

– Service level agreement (SLA) alerts,

– Remote service and management (RMM), and 

– Patch management & cyberthreat identification.

N-able N-sight is compatible with almost every computer software, from Windows and macOS to major Linux distributions.

#2: Zendesk

Similarly, Zendesk also provides IT services monitoring for guided or unguided self-service, including

– In-app knowledgebase,

– Virtual customer assistance platform, and

– Live chat, messaging and reporting portals.

#3: Solarwinds Service Desk

Moving forward, SolarWinds Service Desk serves as a cloud-based help desk tools that comprises features, such as

– Centralised contact point,

– Asset management,

– Danger detection, and 

– 200 in-software applications available to install.

SolarWinds Service Desk is able to cover the needs of even an extensive computer network.

#4: NinjaOne

Similar to N-able N-sight, NinjaOne serves as both an RMM and an ITSM tool.

More specifically, it facilitates the handling of

– Software installation and management individually or at scale,

– Asset monitoring,

– Service desk operations, and

– Automated patch management.

#5: Atera Helpdesk

Lastly, Atera Helpdesk addresses the more complex needs of larger organisations. It follows a professional services automation (PSA) module for ticket issue, bearing characteristics, such as

– Asset autodiscovery,

– AI ticket tagging,

– Automated reports,

– Pre-installed PSA, and In-app knowledgebase.

Now Over to You

In conclusion, there is no doubt that an IT service management (ITSM system) will do nothing but accelerate and boost the handling of IT-related issues inside your company.

However, selecting the right ITSM tools seems to be an imperative first step in order to implement such a system successfully.

That’s why Orthology