Searching for an Out-Of-The-Box ITSM Solution? Look for These Features

When you think about IT Service Management (ITSM) what comes to mind first – the practice/framework you follow or the tool you use?

Often we hear customers say, “But I don’t want to be pressured into a strict ITIL framework,” and then the other half of the room says, ‘But will this solution adhere strictly to the ITIL framework?”

Out-of-the-box ITSM solutions should do both. For those that are interested in adhering to ITIL best practices, the solution needs to allow for this. And for those that want to take a hybrid approach or are simply not ready for ITIL, there needs to be the ability to configure the solution to meet this need.

Out-of-the-box does not have to mean “my way or no way.” Look for a solution that is highly configurable, that allows you to grow into the framework or to jump straight in and adopt from day 1.

Being out-of-the-box doesn’t mean that you can’t tailor the solution, either. The key is to find a solution that is easy to use, own and operate – one that can scale to your needs.

So how do you find the right ITSM tool? Here are a few things to look for when evaluating vendors:

• Are you able to create custom ticket types and workflows?
• Can you set up incidents and problems separately?
• Can you tailor the user portal to your brand and specific data?
• Can users create a custom desktop?
• How easy is it to create reports and dashboards?
• Are you able to import data and export data?

The right ITSM solution should allow you to support your desired approach without any coding or scripting.

In addition to the questions above, here are some key features you should be looking for in an out-of-the-box ITSM solution in order to set your organization up for success:

• Incident and problem tracking: Each of these needs your attention, and when you run a service desk you need to have fast routing, the ability to group tickets and a great communication platform.
• Service portal and knowledge base: According to HDI, a support call costs $22 compared to self-service, which is just $2 per incident, so it’s clear that there needs to be a push toward self-service.
• Workflow automation: Teams need to focus their efforts on the highest priorities, and automation reduces time spent on mundane, manual, or error-prone activities.
• Asset management and discovery: Identify and track assets, plan for changes and respond to issues with an understanding of CI configuration history, blackout and maintenance windows and impact maps.
• Change management: Roughly 80% of all issues reported to IT are the result of poor change and release management, so properly organizing and managing the plans, execution, and communication will help enable new functionality and maintain the continuity of existing services.
• Dashboards and reports: Great ITSM dashboards and reports provide the key metrics you need to make confident decisions by identifying issues before they become larger problems, supporting key meetings, profiling trends and communicating the value IT provides to your entire organization.