IT service management (ITSM) is the art of deploying, managing, and delivering IT services to meet the needs of an organization. It ensures that the right mix of people, processes, and technology is in place to deliver value. ITSM helps organizations participate in more effective planning activities with a variety of positive consequences. Without a structured approach to ITSM, IT organizations are more likely to make poor strategic decisions that lead to avoidable waste.
ITSM best practices, such as establishing a service strategy with input from customer stakeholders or implementing a change review and approval process, help ensure that the IT organization effectively plans before taking action. This ensures that the right technology, processes, and people are in place for the organization to achieve its long-term objectives. ITSM also improves the quality and speed of service delivery and maximizes customer satisfaction. Some companies leverage ITSM software not only for the management and support of their IT systems, but also to negotiate and manage a wide range of processes and services across the enterprise.
ITSM refers to all activities involved in designing, creating, delivering, supporting, and managing the lifecycle of IT services. It encompasses all elements of information technology service management, including planning, designing, creating, implementing, improving and supporting internal and external stakeholders. The goal of ITSM is to consistently improve services to better meet business objectives. An IT organization without a service catalog is like a restaurant without a menu; it may have fantastic capabilities but it won't receive many orders.
In ITIL 4, these 26 processes have been replaced by 34 practices divided into general practices, service management and technical management. A service desk has a broader user-centered approach which is designed to provide the user with an informed single point of contact for all IT requirements. This is done by the IT service provider through a set of policies and procedures that are organized and structured into processes. ITSM software also allows IT managers to track operators' actions and how incidents are addressed.
Problem management is the process of identifying and managing the causes of incidents in an IT service. ITSM processes are the elements of a framework supporting its core concepts and describing how IT services are managed.
