subject: Selecting the Right ITSM Tool to Deliver Operational Excellence and Great Service to Your Customers [print this page] Selecting the Right ITSM Tool to Deliver Operational Excellence and Great Service to Your Customers
Purchasing or upgrading your IT Service Management (ITSM) and service desk software is a strategic decision which should not be taken lightly. It is a decision which should only be made after clearly identifying your current and future service and support needs. Making the right choices of both tool and the supplier are critical components to delivering a first class service.
The technology selected should primarily support your business processes and further enhance your service professionals' ability to perform activities faster, efficiently and cost effectively. Do not rush into making snap decisions; your team will have to live with the decision for a long time.
The moment organisations have to produce a requirements document for the purchase of a solution that involves a technical component, they go into techno babble, often having unrealistic technical requirements that rarely addresses or supports the business issue that the solution is actually required to address. This is generally seen when the technical specification far outweighs the really important features to support service quality and improvement. Because 'software' is involved, the specification/choice is all to-often steered by technical staff rather than the service professionals that have the real expertise in customer service. The technical platform and environment that the solution may be required to operate on is important, but it's certainly not in my top 5 requirements. The only thing that delivers truly excellent service is excellent staff; the key requirements should focus on productivity, communication and customer satisfaction.
The problem buyers face today is too much choice and hype. It's becoming more and more difficult to select and compare solutions, depending on your needs and current level of service maturity. Because of the choice and range of 'options' it's often impossible to compare features, pricing approaches and 'best fit'. Before short listing, identify your key requirements and perform a 'quick sweep' to filter down potential vendors to no more than 3 or 4 and ensure that they adhere to industry standards. The trend in both public and private sectors is towards standards with an expectation that suppliers will have accreditation.
