Now could not be a better time to consider where #DoughnutDay came from. National Doughnut Day started in 1938 as a fundraiser for Chicago’s The Salvation Army. The goal was simple, to help those in need during the Great Depression, and to honour The Salvation Army “Lassies” of World War I, who served doughnuts to soldiers.
Around the world it is the good news stories of people helping their communities, professions and industries help get back on their feet post #COVID-19 #lockdown. Obsidian Systems is not in the business of doughnuts but we would like to share what we do have.
Every software company today is fundamentally becoming a service company. We live in a service first world and IT sits right at the centre of this transformation. IT Service Management (ITSM) requires a highly structured approach to services, with accessible, organised processes and procedures that are documented regularly.
Do Not Rely On The Tool or Technology
When adopting an ITSM solution you need to ensure that it is tailored to your organisations’ needs, culture and way of working. ITSM is not just an IT solution.
ITSM is about the business and should be inclusive of people. This means that the solution should speak to the entire organisation from finance to human resources, sales through to customers.
ITSM starts with the customer and their needs, this can lead to complex SLAs that has considered the design, planning, delivery, operations and control of these services.
Organisations’ mantras continuously tout how customers should be first when considering an interface to connect business service and customer needs. There is still much work to be done to think about and involve customers in this process. Empowering ones customers can be implemented through self-service options.
Times have changed rapidly and the democratisation of devices, mobility and apps are channels that can enable and open up communication channels for real-time and direct feedback. This is a mindset change from break-fix service to real customer collaboration and great service.
Do Not Overcomplicate IT – Customise It
Before implementing ITSM within a new project ensure that it is about using the technology to improve business performance and outcomes. Ensure that the processes and outcomes have been considered before deploying a solution. Then test the process first before scaling it out.
Everyone can benefit from adopting some of these ideas from ITSM to help you work more effectively and smarter. The key benefits of IT organisations are to allow them to realise business change, transformation, and ultimately growth.
The age-old adage adjusted to ‘one size does not fit all’ would be the first piece of advice for ITSM Best Practice. One cannot blindly follow best practice do’s and do not’s. Every customer, application and service management strategy is unique. Following a trend and trying to copy and paste a case study as a solution will probably not work.
Do Not Leave Gaping Holes
So how have we transformed our service desk and those of our customers? Firstly, monitor everything, integrate your tools into a one view platform.
Automate all those mundane and repetitive tasks. Then empower your teams to communicate, collaborate and share everything. Obsidian has proven its worth in scaling up services through ITSM Best Practices powered by Atlassian.
Is digital transformation a priority on your business agenda? The measure is no longer about whether or not an organisation is ready to embrace digital innovations, it is about your focus on how the business will carry out this transformation.
Do not leave it until it is too late as the world is uncertain as proven in unprecedented circumstances has shown by an unseen virus that has changed the landscape of the industry as never seen before.
by Angela Ho