Best IT Service Management (ITSM) Software & Tools

What are ITSM Tools?

The term "IT Service Management", or "ITSM", includes all measures used to provide and optimize IT services for end users through the deployment of personnel, processes, and specific technologies. This usually involves the use of appropriate service management applications, known as ITSM tools. ITSM is often reduced to technical support, but the discipline encompasses much more. At its core, ITSM tools are workflow management solutions that help control and streamline IT service processes.

Good ITSM software brings, among other things, the following features or advantages:

• Standardization and efficiency improvement of IT service processes according to an ITSM framework - most often ITIL, COBIT, ISO, eTOM or MOF.
• Features for managing service requests, fault reports, etc.
• Tracking internal service requests and incidents at both micro and macro levels.
• Organization and management of IT resources.
• Centralization of a company's IT service knowledge.

Here are some popular ITSM providers

• Zendesk Support Suite

• TOPdesk

• SysAid

• NinjaOne

  Freshservice

• Zoho Desk

  Jira Service Management

• Bird Eats Bug

How does ITSM software work and what advantages does it provide?

ITSM solutions should help businesses develop and/or provide more efficient, standardized and ultimately more effective IT services. These software solutions typically follow an ITSM framework and can offer a wealth of features to users - including service desk elements, asset management, incident management, change management, and knowledge databases. They also make it possible to create consistent, repeatable workflows for various IT activities. Additionally, with the help of such tools, IT interactions can be easily tracked from start to finish. They can also be audited with greater clarity and managed better. ITSM tools are not only part of the daily workflow of IT service teams - end users also use the features of these solutions, such as an ITSM ticket system, user-friendly knowledge databases or tips for self-help with troubleshooting.

What are the key features of IT Service Management Software?

Below are some core features of ITSM tools:

• Standardization: ITSM solutions help organizations align their processes and policies with a standard framework. ITSM tools usually indicate what framework(s) they were developed for. If an organization is already using a specific framework, an ITSM tool should be chosen that matches this framework.
• Service Desk: As the name suggests, a core element of many IT Service Management Tools is a Service Desk application. Companies can organize internal inquiries via an IT ticket system. Internal users receive help with a variety of concerns through a service catalog, which lists various types of problems or requests.
• Asset Management: ITSM tools help companies track their internal IT resources. With these programs, IT teams can track company-owned devices and generally hardware as well as any hardware infrastructure, thus effectively organizing when these elements must be deployed and/or when maintenance is due.
• Incident Management: ITSM tools offer incident management features that allow teams to track issues. With these active tracking capabilities, companies keep track of recurring problems, which is naturally very beneficial for optimizing specific products.
• Change Management: Changing policies, procedures, or structures is a difficult process for companies. With the change management capabilities offered by ITSM tools, businesses can more thoroughly track changes from the individual to the organizational level, increasing transparency and helping to identify potential weaknesses.
• Reporting and Dashboards: ITSM tools can offer extensive reporting and dashboard capabilities, providing greater insight into the service delivery of the entire IT organization. Many solutions offer the ability to customize these reports.
• Integration: Given the variety of tools and infrastructures involved in providing IT services, ITSM tools can usually be integrated into existing architectures.
• Automation: Many ITSM tool providers implement automation features as standard components. With these, there is particularly the opportunity to make repetitive tasks more efficient, which can save considerable time for both IT staff and end users.
• Configuration Management Database (CMDB): Some ITSM solutions include a CMDB feature that allows businesses to track how different hardware and software systems are related to each other. This provides more clarity about how the components of an architecture work together, which can be very helpful indeed when searching for errors.

What types of ITSM Software are available?

IT Service Management Tools can generally be used as ITSM Open Source software, SaaS or on premise. There are two main areas of focus for such tools - interacting with service seekers/requesters (Service Desk) and managing internal processes around the service (Incident and Change Management). Of course, suites can also be employed, which combine many features.

Service Desk Specialized Service Desk programs can, for example, be linked with a call center or an ITSM ticket system. They fundamentally belong in the realm of customer service. Corresponding helpers in other industries are also known as "helpdesk". Service Desk becomes the go-to point when there are problems or questions with IT services. These tools form an important interface between the company and its customers or between users and IT.

Incident and Change Management Incident management tools help companies maintain and optimize IT services. They include, for example, an automated alarm function that reports occurring errors. This way, IT teams are always the first to know when there is a need for action and can respond promptly. Incidents, meaning disturbances, are of course also reported by customers, making the boundaries between Service Desk and Incident Management fluid. When changes are needed, these can be efficiently planned and realized through a change management tool. Its main purpose is to document all planned and implemented changes. This way, the entire program history can be viewed and traced. Necessary repetitions or revisions are ultimately easier.

ITSM Suites ITSM suites often combine features like those listed below. There's certainly a chance to get such large ITSM software open source, but then with a limited range of functions.

• Service Desk tools
• Ticket System Open Source or paid
• Incident Management tools
• IT Asset Management tools
• Specific self-help options and knowledge databases for end users
• License Management tools
• Analytics and reports

What should you pay particular attention to when selecting an ITSM Tools?

Functions ITSM tools can have quite different manifestations in terms of functions. One solution might offer the possibility of automating a wide range of standard IT tasks, while another primarily aims to solve problems. The best-suited option naturally depends on the respective requirements of the business. Those interested should therefore initially precisely determine which processes of their IT service they want/need to support to what extent. A list of the functions most needed by the business, prioritized by importance, allows the software selection team to proceed with a clear understanding of what to look for.

Integrability Once it is clear which functions are needed, interested parties should work to gain a comprehensive understanding of how the ITSM tool fits into the existing software architecture. Several specialized IT management tools are often in use. It is therefore very important to consider these because an ITSM solution will touch on all these tools in some way. It must be ensured that the software under consideration can truly be perfectly integrated into the system.

Security ITSM is a highly sensitive undertaking. Current security standards and compliance must be taken into account. When searching for an ITSM solution, businesses should ensure that the software they want to use demonstrably meets compliance and high security standards to protect corporate data. GDPR is also an important issue here.

Prices and ongoing costs Interested parties should be aware that comprehensive ITSM software incurs costs. These must of course be clearly recorded - both short-term and long-term. Central cost factors here are the required standard functions. But also whether a separate production, staging, training or development environment is needed, a local or cloud-based solution is available, if necessary, third-party hosting must be undertaken and other aspects, play a significant part. Cloud software often appears very appealing in terms of costs because initially not so much money has to be spent all at once. In the long term, however, it can entail more expenses than a robust on-premise solution.