#TRASH IT CHANGE IT MAIL UPGRADE IT SOFTWARE#
Services require software and hardware assets to function. Release management can be grouped with change management or treated as a separate process.Īsset management. IT must determine how these changes will affect the service deployment, implement them appropriately, then monitor if the changes have the intended effect. When a service is out of step with business expectations, it must be modified, expanded or otherwise altered. These processes fall under several main categories, primarily defined by ITIL, but appearing in various forms in the other ITSM frameworks.Ĭhange management.
To manage IT services, organizations must control the service's capabilities, how it performs, changes to it and what happens when it experiences problems. ITIL is a well-known and popularized ITSM framework.
Additionally, the terms ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) and ITSM typically are conflated. However, ITSM emphasizes IT service operation and improvement, while IT service delivery focuses on the quality of the work and meeting customer expectations. ITSM and IT service delivery sometimes are used interchangeably. When IT processes are orderly and well-managed, organizations can spend less time on proverbial firefighting and devote it to strategic initiatives. The benefits of ITSM include business-IT alignment, predictable IT performance and costs, and continual improvement in terms of IT effectiveness and capabilities. Key performance indicators ( KPIs) for the service must be communicated, with recommendations for service changes and improvements, to the business that uses them. Services must be monitored and tracked, and problems remediated by IT administrators and helpdesk staff. Services must then be architected and deployed, requiring the expertise of IT hardware and software application engineers. IT services typically start with a need and strategy, and this demands clear guidance from business and IT leaders. There are many roles within the IT service desk. IT organizations generally offer customers an IT service catalog, a list or menu of available services. An IT service customer is any consumer of those services, such as the employee who accesses email through the organization's Exchange Outlook interface. The provider can be an internal IT department or a third-party specialist. An IT service provider selects, designs, deploys and operates the service. IT service delivery is generally discussed in terms of providers and customers, who interact via the IT service desk. Each service can have an associated service-level agreement ( SLA), which codifies the expectations of performance and availability and the ramifications if the service falls below these expectations. IT teams must create, deploy, manage, optimize and potentially retire each service, with input from the business.
IT services include the deployment and support of enterprise applications, such as Exchange Server architecting and optimizing IT infrastructure such as storage, networking and cloud resources creation and management of processes such as helpdesk support and troubleshooting procedures, and other areas.
ITSM includes all the discrete activities and processes that support a service throughout its lifecycle, from service management to change management, problem and incident management, asset management, and knowledge management.Īn IT service enables access to information and processes to accomplish important business goals or otherwise provide value. IT service management (ITSM) is a general term that describes a strategic approach to design, deliver, manage and improve the way businesses use information technology (IT).