ITSM, or IT Service Management, is a hot topic and a critical capability for any corporation. But in today’s day and age, the key ITSM trends are constantly in flux. So what trends and topics should you watch out for this year?
Due to the ongoing digital transformation of our world, which was only accelerated by the global pandemic, it’s important to constantly reevaluate the suitability of your IT department’s or managed service provider’s (MSP’s) current ITSM capabilities. When you read the trends we’re about to share, you’ll see how true this is.
The Top 5 ITSM Trends of 2023
As you consider improvements and changes to your ITSM solutions this year, take a look at these top five trends that have been dominating conversations in this space. In order to stay up-to-date and relevant, it’s essential that you consider introducing some of these ideas into your department’s day-to-day services.
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#1: Employee-Focused IT Solutions
In the past five years, ITSM needs have evolved incredibly quickly. With more and more companies allowing (or even preferring) remote work, technology is starting to be seen as a crucial aspect of employee success – not just of business success.
That’s the theory behind one of the hottest ITSM trends this year: a focus on employee experience management. Departments need to understand how IT services and support impact employees’ work, either negatively or positively.
Gathering data on employee experience can help you understand what matters most, any opportunities for improvement, and areas employees are struggling with. A robust IT ticketing system can be a huge part of cracking the nut on this trend.
#2: Data-Driven ITSM Operations
Data-driven ITSM is nothing new, but the emphasis on making data-driven decisions has only increased in recent years. We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: data, data, and more data. That’s what matters. And you need advanced reporting capabilities to truly analyze and present such data in the most compelling way possible.
Whether you’re using data to drive decisions related to new services, revised services, or operational improvements, it’s a crucial piece of the service management ecosystem that undergirds ITSM. One example of useful data here could be employee experience feedback. You’ll be able to identify not only issues but also root causes and, after the fact, the adequacy of any improvements you make.
#3: Intelligent Automation
Automation, as every IT professional knows, is a crucial part of ITSM. But now, with the onset of popular AI (artificial intelligence) integrations, this trend is being taken to the next level. The application of AI capabilities can take your ITSM to the next level.
In many ITSM use cases, AI integrations and applications have been able to improve employee experience, boost business outcomes, increase execution speed, reduce costs, improve decision-making, and boost the availability of services – even including 24/7 IT support. Basically, integrating AI smartly is a no-brainer with demonstrable value.
#4: Personalized Support
It’s probably already clear to you from the other elements on this list that experience management has taken center stage lately in the world of ITSM. This idea encourages IT departments and support teams to customize interactions they have with customers and employees, making service a more personal experience.
Sales, marketing, and research and development teams have been using these methods for years, and the idea behind it is that personalized experiences lead to higher levels of customer and employee satisfaction. There’s not one right way to pull this off, but it’s an important trend to explore as you focus on employee-driven ITSM this year.
#5: Value-Focused Initiatives
There’s an increasing focus lately on IT departments proving their value to the businesses in which they reside. While some alarmists have been predicting the downfall of the IT department for a decade or so, we don’t see that happening anytime soon. But it’s important to show how a successful IT department can improve the overall functioning of a company.
Being able to generate advanced reports and cost-benefit analyses is an excellent way to provide data-backed information to the people signing your checks. Using advanced IT solutions can help you generate these convincing reports to demonstrate your value.
Conclusion
While this list of 2023’s hottest ITSM trends isn’t exhaustive – if it were, we’d be writing an encyclopedia – we hope that it has helped you gain some awareness of the areas you may want to focus on within your organization and the IT operations it undertakes.
Our biggest takeaways? There is a clear emphasis on a few different areas, namely data, employee experience, and demonstrable value. In order for your IT department to remain up-to-date and highly functional this year, you’ll need to deliberately focus on these areas and the ways in which they can have a positive effect on business outcomes. You’ll need to make a strong case for the value proposition of everything you do.
This year, it’s essential that ITSM endeavors center around obtaining essential data to support data-based decision-making; which better enables employees to be their most productive selves; and optimizing operations, experiences, assets, and outcomes to better your company as a whole. Showing that your department has value is a crucial piece of this puzzle.
It’s also relevant to consider whether your ITSM improvement activities are focused above the process level. When you bring high-level problem-solving and strategic thinking into your ITSM planning initiatives, you’ll be better equipped to make visible changes in the fabric of your company, thus showing how important the role of IT really is.
Not sure where to begin? Check out some of Atera’s many ITSM solutions. Our offerings include automated patch management, network discovery, RMM (remote monitoring and management), ticketing, and plenty of helpful integrations.
Bringing your IT department into the modern age with these tools and resources is the first step toward staying aligned with the ITSM trends dominating the airspace this year. Interested? Get in touch with us here.
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