ITSM Archive | OTRS

How to Achieve 2026 Budget Targets with Data-Driven ITSM

Laura Diral — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:33:32 +0000

How to Achieve 2026 Budget Targets with Data-Driven ITSM

2026-01-08
Laura Diral

IT Budget

As organizations enter 2026, IT leaders face a familiar but increasingly pressing challenge: meeting business expectations, while operating under tighter financial constraints.

Cost sensitivity is rising across industries and IT budgets are under closer scrutiny than ever. At the same time, IT environments continue to grow in complexity, shaped by hybrid work, security requirements and higher service expectations from users.

This makes the beginning of the year a critical moment. Budget decisions made now will define how effectively IT can support the business over the coming months. Achieving budget targets is all about investing wisely and clearly demonstrating value. Data-driven IT service management (ITSM) plays a central role in this shift by turning operational insight into budget-relevant outcomes.

Why IT budgeting matters more than ever

Before budgets can deliver value, there needs to be clarity on what IT budgeting is meant to achieve. A well-structured IT budget is a management framework that supports planning, alignment and accountability across the organization.

At the start of a new budget cycle, IT budgeting serves several critical purposes:

1. Cost management and control

Budgeting provides visibility into IT spending and helps ensure costs remain within agreed limits. This is increasingly important as spending shifts toward subscriptions, cloud services and external providers.

2. Informed decision making

A clear budget enables IT teams to evaluate priorities and make trade-offs based on available funding and expected impact rather than reacting to issues as they arise.

3. Effective resource allocation

Budget planning helps ensure that funding supports core IT operations while focusing effort on areas with the greatest potential business value.

4. Project funding and modernization

Planned budgets enable investment in technology refreshes, addressing technical debt and strengthening cybersecurity instead of deferring critical initiatives.

5. Improved communication and alignment

A defined budget creates transparency between IT, finance and business teams and aligns expectations when planning projects or changes.

6. Risk management

Budget visibility helps identify underfunded areas that may increase operational, security or compliance risks over time.

7. Performance measurement and outcomes

Comparing planned budgets with actual spending allows organizations to evaluate IT performance and improve financial effectiveness year over year.

Without this foundation, even well-intentioned IT initiatives struggle to demonstrate impact or secure ongoing investment.

From budgeting principles to best practices

To move from principles to execution, IT leaders need a practical framework. Defining a clear IT budget that aligns with business objectives requires more than estimating costs or negotiating line items. It calls for proven best practices that connect financial planning with service delivery, operational efficiency and long-term value.

The following sections outline how organizations can structure their budgeting approach, evaluate investments realistically and use ITSM to translate strategic goals into measurable, budget-relevant outcomes.

Best Practice #1: Start budgeting with total cost of ownership in mind

One of the most common pitfalls in IT budgeting is focusing too narrowly on upfront costs. For ITSM in particular, license prices alone rarely reflect the true financial impact of a solution.

A best-practice approach starts with total cost of ownership (TCO). TCO includes acquisition costs as well as implementation effort, time to go live, required internal resources, integration complexity, scalability and ongoing operational overhead.

Solutions that appear affordable at first can become expensive if they require long deployment phases, heavy customization or continued reliance on external support. By contrast, ITSM platforms that enable fast go-live, efficient workflows and gradual optimization often deliver significantly lower costs over their lifecycle.

Platforms like OTRS are designed with total cost of ownership in mind, combining fast deployment, low operational overhead, and a licensing model that avoids linear cost increases as service demand grows.

Introducing TCO early in the budgeting process shifts discussions away from short-term savings toward sustainable value and provides a more realistic basis for evaluating ITSM investments.

Best Practice #2: Connect budgeting with service management

Modern IT budgeting increasingly focuses on outcomes rather than line items. This shift makes structured service management essential. Without visibility, consistency and measurable results, budgets remain theoretical and difficult to defend.

ITSM provides the processes and data needed to connect daily IT operations with financial outcomes. It allows IT teams to move beyond explaining what they spend money on and start demonstrating what the organization gains in return.

By embedding budgeting considerations into ITSM practices, organizations can better align service performance with financial planning and business priorities. This connection is easier to establish when ITSM platforms provide built-in reporting, transparent cost drivers, and processes that are easy to adapt to business needs, as seen in solutions like OTRS.

Best Practice #3: Use data-driven ITSM to change the budget conversation

Traditional IT reporting often centers on activity metrics such as ticket volumes or response times. While operationally useful, these figures rarely resonate with budget holders.

Data-driven ITSM enables a more meaningful conversation by linking service data to budget-relevant questions:

Where are time and resources being consumed inefficiently?
Which recurring issues generate the highest costs?
How does IT performance influence employee productivity?

When IT teams can answer these questions with reliable data, they can demonstrate how service improvements directly support financial goals rather than simply requesting additional budget.

OTRS supports this shift by making service data accessible and actionable, enabling IT teams to translate operational metrics into insights that resonate with financial and business stakeholders.

Best Practice #4: Improve agent productivity before adding headcount

One of the most effective ways to protect IT budgets is to maximize the productivity of existing teams. Skills shortages and hiring challenges make headcount increases costly and uncertain.

Data-driven ITSM supports productivity by centralizing service requests, assets, workflows and knowledge. Automation, clear prioritization and standardized processes reduce manual effort and enable agents to resolve issues faster and more consistently.

From a budgeting perspective, this has a direct impact. Higher productivity reduces backlog, overtime and escalation rates while limiting the need for temporary or external staff. In many cases, improving productivity delivers a stronger return than expanding teams.

Best Practice #5: Reduce dependency on expensive external resources

External services often represent a hidden drain on IT budgets. Consultants, outsourced support or ad hoc assistance are frequently used to compensate for limited visibility or inefficient processes.

Data-driven ITSM helps organizations regain control by making recurring problems and inefficiencies visible. Reporting and analysis functions highlight patterns that allow IT teams to address root causes rather than repeatedly paying for external fixes.

Over time, this leads to more predictable costs, stronger internal capabilities and improved budget stability.

Best Practice #6: Base budget decisions on clear, simple overviews

Reliable budgeting depends on reliable data. Yet many organizations still rely on fragmented tools or spreadsheets when planning IT investments.

ITSM platforms provide clear overviews of service performance, workload distribution and asset usage. These insights do not need to be complex to be effective. Even straightforward dashboards can reveal trends that support better financial decisions.

Understanding which services generate the most demand, where assets are underused, or which processes consume the most effort helps align spending with actual needs rather than assumptions.

Best Practice #7: Apply AI selectively to strengthen ROI

AI is increasingly part of IT budget discussions, but its value depends on practical application. A best-practice approach focuses on use cases that deliver immediate, measurable benefits.

Within data-driven ITSM, AI can support tasks such as ticket classification, trend analysis, or knowledge assistance. These capabilities reduce manual effort and improve consistency without requiring large-scale transformation projects.

OTRS supports a pragmatic approach to AI by enabling flexible integration of AI services where they deliver clear value, without forcing organizations into rigid or one-size-fits-all models.

When AI is integrated flexibly and aligned with existing ITSM processes, it strengthens the ROI case instead of adding complexity or uncertainty.

Best Practice #8: Align ITSM with long-term budget goals

Data-driven ITSM is not a one-time initiative. It is a continuous framework that supports better budgeting year after year. By linking service performance with financial outcomes, IT teams become active contributors to business planning rather than perceived cost centers.

This alignment enables organizations to respond more confidently to budget pressure, adjust priorities as conditions change, and demonstrate value in a language business stakeholders understand.

Conclusion: Turning budget pressure into opportunity

Meeting 2026 budget targets does not require cutting services or delaying modernization. It requires clarity, discipline and the ability to connect investment with outcomes.

By applying IT budgeting best practices and using data-driven ITSM to improve productivity, reduce unnecessary costs, and support informed decisions, organizations can turn budget pressure into an opportunity. In a cost-sensitive environment, this approach is not optional: it is essential.

Laura Diral

IT Budget

Outlook: How SMBs Will Succeed with IT in 2026

Tobias Kortas — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:11:47 +0000

Outlook: How SMBs Will Succeed with IT in 2026

2025-12-18
Tobias Kortas

Digital Transformation

The focus is fixed on the year 2026 and its challenges, but also on its opportunities. Especially for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), it is crucial to position themselves wisely and deal sensibly with trends—without excessive euphoria or panic, with purpose and aligned to their own capabilities.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has moved beyond the experimentation phase: now, many companies must implement it in order to remain competitive. At the same time, smart approaches are required in other areas as well. Many SMBs can hardly afford missteps and must therefore convert their resources into measurable results as efficiently as possible.

This article reveals what SMBs can expect from IT in 2026 and what proven solution strategies look like.

Status quo

Many SMBs have a clear backlog when it comes to IT. Somewhat paradoxically, most of them are well aware of their shortcomings, such as outdated approaches, technological legacy systems, a lack of integrations, and the failure to implement modern software solutions. In practice, however, progress is slow due to various constraints such as budget limitations, time capacity, or insufficient internal know-how.

Real progress requires budget and expertise

In our in-house study “The State of SMB IT for 2026,” 29% of the surveyed IT specialists and executives cite budget constraints as the main reason why they do not use advanced ITSM, ITAM, and device management tools. Seventeen percent name a lack of qualified personnel, and 16% cite integration difficulties. However, only 9% see an unclear ROI as the main reason, and just 5% cite no perceived need. This clearly shows that the willingness and understanding of the benefits of advanced tools are present, but that the practical means for implementation are lacking.

Integration as a pain point

ITSM and ITAM processes are also often poorly integrated. To link the two, two thirds (67%) of respondents still rely on manual processes and Excel spreadsheets. Monitoring tools also frequently remain isolated: only 39% of SMBs have fully integrated them with their ITSM systems.

AI – as expected – a top priority

Meanwhile, AI is considered a top priority in the minds of decision-makers: 71% of respondents view it as “important” or “very important,” but in practice they face obstacles such as cost concerns, security issues, insufficient expertise, or integration difficulties. So far, AI is primarily used for IT asset tracking and reporting, task automation, trend analysis, process optimization, and the prediction and prevention of IT incidents.

Overall, many SMBs bring good prerequisites to act progressively, modernly, and with a future-oriented IT strategy. However, they encounter practical obstacles in many areas that are not easy to overcome.

Challenges

A sluggish economy, experiences from multiple crises, cost-cutting pressures: even at the level of IT budgets, overarching challenges are manifold. On the other hand, a shortage of skilled workers, insufficient internal know-how, and small teams face numerous technical hurdles and practical needs.

Another challenge is the presence of tools that are outdated, poorly integrated, or barely aligned with one another. Many IT departments must first resolve their internal issues before they are able to tackle new challenges. This creates a latency period during which many SMBs lose technological ground. This underscores how important it is to continuously maintain and update internal IT processes and to keep an eye on the organization’s ITSM maturity level.

For IT service delivery, in addition to staff shortages and budget constraints as the leading challenges (each cited by 40%), security and compliance (37%), slow response times (35%), and insufficient tool integration (32%) are also considered major challenges.

Opportunities

There are also several areas in which small and medium-sized businesses can turn circumstances to their advantage and develop new capabilities. One key aspect lies in targeted efficiency gains, enabling organizations to achieve as much as possible with limited resources. This first requires an excellent overview of the IT market and the company’s own capabilities.

Important prerequisites include market analyses, maturity assessments, and a focused examination of existing tools and competencies. If companies then deploy AI applications, automation, or process and workflow optimizations precisely where they make sense, previously untapped potential can be unlocked in some cases.

In line with this, many SMBs seize opportunities less through radical IT overhauls and more through targeted modernizations with measurable benefits. Progress is gradual but steady. This is also reflected in the top priorities for 2026:

41% of surveyed SMB representatives primarily want to improve security.
31% are focused on automating IT workflows.
30% are considering introducing AI services or tools.
29% want to invest in increasing employee productivity.
30% identify employee training as a top priority.

It is precisely in these areas that the most valuable opportunities are hidden:

Those who maintain a high level of security protect themselves against numerous threats.
Those who introduce automation and AI operate more efficiently, reduce errors, and gain flexibility.
Those who focus primarily on their employees look inward and recognize what truly matters: people who drive the company forward—especially creatively, strategically, and in value creation.

A derived formula for success could look like this:

SMBs should combine the strengths of artificial intelligence and automation with human creative power in a secure environment. This provides fertile ground for fully developing their potential.

Perspectives for 2026

When we sharpen our focus on the year 2026, several key areas emerge that are decisive for SMBs in terms of their IT strategies.

The rise of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is receiving a great deal of attention—too much, according to some observers, who instead emphasize distinctly human values and strengths. However, there is no contradiction here: for successful, modern, and future-oriented IT, AI plays a key role that only takes on clear form and becomes a game changer when combined with human strengths such as creativity, unconventional thinking, and strategic oversight.

One of the findings of our study “The State of SMB IT for 2026” was that 17% of respondents consider a lack of knowledge or expertise, and 15% integration difficulties, to be the biggest obstacles to using AI. Both are among the most frequently cited answers and can be addressed internally, as they are internal factors, by investing in training and education and by revising the existing tool landscape.

External factors such as costs (19%) or concerns regarding hallucinations and data accuracy (8%), on the other hand, can be addressed through intelligent budgeting and optimized prompting.

For SMBs, the path forward now lies in gradual AI implementation. The relevant applications must be used sensibly for specific tasks and with a clearly identifiable and measurable benefit.

The topic of security

Security remains a top topic for IT. “Safety first” is not just a phrase here, but a clear directive that IT leaders are following. After all, other factors such as the broad implementation of AI and automation or the introduction of new modern tools depend on IT security and compliance.

Security requires continuous attention, particularly in hybrid and remote-oriented work environments. The highest priority is ensuring that regular IT operations run smoothly, without issues, outages, or delays. To avoid and mitigate risks, SMBs should invest not only in relevant technologies but also in process optimization and regular employee training.

To move boldly and confidently into the future, SMBs must not allow security challenges to hold them back.

Enterprise Service Management (ESM)

Take what is successful and promising and apply it as broadly as possible: this is a well-known formula for success. Instead of constantly trying new things, proven practices are applied to new areas. According to this principle, IT Service Management (ITSM) can be expanded into Enterprise Service Management (ESM), allowing as many departments as possible to benefit from useful ITSM practices.

According to our study, typical areas in which SMBs use ITSM-based tools and workflows include customer service (49%), human resources (43%), finance (42%), and office management (41%). However, less typical areas such as facility management or marketing are also suitable for ITSM practices.

In 2026, efficiency and measurable results are required instead of experimentation and exploration. Against this backdrop, SMBs must use the resources available to them wisely and profitably.

Meaningful investments

The question of how much budget is allocated to IT—just as in other areas—can be boiled down to the fundamental question: “Invest or save?” Meaningful investments are the logical answer, but where and how investments will be successful often cannot be clearly determined in advance.

In 2026, SMBs are required to conduct strategic analyses and deploy their IT budgets with precision. Simply saving money means missing out on important developments and trends, while misguided investments can lead to financial imbalance and, as a consequence, almost certainly to technological lag.

Empowering employees

Letting the gaze drift solely toward technology does not even complete half of the puzzle of successful SMB IT. Accordingly, more than half of the surveyed SMBs state that training and continuing education are crucial for achieving an adequate level of ITSM maturity.

This requires not only intuitive tools, but also the appropriate know-how to use them effectively and purposefully. This is a key factor in successfully positioning IT as a strategic driver in support of business objectives in 2026 and beyond.

Background: Employees are increasingly called upon to manage initiatives, make relevant decisions, and achieve problem solutions.

Conclusion

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are currently in a state of tension when it comes to IT. On the one hand, they feel pressure to invest, keep pace with trends and developments, and introduce efficient processes. On the other hand, practical constraints such as technological legacy systems, small teams, and budget limitations stand in the way.

This vicious circle can sometimes weigh heavily, but it can be at least partially broken through intelligent decisions. Companies must have a clear understanding of themselves, their requirements, and their ITSM maturity level in order to make real progress with software, implement task-based AI, and provide appropriate training and education for their employees.

In 2026, the goal is no longer merely to experiment with numerous technological innovations, but to achieve measurable results. This requires, among other things, software that promises a rapid ROI and simplifies day-to-day operations. SMBs must evaluate trends based on their own status quo and adapt them selectively—where it makes operational and strategic sense.

Tobias Kortas

Digital Transformation

Change Management Software: Solutions, Comparison, Interdependencies

Tobias Kortas — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 07:05:44 +0000

Change Management Software: Solutions, Comparison, Interdependencies

2025-12-17
Tobias Kortas

Digital Transformation, ITSM

Change management processes are among the most critical undertakings that organizations have to face. Transformation and change are associated with many uncertainties, ranging from internal resistance to unstructured implementation.

The right software, tools, and methods are required to successfully manage this comprehensive, mission-critical process. This article explains which specific solutions and approaches come into question— including the ten best change management software solutions for 2026.

Software for Change Management

There is much that can be reported about change management and the most suitable approaches for it. Many of these are theoretically sound and can also be adapted in practice (in part), but they lack the decisive element: tools and software that ultimately make change processes successful.

One example: The ADKAR model is very well suited to analyzing change processes in phases. It proves to be a good foundation but, on its own, does not yet create added value, as it does not provide support for the concrete implementation of changes.

What is often missing, therefore, is the topic of software support, which is what makes large change processes possible in the first place. This is the focus of this article.

The Different Types of Change Management Software

In principle, a distinction must be made between software that is developed specifically for change management and solutions that—alongside other functionalities—also support change management. What is always important is the structure that the respective software solution provides and the most intuitive possible usability.

Below are the most important software categories that benefit change processes:

Specific Change Management Software

Yes, it exists—specific software developed exclusively for change management processes. It can be used to plan, implement, and monitor changes. This type of software primarily makes sense for long, extensive processes that can sometimes even span years.

IT Service Management Software

Software designed for IT Service Management (ITSM) offers a frequently used approach, as change management—alongside problem management and incident management—is one of the core ITSM processes. Advantages lie above all in an excellent overview of all change activities, automations, and controlled work on IT services and IT infrastructure.

Business Process Management Software

A Business Process Management Suite (BPMS) supports organizations in designing, modeling, automating, executing, and improving business processes. This makes it also highly suitable for changes to business processes.

Collaboration Software

Collaboration software has found its established place, particularly in hybrid or remote-based work. Often, it is simply about smooth communication. For change projects, it is also of interest for planning, organizing, and managing resources. For “simple” project collaboration, some form of collaboration software is almost always used.

Document Management Software

Document management is broadly defined; in the working world, a well-organized document repository proves to be decisive in many areas. Especially in (critical) change processes, countless documents are generated that must be centrally and clearly available. This also includes audit security and compliance.

The 10 Best Software Solutions for Change Management 2026

In general, the following applies: choosing the most suitable software for change management is an individual matter. Every organization, every industry, and every project comes with specific requirements.

Creating a fixed selection is therefore actually impossible. Thus, the overview of the ten best change management software solutions for 2026 is primarily intended to sharpen the view for the solutions on the market that appear to be the most useful and best suited for change management.

#1 OTRS

OTRS is a software solution developed for ITSM, but it also demonstrates its strengths across departments for Enterprise Service Management (ESM). A key point lies in automated, ITIL-compliant processes that can be excellently adapted to individual requirements.

For change management, OTRS covers and consolidates all requirements. Change processes are, for example, traceable and audit-proof at all times. Responsible parties and dependencies can also be automatically integrated into communication, with the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) providing classifications and documentation for all configuration items (CIs). Reminders, due dates, and priorities support the scheduling.

In short: responsible parties always have the status quo in view, while business processes safely guide through the change process. Automations and AI services accelerate workflows and create valuable capacity.

#2 EasyVista Service Manager

EasyVista Service Manager is an integrated solution that is suitable for the structured control of IT changes. The solution offers clear workflows, automated approvals, and complete transparency across all changes. Risks, impacts, and dependencies can be centrally assessed, while dashboards and reports provide information on process status at any time.

Through flexible customization options, defined roles, and SLAs, EasyVista supports controlled, compliant, and efficient change management.

#3 Freshservice

Through integration with other solutions from the California-based manufacturer Freshworks, the AI-powered Freshservice proves to be well suited for integrated automations in ITSM. Advantages include a user-friendly interface, a structured platform, and a centralized system for all change requests including documentation. With the tool, IT professionals, decision-makers, and stakeholders can collaborate on change processes.

#4 Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management is a holistic ITSM solution with which change requests can be comprehensively covered. Users can carry out risk assessments, access dependencies, and view the potential impact of changes. Those who focus primarily on risks may find Jira Service Management interesting.

#5 ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

This is also a complete ITSM solution with which IT changes can be visualized using a workflow designer. Changes can likewise be logged and tracked based on incidents and problems, and input and approvals can be obtained—for example from members of a Change Advisory Board (CAB). Users can also configure automated workflows and notifications.

#6 Whatfix

Whatfix is a Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) that supports organizations in making processes such as change management, user onboarding, and the use of enterprise software more efficient. For change management, the software reduces training effort, aims to support employee adoption, and helps prevent errors when using complex systems.

#7 SolarWinds Service Desk

This is a cloud-based, AI-powered ITSM solution that aims to increase productivity, improve the user experience, and enhance IT operations. For change management, the provider promises structured processes to minimize risks and increase stability. Users are expected to be able to plan, implement, and communicate changes seamlessly.

#8 SysAid

The ITSM provider SysAid offers change management modules that support organizations in planning, tracking, and controlling changes. Promised benefits include seamless collaboration between teams, reduced downtime, and a structured approach to implementing changes.

#9 Ivanti Service Manager

Ivanti Service Manager, as a modular ITSM platform, maps various IT processes in a modular way, including change management in accordance with ITIL standards. Ivanti supports the entire lifecycle of changes in IT environments. Ivanti’s change management environment is intended to enable controlled, transparent, and low-risk implementation of changes.

#10 Monday Service

Monday Service is an Enterprise Service Management (ESM) platform that provides IT and service teams with central tools to uniformly manage workflows, tickets, projects, and change processes. It is intended to support transparent and automated change management in order to maintain service stability and simplify collaboration between different departments.

Important Interdependencies

Software that can be effectively used for change management is connected with many other areas. Below is a quick overview of some important relationships and interdependencies.

Project and Task Management

Project management, for example, often plays an important role, as significant changes logically always lead to projects or were part of a specific project from the outset. For example, kick-off meetings mark the beginning of the implementation phase of projects, which in many cases involve changes.
Task management follows seamlessly, focusing—whether on a project or process basis—on the tasks to be completed along with their status. Especially in important change projects, it is crucial to organize the countless associated tasks excellently and to let them run within a structured framework.

Incident Management and Problem Management

Change management is also closely linked to incident management and problem management. Incidents such as IT disruptions or overarching problems are often what lead to change processes.

A typical example: a long-used IT system repeatedly experiences outages and frustrates users, and even software updates cannot deliver the desired effect. Eventually, a completely new system is required as a change, since existing data protection regulations can no longer be complied with using the current system.

In addition, change projects themselves—as part of the transition and the disruption of familiar procedures—can in some cases lead to problems and disruptions, even though this should be avoided as much as possible. Thus, changes are also linked in this way to the resolution of incidents and problems.

Configuration Management

In the practical implementation of IT changes, configuration management also plays an important role, as having an overview of all affected IT assets and their connections or dependencies is essential. A Configuration Management Database (CMDB) therefore proves to be extremely valuable for change management.

This makes it clear which parts of the IT infrastructure will be affected by the respective changes, enabling measures to be controlled with regard to all IT assets so that outages, interruptions, and disruptions do not occur.

In the context of these interdependencies, it becomes clear that for change management—at least for changes to the IT infrastructure—an ITSM solution that satisfactorily covers all areas is extremely beneficial.

FAQ

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQ) related to change management software.

#1 What is change management software important for?

Change management software helps ensure that change processes—whether to IT infrastructure or in other areas—take place within a controlled framework and are carried out efficiently, securely, and without unintended negative consequences.

The respective software solutions provide a good overview, create a platform for goal-oriented collaboration, facilitate communication among professionals, decision-makers, and stakeholders, and ensure documentation, traceability, and transparency.

#2 Which change management software is best suited for mid-sized companies?

This question certainly cannot be answered in general terms, as much depends on individual, internal organizational requirements. However, mid-sized companies are often price-sensitive and can focus less on highly specialized areas than large enterprises and corporations.

Therefore, comprehensive solutions with fair pricing packages prove to be sensible. Consequently, the focus is less on specialized change management solutions and more on ITSM solutions that cover change management as a core area. This includes, among other things, a conscious approach to the IT budget as well as a smart approach such as determining the individual ITSM maturity level, on the basis of which the requirements for the “right” software solution can be perfectly identified.

Tip: In our report “The State of SMB IT for 2026,” you can learn—based on original survey data—how small and mid-sized businesses position themselves with regard to ITSM maturity, tools, AI, and automations.

#3 Where can change management software be tested for free?

Testing change management software for free is readily possible, as providers generally offer a free demo. Interested parties thus get in contact with an expert, can state their requirements, goals, and wishes, and do not incur any obligations.

#4 Where can change management software with GDPR-compliant data processing be purchased?

When selecting software, compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) plays an outstanding role alongside other compliance and security aspects. Anyone wishing to host or license software with a view to GDPR should value European hosting options or EU data centers. To also clarify security specifics, native-language support in the customer’s own language is important.

With US data centers or US companies, on the other hand, the CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act), which allows US authorities access to stored data, could become a problem.

From the list of providers, one should select those that meet the criteria mentioned here.

#5 How do cloud-based and on-premises solutions for change management software differ?

Cloud and on-premises solutions differ due to hosting: “On premises” means that the customer hosts the software locally (on premises) in their own data center, while with cloud options the provider takes over hosting.

Manufacturers often offer both options, with the cloud increasingly becoming the standard. However, particularly when it comes to special, individual security standards, customers prefer on-premises solutions, while others prefer to entrust the effort for updates and security patches to the provider through a cloud option.

Conclusion

Change management tools and software: they do not necessarily belong to an organization’s standard repertoire, but they are immensely important for successfully implementing larger change projects in particular. They find their place in the context of ITSM, process and project management, as well as collaboration and document management.

For organizations, the challenge lies in selecting the exactly right software and tools. For very large change projects, specific change management software is suitable. However, typical ITSM solutions are more commonly used for change management, especially for changes that primarily affect IT infrastructure.

Since areas such as incident management, problem management, configuration management, as well as project and task management are connected to change management, many logically interrelated disciplines can thus be combined at once.

A software solution that enables change management as part of a comprehensive package of functionalities and features proves to be efficient and cost-optimized. As a rule, a return on investment (ROI) is achieved particularly quickly, especially with many integrations as well as well-designed automations and intelligent use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Finally, two brief tips:

If it concerns IT change management, it is advisable to conduct an ITSM maturity assessment before selecting software.
For important decisions regarding change management—including the selection of the software solution—it makes sense to rely on a Change Advisory Board (CAB) consisting of IT professionals, decision-makers, consultants, and stakeholders.

Tobias Kortas

Digital Transformation, ITSM

Service Level Management: Benefits and Application in the Ticketing System

Tobias Kortas — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 09:52:33 +0000

Service Level Management: Benefits and Application in the Ticketing System

2025-12-11
Tobias Kortas

ITSM

Expectations and reality often differ. With intelligent Service Level Management (SLM) – also called service quality management – a different picture emerges: this way, service providers and their customers know exactly which services must be delivered and to what extent.

In IT Service Management (ITSM), support from a ticketing system is necessary to fully meet customer expectations. This article shows what the right software features can accomplish so that both customers and service providers feel clarity and complete satisfaction.

Definition: Service Level Management (SLM)

Service Level Management defines, negotiates, and optimizes the delivery of IT services. It also monitors the service provider’s ability to meet the promised service levels and generates reports about them.

The overarching purpose of this ITIL® discipline is to continuously adapt IT services to customer expectations.

Benefits that Service Level Management (SLM) provides

Here is a brief outline of how advanced Service Level Management benefits service providers and their customers.

Benefit #1: Ensuring customer satisfaction

Customers generate revenue for companies that want to ensure their satisfaction. This is achieved precisely and effectively with Service Level Agreements (SLAs):

Customers define clear requirements and expectations.
Companies define their services and the criteria for fulfilling them precisely.

The major advantage: the services and their costs are absolutely objectively traceable, leaving no inconsistencies or room for debate.

Tip: The exact timeframe in which customers can expect a response and a solution should be clearly established. Differentiating by communication channel makes sense, as customers expect faster responses in chat than by email.

Benefit #2: Minimizing risks

Because IT services and the related tasks are clearly defined, providers run little risk of overlooking anything. This prevents potential downtime for customers and potential sanctions or penalties for service providers.

Regular reporting and KPIs act as an early warning system for detecting and correcting deviations early.
Effort can be realistically assessed and responsibility clearly assigned.
By continuously monitoring service quality, potential weaknesses can be identified at any time.

“The best customer service is when customers don’t need to call you, don’t need to speak to you. It just works.”

Jeff Bezos

Founder of Amazon

Benefit #3: Controlling costs

Once Service Level Agreements are concluded with customers, they can serve as the basis for current and future needs. This makes clear which costs – both technical and personnel-related – can be expected.

This allows service providers to plan precisely and keep costs within the right scope: IT services are neither underutilized nor insufficiently equipped (i.e., overloaded).

Tip: Despite internal cost optimization, one should never lose sight of the customer’s costs. For example, if a premium customer suffers downtime or delayed problem resolution due to cost savings, it is extremely counterproductive.

Benefit #4: Continuous improvement

Clarity is the mother of improvement. With clear agreements and shared value creation, service providers and customers can use their resources efficiently. Over time, this leads to high efficiency for all parties involved.

Tip: With well-developed SLAs, all parties can communicate with transparency. This enhances the communication culture and acts as a useful tool to encourage improvements. It is paradoxical, but precisely because SLAs are binding—and therefore central—they serve beautifully as a starting point for relevant optimizations.

Service Level Management in the Ticketing System

With the right ticketing system, Service Level Management can fully demonstrate its value. Without appropriate software support, this process cannot be built in a sound and purposeful way.

The right software supports SLM in two ways:

It provides views that give insight into Service Level Agreements.
Many features indirectly support Service Level Management.

Service-Level-Management Views

Specific views make it immediately clear what the current status of Service Level Management is, which actions are necessary, and how different elements relate to each other.

Information about a service level agreement is displayed.
It provides insight into timeframes related to a Service Level Agreement.
It lists services that may require action—indicated by statuses such as warning or incident.
It displays the services linked to the respective Service Level Agreement.

Features that support Service Level Management

There are several features and functionalities in ticketing systems that are beneficial to Service Level Management. These form the foundation for building a dedicated SLM.

Through a clear IT Asset Management (ITAM) system and the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), all IT assets and their relationships are visible. This provides an excellent overview during issues, helping reduce resolution times, meeting promised service times, and preventing incidents and problems.
Automatic time tracking in Time and Quota Management helps you meet agreed-upon time commitments in a reliable and verifiable way.
With comprehensive escalation management, even complex cases can be resolved quickly enough to meet Service Level Agreements, as they are rapidly escalated to the appropriate contacts.
An IT service catalog is similar to a restaurant menu. Services can be assigned SLAs, including automatic SLA selection based on agreements.
Traceability is the only way to clearly prove the adherence (or non-adherence) to Service Level Agreements. Audit and compliance functions provide a complete history of relevant events and seamless documentation.

How OTRS supports Service Level Management

OTRS offers flexibly definable services and SLAs with clear response, update, and resolution times. A precise escalation system displays deadlines and automatically sends warnings in case of (impending) violations.

Workflows—such as forwarding or escalations—can be automated via the Generic Agent. SLA information is visible directly in the ticket, while reports and dashboards provide a quick overview of SLA fulfillment. The service catalog and CMDB also give a clear view of services and their dependencies.

Conclusion

Service Level Management (SLM) often seem somewhat complicated, but only to a certain extent: Service Level Agreements specify what type of service the provider must deliver by when and how the service recipient compensates for it. SLM defines, optimizes, and monitors this process.

In ITSM, with a multitude of interwoven services, the standard approach leads through dedicated software support. Various features and functionalities assist in this process, either developed directly for Service Level Management or indirectly supporting it.

Tobias Kortas

ITSM

IT Budget: Status Quo for Companies and Outlook

Tobias Kortas — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:39:44 +0000

IT Budget: Status Quo for Companies and Outlook

2025-11-26
Tobias Kortas

IT Budget

What truly determines success in IT is the way companies use the budget available to them. Certainly: Many organizations are currently feeling increasing budget pressure due to the tense situation in the global market.

For IT leaders, this often means working with a smaller budget. Their task is now to use it as intelligently and purposefully as possible.

This does not necessarily mean a radical cost-cutting course, but with foresight can also include sensible investments when an adequate return on investment (ROI) is in sight. It is a small paradox: the benefit factor ultimately saves much more than the savings that would have been achieved, for example, by forgoing the right software solution.

This article examines the financial situation in which especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) find themselves (and will find themselves), and how they can best deal with it.

IT Budget: The Current Framework

Organizations often face the challenge of achieving as much as possible with a limited IT budget. Especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), resources are often insufficient to invest on a large scale. This gives rise to the need to act skillfully and use the available budget in the right places.

Task: Achieving Improvements with Limited Budget

Increasing the resilience and performance of IT with little budget may seem like squaring the circle, but it is precisely the task IT leaders face. Advancing possibilities to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and automation into processes help with this challenge, but at the same time demand new investments.

One thing is clear: Organizations can hardly avoid new IT expenditures if they want to maintain or even increase their competitiveness. In this situation, hardly any misstep seems permissible. Achieving an adequate ROI becomes a mandatory task.

Companies Act Cautiously

It is therefore unsurprising that many companies act hesitantly and shy away from investments. In our survey “The State of SMB IT for 2026”, 29 percent of IT professionals and leaders cite budget constraints as the main reason they do not use advanced ITSM, ITAM, and device management solutions — by far the most frequently named factor.

Likewise, budget constraints, at 40 percent, are tied with the lack of qualified staff as the biggest challenge in IT service delivery.

Outdated IT Infrastructures Lead to Investment Pressure

This means that outdated IT infrastructures and existing isolated systems are blocking progress. Instead of gradually moving into the technological fast lane, many small and medium-sized enterprises find themselves at a dead end. They are often all too aware that they need to modernize their IT infrastructure.

But internally, investment gaps and technological legacy issues prevent rapid advancement. As a result, they often remain reactive instead of being able to take a proactive role in shaping technological change.

This leads to the understandable realization that allowing oneself to fall behind technologically is possible, but by no means recommended: Many companies feel the investment pressure and want to generate higher strategic value with their IT.

Outlook

The question rightly arises as to how companies can achieve exactly that in 2026 and beyond and thereby contribute to overarching business goals. The path is clear: targeted modernization with measurable benefit must be pursued.

A radical overhaul, on the other hand, would exceed the scope, would not achieve the required changes in the short to medium term, and would not strengthen current practices. Thus, many companies now proceed iteratively and orient themselves toward the status quo. Continuous improvement is the logical path to take.

IT Security Is the Top Priority

The most important priority for most is improving IT security: 41 percent of surveyed SME representatives assign it the highest importance for 2026, followed by workflow automation (31 percent), the introduction of AI tools (30 percent), and increased employee productivity (29 percent).

This points to the manifold challenges of hybrid environments and data protection on the one hand, but also clearly to a performance orientation on the other. When companies invest, they expect clear improvements.

Companies Want to Invest More in Employees

It is noteworthy that not only tools, software solutions, and features are in focus, but also people: 27 percent of respondents consider employee training an important priority. This makes sense and shows foresight. After all, even the best software solutions have only limited impact if the employees responsible for them do not know them well enough or do not know how to unlock their full potential.

Fittingly, 62 percent of respondents see training and education as an important factor in improving their ITSM practices. This suggests that many employees are overwhelmed by tools and software or at least unable to fully exploit their potential.

Cost-Benefit Ratio: Efficiency Counts

A full 56 percent see easy-to-use AI and automation functions as the key to optimizing their ITSM practices. Additionally, 48 percent cite access to affordable software.

In summary, advanced, user-friendly solutions and features at manageable costs are required for employees to use them effectively. This is precisely the focus for 2026: a coherent cost-benefit ratio that moves companies forward. Ideally, tools are inexpensive, ruthlessly effective, and used by knowledgeable, well-trained employees who handle them skillfully.

Thus, efficiency becomes the decisive maxim: it consists of various components that, working together, can truly make a difference. Companies that want to make a decisive impact with their IT in 2026 must look at the big picture. Holistically and iteratively, IT can move forward even with a limited budget (more on this below).

Best Practices: The Path to Return on Investment (ROI)

Implementing a good, affordable software solution, introducing advanced AI and automation functions, and training employees effectively – in practice, though this is often not easy. Even if the direction is clear, decision-makers still face the question of how to use their often limited IT budget in 2026 as effectively as possible to achieve their goals.

The following are several helpful practices that support making the most effective use of the IT budget.

#1: Work with Your Own Maturity Level

When the IT budget is limited, good, granular approaches matter even more. For example, targeted and highly value-oriented ITSM can be best initiated when the IT team knows exactly where it stands and which steps it needs to take.

These insights are provided by a maturity assessment, which can be carried out quite easily. Based on various dimensions – such as processes, governance and strategy, or technology and tools – the next logical steps become clear to align ITSM with the achievement of relevant overarching business goals.

Once the decision to invest in a new software solution has been made on this basis, the path to a positive ROI becomes significantly easier.

#2: View IT Costs Holistically

Costs are not just costs. There are different cost factors and value drivers that together should result not in pure expenses but in investments with generous returns. When acquiring a software solution, many companies focus solely on the price. However, this is only part of the picture. Holistic concepts such as Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) are more suitable for providing clarity on all costs throughout the entire lifecycle. This is also the task of focused IT asset management.

Decision-makers should also examine the existing IT infrastructure with a cost- and value-oriented mindset and retire tools and applications that primarily cause costs and provide little value. For example, many companies unnecessarily pay for licenses that almost no one uses. On the other hand, fair models such as “Concurrent Agents” already provide significant cost advantages. In this model, companies pay only for as many agents as are working in the system at any given time.

#3: Implement AI Gradually and Based on Needs

Many companies are eager to keep pace with the AI revolution – a correct mindset. After all, our survey data also shows that AI functions matter more in 2026. However, with budget intelligence in mind, it is important not to launch a large-scale AI revolution within the company. Used indiscriminately, AI quickly becomes a pure cost factor that does not bring the expected efficiency gains.

Instead, the focus must be on where AI can make the biggest difference in IT operations. Primarily in these areas, corresponding applications can be used gradually and experimentally. For example, AI-based summaries in ticket systems can deliver enormous advantages, especially for extensive histories and conversations.

Flexible offerings such as booking individual AI services are an easy way to implement this incremental approach.

#4: Support Employees

Training as well as continuing education for employees are among the key factors currently prioritized by small and medium-sized enterprises. However, this area is highly individual: employees often need to apply knowledge in very specific ways and have very different needs regarding training initiatives.

Therefore, companies must accompany and support employees individually. This works when leaders determine together with employees which courses and training sessions are suitable and effective – for example through feedback, assessments, regular exchanges, or simply daily work life. Standard training for everyone only makes sense in broadly applied transitions.

#5: Automate Recurring Tasks as Much as Possible

Automation is also a prominent focus according to our “The State of SMB IT for 2026” report. Standard tasks that recur continuously consume a lot of time — often unnecessarily so. The major advantage: a few simple automations already provide significant time savings and productivity gains, which in turn improve the return on the IT budget used.

Automating individual workflows and setting up standard notifications are good first steps. Additionally, a targeted knowledge base with instructions, descriptions, and how-to articles can be built as an important resource for support cases. Furthermore, companies can strengthen self-service through measures such as integrating AI chatbots, user forums, or updated FAQ pages.

The central goal is always to relieve service and support staff so they can focus more on value-creating tasks with tangible benefits.

Conclusion: Investing Pays Off — Even With a Tight IT Budget

There is clearly budget pressure in IT. Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular must be thrifty. Instead of radical cost-cutting, carefully chosen investments are usually the better choice. When possible, companies should invest strategically, as this is the only way to remain competitive and cost-efficient in the medium and long term.

The calculation is simple: through smart selection – for example of software solutions and advanced features – a clearly positive return on investment (ROI) becomes apparent after a short time. Key indicators include employee productivity, performance improvements, customer satisfaction, or the degree of automation achieved. This allows teams to accomplish a lot even with relatively small manpower and gain substantial time savings, especially in IT support.

Learn how you can get more out of your IT budget with OTRS software solutions.

Tobias Kortas

IT Budget

IT Operations Management (ITOM): The Silent Backbone

Tobias Kortas — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 07:05:00 +0000

IT Operations Management (ITOM): The Silent Backbone

2025-11-04
Tobias Kortas

ITSM

Organizations today depend on regular, stable IT operations. Failures, disruptions, and irregularities reveal that IT Operations Management (ITOM) — often unnoticed — forms a valuable cornerstone.

There are countless services, processes, and applications that organizations rely on every day. These must operate securely and reliably so that employees can work as usual.

This article explains the key functions of IT Operations Management, its benefits, and how it connects to IT Service Management (ITSM).

Tasks

ITOM teams ensure the daily operation of IT infrastructure and applications within an organization. In short, IT must be reliable, available, and efficient at all times.

ITOM represents the technical and invisible backbone that sustains the entire IT ecosystem.

Generally, the following tasks fall under IT Operations Management:

Monitoring and Event Management:
ITOM teams monitor the IT infrastructure — applications, servers, networks, and cloud services. They identify and categorize events, correlate them, and detect issues early to enable quick resolution.
IT Infrastructure Management:
Ensuring stable infrastructure operations is at the core of ITOM. Teams develop strategies and policies, negotiate vendor contracts, and supervise upgrades and installations.
Configuration Management:
A Configuration Management Database (CMDB) contains detailed information about IT assets (Configuration Items, or CIs), systems, and their relationships. The ITOM team maintains this data, ensuring transparency and supporting well-informed decisions.
Backup and Recovery Management:
ITOM teams create and manage data backups and restore systems and data after outages or cyberattacks.
Performance and Capacity Management:
ITOM also involves monitoring and analyzing resource usage and planning for future capacity needs to avoid bottlenecks.
Automation and Orchestration:
This area is becoming increasingly important, promising more efficiency, fewer errors, and faster response times. Repetitive tasks such as patching or parts of monitoring can be automated, while workflows can be orchestrated across multiple systems.

Many tasks — such as problem, incident, and change management — overlap with those of ITSM. As mentioned, there is a natural intersection between both areas.

Distinction from ITAM

ITOM is closely related to IT Asset Management (ITAM, though their goals, focuses, and perspectives differ.

ITOM is operationally oriented and asks: How is our IT running? Is it functioning as planned, and what will it look like in the future?

ITAM is administratively oriented and asks: What do we own, and are we using it effectively and in compliance?

Benefits

You could go so far as to call IT Operations Management the backbone of a modern IT organization, as it ensures IT is reliable, performance-oriented, and cost-efficient.

Here’s what that means in detail:

1. Better Service Availability and Stability

With ITOM, disruptions can be detected early, allowing organizations to proactively counteract outages and business-critical incidents. This improves service quality in line with SLAs and increases stability.

2. Problem Prediction

The monitoring performed by ITOM serves as an early warning system. Based on data, it enables accurate forecasts so that issues can be prevented or resolved before they become critical. In the best case, users never experience negative effects such as downtime — or notice them only minimally.

3. Workflow Automation and Standardization

ITOM can standardize and automate repetitive tasks such as system updates, patching, or backups, eliminating many time-consuming and error-prone activities. IT teams benefit from reduced workload and faster response times.

4. Greater Cost Control

IT budgets are often tight — and unnecessary expenses are best avoided. By revealing how resources such as servers, storage, or cloud services are actually used, ITOM helps identify potential savings. With demand-based adjustments, companies only pay for what they truly need.

5. Informed Decision-Making Through Transparency

ITOM documents all IT components, their relationships, and any changes — a process typically carried out in a CMDB. Just as details bring a painting to life, ITOM paints a full picture of the IT landscape. This transparency serves as a foundation for sound decision-making on changes, updates, or migrations.

ITOM vs. ITSM

There is no universally accepted definition of IT Operations Management, so its exact interpretation may vary between organizations. While there is overlap with ITSM, the distinction is clear:

ITSM governs the relationship with the user and the delivery of services.
ITOM ensures the stability and continuity of IT operations.

In ITSM, the organization reacts to user requests — for instance, when a change is required, the Change Management process is triggered. ITOM, in contrast, adds an operational component through monitoring, management, and measurement systems — enhanced by experience and data.

The advantage is clear: in many cases, ITOM enables action before users even notice a problem or open a ticket. This transforms the customer experience — instead of frustration over an outage, users are proactively informed about the incident and, ideally, its resolution.

Currently, the key term is integration — ITSM and ITOM are no longer viewed as alternatives but as complementary systems that must communicate effectively to create value.

Three Examples of Effective Integration

Optimized Incident Management
When an ITOM team detects a disruption or anomaly, the system automatically creates a ticket in the ITSM platform. The ticket is then categorized and assigned to the appropriate Incident Management team.
Automated Request Management
Recurring user requests — such as password resets — can be proactively handled through self-service portals supported by ITOM processes. This relieves first-level support through automated workflows.
Enhanced Change Management
TOM tools can validate the state of the IT infrastructure before critical changes are implemented. They simulate potential impacts and update both the CMDB and ITSM systems in real time, increasing transparency and security across all levels.

ITOM Software

Software solutions for ITOM vary significantly, as their features depend on each tool’s specific design and purpose.

Common functionalities include:

Intelligent Alert and Event Management: Quickly identifies critical or potentially threatening developments.
Automation and Orchestration Functions: Analyzes recurring standard processes and improves coordination across IT operations components.
Performance Analysis: Monitors current IT performance to identify optimization opportunities.
Device Management: Keeps track of all company-owned devices, ensuring quick updates or device blocking in case of loss.
Discoveries: Detects, inventories, and maps IT resources and their interdependencies — typically stored in a CMDB or similar repository.
Capacity Management (Forecasting): Predicts capacity usage and demand so ITOM teams can prepare in advance, avoiding bottlenecks or excess capacity.

Current Development – AIOps

With increasing automation and broader adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), ITOM is evolving toward AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations).

Because ITOM deals with measurable parameters, AI can quickly analyze fluctuations and peaks in data, deriving actionable insights for improvement.

Thanks to powerful AI capabilities and extensive analytical capacity, IT teams can act even more proactively and data-driven — opening the door to a wider range of opportunities.

In short, AI enables IT infrastructures to be secured more comprehensively and effectively. Key to this are the early warning signals AI can detect long before threats arise.

AIOps leverages machine learning, big data, and automation to make IT operations faster, smarter, and more proactive.

Current Capabilities of AIOps

Today, AIOps can already:

Analyze complex data in real time
Automatically detect anomalies
Identify root causes of issues
Resolve known problems independently

Potential of AIOps

In the future, it’s conceivable that AIOps will integrate with generative AI, such as Copilot-style assistants that explain analyses in natural language. Predictive Governance — proactively managing risks and compliance — also seems likely.

Moreover, AIOps could be linked with SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response), RPA (Robotic Process Automation), and ITSM platforms — paving the way for hyperautomation.

Conclusion: ITOM – The Metaphorical Silent Hero

IT Operations Management (ITOM) not only keeps a company’s IT running but also ensures it operates as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Though often unnoticed, it remains a vital part of any modern organization.

ITOM ensures service availability, prevents problems, optimizes workflows, controls costs, and supports data-driven decision-making. In doing so, it strengthens business performance in essential ways.

The rise of AIOps, powered by rapid advancements in AI, further amplifies this dynamic: what ITOM already achieves through automation now happens even faster and more extensively.

Metaphorically, ITOM is the silent hero that safeguards operations behind the scenes and protects businesses from negative IT dynamics. Closely integrated with ITSM, it has a profound impact — especially during critical situations like incidents.

Tobias Kortas

ITSM

CMDB Software & Tools: Definition, Functions, Examples

Bernd Maus — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 08:20:05 +0000

CMDB Software & Tools: Definition, Functions, Examples

2025-10-30
Bernd Maus

ITAM

Today’s IT landscapes are more dynamic than ever: hybrid cloud environments, containerized workloads, “as-code” infrastructures, and an ever-growing number of SaaS services. Without solid contextual data, IT operations can quickly turn into an IT blind flight: incidents have far-reaching consequences, changes are risky, security findings are difficult to prioritize, and audits cost both time and nerves.

This is exactly where CMDB software (Configuration Management Database) comes in. It consolidates data from discovery tools, cloud APIs, ITAM, APM/monitoring, and DevOps pipelines, normalizes it, and—most importantly—makes one thing visible: the relationships and dependencies between IT resources, from business services to technical components.

What Is a CMDB?

A CMDB forms the data foundation of IT Service Management (ITSM) according to ITIL. It stores not only “What do we have?” but also “How is it connected?” The focus is on service topologies: from business services through applications and middleware to hosts, containers, networks, and cloud resources—including dependencies, versions, and changes.

For IT teams, a CMDB is therefore not just “inventory+” but the source of context for ITSM, SRE/operations, and SecOps. It enables impact analyses before changes, accelerates root-cause analysis in incident management, provides evidence for compliance frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, NIS2, DORA), and lays the groundwork for automation and policy-driven operations.

What matters is not just the amount of data stored, but its quality, governance, and scope—ideally starting pragmatically and expanding iteratively.

Key Objectives of a CMDB

Transparency across the entire IT infrastructure and service chains through a centralized repository
Risk assessment for changes (impact and blast radius analyses)
Faster incident resolution (root-cause identification)
Compliance and auditability (traceability of configuration changes)

What Are Configuration Items (CIs)?

Configuration Items (CIs) are the managed entities within the CMDB.

Examples of CIs include:

Technical level: Servers/VMs, containers/pods, images, databases, queues, storage, network devices, cloud resources (EC2/VM, VPC/VNet, functions, datastores), Kubernetes objects.
Application level: Microservices, deployments, APIs, software versions, pipelines, secrets/certificates, feature flags, web services.
Service/business level: Business services, SLAs/OLAs, locations, contracts, suppliers.
Security/compliance level: Vulnerability findings, patches, hardening states, policy compliance.

Each CI has attributes (e.g., OS version, owner, environment, lifecycle status) and relationships (e.g., “runs on,” “uses,” “replicates to”). These relationships are key to impact and root-cause analyses and support maintenance, optimization, and compliance.

What Is CMDB Software?

CMDB software is a platform that centrally collects, normalizes, versions, and manages configuration data and CI relationships as a single point of truth. It provides data models, interfaces, automation, and governance mechanisms to ensure data quality and consistency throughout the IT lifecycle.

Typical components of a CMDB solution:

Data model & class hierarchy (CIs, attributes, relationships)
Discovery & import connectors (agent/agentless, cloud APIs, SCCM/Intune, vCenter, CM tools, IaC)
Reconciliation/normalization (duplicate detection, vendor/product normalization)
Change/versioning (history, audit, baselines, snapshots)
Query & visualization (graphs, service maps, impact analyses)
APIs & integrations (ITSM, ITAM, APM, SecOps, FinOps)
Governance & data quality (KPIs, policies, roles/permissions)

With the ITSM solution from OTRS, you maintain complete control over your IT—centrally, transparently, and reliably.

Core Functions of CMDB Software

From automatic discovery to governance, CMDB software consolidates discovery, data normalization, service topologies, change tracking, security/compliance, observability, and reporting.

The result: reliable, up-to-date configuration data with relationships that form the foundation for impact analyses, audits, and low-risk operations.

Automatic Discovery & Federation

Discovery automatically detects assets—via agent/agentless methods, network scans, or API calls (e.g., AWS, Azure, M365). The original source (e.g., cloud account, APM tool) remains the single source of truth; the CMDB references and aggregates the data. Event-based discovery keeps the CMDB current and reduces maintenance effort.

Example: A new EC2 instance is created in AWS. An EventBridge trigger imports it into the CMDB, which adds the EC2 CI and links it to the relevant VPC, subnet, and load balancer. Attributes stay synchronized via the AWS API.

Data Consolidation & Maintenance

Data consolidation merges and cleans data from multiple sources using:

Reconciliation (matching identical CIs via rules)
Normalization (standardizing vendor/product names and versions)
Deduplication (removing duplicates)
Creation of a “golden record” for each CI

This prevents contradictory information (e.g., three OS versions for one server). A golden record ensures reliable data for change and incident processes.

Example: A server appears in vCenter, SCCM, and monitoring. Match rules (serial number, hostname, CMDB ID) link all three to a single CI. The OS version is sourced from SCCM, while CPU/RAM data come from vCenter.

Service Modeling & Topologies

Service modeling defines relationships between CIs across all layers (business → application → infrastructure → cloud) and visualizes them as service maps. Only through these relationships can you understand impact (which services are affected?) and root cause (what caused it?)—and take action.

Example: The “Checkout” business service consists of a webshop, payment API, and database. When the database cluster fails, dependent applications are marked in red, and the “Checkout” service shows reduced availability.

Change Integration (ITIL/DevOps)

Change integration links changes/releases with affected CIs, sets baselines, detects drift (unplanned changes), and supports CAB approval.

Since changes often cause incidents, CI relationships help assess risk and blast radius before implementation and define mitigation measures.

Example: Before a database patch, the change form automatically performs an impact analysis on all dependent microservices. A policy-as-code rule blocks deployment if no current backup baseline exists.

Security & Compliance

Security and compliance functions link CIs with policies/benchmarks (e.g., CIS), assess exposure to vulnerabilities (CVEs), and generate audit evidence (SOX, ISO 27001, NIS2, DORA).

Security and compliance require context—only CI relationships reveal which vulnerabilities truly affect critical services.

Example: An OpenSSL CVE is reported. The CMDB queries all CIs with the vulnerable version, displays affected business services, and prioritizes patches based on criticality or SLA.

Observability Integration

When APM data, logs, and metrics are enriched with CI context, the system automatically knows which CIs and services an incident affects. Monitoring and tracing alerts update these relationships.

CI context drastically reduces MTTR (Mean Time to Repair):
Support teams can immediately contact the responsible owner and access all dependencies and recent changes.

Example: An alert “Response time increasing” for the payment API is linked to its database instance and yesterday’s schema change. The on-call process starts, and responsible owners are notified.

Reporting & Governance

Dashboards showing data quality (completeness, freshness, duplicates), ownership models (who maintains each CI), and roles/permissions (RBAC/ABAC) provide essential oversight. Without proper governance, data ages and loses trust. KPIs are vital for keeping a CMDB operational and audit-ready.

Example: A “CMDB Health” dashboard shows: mandatory attributes ≥ 95%, stale rate < 5%, duplicate rate < 2%. If thresholds are breached, the CMDB automatically creates a ticket for the responsible CI owner.

Purpose and Benefits of CMDB Software

A CMDB software delivers major benefits for effective IT management—from operations to security and compliance:

Faster incident resolution (MTTR):
Correlation of incidents with affected CIs/services and targeted escalation.
Improved change management:
Impact analysis before deployment, controlled releases, fewer outages.
Transparency & architectural control:
Identify shadow IT, drifts, and dependencies.
Compliance & auditability:
Complete history and regulatory evidence.
Cost & capacity optimization:
Detect duplicates, identify underused resources, promote reuse.
Security:
Rapid identification of affected services during CVEs; prioritize patches by business impact.
Foundation for automation:
“Source of context” for runbooks, self-healing, and policy-as-code.

Discover the benefits of our ITSM solution—more visibility, less effort, maximum control.

Success Factors for Effective CMDB Usage

Define a clear scope and gradually expand the data model, starting with key services instead of a “big-bang” rollout.
Use few, reliable data sources (Cloud APIs, APM, CM tools) at first, then expand over time.
Assign data ownership by class/attribute for quality, security, and access control.
Define quality KPIs with thresholds to enable proactive issue resolution.
Automation is key to maintaining consistent data quality and reducing manual work.
Governance and training form the foundation for secure CMDB management—covering ownership, modeling guidelines, naming conventions, and definition-of-ready/done (DoR/DoD) principles.

CMDB Software vs. CMDB Tools

A CMDB software is the central platform (system of record) for configuration data and relationships.
CMDB tools, on the other hand, are specialized utilities that feed, enrich, validate, or visualize CMDB data.

Aspect	CMDB Software	CMDB Tools
Purpose	Persistence, data model/classes, relationships, versioning, roles/rights, audit	Specific tasks like discovery (agent/agentless, cloud APIs), normalization, deduplication, license/vendor mapping, service modeling, visualization, data quality, ETL/connectors, IaC federation, drift detection
Outcome	Unified “source of context” for ITSM/SecOps/DevOps	Higher data quality, up-to-date topologies, faster maintenance
Properties	Scalable DB/graph, API, governance, lifecycle, reconciliation engine	Often modular/interchangeable; can run in-suite or standalone
Responsibility	Operations/architecture, clear data ownership per CI class	Varies by function (network/cloud/app teams or data stewards)

In practice:
Without CMDB software, there is no consistent data foundation or governance.
Without tools, the CMDB remains empty, outdated, or inconsistent.

Selection guide:
Choose your platform based on data model, API openness, governance, and scalability.
Select tools based on source coverage (cloud/SaaS/on-prem), accuracy, match rules, automation, and cost.

CMDB vs. IT Asset Management (ITAM)

A CMDB “knows” what is connected and why. ITAM “knows” what, where, who, and how much. In modern environments, they complement each other, often with bidirectional synchronization.

Interested in learning more about the integrated CMDB in our ITSM solution?

Conclusion

A modern CMDB software is more than just an inventory—it provides context across dependencies and services. This context is the foundation for stable changes, rapid incident resolution, effective security response, and reliable compliance evidence.

In combination with ITAM, it provides a complete picture: value + context. Success depends not on the amount of data, but on clear scope, data quality, automation, and governance.

Bernd Maus

ITAM

The “Right” Ticketing System: How to Choose It

Tobias Kortas — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 09:54:54 +0000

The “Right” Ticketing System: How to Choose It

2025-10-27
Tobias Kortas

Customer Service

Ticketing systems streamline workflows, improve transparency, and enhance team collaboration. The resulting time savings, greater efficiency, and well-organized, centralized information help businesses make better use of their budgets, empower employees with clarity, and provide customers with faster, higher-quality support.

While basic ticketing system functions – such as the self-service portal and knowledge base – remain essential, automation and AI-driven features are gaining massive importance. They not only save time and effort but also help reduce errors, increase productivity, and deliver a faster, more responsive customer experience.

These are all good indicators of the “right” ticketing system. However, organizations should not underestimate factors like security, compliance, reporting, and analytics.

This article first highlights the core requirements of a ticket system and then proceeds to specific requirements and tips to provide readers with a well-founded overview.

Core Requirements for a Ticketing System

Many vendors highlight extensive automation and AI capabilities. Yet, potential buyers should first focus on other critical factors. While AI – used wisely – offers major productivity and efficiency gains, the most important elements are those features users rely on daily and that simplify their work. In many cases, a modern, intuitive user interface has a greater impact than an infrequently used workflow automation.

That said, AI features and automations are still highly valuable when they offer real, practical support.

Below are some of the most important core requirements for a ticketing system:

#1 Ticket Management

The primary function of a ticketing system is to automatically generate tickets via email, web form, chat, or API. Essential components include a unique ticket ID, categorization, and prioritization by urgency and importance—often supported by Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

#2 Structured Multi-Channel Communication

The ability to communicate effectively across multiple channels—such as dashboards, chats, and notes—improves internal collaboration and delivers better service experiences for customers. Fast, low-friction notifications ensure a smooth information flow, making processes more pleasant for everyone involved.

This also includes direct replies within tickets and multi-channel integration for email, phone, and chat.

#3 Process Management

Process management focuses on designing, optimizing, and, where possible, automating workflows. This reduces workload, saves time, and leads to faster, more accurate results.

The foundation for this lies in the Process Engine of a ticketing system. Additional features like intelligent resource planning, advanced escalations, or dynamic fields are also highly valuable.

#4 Information Management

With dedicated information management, all necessary data—such as customer information, requests, device data, contracts, or FAQs—can be organized and interconnected. Dashboards, widgets, and tickets then provide users with quick overviews, helping them resolve issues faster.

#5 Self-Service and Knowledge Management

A well-maintained self-service portal is the simplest and most effective way to resolve recurring questions quickly, save time, and make better use of existing knowledge. The foundation of a self-service portal is a knowledge base containing articles, guides, FAQs, manuals, and checklists.

#6 Integrations

Constantly switching between systems and applications is not only frustrating but also time-consuming and leads to fragmented information—poor foundations for both decision-making and customer experience.

Seamless integrations, on the other hand, enable organizations to make the most of their IT ecosystem—boosting efficiency while avoiding duplicate data. Having all essential information centrally accessible is invaluable.

#7 Reporting and Analytics

In the hectic day-to-day business of ticket management, reports and statistics quickly fade into the background. Yet, reports and statistics are vital for identifying underlying issues, improving processes, and monitoring outcomes. In many organizations, regular reporting is even a formal requirement.

#8 Security

Security concerns aren’t limited to large-scale data breaches. Within a ticketing system, much depends on who has access to which data and communication threads. Data protection is not only a regulatory requirement but also prevents mishaps and breaches of trust.

Specific Requirements

Once the core requirements are met, a company is already on the right path. The next step is to consider additional features that can deliver extra value and greater efficiency.

#1 Workflow Automations

When workflows are repetitive and well-defined, automating them is a smart move. It saves time and effort, sharpens focus on other tasks, and ensures consistent, high-quality results.

A ticketing system that supports easy-to-implement workflow automations increases productivity and enhances overall value creation.

#2 Practical AI Applications

AI offers numerous benefits—especially for ticketing systems. These include increased efficiency, significant time savings, higher accuracy, predictive insights, and scalability.

However, organizations should carefully evaluate which AI capabilities deliver real, measurable value rather than simply following trends. The choice should be driven by specific internal needs and goals. For instance, in environments with long ticket threads, AI-powered summaries can give support agents quick, clear overviews.

#3 Advanced Translation Management

For multilingual, international organizations, translation capabilities are becoming increasingly important in service management. Fast, accurate translations help users understand content better, prevent misunderstandings, and enhance the overall experience.

Having built-in translation management greatly improves communication between people who speak different native languages—even when all parties have decent English skills but require precise detail in their own language.

#4 Kanban View

While working with Kanban boards is not new, having a Kanban view within a ticketing system brings significant advantages. It visually represents workflows, progress, and potential bottlenecks, making it easier to manage tasks and processes effectively.

#5 CMDB / Asset Management

A Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a centralized database that stores all information about IT assets (configuration items) such as devices, services, servers, applications, and contracts.

When a ticketing system is linked with a CMDB, data about current IT incidents is directly connected to affected assets—allowing for quick, targeted responses.

Tips for Selecting the Right Ticketing System

Sometimes, other requirements play the deciding role. For example, features like multi-tenancy, time tracking, or customization options may take priority for some organizations. Ultimately, the key factors are always highly individual.

Below are several useful points decision-makers should consider when choosing the right ticketing system.

Tip 1: Pay Attention to the User Interface

The user interface often gets underestimated. Many decision-makers focus on advanced features, overlooking that a clear, visually appealing, and informative interface is the foundation for true productivity and proper use of key functions.

Tip 2: Prioritize Ease of Use

Even the most advanced features are useless if users cannot operate the system effectively. Sometimes, the way developers envision usage differs from how users actually work. Intuitive usability is not a buzzword – it’s essential to ensure users achieve success rather than frustration.

Tip 3: Consider Cost-Benefit Holistically

“More expensive means better” rarely applies to ticketing systems. A more balanced approach is to assess the price-performance ratio carefully. Yet even that can be misleading. Organizations should evaluate their needs, preferred features, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) – a holistic view of IT investment.

In some cases, conducting a detailed ROI analysis can serve as a helpful benchmark, but it shouldn’t be the sole basis for decision-making. Often, qualitative factors – which are not easily measurable – determine the real value.

Tip 4: Factor in Implementation Time

A ticketing system is often deemed “right” when it provides clear value and meets specific needs. However, new systems are often required to fill existing gaps quickly. The longer the implementation takes, the more potential losses the organization may face. Therefore, fast deployment is key for a system to truly earn its “right” status.

Tip 5: Use AI Based on Actual Needs

AI is no longer a future concept – it’s already reshaping ITSM. The real question is how organizations apply it. Instead of implementing it broadly without clear benefits, it’s better to start small and focus on high-impact areas.

Models like AI Credits allow organizations to test individual AI services without paying for a full suite of AI features upfront.

Final Tip: Conduct an Assessment

Organizations differ greatly, and so do their needs. This variation often comes down to their ITSM maturity level, which can be determined through a simple assessment. This helps define the exact requirements a ticketing system should meet.

Conclusion: Core Requirements Are What Truly Matter

There is no single “right” ticketing system suitable for every organization and use case – and that’s not the goal of this article. Instead, it aims to give decision-makers the tools and criteria to make a well-founded, individual choice.

In some cases – especially where ticket volumes are low and inquiries are straightforward – a solid basic system that covers the core requirements is entirely sufficient.

Ultimately, the core requirements should always serve as the foundation for further considerations. In other words, a ticketing system shouldn’t be chosen solely based on the latest AI or automation features, though these can still play an important role. The key is to take a holistic, realistic view of the situation.

In most cases, it’s user experience, request management, structured communication, and security and compliance needs that determine whether a ticketing system is truly the right fit for an organization.

Tobias Kortas

Customer Service

Change Advisory Board (CAB): Definition, Benefits, and Best Practices

Tobias Kortas — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:08:23 +0000

Change Advisory Board (CAB): Definition, Benefits, and Best Practices

2025-10-14
Tobias Kortas

ITSM

Whenever change happens, a lot is at stake. Businesses can achieve significant progress — or face substantial setbacks. Resistance to change is often the first sensitive pressure point, and from a technical perspective, numerous challenges can emerge as well.

In IT Service Management (ITSM), change management — alongside incident and problem management — is a core discipline. Given the constant pace of technological advancement, it receives particular attention in the IT context. For larger or business-critical changes, implementing a Change Advisory Board (CAB) is highly recommended. This board reviews proposed changes to IT environments and provides recommendations.

This article explores the concept of a CAB, outlining its definition, roles, responsibilities, benefits, and best practices — including a practical checklist for using it effectively.

What Is a Change Advisory Board?

This section explains what a CAB is and what roles and responsibilities are typically involved.

Definition

A Change Advisory Board (CAB) is a panel of experts within IT Service Management, defined by ITIL® (Information Technology Infrastructure Library). Its purpose is to assess proposed changes to IT systems and provide recommendations. The main goal is to minimize risks, understand potential impacts, and ensure that IT services remain reliable — even during change processes.

According to the ITIL® framework, a CAB helps ensure that changes to the IT infrastructure are implemented in a controlled, safe, and business-aligned manner.

You might also encounter the term Emergency Change Advisory Board (ECAB). This functions similarly to a regular CAB but operates under faster timelines. In urgent cases, an ECAB helps the responsible Change Manager make rapid yet informed decisions.

Tip 1: Organizations are not required to establish a CAB. Whether to do so depends on internal discretion — particularly the business context, scope, and risk level of the proposed change.

Tip 2: The composition of a CAB is also flexible. However, a balanced mix of technical experts and decision-makers is generally most effective. Depending on the nature of the change, additional specialists may be invited.

Roles and Responsibilities

As a decision-support body, the CAB’s effectiveness depends heavily on its composition. While flexible by design, there are several key roles commonly involved — both in leadership and participation.

Who Leads a CAB?

The Change Manager typically leads the CAB, ensuring that change-related decisions are made in a structured, transparent, and risk-aware manner.

Their responsibilities include not only organizing and moderating CAB meetings, but also overseeing the entire process, which covers:

Preparing the agenda and necessary documentation
Leading discussions
Considering all relevant perspectives
Recording meeting outcomes
Overseeing implementation of the agreed recommendations (while final approval rests with the Change Manager or a higher authority)

Who Participates in a CAB?

A CAB usually consists of a mix of technical experts and business decision-makers. The exact composition depends on the organization and the type or criticality of the change — there is considerable flexibility.

For example, an Emergency CAB (ECAB) typically includes a small, decision-capable group focused on swift action. Lengthy technical discussions have no place here, whereas they might be appropriate in a standard CAB meeting.

Common roles represented in a CAB include:

Change Manager: Leads the CAB and oversees the change process.
Release Manager: Evaluates how proposed changes affect releases and deployment plans.
Service Owner: Represents the services impacted by the change and ensures business interests are reflected.
Technical Lead / IT Operations: Provides technical expertise, assesses risks, and identifies dependencies.
Security Manager / Information Security Officer: Focuses on security and compliance considerations.
Application Owner / Developer: Evaluates the effect of proposed changes on applications and integrations.
Business Relationship Manager or Business Representative: Brings the end-user or business perspective to the table.
Problem or Incident Manager: Determines whether the proposed change will resolve known issues or potentially create new ones.

Benefits of a Change Advisory Board

A well-functioning CAB can be an invaluable asset and a key success factor within IT Service Management. It reviews and prioritizes planned changes to help avoid service disruptions and maintain IT service stability and quality.

By incorporating expertise from multiple domains, CAB decisions build trust and transparency in change processes. Additionally, involving key stakeholders and leadership helps align operational activities with strategic business goals, ensuring both technical and business value are considered.

In summary, the key benefits of a CAB include:

Efficient, low-risk implementation of changes
Smooth transitions between service states
Protection against unplanned outages
Alignment of changes with business objectives
Improved stability and availability of IT services

Key Responsibilities of a CAB

A Change Advisory Board evaluates proposed or upcoming changes from multiple perspectives to create a comprehensive understanding of potential risks and implications.

It’s important to note that a CAB does not implement changes or make binding decisions. Its primary role is advisory — offering recommendations that benefit from diverse viewpoints.

Typical responsibilities of a CAB include:

Supporting the Change Manager
Reviewing change requests and proposals
Providing implementation recommendations
Encouraging iterative and continuous improvement
Assessing potential consequences
Managing risks
Facilitating communication across departments
Documenting meeting outcomes and recommendations

Context and Practical Application

Much like a supervisory board, a CAB plays an advisory role — but it has no formal authority over the Change Manager, who leads the change implementation. The Change Manager makes the final decisions while taking CAB recommendations into careful consideration.

CAB roles and involvement can vary significantly depending on the organization and type of change. For emergencies, a CAB may take a more active role to ensure timely action. In other cases, it might function more as a stakeholder meeting, focusing primarily on information sharing and high-level recommendations.

From an IT leadership perspective, CABs are sometimes seen as “showstoppers” that slow down change unnecessarily. This perception usually stems from poorly organized meetings that add little value. However, when a CAB fulfills its true purpose — providing actionable, multi-perspective insights — the benefits clearly outweigh the effort.

Best Practices

CAB meetings are only effective when they serve a clear purpose. Holding them out of routine — simply because they’re scheduled — rarely adds value.

The following best practices will help ensure your CAB operates as efficiently and productively as possible.

1. Ask the Question: Do We Really Need This Meeting?

Every meeting should have a defined purpose — CAB meetings are no exception. The goal is to advance your change management strategy and identify the right actions for upcoming IT infrastructure changes.

Sometimes, however, CAB input may not be necessary — for instance, if no relevant change is pending, if the change is at the wrong stage, or if the board cannot contribute meaningful input.

Rule of thumb: Hold CAB meetings only when needed, not on a fixed schedule.

2. Set Clear Objectives

If a CAB meeting is justified, it must be focused and goal-oriented. A good approach is to structure the agenda around questions, such as:

What risks — to service delivery, security, or existing integrations — are associated with the proposed change, and how can we mitigate them?
How does this change align with business objectives?
How can we ensure end users perceive the change positively?

If these questions are addressed during the meeting, you can be confident that it has achieved meaningful results.

3. Choose Participants Wisely — and Get Their Buy-In

Not every usual participant may have relevant input for every CAB session, and that’s okay. Attendance should be flexible, with some roles participating only when needed.

Conversely, inviting unconventional participants who are not typically part of the CAB may bring fresh insights — depending on the nature of the change.

Also, don’t underestimate the importance of buy-in: the Change Manager should communicate the meeting’s purpose clearly and explain how it relates to each participant’s area of responsibility.

4. Get the Timing Right

A CAB can only provide meaningful input when it meets at the right time — typically before major deployments, release cycles, or urgent ECAB meetings. CAB sessions can also take place after key changes to review outcomes or optimize future processes.

If the CAB meets too early, there might not be enough information to make informed recommendations. If it meets too late, changes may already be too far along to influence effectively.

5. Create a Follow-Up

Follow-ups are among the most important — yet often neglected — aspects of meetings. They ensure that outcomes, particularly recommendations, are documented and translated into actionable steps.

In addition to formal minutes, the change management team can develop an action plan based on the most critical CAB recommendations and decisions.

Conclusion: The Change Advisory Board — A Vital Instrument

Change management is one of the most crucial processes in ITSM — often necessary, success-defining, and sometimes emotionally charged. Especially for fundamental changes to IT infrastructure, it is indispensable.

That’s why understanding the purpose and function of a Change Advisory Board is so important. The key word is “advisory” — the CAB provides expert recommendations, not binding decisions.

While organizations are free to design their CABs as they see fit, following some best practices and guidelines can make all the difference. With thoughtful planning and implementation, a CAB becomes a powerful tool for managing change successfully and driving long-term IT and business stability.

Tobias Kortas

ITSM

Translation Management: Benefits, Use in OTRS, and Context

Tobias Kortas — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 07:54:50 +0000

Translation Management: Benefits, Use in OTRS, and Context

2025-10-09
Tobias Kortas

Using OTRS

Different languages have always posed challenges — in customer service and ITSM just as much as in many other fields. As companies and their customer bases become increasingly international, people from a wide variety of linguistic backgrounds and with different levels of language proficiency must communicate and collaborate.

In the worst case, language barriers can make communication nearly impossible. But even before reaching that point, serious issues can arise. Misunderstandings may occur when one or more people in a conversation are not communicating in their native language — especially when the topic involves complex details or requires deep understanding.

In short: some problems can only be solved through intelligent, system-driven translations. Beyond that, a professional translation management system saves both time and effort.

This article highlights the advantages of a well-designed translation management feature within a ticketing system and explains how OTRS makes handling multiple translations simple and efficient.

Context: Why Effective Translation Management Matters

For international companies, managing language diversity can be a real challenge. They need to ensure multilingual communication and a high level of understanding among employees and customers — while maintaining consistency, which automation can help guarantee.

Speed is also a decisive factor in support environments. Agents must be able to manage requests efficiently and respond correctly right away. When this happens, employees save time and customers enjoy a smoother, more satisfying experience.

Clear, accurate, and well-structured translations provide tangible value on both sides: for employees and for customers. They also help prevent misinterpretations and misunderstandings that can otherwise lead to embarrassing or costly errors.

Even smaller benefits, such as shorter processing and resolution times, translate into lower opportunity costs for companies and better service for customers.

Here are some key takeaways:

Effective translation management is a key element — alongside AI features and automation — of a modern, advanced service management solution.
Translation management is a major advantage of modern OTRS features over the ((OTRS)) Community Edition.
A well-developed translation system provides benefits similar to AI-based summaries: both improve clarity, understanding, and efficiency.

The Advantages of Advanced Translation Management

Fast and accurate translations deliver significant value. When organizations can easily view and manage information in multiple languages, they can communicate clearly and respond to issues quickly and effectively.

This also helps avoid opportunity costs by preventing misunderstandings and dissatisfaction. Poor, incomplete, or missing translations can quickly lead to frustration — both for customers and staff.

Below are the most important advantages of fast, high-quality, and comprehensive translations:

1. Major Time Savings

Being able to create multiple translations quickly and easily greatly reduces time and effort. This is especially valuable for multilingual companies aiming to boost productivity and efficiency. The benefits go beyond time savings — translation quality also remains consistently high.

2. Consistency

Texts and conversations often vary in tone or nuance across languages, especially when translations are not based on a unified foundation. When a system displays multiple languages side by side, the translations stay aligned and consistent. This helps prevent confusion, increases clarity, and saves additional time.

3. Less Repetitive Work

A key feature here is batch creation — generating multiple translations at once. Administrators can create translations for several languages in a single step, eliminating repetitive manual processes and speeding up multilingual content creation.

4. Scalability

Businesses shouldn’t be limited to local markets. To expand into new regions, language barriers must not become obstacles. With the ability to easily add and manage new language versions, companies can scale freely and efficiently.

5. Better User Experience

When translations are easy to create and manage, users benefit the most: they enjoy consistency, clarity, and a clear overview across languages. Any change made in one language is immediately applied to all others, keeping all translations synchronized and up to date — ensuring timely and accurate content across every supported language.

Translation Management in OTRS

In OTRS, administrators can extend their admin interface with the translation management feature, allowing them to create translations easily — without switching between individual language views.

Within the admin area, predefined terms for translations are available. Users can simply select and fill in these terms, or alternatively, define their own manually.

Translations can be generated dynamically via templates or through import functions to provide content in multiple languages. OTRS offers predefined text modules for elements such as brand names, dynamic fields, explanatory notes, or process descriptions. These system terms — meaning the terminology used throughout OTRS — can now be translated consistently and efficiently.

Translations can also include industry-specific terminology. Known system terms can even be customized.

In short, customers can now fully adapt their systems to their preferred professional vocabulary.

Technically, translations are possible for all languages, with around 60 currently available out of the box. Additionally, any user can propose translations through our public portal.

As a result, workflow management for multilingual content becomes significantly easier. Key characteristics include a unified interface for a clear overview, consistent terminology, and the ability to generate multiple translations simultaneously.

Looking Ahead: AI-Based Translations

In the future, OTRS will include AI-powered translation capabilities. This will specifically extend to communication content (such as ticket conversations), allowing for automatic, real-time translation.

This upcoming AI-driven translation service — with all the benefits mentioned above — will bridge language barriers by instantly translating both incoming and outgoing ticket messages into the target language. This ensures smooth, immediate communication across different languages.

Agents will work more efficiently and save time, while customers enjoy consistent, high-quality service in their native language.

Translation Management will streamline workflows without requiring special permissions or technical knowledge. At the same time, the AI service will make communication effortless: all users will be able to read important messages in their own or preferred language.

The service will be available via our AI Credit System.

In addition, OTRS users can take advantage of other powerful AI-based features such as intelligent ticket classification and AI-assisted response generation.

Conclusion: Good Translations Optimize Service

A well-thought-out translation management system is essential for delivering consistent, balanced, and responsive service — or simply for effective communication within international organizations. It’s about more than overcoming language barriers: it’s about ensuring clarity, precision, and true mutual understanding.

Within a ticketing system like OTRS, clear and easy-to-create translations across many languages offer major advantages — from time savings and faster request handling to greater overall clarity that leads to customer satisfaction, and ultimately, stronger loyalty.

Tobias Kortas

Using OTRS

How to Achieve a Positive ROI in ITSM/ESM

Tobias Kortas — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 07:57:10 +0000

How to Achieve a Positive ROI in ITSM/ESM

2025-09-26
Tobias Kortas

IT Budget

Companies are under cost pressure: this is especially true today, but it has always been the case. Smart business management means ensuring that expenses pay off and deliver a positive return on investment (ROI) within a foreseeable time frame.

The same applies to IT budgets: organizations should benefit more from software solutions than they spend on them. Factors such as significant efficiency gains, quality improvements, or higher customer satisfaction are among the clearest indicators of a positive ROI. Even small time savings, more clarity for employees, or slightly better structures can already make a big difference.

This article explains how to reliably achieve ROI in IT Service Management (ITSM) and Enterprise Service Management (ESM).

Payback in Software Investments

Saving money leaves reserves. But those who don’t invest also miss out on profit opportunities. Many organizations with limited IT budgets therefore face tough decisions: Should they accept investment costs or save money and thereby miss out on potential gains such as productivity increases, higher efficiency, or improved customer satisfaction?

It’s easy to choose the former when the benefits are clear. The real challenge, however, is that many prospective buyers don’t know how to use software to its full potential – and often apply it only in very limited ways. Those who know how to use it effectively, on the other hand, can expect relatively fast payback.

The basic prerequisite for achieving a positive ROI is therefore to carefully explore the possibilities a software solution offers.

Why ROI Is Such a Key Metric

Return on Investment (ROI) measures the profitability of investments – data-driven and value-oriented. In IT or software decisions, it helps compare different options, make informed choices, and allocate available resources in a targeted way.

While qualitative benefits are important, most business cases require measurable, quantitative outcomes with a focus on financial returns. For example, a modern, intuitive user interface can only serve as a valid element of decision-making once its (financial) benefits can be quantified.

Sample ROI Calculation: Implementing a Ticketing System

A ticketing system offers organizations a range of advantages such as centralized information flow, automation, and service optimization. These are all valuable benefits, but they only become truly meaningful once translated into financial terms.

In practice, multiple factors come into play here – for instance, the financial equivalent of a 10% increase in customer satisfaction.

To illustrate, let’s stick to a simple example:

Costs: License + Implementation + Training = €50,000 in the first year
Benefits: Through automation, support employees save 200 hours per month. At an average hourly rate of €35 (including full costs), that amounts to €84,000 per year.

ROI = (84,000 – 50,000) / 50,000 = 68%

In this case, the investment would clearly pay off, with amortization within the first year.

Tips for More Accurate ROI Calculations in ITSM/ESM

While the above example is simplified, it already provides a useful ROI estimate. For more precision, organizations should consider:

1. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

A more accurate approach involves concepts like TCO, which includes indirect costs, operating costs, and end-of-life expenses to provide a holistic view.

2. Maturity Level

The profitability of software also depends on the maturity of existing processes. A maturity assessment reveals where optimizations and professionalization will pay off most. Running such an assessment before calculating ROI can be highly beneficial.

3. Direct and Indirect Savings

Software benefits are not only direct – such as labor-hour savings or reduced ticket volume – but also indirect, like opportunity creation, better customer experience, or higher employee satisfaction.

Software can also indirectly influence hard metrics, such as customer churn rates, by enabling faster and better ITSM services.

4. Multiple Benefit Factors

To achieve accurate ROI calculations, include:

A realistic cost base such as TCO
Full employee costs (including social contributions, infrastructure, etc.)
Differentiated benefits:
1. Hard savings: labor hours, errors, downtime
2. Soft savings: customer satisfaction, response times, compliance

5. Additional Recommendations

Run different scenarios – conservative, realistic, and optimistic. Decision-makers may also define a time horizon; three years is usually long enough yet still manageable.

As an additional ROI indicator, a payback period can be helpful. It shows how long it will take for the investment to pay for itself. This figure – e.g., “payback after 16 months” – is often more tangible than ROI alone.

Self-Service Portals: A Key ROI Factor

There are many ways to financially benefit from well-implemented ITSM and ESM – including the extension of ESM to non-IT departments.

One of the most direct ROI examples is the introduction of a self-service portal. Such a portal reduces the workload of customer support by lowering the number of tickets and requests to process.

In short: by enabling end users to handle tasks previously managed by the service desk, organizations reduce costs while also delivering faster problem resolution. This improves satisfaction, which in turn has indirect financial benefits.

Calculating ROI for Self-Service Portals

To calculate ROI for a self-service portal, you need:

The total number of monthly service desk tickets

A realistic estimate of how many tickets can be deflected via self-service

The average handling cost per ticket

The initial and ongoing costs for self-service

Note: Since self-service functionality is often included in modern ITSM platforms, some costs may count as optimization of existing investments.

This type of calculation provides quick insights, but also reduces complexity. A holistic view – including indirect and qualitative factors – is always recommended.

AI as an ROI Driver

There are many factors that drive a high ROI. Even small productivity gains of just a few percentage points can have a major impact.

However, beyond self-service portals, AI applications and automation exert the strongest and most direct influence, as they eliminate many manual steps. With the right AI support, employees also gain rapid, well-founded insights, leading to better outcomes.

Key AI applications that serve as ROI drivers include:

Ticket summarization

Ticket classification and service descriptions

Automated response generation

Real-time translations

Sentiment analysis

Conclusion: ROI – One (Important) Part of the Truth

Investments must pay off – this principle applies to IT Service Management (ITSM) and Enterprise Service Management (ESM) just as it does in general business. Especially with limited budgets and the need to invest wisely, ROI serves as a key metric that provides valuable guidance.

Decision-makers, however, should keep in mind that ROI represents only part of the picture. Additional indicators such as the payback period, results from a maturity assessment (easy and quick to conduct), or qualitative, non-quantifiable factors also contribute to the full evaluation.

Tobias Kortas

IT Budget

Assessment: How mature is your ITSM?

Tobias Kortas — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Assessment: How mature is your ITSM?

2025-09-23
Tobias Kortas

ITSM

Every serious improvement starts with a reality check. To get closer to their goals step by step, companies must reliably identify where they stand and where they want to go.

In fact, many companies overestimate their ITSM maturity level. Most are still in a relatively early stage. In other words, there’s still huge potential for growth. Big leaps can be made with just a few activities.

So where do you really stand with ITSM (or ESM; Enterprise Service Management)? By using the following ITSM assessment, you will quickly and easily find out.

Background

Determining ITSM maturity may sound technical, but in practice it’s quite simple. Maturity essentially reflects the extent to which organizations have developed their ITSM. It shows how effective and goal-oriented their service management capabilities are. It also indicates areas for improvement.

What does ITSM maturity mean?

ITSM maturity describes an organization’s ability to use ITSM in line with industry standards. It helps identify areas on which to focus in order to provide a better customer experience.
A maturity matrix (as shown below) provides valuable guidance. Using a scale, organizations can evaluate and compare their ITSM maturity.

The five key maturity levels are:

Level #1: Ad hoc
Level #2: Repeatable
Level #3: Defined
Level #4: Managed
Level #5: Optimized

Why is ITSM maturity important?

It is essential to know your level of ITSM maturity. This is an essential prerequisite for continuous process improvement, achieving business objectives, and leveraging IT as a strategic resource.

In short: those who know their level of ITSM maturity have a solid foundation to optimize practices, achieve success, and turn ITSM into measurable results.

Study: The State of SMB IT for 2026

Our study is called The State of SMB IT for 2026. It provides exclusive data on the ITSM maturity of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It is based on an online survey conducted between March 14 and April 4, 2025, commissioned by EasyVista and OTRS AG.

A total of 1,051 executives and IT professionals were surveyed. They work in companies ranging from 51 to 1,000 employees. The companies are located in Brazil, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Portugal, Malaysia, Mexico, and the US.

ITSM maturity: The status quo

Most SMBs are still in relatively early ITSM maturity stages, relying on fragmented tools and reactive approaches. Only 12% describe their ITSM approach as fully mature and proactive.

Forty-nine percent report well-structured processes. Twenty-six percent have partially structured processes, and 12% still operate with ad hoc, reactive procedures. In contrast, 56% view ITSM as a strategic driver of business success.

This highlights a significant gap between reality (early development stages) and ambition (using ITSM for strategic goals and efficiency). Many SMBs find themselves at a dead end. They are aware of the need for modernization but are hindered by low investment and legacy technologies.

Outlook

ITSM is increasingly becoming a strategic driver for business success. This makes achieving a higher maturity level a necessity.

The outlook for SMBs is mixed. New opportunities, such as AI integrations and automation, could help them achieve more efficient service delivery. On the other hand, challenges like fragmented tools, limited budgets, and lack of staff continue to hold them back.

The path forward does not necessarily depend on high IT budgets. Rather, it’s about taking targeted action: improving workflows, equipping teams with the right tools, and enhancing security.

In other words: achieving the highest possible level of ITSM maturity is crucial. It can unlock success without massive investment.

The formula for success: Improve existing processes purposefully instead of starting over repeatedly.

The 5 Dimensions of Service Management ITSM Maturity

ITSM maturity is multi-layered though not overly complex. It is derived from the ITIL maturity model. It is a multidimensional model that covers the following:

Process maturity: Are there clearly defined, consistent processes? Is automation in place? Are KPIs being measured? Are processes reviewed and optimized regularly?
Governance & strategy: Does ITSM measurably support business goals? Is there a service catalog and SLAs? Are responsibilities clearly defined (e.g., service owners, process owners)? Are compliance and risk management integrated?
Organization & culture: Do employees have the necessary ITIL, automation, and security skills? Does IT work in silos or cross-functionally with other departments? Are employees included in change management? Are self-service portals being used?
Technology & tools: Are advanced features such as a CMDB, automation, and AI capabilities in use? Are portals user- and mobile-friendly? Are simple requests already automated?
Measurement & outcomes: Are metrics in use, such as First Contact Resolution, MTTR, SLA compliance, or change success rate? Does IT deliver concrete business value? How is customer satisfaction measured (feedback, NPS, CSAT)? How proactive is IT (e.g., preventive root cause analysis)?

Examples of ITSM maturity in practice

#1: Extreme example of low maturity

With very low ITSM maturity, processes are ad hoc, chaotic, reactive, undocumented, and highly person-dependent. There’s no clear strategy or accountability, silos dominate, and collaboration is limited. Tools are used in isolation, and issues are only addressed reactively.

The first step here would be to document and standardize processes.

#2: Positive example of very high maturity

Here, processes are optimized and highly automated. Processes are innovative and value-driven.

Additionally, ITSM is closely aligned with business goals and measurable results, with excellent service as the guiding principle. AI-powered methods and advanced integrations are in use. Business value is delivered reliably and cost-effectively.

ITSM maturity matrix

Evaluating your own ITSM maturity may seem quite complex. It can be done relatively easily by using a schematic approach.

To do this, assign the following five dimensions to each of the five maturity levels (stages) – ad hoc, repeatable, defined, managed, and optimized.

A maturity model can be used in practice by rating each dimension—processes, governance, organization, technology, results—on a scale of 1 to 5. This clearly shows where the respective strengths and weaknesses lie.

Calculation examples

On this basis, ITSM maturity can be quantified and compared with concrete numbers. Scores range from 5 to 25. If each dimension scores 1 (5 * 1), the lowest maturity level of 5 is reached. With all top scores of 5, the ideal maturity of 25 is achieved.

However, scores are not necessarily consistent across dimensions. For example:

4 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 2 = 16 (medium maturity)

This example is realistic but not a benchmark. Maturity is highly individual and should mainly help define the next logical ITSM steps.

It is not unusual to see mature processes paired with a weak ITSM strategy. Another example is advanced technology combined with an underdeveloped organization.

Tip: If certain areas matter more than others, you can apply weighting to dimensions. For example, processes often carry greater importance, which can be reflected by a higher weighting factor.

Perspective

It’s best not to treat ITSM maturity too concretely. Instead, the matrix should serve as a practical tool for several key purposes:

Gain a valid, quantified evaluation of ITSM’s status quo.
Have sufficient data to enable comparisons with peers and competitors.
Most importantly: identify the next logical steps and align them with business goals.
Refer to the matrix for continuous improvement efforts.

Conclusion: ITSM maturity reveals opportunities

In a perfect world, no one would need an ITSM maturity model. Everything would already be optimized and automated. But perfection only exists in theory. In reality, most organizations are still in early development stages.

The goal of maturity assessment is clear: to provide insights into the meaningful next steps and goals. Unlike a simple benchmarking tool, it’s a powerful instrument for driving continuous improvement. Conversely, it can also show where no optimization is needed.

Often, however, there’s significant room for improvement. A lower maturity level should be seen as an opportunity. It offers evidence of untapped potential to make ITSM processes more efficient and more valuable to the business.

Learn how OTRS can help you optimize your ITSM.

Tobias Kortas

ITSM

AI in SMB IT: Status Quo and Solution Strategies

Tobias Kortas — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 06:05:17 +0000

AI in SMB IT: Status Quo and Solution Strategies

2025-08-28
Tobias Kortas

AI & Automation

Artificial intelligence has promised to change customer behavior and revolutionize IT operations. In fact, it is already steadily doing so today. The hype is massive and its relevance is enormous. Many companies and individuals fear they may not be able to keep up. They worry about falling behind.

Naturally, corporations and large enterprises are better equipped with resources. They easily adapt to technological innovations such as the current AI wave. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), however, the challenge is greater. Between expectations, outside perceptions, and the practical reality, a significant barrier arises for SMBs.

This article, based on recent survey data, examines what is realistic for SMBs when it comes to AI adoption. It also considers what remains wishful thinking. And, it offers recommendations for appropriate IT strategies. In contrast to AI euphoria, this article creates a realistic picture of the current status quo.

Background: Pressure Is Increasing

Developments in the digital world often move at tremendous speed.The digital transformation was a major challenge, especially for SMBs. Now, the perceived need to roll out AI on a large scale brings even greater hurdles.

The budget issue is particularly striking. SMBs must operate with limitations. They make tough choices and face pressure to keep pace with major developments and trends.

Understanding where they can actually deploy AI and where they cannot, provides IT decision-makers with much-needed clarity. This cuts through exaggerated AI market claims.

Study “The State of SMB ITSM for 2026”: Pragmatism Prevails

Our study “The State of SMB ITSM for 2026” shows that SMBs primarily look for concrete and low-risk ways to improve IT productivity.

56% say they need user-friendly AI and automation to enhance their ITSM practices. The solutions should be intuitive to use, quick to implement, and deliver results quickly.

This makes one thing clear. SMBs are not incorporating AI into their IT strategies as a disruptive force. For example, they are not replacing human agents with AI-powered virtual agents. Instead, SMBs are using AI to supplement or optimize existing workflows.

The most important use cases to optimize ITSM and ITAM (IT Asset Management) processes are as follows:

Asset tracking and reporting (35% of respondents)
Automation of repetitive tasks (34%)
Trend analysis for decision-making (33%)
Continuous process improvement (32%)
Predicting and preventing IT incidents (30%)

More Evolution Than Revolution

This reflects their pragmatic view. SMBs mainly use AI to save time, gain better insights, and reduce errors. It’s about optimizing existing workflows—more of an evolution than a full-blown AI revolution in IT.

Large international corporations, on the other hand, demonstrate more radical scenarios. In some cases, first-level support is almost entirely taken over by GenAI features. AI agents handle troubleshooting processes.

SMBs don’t have to go that far. More disruptive technologies play only a secondary role among respondents.This includes end-user chatbots (24%), sentiment analysis (22%), or translation services (16%).

This suggests that SMBs currently do not view generative AI as a major game changer. They do, however, see it as an important enabler of IT processes. The potential of AI is evident. It simply unfolds on a much smaller scale compared to many larger companies.

High Relevance, but Practical Obstacles

The high relevance of AI—even for small business owners—should not be underestimated. The fact that adopting AI in SMBs is fragmented and secondary to primary processes is due to practical hurdles more than to willingness.

Nineteen percent of surveyed executives and IT professionals cited budget constraints as the biggest barrier to introducing generative AI into IT operations. Seventeen percent pointed to a lack of in-house expertise.

In contrast, doubts about AI’s value are not holding respondents back. Only 6% named limited use cases as the biggest obstacle. Five percent cited unclear ROI and 3% saw no need for generative AI at all.

Not surprisingly, 71% of respondents are convinced that AI in ITSM is critical for success and will be among the top five priorities for 2026. Similarly, 30% consider the introduction of AI tools the most important IT priority in the next 12 months.

About the Report

“The State of SMB IT for 2026” is based on an online survey conducted between March 14 and April 4, 2025, on behalf of EasyVista and OTRS AG. A total of 1,051 executives and IT professionals from companies with 51 to 1,000 employees in Brazil, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Portugal, Malaysia, Mexico, and the USA took part.

Solution Strategies

The study points to cautious optimism, not blind enthusiasm for AI adoption in SMB IT. Respondents are well aware of both the high potential and benefits of AI. They also understand the practical limitations of their companies which include budget and in-house know-how.

This strongly correlates with the fact that IT is viewed differently in SMBs. ITSM leaders view IT as a strategic business driver. In contrast, they are often in early maturity stages and rely on fragmented tools. They are also more reactive than proactive in their approach.

Recommendation #1: Take Incremental Steps

This clearly shows that SMBs recognize the signs of the times. They understand that a large-scale shift to AI-driven processes would practically overwhelm them. A realistic and promising approach, therefore, lies in incremental improvements with clearly measurable benefits. Examples include automating repetitive tasks, improving real time inventory management, or optimizing customer service.

Recommendation #2: Embrace Selectivity

In plain terms, the breadth of AI options is overwhelming and nearly impossible to grasp in full. The best approach is, therefore, an as-much-as-you-can strategy. SMBs should take action wherever possible and where clear benefits exist. But they must act consciously within firm boundaries, since a comprehensive approach is out of reach.

This explains the observed gap between awareness and implementation. The gap results in a demand for affordable, easy-to-integrate, and tailored AI solutions.

The key lies in setting clear priorities for AI adoption. Leaders must equip teams with the right technology and training. The focus should be on tools that deliver time savings, enhance quality, and provide strategic value.

In short: SMBs neither have to nor can fully ride the AI hype. Their challenge is to precisely identify and implement those AI solutions that promise the greatest benefit for their individual needs.

OTRS AI Services

Since SMBs implement AI step by step and with pragmatism, they need a flexible, scalable, and cost-conscious model.

They can find such a model in OTRS AI Services. OTRS users can flexibly book AI services via a credit-based system (more info here). Available features include intelligent ticket classification, AI-powered response generation, and unified knowledge access.

The services—based on the machine learning and a Large Language Model (LLM)—are designed to deliver high-quality customer experiences, improved workflows, and greater productivity.

Conclusion: Practical Support, Not Hype, in Focus

With the growing presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in professional IT environments, the pressure on SMBs is increasing. On the one hand, there’s the hype and the urge to stay up to date. They must deliver products or services as quickly as possible and protect customer relationships. Both of which can be enhanced with AI.

On the other hand, there are financial, staffing, and skill-related constraints.

For SMBs, AI capabilities are more about practical support of existing processes and relief. For example, if SMBs are often understaffed, AI can help bridge this gap. This pragmatic approach reflects today’s reality. The pursuit of “unlimited AI-powered performance,” however, remains an ideal that SMBs cannot (yet) pursue.

Therefore, SMBs need easy-to-implement solutions that provide quick and straightforward support, ease the burden on employees, and create greater value.

Tobias Kortas

AI & Automation

Service Desk Software – Definition and Key Features

Bernd Maus — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:53:02 +0000

Service Desk Software – Definition and Key Features

2025-08-19
Bernd Maus

ITSM

What Is Service Desk Software?

Modern service desk software is more than a support tool. It combines ITIL processes, integration features, and automation.

This creates one platform for all service requests. It serves as the main point of contact. This forms the base for efficient and measurable IT service management.

Definition and ITIL Alignment

A traditional helpdesk works reactively. It waits for users to report issues and then fixes them.

In contrast, the ITIL-defined service desk does more. It serves as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) between IT and users. It also combines several ITIL processes and helps improve services proactively.

Service desk solutions bring this concept to life by:

Capturing, classifying, and prioritizing incoming tickets.
Supporting ITIL processes like Incident, Problem, Change, Request, and Knowledge Management.
Providing the data foundation for Continual Service Improvement (CSI).

Technical Architecture of Modern Service Desk Software

Modern service desk platforms are typically multi-layered, modular systems designed to integrate into heterogeneous IT environments.

Scalability is very important, especially for large businesses. Cloud-native platforms use microservices, containers like Docker and Kubernetes, and event-driven systems like Kafka and RabbitMQ. These tools help manage high demand effectively.

Typical Components

Frontend
Web portals, mobile apps, chatbots, and omnichannel interfaces provide a consistent user experience for agents and end users—ensuring fast access to services and seamless communication across devices.

Business Logic
Process engines, workflow orchestration, SLA/OLA management, and automation rules. This layer manages ticket prioritization, escalations, approvals, workflow automation and service-level monitoring for compliant and efficient service delivery.

Data & Integration Layer
APIs (REST, SOAP, GraphQL), webhooks, and middleware integrations (e.g., CMDB, monitoring tools, ERP). This enables context within tickets through deep integration with Active Directory/Azure AD, collaboration tools, and monitoring systems.

Knowledge & Analytics Layer
Reporting engines, machine learning models for ticket classification, NLP for chatbots, and knowledge base indexing. This layer supports analytics, self-service, and continuous knowledge updates to empower both users and agents.

OTRS – The Enterprise Service Management Solution

Turn your service desk into a strategic advantage—discover why OTRS is the ideal solution for modern service management.

7 Core Features of Service Desk Software

A service desk that delivers comprehensive services and contributes to the organization’s value creation needs more than just a ticketing system. It requires full support for all core ITSM processes. The selection of the right service desk software therefore depends heavily on the available functionality.

The following capabilities, grouped by area of application, should be provided.

Service Management

Service Level Management: Define, monitor, and report on Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and OLAs (Operational Level Agreements), with automatic escalation for breaches.
Service Catalog Management: Centralized, user-friendly catalog with service descriptions, costs, and delivery times.
Service Portfolio Management: Manage the full service lifecycle, from planning and rollout to retirement, aligned with business goals.
Service Reporting & Dashboards: Real-time visibility into performance, workload, trends, and bottlenecks.
Supplier Management: Integrate external vendors into workflows, including SLA monitoring and performance reviews.

Incident Management

Automated ticket creation from monitoring alerts.
Prioritization by Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and criticality matrix to respond to critical issues as quickly as possible.
Playbooks and predefined workflows for faster resolution.
SLA tracking with escalation paths.

Problem Management

Root cause analysis through incident correlation.
Integration with CMDB to identify impacted configuration items (CIs).
Documentation of workarounds and permanent fixes.

Change & Release Management

Approval workflows (CAB meetings, risk assessments).
Integration with DevOps pipelines (CI/CD).
Change calendar and conflict detection.

Knowledge Management

Central knowledge base for FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and how-to articles.
Full-text search with AI-powered relevance ranking.
Self-learning systems that auto-update articles with new solutions.

Service Request Management

Catalog-based requests (e.g., “Order a new laptop”).
Approval chains with automated provisioning (e.g., shared drive access).

Continual Improvement

CSI Register: Centralized tracking of improvement initiatives.
Automated KPI Analysis: MTTR, FCR, Change Success Rate, and more.
Feedback Integration: Surveys, ticket ratings, sentiment analysis.
Trend & Problem Analytics: Early detection of recurring issues or process inefficiencies.
Process Modeling & Simulation: Test changes in a sandbox before rollout.

KPIs, Monitoring, and Reporting

Without capturing data, optimization is impossible. Advanced systems offer real-time dashboards, drill-down analytics, and automated alert functions when thresholds for defined KPIs are exceeded or not met.

The following key metrics should be tracked by a service desk software solution:

MTTR (Mean Time to Resolution or Recovery)
FCR (First Contact Resolution Rate)
Ticket backlog and aging
SLA/OLA compliance
Change success rate
User satisfaction (CSAT, NPS)

Advanced systems provide real-time dashboards, drill-down analytics, and automated alerting functions when thresholds for defined KPIs are exceeded or not met.

Integration Across the Enterprise

In many organizations, the service desk is still limited to IT support. It receives requests, assigns a ticket number, and then disappears from the broader process context.

Today, however, IT has permeated almost all of a company’s value chain. The service desk must therefore be understood as an enterprise-wide solution.

This persistent silo mentality costs time, quality, and money. In a modern, highly connected IT environment, the service desk is not just a data entry tool. It is the nerve center of IT service management (ITSM).

Its true strength emerges only when it is deeply integrated—with monitoring, CMDB, identity and access management, DevOps pipelines, collaboration tools, and governance systems.

These integrations are not a luxury—they are prerequisites for efficiency, rapid response times, precise decision-making, and compliance.

Information Flow and Context: Faster Decisions Through Data

A ticket without context forces agents to conduct manual research (Who is the owner? Which CIs are affected? Which changes have been made?).

By integrating with CMDB/asset management, monitoring, and HR/ERP systems, tickets are automatically enriched upon creation. They include information such as affected CIs, dependencies, business criticality, owners, ongoing changes, and maintenance windows.

Result: The average time to correctly assign a ticket decreases, incorrect routing is reduced, and unnecessary “ping-pong messaging” between team members disappears.

Systematic Reduction of Waiting Time

Every unnecessary wait and manual process slows down the cycle time (CT) and ticket resolution time.

Manual decision-making, copy-paste between tools, or follow-up questions due to missing information add workload.

Here, significant time and cost savings can be achieved: automation features like event-to-ticket, auto-prioritization, and skill-based routing substantially shorten CT.

Example: Reducing manual triage from five minutes to one minute per ticket via monitoring/CMDB integration saves four minutes. While that may seem small, at 3,000 tickets per month this amounts to 12,000 minutes—or 200 net hours—saved.

Reducing Error Rates & Rework: Duplicate Data, Twice the Cost

Copying information between tools leads to typos, incorrect CI assignments, and missed SLAs. Integrated systems use unique identifiers (e.g., CI IDs, UIDs), idempotency, and reference integrity. These result in less rework, fewer follow-up questions, and fewer errors. Audit findings are also reduced.

All Services in One Portal

An integrated self-service portal (SSO, service catalog, knowledge base, chatbot) resolves standard cases early, displays ticket status in real time, and triggers auto-fulfillment.

Result: Higher first contact resolution (FCR) rates and reduced workload for second- and third-level support.

Governance, Compliance, and Security: Proof Instead of Gaps

Siloed solutions make it harder to meet today’s compliance requirements for revision and traceability (Who changed what, when, and why?).

Integration with SIEM/SOAR, DLP, and GRC provides a complete audit trail and policy check (e.g., four-eyes principle for production changes). This reduces risks, ensures traceability, and eliminates recurring manual tasks like assignment, status updates, fulfillment, or feedback requests.

Conclusion: Integration and automation mean time savings and fewer errors caused by manual work.

The following benchmarks once again highlight the potential for savings:

If 40% of service requests are standard, it can save agents a lot of time. This is possible by using a service catalog, auto-provisioning, and knowledge base automation. Also, it doesn’t compromise service quality.

AI in the Service Desk

The future of the service desk is intelligent and highly automated. The use of AI is steadily increasing and will continue to transform the way service operations are managed.

Service desk teams can focus more on creative tasks and improving the value contribution of service management—supported by AI-driven capabilities.

The following tasks can already be performed more efficiently with AI:

AI-based classification: Automatic ticket categorization based on free-text descriptions.
Personalized support: AI can incorporate the current ticket and the complete history of the requester into the resolution process. This enables more personalized responses by considering previous requests—regardless of the currently assigned agent—avoiding impersonal or repetitive interactions.
Intelligent routing: Assigning tickets to technicians with the right skill sets (skill-based routing).
Sentiment analysis: Detecting critical tickets and trends in current ticket volumes through Natural Language Processing (NLP), automatically identifying the emotional tone of a text.
Predictive analytics: Forecasting ticket volumes for better resource planning.
Self-healing: Automated scripts that resolve issues without human intervention (e.g., restarting services).
Lessons learned with generative AI: Creating solution suggestions based on the content of previous tickets.

OTRS AI Services

With OTRS AI Services, you can automatically classify over 80% of incoming tickets—saving hours of manual work and dramatically speeding up resolution times.

Cloud vs. On-Premise Deployment

While SaaS and cloud adoption are growing, the choice between cloud and on-premises depends on more than cost and maintenance.

Key decision factors:

Latency Requirements: On-premises offers lower latency for time-critical workloads; cloud provides global access.
Customization Depth: On-premises allows deep code-level customization; cloud offers configuration within platform limits.
Data Sovereignty: On-premises may be required for GDPR or industry compliance; cloud requires vendor compliance checks.
Critical Infrastructure: Energy, healthcare, and public safety sectors may need fully isolated, offline-capable solutions.
Hybrid Models: Combine cloud-based service desks with on-premises CMDB and sensitive data for a balanced approach.

Conclusion – Why a Modern Service Desk Is Essential

A service desk today is far more than an IT ticketing tool. Without it, organizations risk losing efficiency, transparency, and the ability to position IT as a true business enabler. The right platform delivers faster processes, happier users, and a more resilient, compliant IT environment.

FAQ

What is service desk software

ESM vs. ITSM: Differences and Similarities

Tobias Kortas — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 08:32:49 +0000

ESM vs. ITSM: Differences and Similarities

2025-08-05
Tobias Kortas

ESM, ITSM

Enterprise Service Management (ESM) extends the principles of IT Service Management (ITSM) to the entire organization. The value of service management increases when companies are able to apply it effectively across different departments. In addition to technical aspects, business and strategic orientations become more prominent.

However, ESM isn’t always the right choice. Whether a company should focus on ITSM or ESM depends on various individual factors.

This article clarifies the differences and similarities between the two. It also explains under which conditions ESM makes the most sense.

What is IT Service Management (ITSM)?

IT Service Management (ITSM) is a strategic approach to delivering IT as a service. Using workflows and tools, IT services are created, implemented, delivered, and managed with a focus on customer needs.

The goal of ITSM software is to help IT teams manage services better. It provides the tools and processes they need. This can improve business performance, boost productivity, and increase customer satisfaction.

ITSM helps core IT functions. It supports organizations in reaching their business goals. It also keeps costs low by using budgets wisely.

ITIL® is the de facto framework for ITSM, featuring 34 practices. Key ITIL processes include:

Benefits of ITSM

Companies can benefit greatly from ITSM when the IT department plays a central role.

Key advantages include:

Effective and secure management of the IT environment
Rapid resolution of incidents and problems
Transparent and traceable implementation of changes
Fast and efficient deployment of innovations like new applications
Clear visibility into IT assets and their interdependencies

ITSM Software

Organizations use dedicated software solutions for ITSM that support services through features like incident and change management. Key aspects include simple setup, high usability, and maximum flexibility.

A Practical Example

The Saxony State Office for Schools and Education (LaSuB) had problems with its IT support system. The request management system was complex, unclear, and inefficient.

With OTRS, request management is now centralized and clearly structured, enabling better service. Requests and related notes can be quickly and easily forwarded to the appropriate colleagues. This allows even small teams to operate efficiently.

What is Enterprise Service Management (ESM)?

Enterprise Service Management (ESM) aims to enable efficient, transparent, and highly collaborative service management across all departments. It adopts ITSM principles and technologies. Teams apply these concepts to areas such as HR, Legal, Facility Management, Finance, or Marketing. This creates a consistent service approach that improves quality and reduces workload.

In short: As a cross-departmental or cross-industry concept, ESM uses ITSM practices as a model to achieve better organization, visibility, transparency, communication, and efficiency.

Benefits of Enterprise Service Management

When used correctly, ESM offers the major benefit of improving organization-wide processes. It is also strategically beneficial with respect to achieving company goals.

Key advantages include:

Better service experience for customers and employees—without long wait times, miscommunications, or data loss
Reduced stress and increased satisfaction among support agents due to better structure and transparency
Cost savings through efficient processes and workflows—both direct and opportunity costs
Continuous improvement and long-term success through active management of the service portfolio
Consistency, fewer errors, and more time for complex, value-added work thanks to process automation

ESM Software

Companies also use dedicated software for ESM to improve efficiency, increase security, and enhance customer satisfaction. Important features include process orientation, integrations and automation, self-service, scalability, as well as reporting and analytics.

ESM Examples: Onboarding and More

Onboarding is an important process. New employees feel it strongly, and a bad experience can cause early resignations.

A functional ESM system simplifies the process with automated workflows and clear communication. Everyone knows what to do. All the needed resources are ready from day one. This includes a detailed plan, hardware, account info, learning materials, and training registration.

Other examples include:

Internal self-service: Employees can find helpful answers on a portal. It has FAQs, guides, and solutions. No long email threads are needed.
Approval processes: Without ESM, requests may get lost or delayed. With structured approvals, status tracking, escalation handling, and defined timelines, processes become smooth and transparent
Integrations: Connecting tools and systems automates data flows and enables information sharing across platforms

Similarities and Differences Between ESM and ITSM

ESM is an extension of ITSM, so the concepts are closely related. Their common core is “SM” (Service Management). The difference is in the focus: “E” stands for Enterprise, while “IT” stands for Information Technology. ESM covers the entire organization, while ITSM focuses on the IT department.

Shared Features

Both ESM and ITSM enable efficient and goal-oriented service management through:

Efficient workflows that improve collaboration and save time and money
Automation for consistency, fewer errors, and time savings
Knowledge bases with FAQs, guides, and learnings for fast support
Self-service portals for customers or employees, improving accessibility and handling simple requests 24/7
Use of frameworks like ITIL® to standardize and optimize processes
Strong focus on customer and service orientation
Similar software tools to manage tickets, workflows, and services

In essence, both are built on the same foundation and pursue similar goals.

Key Differences

ITSM is concerned with IT services such as system upgrades, access control, and application delivery. ESM, in contrast, also covers non-technical areas such as HR onboarding or customer service. It also includes business-focused processes in finance, legal, and marketing.

Here are the main differences:

ITSM focuses on IT-related services
ESM addresses non-technical and business-oriented services across departments
ESM is more strategically aligned with goals like cost savings, high service quality, and customer satisfaction
ITSM is well-established with standardized processes, often using ITIL®
ESM often requires pre- work since not all departments are used to process-based work

Conclusion: ITSM delivers IT services, while ESM expands service delivery across the organization.

The key takeaway: ESM holds tremendous potential. It’s less widely adopted than ITSM but offers broad use cases. Companies that enable process-based work across departments can significantly optimize their internal workflows and gain a competitive edge.

ITSM or ESM: What Should Companies Choose?

ITSM and ESM are not mutually exclusive—they blend together. IT departments with extensive ITSM experience can act as enablers, helping apply these practices elsewhere in the company.

Where process orientation exists, an iterative implementation of ESM is highly recommended. Automation, standardized workflows, and access to knowledge bases streamline operations, save time, and improve outcomes.

The best approach is to build on the overlap of ITSM and ESM—essentially evolving ITSM step-by-step into a comprehensive ESM strategy.

What works well in IT may also benefit the entire organization. For example, HR departments, which handle many complex processes and inquiries, can benefit significantly from structured service management.

When to Stick with ITSM

IT departments deal with incidents, root causes, change management processes, and asset tracking. In such a complex, interdependent environment, structured and transparent service management is essential.

If other departments are not prepared for process-oriented work, they might only need basic service management. In that case, ITSM could be sufficient.

When to Use ESM

Enterprise Service Management is always a good choice when various departments handle broader service needs. For example, the Facility Management team might trigger workflows when new workstations are needed.

Since many service processes involve multiple departments, ESM is particularly valuable. A prime example is onboarding a new employee. Onboarding typically involves IT, HR, Facility Management, Legal, and the employee’s future department.

If organizations are ready to streamline processes and implement automation where appropriate, they should take that step.

Final Thoughts: Expand What Works

ITSM and ESM aren’t alternatives—they’re different expressions of the same principle. If ITSM is already working well in your organization, consider extending it to ESM.

Since ESM is still relatively underused, early adopters can gain a significant advantage. It also offers strategic value, helping achieve important business goals like high customer retention (CRR).

ESM isn’t automatic—it requires a foundation of process-oriented work. But when that’s in place, ESM offers enormous potential for highly structured, results-driven service management.

Contact us to learn how we can support your ITSM and ESM journey.

Get first-hand insights into how OTRS can support you.

Tobias Kortas

ESM, ITSM

The Best Knowledge Management Software: Best Practices, Criteria, Comparison

Author OTRS — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 06:00:03 +0000

The Best Knowledge Management Software: Best Practices, Criteria, Comparison

2025-07-08
Author OTRS

ITSM

The way an organization manages its knowledge base can significantly impact productivity, innovation, and customer satisfaction. With the increasing complexity of the digital work environment, companies must rely on leading knowledge management solutions.

The goal is to ensure that their teams operate efficiently, make informed decisions, and provide exceptional service.

This article highlights the importance of Knowledge Management (KM) systems. It also lists best practices and key criteria for evaluating available software. We will compare the main KM platforms. This will help us understand why more companies are choosing OTRS.

The Importance of Knowledge Management

Knowledge is a fundamental resource for any organization. However, information silos and diversified teams make acquiring and distributing complete, correct, and timely information increasingly difficult. This is where knowledge management (KM) becomes fundamental.

Effective KM enables organizations to collect, store, share, and use knowledge to improve operational performance. It helps employees quickly find important information. It cuts down on repeated work and encourages ongoing learning and teamwork.

Good knowledge management (KM) practices help businesses in many ways. They allow faster responses to customer requests. They also make it easier to onboard new employees.

The main advantages of knowledge management include:

• Greater efficiency: time spent searching for information is reduced.
• Better decision-making process: it’s simpler and more immediate to make data-based decisions.
• Better customer experience: quick and consistent responses increase the user experience quality.
• Risk management: when employees leave the company, disruptive information losses don’t occur.
• Innovation support: a knowledge management system encourages the sharing and development of ideas.

KM success doesn’t just happen because a company has the right tools. It requires a consistent strategy and practices.

Useful Practices for Knowledge Management

Implementing effective knowledge management doesn’t just mean choosing software. It requires a combination of corporate culture, processes, and technology. It’s important to:

1. Create a Knowledge Sharing Culture

Encourage employees to share what they know. Reward contributions made to the knowledge base and facilitate the documentation and retrieval of information.

2. Identify and Prioritize Knowledge Resources

It’s important to first gain valuable knowledge. This includes customer service procedures for solving problems, process documentation, company information, decision trees, and lessons from successful projects.

3. Standardize Documentation

Use clear templates and guidelines to ensure that all knowledge base articles are consistent, easy to read, and actionable.

4. Use Tags and Categories

Structure content logically with tags, categories, and metadata to make retrieval fast and intuitive.

5. Maintain and Review Content

Keep knowledge bases updated. Make organizing and sharing information a dedicated aspect of someone’s role. Assign content review tasks based on workloads and responsibility levels to ensure frequent reviews. Archive or remove any outdated information.

6. Measure Usage and Impact

Management should monitor how users use content, what they search for, and what they can’t find in order to refine KM activities.

These practices constitute the foundations on which to build a solid knowledge management system. The next step is finding the top knowledge management tool to support them.

Essential Software Features and Evaluation Criteria

Choosing the best knowledge management software means looking at how well the tools support KM best practices. It should also fit the needs of the business. Here are the key characteristics and criteria to consider:

1. Search Functionality

Users must be able to quickly find relevant information. Advanced search features such as full-text search, filters, and AI-powered search suggestions are essential.

2. Content Management

KM tools make content creation and management simple and consistent. They should offer WYSIWYG editors, templates, version control, and publishing workflows.

3. Categories and Tags

The ability to organize content using tags, folders, or taxonomies helps users navigate easily within large volumes of information.

4. Collaboration Tools

Collaboration features such as comments, co-editing, and feedback mechanisms allow teams to continuously improve informational resources.

5. User Access Control

Granular permissions ensure that the right people can view, edit, or publish content while protecting sensitive information.

6. Analytics and Reporting

Drawing insights from usage patterns helps us find popular articles and identify content gaps. This improves the knowledge base over time.

7. Integration Capabilities

The knowledge management system should work with your CRM, help desk, project management, and other business tools. This approach ensures people can access knowledge when and where they need it.

8. AI and Automation

Modern KM tools use generative AI to suggest content, assign tags automatically, and create drafts. This speeds up content development and customization. AI powered knowledge management continues to develop and will boost productivity even further in years to come.

9. Scalability and Customization

As an organization grows, the KM system must grow too. To promote sustainable development, tools must be scalable, customizable, and free from the need to write complex code.

10. Mobile and Multi-channel Access

Organizations should give access to knowledge in many ways. This includes mobile devices, chatbots, portals, and support tickets. It should be available wherever your users are.
Now, with these criteria in mind, let’s look at some of the best knowledge management solutions available today.

Comparison of Leading Solutions

As you begin to explore solutions, it’s important to understand what knowledge management is. It is the management of organizational information.

It differs from other similar options. Other types of knowledge management include:

Educational content is managed in learning management system (LMS)
Documents is stored in document management system
Website content is handled by a content management system

The focus in this article is on solutions that specifically secure organizational information.

Here’s a comparison of some of the most common knowledge management tools based on the criteria described above.

1. Confluence

Confluence by Atlassian is a popular tool for teamwork. It helps teams gather, organize, and manage information easily. It lets users create organized pages, edit content in real-time, and keep a version history for project alignment.

It integrates well with Jira, the agile tool for planning, monitoring, releasing, and supporting high-quality software. Confluence is mainly used by development teams that need to coordinate software documentation and workflows.

Key Features:

Predefined page templates
Simultaneous editing
User permissions and notifications
Hierarchical page structure
Tight integration with Jira

Main Advantage: allows teams to centralize documentation, outline project roadmaps, and monitor progress collaboratively.

Ideal for: software development and product teams that already work in the Atlassian ecosystem.

2. Zendesk Guide

Zendesk Guide provides self-service and knowledge base functionality. It allows customer support teams to publish useful articles, provide automatic content suggestions, and monitor knowledge base performance. Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning, it simplifies ticket deflection and improves customer experience.

Key Features:

Customizable help center layouts
AI-based content suggestions
Multi-language support
Tools for monitoring article relevance and quality
Integrated feedback and reporting functions

Advantages: allows users to find answers on their own, helping to reduce support volume and improve service efficiency.

Ideal for: customer support teams that already use Zendesk for ticket management, live chat, or help desk functions.

3. Guru

Guru is simple and easy to use. Guru offers browser extensions and Slack integration to provide knowledge during workflows.

Its artificial intelligence can answer direct questions. It uses a large and growing knowledge base. You can get real answers with cited sources.

Key Features:

Intuitive interface and browser-based access
Real-time synchronization and verification reminders
Integration with Slack and Teams

Main Advantage: intuitive interface to use for storing and retrieving knowledge.

Ideal for: real-time knowledge sharing within sales and support teams.

Why OTRS Stands Out from Other Knowledge Management Software

The best knowledge management software depends on your goals, size, and current technology. OTRS is notable for its complete features at every level.

OTRS combines robust knowledge management with specific features for services, ticketing, automation, and security.

It’s ideal for companies that want a single platform. It supports both internal and external knowledge bases. It has a flexible design and works well with ITIL practices. It’s also particularly suitable for IT departments, customer support teams, and regulated sectors.

For organizations that need a powerful, customizable, and scalable solution that covers all essential KM elements, OTRS offers comprehensive functionality for most needs.

Investing in the right knowledge management software is not just about storing information. It is about giving your employees the knowledge they need to work more productively and efficiently.

Author OTRS

ITSM

Trouble Ticket System: Functions and Areas of Application

Bernd Maus — Fri, 09 May 2025 09:16:47 +0000

Trouble Ticket System: Functions and Areas of Application

2025-05-09
Bernd Maus

ITSM

Efficient handling of incidents and service requests is a key component of modern IT and support structures. In complex system environments, standardized processes enable traceable and scalable case management. Trouble ticket systems support the structured documentation, classification, and tracking of requests throughout their entire lifecycle.

This article explores the fundamentals, core features, and practical use cases.

What is a Trouble Ticket System?

People also call a trouble ticket system a ticketing system. It is software that helps keep track of incidents, requests, and tasks. Teams use this software in service processes. Each “ticket” is part of a process that follows a defined handling workflow.

The concept originated in the 1980s in the context of technical call centers. The rise of IT service management standards such as ITIL© further formalized it.

Early implementations of trouble ticket software were often simple databases or email-based systems. Specialized platforms with escalation logic, status tracking, and workflow management later replaced these.

Relevance in IT and Service Management

In IT service organizations, trouble ticket systems are central tools for structured case management and quality assurance. They support standardized processing of incidents, service requests, and changes. Furthermore, they provide transparency for efficient service level management, resource allocation, and continuous improvement.

Facility management or customer service teams also use ticket systems.

They ensure clear assignment responsibility and audit-proof documentation. As systems become more complex and accountability requirements increase, the importance of ticketing systems continues to grow.

Core Functions and System Architecture

Trouble ticket systems offer key functionalities and a modular architecture that enable reliable case handling, clear responsibilities, and automated workflows.

Ticket Creation and Management

Tickets can be created by end users, service staff, or automatically via monitoring systems. Those processing tickets capture relevant information—such as issue description, affected systems, timestamps, and contact details.

Trouble ticket management includes editing, categorizing, taking notes, reading ticket histories, and linking related tickets. Filtering, sorting, and tracking ensure efficient case handling and evaluation down the road. Modern systems also offer templates, automated classification, and integration with knowledge bases to speed up ticket resolution and improve solution quality.

Prioritization, Escalation, and SLAs

Teams process support tickets based on urgency and business impact. This assessment determines handling order.

Escalation mechanisms activate automatically if response or resolution times are exceeded. These times are called SLAs, or Service Level Agreements. They also trigger if there is no activity.

Agents escalate tickets to higher support levels or alert management staff. Contracts typically define SLAs and key metrics for maintaining service quality.

Agents address critical issues promptly by evaluating priorities and ticket escalations.

User Roles and Access Control

Trouble ticket systems distinguish between different user roles, each with specific permissions. Typical roles include end users, service agents (1st to 3rd level), administrators, and system owners. Depending on the role, users can create, comment on, edit, or close tickets.

Role-based access ensures data security, process compliance, and clear responsibility assignment. In large organizations, this is essential when handling multiple clients, reporting, and ensuring compliance with regulations, especially regarding data protection and auditability.

Status Models, Workflows, and Communication

Status models define various ticket processing states such as “Open”, “In Progress”, “Waiting for Response”, “Resolved”, or “Closed”. The ticket statuses enable clear process control and early detection of bottlenecks. Combined with workflows—i.e., defined rules and transitions—responsibilities can be automatically assigned, notifications triggered, or escalations begun.

Ideally, communication between users and support happens directly within the ticket to preserve context and history. Transparent communication and consistent documentation are essential for efficient processes, quality assurance, and analysis.

Learn how OTRS can support your service with its integrated ticketing system.

Technological Foundations and Integrations

System Architectures (On-Premise vs. Cloud-Based)

IT teams select local (on-premise) or cloud-based trouble ticket system operation. Teams have a ligher level of control and can more easily customize on-premise solutions. They do, however, require internal maintenance.

Cloud-based systems are quick to set up and can grow easily. They need less maintenance but have some outside dependencies. These systems must also follow rules, especially for sensitive data.

Interfaces to Third-Party Systems (e.g., CMDB, Monitoring, ERP)

Modern ticketing systems offer interfaces to other IT systems. Integration with a CMDB allows for contextual information about affected assets. Here are a few examples:

Monitoring tools can automatically generate tickets upon detecting faults.

Connections to ERP or time-tracking systems enable seamless process and cost control.

Live chat solutions allow agents to create talk remotely with a customer while creating a ticket.

Use Cases and Ticket Lifecycle

Various business operations use trouble ticket systems — wherever structured case handling, traceability, and defined responsibilities are essential. Depending on the industry and use case, functional requirements and integration depth vary.

IT Service Management (ITSM)

As mentioned earlier, ticketing systems are foundational to structured and standardized IT support processes. They enable core ITIL processes, particularly incident, problem, and change management.

Classification and escalation ensure efficient handling. They also enable audit-proof documentation and systematic root cause analysis. Integration with monitoring and asset management systems allows for proactive issue detection and improved response times.

Customer Service, Facility Management, HR

Outside of IT, ticketing systems are widely used. In customer support, they facilitate structured handling of inquiries, complaints, customer issues or support requests. In facility management, they help track maintenance tasks, malfunctions, or cleaning schedules. In HR, they support processes such as onboarding, leave requests, or internal support.

In all cases, ticket systems promote transparency, accountability, and consistent communication. They also generate valuable data for process optimization and efficiency improvements in non-technical service areas. And, they ensure a positive customer experience.

Learn how OTRS can increase efficiency across various application areas with tailored solutions.

Ticket Lifecycle: From Creation to Resolution

The lifecycle of a ticket begins with its creation—manually by a user or automatically by a system. It is then classified (e.g., incident, request, change) and prioritized. The responsible agent or team is assigned to the ticket.

During processing, there may be follow-up questions, escalations, or status changes. The entire process is documented. Agents close the ticket after successful resolution.

Depending on the system, metrics such as handling time are automatically recorded for reporting purposes.

Challenges and Best Practices

Successfully implementing a trouble ticket system requires more than technical deployment. Scalability, user acceptance, and the thoughtful use of modern technologies are key to long-term value.

Scalability and User Acceptance

A ticketing system must be able to scale with organizational growth—both functionally and in user capacity. Ease of use is critical: only intuitive systems with low barriers to entry achieve widespread adoption. Training and feedback loops foster long-term acceptance.

Automation and AI Support

Automation—e.g., using templates or prefilled responses—can streamline routine tasks. Automatic ticket assignment, classification, or prioritization boosts resolution process efficiency and frees up staff for higher-value work.

AI can help detect patterns in incoming requests, suggest solutions to frequently asked questions, and generate predictions. However, such technologies must be purposefully implemented and regularly reviewed to avoid errors and meaningfully support workflows.

Outlook

Role in Modern Support Structures

In service-driven organizations, trouble ticket systems are key control instruments. They ensure transparency, efficiency, and traceability in handling requests. When considered as integration platforms, they connect technical systems, organizational processes, and human communication.

Trends: Self-Service, Automation, Predictive Analytics

Future developments focus on greater user autonomy via self-service portals, intelligent automation, and predictive analytics. These allow for proactive issue identification and targeted resource management. Such trends not only boost efficiency but also transform support into a strategic function within the organization.

Want to learn more about OTRS?

Bernd Maus

ITSM

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ITSM Glossary

Tobias Kortas — Wed, 07 May 2025 08:20:44 +0000

ITSM Glossary

2025-05-07
Tobias Kortas

ITSM

The field of IT Service Management (ITSM) is full of important terms and concepts. This glossary provides clarity and a quick overview of relevant knowledge.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used in ITSM in various ways, mostly to accept requests, classify tickets, or generate responses. AI-based translations, summaries, sentiment analyses, or solution suggestions are also part of the spectrum. As AI features increasingly penetrate the market, users should always consider them based on benefits – such as time savings or concrete service improvements.

Asset Management

Asset Management, also known as IT Asset Management (ITAM), deals with the entire lifecycle of IT resources – hardware, software, and cloud resources. It involves planning, procuring, deploying, maintaining, decommissioning, and disposing of assets.

Change Management

In ITSM, Change Management controls and coordinates changes to infrastructure to reduce risks and prevent disruptions to IT services. Along with Incident Management and Problem Management, it is one of the core disciplines of ITSM.

Chatbots

Chatbots are primarily used in customer service, providing users with quick access to knowledge and information and enabling efficient self-service. These bots communicate either through text or voice messages, answering (frequently asked) questions and handling requests. AI chatbots, which use natural language processing and machine learning to understand queries in context and provide increasingly better answers, are becoming more prevalent.

Configuration Management

Configuration Management is a key process in ITSM that enables effective recording, management, and control of IT assets such as hardware, software, and networks. By always having reliable information about the IT infrastructure, fewer errors occur, changes can be better implemented, and systems are more stable. An important element is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) for storing configuration data.

Configuration Management Database (CMDB)

A Configuration Management Database serves as a central data repository and is often described as the heart of an ITSM system. It functions as a storage facility and maintains information about a company’s IT environment. A CMDB proves to be the foundation for high-quality IT customer service as well as stable systems and applications.

Continuous Improvement

In ITSM, continuous improvement aims to continuously evaluate and optimize IT services and their management. This ensures that optimizations are carried out systematically, structurally, and in accordance with the goals and strategies of the respective company. “Continual Service Improvement” (CSI) plays an important role in the ITIL framework as one of five core areas.

Data Management

Data Management is about using data securely and efficiently. The challenge is to apply adequate strategies, methods, and technologies to maintain reliable, clean, and up-to-date data. It is crucial that this data is of high quality, accessible, and has integrity.

Endpoint Management

Endpoint Management aims to manage and secure all endpoints – such as computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, or IoT devices – in a corporate network. The critical factor is achieving a secure, legally compliant, and efficient IT infrastructure, as well as creating good conditions for remote maintenance.

End-to-End Solution

This refers to a comprehensive, integrated solution that covers the entire lifecycle of IT services – from planning to continuous improvement. End-to-end solutions are characterized by a holistic approach, integration of all ITSM processes, self-service, configuration management, workflow automation, and AI support.

Enterprise Service Management

Simply put, Enterprise Service Management (ESM) is the same as ITSM, but applied to additional business areas beyond IT. The goal is to establish good service company-wide and design efficient workflows. This includes standardized processes, self-service portals for user requests, automation for better efficiency, and a central platform to monitor and optimize services.

Escalation Management

Escalation Management comes into play when customer problems cannot be resolved at the first contact – see First Contact Resolution. The problem (often in the form of a ticket) moves hierarchically upward until someone with the right expertise can make a decision. By helping customers quickly find appropriate solutions, escalation management increases customer satisfaction and prevents conflicts.

First Contact Resolution

As the name suggests, First Contact Resolution (FCR) achieves a solution during the first customer contact. It is an important metric for support and a key component of customer satisfaction. A high FCR rate can be achieved especially with predominantly uncomplicated service requests.

Help Desk

A Help Desk serves to receive and process user requests – it contributes significantly to a positive customer experience by developing quick and helpful solutions. Dedicated software, commonly referred to as a ticket or issue tracking system, is used to support service employees.

Incident Management

Incident Management forms a core process in ITSM and a central component of the ITIL framework: it deals with quickly identifying, analyzing, and resolving disruptions (incidents) in IT services. Effective incident management reduces downtime, minimizes negative impacts on business operations, and improves service quality.

Incident Response

Incident Response involves appropriate procedures to respond to a disruption (incident). After an event such as a cyberattack, those responsible determine the causes, close security gaps, and restore the affected systems. Ideally, a special solution such as a SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response) system is used for this.

I&O Management

I&O Management (Infrastructure & Operations Management) involves managing and optimizing IT infrastructure and IT operational processes to ensure they are efficient, secure, and reliable. For example, an ITSM solution can improve operational processes by enabling structured incident and change management.

IT Change Management

Change Management is an ITIL core process for introducing new IT services or modifying existing services in a structured, secure, and successful manner. The primary maxim is to avoid unnecessarily affecting business operations – through minimizing risk and maximizing control – and to ensure stable services.

ITIL

ITIL® (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a best practice guide and the de facto standard in IT Service Management. The framework serves to plan, provide, and support IT services. It also offers comprehensive guidance for effectively managing IT infrastructures. ITIL® is a registered trademark of Axelos Limited.

ITOM

ITOM (IT Operations Management) deals with managing and monitoring infrastructure, services, and processes in IT. By reducing failures, operating more efficiently, and reliably providing IT services through ITOM, companies create high service quality and consistency. ITOM includes administrative processes as well as hardware and software support and customer services.

IT Service Catalog

An IT Service Catalog provides customers or end users with a clear and structured overview of available IT services and hardware and software options. By creating transparency about services and their conditions, such a catalog standardizes and streamlines the provision of IT services. It originates from the ITIL® framework, where it is officially mentioned as a best practice.

Knowledge Base

A Knowledge Base provides easy access to relevant knowledge, information, and instructions. Such a database is often integrated into a self-service portal and proves to be a central source of information with its knowledge base articles, videos, and detailed descriptions. A distinction is made between an internal knowledge base for employees and an external database for customers.

Knowledge Management

Knowledge Management involves systematically capturing, structuring, making accessible, and effectively using knowledge. A knowledge base is often used to make it centrally accessible in the form of articles, videos, how-to descriptions, or FAQ content. Knowledge management is important both internally – for example, to make strongly pronounced individual knowledge usable for colleagues – and externally, such as part of a self-service area.

Patch Management

Patch Management involves managing, testing, and implementing software updates (patches). By closing security gaps, fixing errors, and effecting improvements, this process keeps systems secure, stable, and up to date. Patches can be both small changes like bug fixes and larger adaptations with new functions.

Problem Management

In ITSM, problems are the underlying causes of incidents (disruptions). Resolving a problem can therefore mean the end of multiple disruptions. The teams responsible for problem management identify problem sources and develop solutions and preventive measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Along with Incident Management and Change Management, Problem Management forms a core area of ITSM.

Process Automation

In ITSM, the ability to automate processes using software saves a lot of time and (opportunity) costs: By eliminating particularly time-consuming routine tasks, employees can focus more on value-creating work. Since processes usually consist of several workflows, such automations are quite complex and require well-functioning processes.

Process Management

Process Management involves planning, analyzing, and optimizing business processes. In ITSM, ITIL helps to visualize and control processes to clearly define and standardize procedures. The focus is primarily on recurring tasks. Depending on their nature, processes can be both optimized and automated.

Self-Service (Portal)

Self-Service in ITSM offers the ability to independently, easily, and quickly access relevant information. For example, users of a self-service portal can access instructions, status displays, FAQs, and problem solutions, and create tickets, place orders, and manage user accounts. Self-service relieves the support team and provides users with quick answers, making the service more pleasant, satisfying, and effective for everyone involved.

Service Desk

A Service Desk forms the central point of contact for IT services and support within a company. It consists of the appropriate staff and a software solution (ITSM software, ticket system). Accessibility through various channels is important to solve disruptions, request services, solve problems, or initiate IT changes.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) prove essential in ITSM to set clear expectations and assess service quality through reliable criteria. Such a contractual agreement between a service provider and a customer includes service descriptions, goals and metrics, responsibilities, as well as escalation processes and reports. Possible specifications concern response times to tickets, resolution times, and availabilities.

Service Request Management

Service Request Management aims to adequately fulfill and respond to requests in ITSM – such as password resets, software installations, or access requests. Typically, those responsible use a ticket system or an integrated self-service portal to record, prioritize, approve, and implement requests.

Ticketing System

A ticketing system serves as a central instrument for structuring, documenting, and tracking IT processes so that requests, disruptions, and problems can be effectively processed. A ticket system often includes a self-service portal that allows users to independently make requests and track their status. Automation functions and AI applications enable efficient ITSM, allowing users and their customers to achieve their goals without much effort.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

When companies acquire ITSM software, they usually focus primarily on the pure acquisition price. With a focus on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), they think more holistically and realistically, as this involves costs over the entire lifecycle. This makes hidden costs and savings potential visible and helps avoid unexpected follow-up costs.

For example, low acquisition costs may lead companies to favor an on-premise solution, whereas a cloud solution – in terms of TCO – usually has an advantage due to lower costs for hardware, maintenance, and electricity.

Workflow Automation

Automated workflows save a lot of time in ITSM, simplify processes, and lead to consistent results. By automating workflows through appropriate technologies, companies gain productivity and reduce errors. Examples of automation concern notifications, access rights, ticket assignments and categorizations, or approval processes.

Workflow Management

Workflow Management focuses on organizing and optimizing work processes. By defining structured and repeatable workflows for ITSM, incidents, service requests, and changes can be processed efficiently, consistently, and transparently.

A distinction is made between optimizations – targeted improvements of processes – and automations, which require already (almost) perfect workflows. A prominent example of workflow management concerns systematically recording, prioritizing, and escalating disruptions.

Tobias Kortas

ITSM

What is a CMDB?

Tobias Kortas — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 06:38:36 +0000

What is a CMDB?

2025-04-03
Tobias Kortas

ITAM, ITSM

A Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a foundational component for optimizing IT Operations Management (ITOM) and delivering IT services in a structured and transparent way.

By providing a single source of truth about IT assets and their interrelationships, a configuration management database enables better decision-making and prompt action. This article explains what a CMDB is, how it works, and why it’s such a powerful tool.

Configuration Management Database: Background

Organizations face the challenge of using a CMDB effectively and profitably. This requires a clear understanding of what a CMDB is as well as the key concepts and terms associated with it.

Definition: CMDB

A CMDB is a centralized database that manages and stores information about IT assets, known as Configuration Items (CIs). By mapping relationships and dependencies between IT components, a configuration management database enables organizations to understand, control, and optimize their IT infrastructure.

Its core purpose is to improve transparency across IT services. It simplifies incident resolution and change management, streamlines IT processes, and makes better use of resources.

This centralized management system is critical for proper security and compliance. It helps improve the business’s security posture by offering one place to find weaknesses and prioritize threats. Additionally, any time a CI is changed, the change is documented. This creates an audit trail that is used to verify compliance when necessary.

Configuration Items (CIs): What They Are

If the CMDB is a master list, Configuration Items (CIs) are the entries within it. These include all IT infrastructure assets — hardware and software assets, networks, services, and documentation. In addition to attributes such as name or status, the relationships between CIs are key to identifying dependencies.

Examples of Configuration Items:

Laptops
Servers
Operating Systems
Cloud Resources
Applications
IT Services
IP Addresses
Processes
Contracts and Software Licenses
Users and Roles
Service Providers and Vendors
Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

Technical and Non-Technical Items

Although CIs are often associated with technical assets, non-technical items are equally important. For instance, identifying which users, customers, or locations are impacted by certain incidents is essential. Including both technical and non-technical CIs ensures the configuration management database accurately reflects the real IT environment.

The Role of a CMDB in IT Asset Management

Configuration management is a discipline within IT Asset Management (ITAM) with a unique focus: identifying dependencies. As the number of assets grows, so do their interconnections.

Dependent assets are most relevant to a CMDB. Yet, even standalone assets can be CIs if they are critical to IT services. The decision to include an item in the configuration management database should be based on its relevance to IT operations.

CMDB and Ticketing Systems

Configuration management tools work best when integrated with a ticketing system. For example, during an incident, the ticket holds details of the issue. The CMDB provides context about the affected CIs. When linked, these systems offer a complete overview, enabling teams to act quickly.

Together, they form a powerful combination in IT Service Management (ITSM). The CMDB supplies the data and context. Meanwhile, the ticketing system connects incidents and requests to relevant CIs for efficient resolution.

Using a CMDB

To implement a CMDB effectively, it’s important to understand its features, advantages, and challenges.

Key Features

A configuration management database is more complex than it might initially appear. It provides a transparent, centralized view for improved decision-making and structured incident, problem, and change management.

There are many benefits of a CMDB, including:

Holistic Overview: Offers a centralized view of the IT infrastructure with normalized and aligned data.

Flexibility: CIs can be added manually, via integration, or automatically.

Faster Resolution: Speeds up issue resolution and minimizes risk.

Impact Analysis: Highlights how changes or outages affect other systems.

Data Quality: Supports up-to-date, accurate, and complete data.

Access Control: Role-based permissions protect sensitive data; audit logs track activity.

Dashboard Insights: Provides an overview of CI status, changes to asset data, and costs.

Benefits

Transparency and centralized data offer significant advantages. A CMDB prevents information silos and outdated data, ensuring up-to-date insights into assets and their dependencies.

Key benefits in core ITSM practices include:

Optimized Change Management

A CMDB supports secure, efficient change management. It helps assess risk by identifying affected assets, systems, or users and clarifying potential impacts. Documentation allows tracking and correlation with other events.

Streamlined Incident Management

With visibility into dependencies, teams can identify root causes, assess impact, and resolve recurring issues more effectively. Incidents can be analyzed in the context of affected assets over time.

Proactive Problem Management

A configuration management database helps uncover the root causes of recurring incidents and implement lasting solutions, improving IT stability. It documents changes, incidents, and workarounds to support proactive management.

Improved Business Decisions

The insights from a CMDB help forecast bottlenecks, identify optimization opportunities, and support lifecycle planning for upgrades and investments. CI data enables informed budgeting decisions.

Efficient Accounting

Financial planning requires accurate documentation. A CMDB simplifies this by providing clear overviews, enabling proper cost allocation and financial tracking.

Common Challenges

A CMDB is only effective if maintained properly. Many organizations struggle to do so. They may have inadequate processes, missing or outdated data, or an unclear scope of what should be included.

To address these challenges:

Ensure all CIs are complete, accurate, and current.
Make ongoing CMDB maintenance part of the team’s routine. Establish a configuration management process and ensure it’s governance.
Avoid overcomplication—structure and clear processes are essential.
Integrate the CMDB with ticketing, monitoring, discovery tools and asset management tools.
Clearly define access permissions and change protocols.

CMDB Software

To build an effective CMDB, the right software is essential. Without it, configuration management becomes difficult, and critical insights are lost.

Why CMDB Software Matters

Without specialized software, CMDB data may be scattered, un-documented, or locked in employees’ heads. A solid CMDB tool centralizes data, supports clear understanding of dependencies, and enables quick, effective decision-making.

Key Features to Look For

Integration with Ticketing Systems
When integrated with a ticketing tool, a CMDB enhances visibility and accelerates resolution by linking tickets with relevant CIs.

Benefits include:

Faster root cause analysis
Improved ticket handling through instant access to relevant data
Better decision-making with access to comprehensive incident/change history
Proactive measures thanks to a complete view of dependencies
More accurate impact assessments

Scanning and Automation
Automated scanning ensures up-to-date information. Ideally, the tool should support automated import/export to simplify data handling.

Visualization
Good CMDB software visualizes data, making relationships easier to understand and interpret. This supports accurate diagnostics, planning, and decision-making.

Dynamic CI Selection
When the system functions as both a configuration management database and a ticketing tool, users can directly assign assets to tickets. This streamlines incident documentation and resolution.

Integrated Monitoring
Effective CMDB solutions support monitoring by showing real-time status and flagging anomalies. Linking monitoring tools to CI data adds context to alerts. In some cases, the system can also notify users of critical changes or failures.

Conclusion: A CMDB Brings Clarity and Control

A Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a powerful asset in IT Asset Management (ITAM). It centralizes data on Configuration Items (CIs) and visualizes dependencies, turning abstract IT landscapes into clear structures.

Beyond visibility, a CMDB actively supports key ITSM processes like change, incident, and problem management, while improving planning and accounting. When properly maintained—with accurate data, clear structure, and defined permissions—a CMDB simplifies everyday IT operations.

The right software adds value through automation, visual clarity, and monitoring integration. Its synergy with a ticketing system is especially vital for linking incidents and changes directly to affected CIs.

Tobias Kortas

ITAM, ITSM

Service Request Management – Definition, Tools and Best Practices

Bernd Maus — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 08:36:51 +0000

Service Request Management – Definition, Tools and Best Practices

2025-03-18
Bernd Maus

Best Practices, ITSM

What is Service Request Management?

Service request management refers to the structured processing and management of service requests within an organization, particularly in IT service management (ITSM). These are standardized requests from users that do not constitute an incident or malfunction, but relate to access requests, the provision of resources or general information.

The process for managing these includes the receipt, documentation, processing and final resolution of service requests. The aim is to ensure a high level of service quality and to make processing efficient and transparent.

Service Request Management is a central component of modern ITSM frameworks such as ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library). It helps to increase user satisfaction through repeatable and scalable processes.

By using self-service portals and automated workflows, companies can further optimize and personalize these processes. This increases efficiency without neglecting control mechanisms.

Objectives of Service Request Management

Increased efficiency, quality assurance and improved user satisfaction

The standardized processing of requests should enable recurring requests with minimal effort and high reliability. Transparency and traceability should ensure that quality standards are met in areas such as customer experience and service delivery.

These goals are achieved through clear process definitions and the documentation of all steps. Ultimately, well-established service request management supports adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and compliance requirements. It contributes to the scalability of IT services.

Relief for IT Teams

Service portals, knowledge base and automated processes should be used to handle repeatable requests. Examples of when these can be used include password resets or access requests. The aim is to allow service desk employees to focus on more complex tasks and strategic initiatives.

Concepts in service request management

Service request management is based on various central concepts of IT service management. These include classifying service requests, setting priorities and defining a life cycle that structures processing from request to completion. These concepts create the basis for standardized and transparent processes in the IT service organization.

The role of IT service management

IT service management (ITSM) is an organizational framework for the implementation of service request management. It defines the processes, guidelines and roles to ensure that service requests are handled consistently and efficiently. ITSM frameworks such as ITIL offer best practices that create standards for processing service requests.

ITSM automates workflows, clearly defines responsibilities and increases the quality of services. ITSM also promotes the integration of service request management into other ITSM processes, such as incident or change management. This supports a holistic IT operating strategy.

Service request classification

The classification of service requests is used to categorize requests according to type, category or complexity. This ensures assignment to the responsible teams and enables efficient processing. Typical categories are access requests, information requests or provision requests. A clear classification forms the basis for automated processes and prioritized processing.

Prioritization

Service requests are prioritized based on criteria, such as urgency and impact on business operations. Requests with a critical impact are given a higher priority than routine requests. This classification helps teams use resources effectively. It also reduces the time needed for important business requests.

Service request life cycle

The lifecycle describes the entire process needed to fulfill service requests. Typical lifecycle phases include acceptance, validation, processing and completion. Structured documentation of the lifecycle ensures transparency and traceability, both for users and for the IT organization itself.

Five tools for service request management

Well-structured service request management requires powerful tools and modern technologies to efficiently record, manage and automate requests. Choosing the right solution makes a significant contribution to optimizing IT service processes. Five important tools that support companies in implementing effective service request management are presented below.

ITSM Solution from OTRS

The preconfigured and ready-to-use ITSM solution from OTRS offers a flexible, customizable platform for handling service requests and other processes according to ITIL standards. It enables clear ticket management, automated workflows and transparent communication between IT teams and end users.

Find out how OTRS can make your service request management more efficient.

ServiceNow

ServiceNow is an elaborate cloud-based platform that integrates asset, change and incident management alongside service request management. It helps large enterprises optimize IT processes through AI-supported automation and a self-service portal.

BMC Helix ITSM

An ITSM tool that is based on the Salesforce platform and enables close integration with CRM systems. The cloud-based solution offers scalability and flexibility for companies

Jira Service Management

Atlassian’s Jira Service Management is particularly useful for DevOps. It provides flexible workflows, a strong ticketing system, and easy links to other Atlassian products for better process control.

Remedyforce (BMC)

Remedyforce (BMC) is an ITSM solution based on the Salesforce platform that enables seamless integration with CRM and cloud services. It offers an intuitive user interface and automation capabilities to efficiently manage IT and business workflows.

Important technologies in modern service request management

Importance of self-service portals

Self-service portals play a key role in the transformation of service request management. They provide users with a user friendly way to submit a service request. Requests are standardized for easy input. Entry is supported by intuitive user interfaces and extensive knowledge databases.

The use of AI clearly demonstrates the potential for further development. For example, an AI chatbots can identify problems, suggest the appropriate solution and guide users through the process.

Self-service portals promote autonomy and transparency by giving users the opportunity to work out solutions independently/ They also provide insights into the processing status. They significantly reduce the workload of the service team.

They are becoming increasingly indispensable thanks to their contribution to user satisfaction.

Cloud- and SaaS Solutions

Cloud-based ITSM platforms offer flexibility, scalability and easy integration into existing IT landscapes. SaaS solutions enable companies to implement them quickly without high maintenance costs.

Automation of service requests

AI-supported automation reduces manual intervention and speeds up service processes. Chatbots, automated ticket assignments and machine learning optimize the processing and prioritization of requests.

Automation is a key driver of efficiency in service request management. With the help of workflow technologies and artificial intelligence, we can find and handle routine requests automatically.

This significantly reduces processing times. It frees up employees for more complex, value-added tasks. Automation increases efficiency. It also minimizes human error and creates a scalable basis for future IT services.

By using these tools and technologies, companies can improve how they manage service requests. They can automate processes and enhance service quality over time.

Best practices for service request management

The following are proven practices and strategies for the implementation and operation of successful service request management.

Standardization of service requests and processes

Uniformly defined and documented processes ensure consistent processing of service requests. Classifying requests according to type and priority and defining Service Level Agreements (SLAs) creates transparency and increases efficiency.

Clear distribution of roles and responsibilities

By clearly defining roles and responsibilities within service request management, requests can be processed efficiently. Responsibilities should be clearly assigned throughout the service request process. This helps avoid escalations and allows for a quick solution. This also helps with optimizing resource allocation.

Integrate security and compliance into processes

IT security and compliance requirements are indispensable components of modern service request management. Automated approval processes, role-based access controls and audit-proof documentation ensure that all service requests comply with the applicable regulations and security standards.

By implementing these additional best practices, service providers can optimize their service request management process.

Implementation of a self-service portal

A well-structured self-service portal with an integrated knowledge database reduces the manual workload for IT team members. Users can submit standard queries independently or find solutions to common problems, which significantly reduces processing time.

Automation of workflows

The automation of recurring service requests minimizes sources of error and reduces the workload of IT teams. This is often done through workflow engines or RPA (robotic process automation). Automation enables faster processing and scaling of services.

Continuous monitoring and optimization

Regularly checking KPIs like processing times, SLA compliance, and customer satisfaction helps spot problems early. Continuous improvement of processes should be carried out continuously based on this data to increase efficiency.

Integration with other ITSM processes

Bringing service request management together with ITSM processes like incident, change, and asset management creates a clear ITSM strategy. This improves service coordination, increases quality and supports sustainable IT governance. By using these best practices, service request management can become more efficient. This can increase user satisfaction and improve IT operations over time.

Bernd Maus

Best Practices, ITSM

10 Best Practices for Successful Service Management

Tobias Kortas — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 08:49:42 +0000

10 Best Practices for Successful Service Management

2025-02-25
Tobias Kortas

Best Practices, Customer Service

Service management: the importance

Service management is concerned with creating interfaces between a company’s products and its customers. It should focus on the customer. All contact points between the customer and the company must work well. These points should be checked often and improved.

Requirements and goals

You can see how well support services are doing by looking at customer satisfaction. Cases of persistent problems or major customer disappointment are a particular point of focus.

Service management is not just about offering customers services. Rather, it is about taking a comprehensive approach to providing the best possible experience for customers.

Strategic aspects and processes

Companies must first identify the overarching purposes of service management and how these relate to the company’s goals.

The right processes and workflows are also needed to ensure that customers receive fast, reliable, comprehensive and helpful solutions. In IT, for example, this includes tried and tested processes for incident, problem and change management.

Software solutions and analytical aspects

The right software solution can also speed up service delivery, improve work management, and offer customers a quick result. An example of this is automating workflows or offering automated customer service to reduce waiting times and service costs.

Finally, data analysis is also a core area of focus. Companies can obtain and evaluate direct customer feedback as well as examine their own workflows. Data points out many ways to optimize workflows.

Whether service level agreements (SLAs) are being met is particularly important in IT Service Management (ITSM). Certain key performance indicators (KPIs) are also becoming increasingly important for companies. For example, first call resolution (FCR) defines the proportion of support inquiries resolved on the first contact.

Best practices for service management

How companies prepare their service teams can differ a lot. They may have different priorities and goals they want to reach.

Nevertheless, there are some best practices that can generally prove useful.

Best practice #1: Develop a sound strategic direction

If you don’t know the goal, you can’t find the right path. Therefore, the first step is to define a clear service management strategy. This should outlines high level service objectives and related these to business goals. Based on this, it is possible to make an informed judgment about how successfully the current services are working.

Areas in which there is potential for improvement require special dedication in the strategy. This is the case when there is a challenge from either the business or customer perspective.

For example, the support team may help customers with problems. However, they might not explain the product features well enough. As a result, customers have a limited perspective on what’s possible.

This means the company is not taking advantage of up-selling and cross-selling opportunities. It may even risk losing customers who aren’t getting enough value from the offering.

It is important for all key stakeholders to work together on the strategy. They should create sensible and realistic measures. These measures should combine the benefits for the company and the benefits for the customers.

Best practice #2: Set a clear customer focus

The customer should be the top priority for all services. A strategy that company representatives consider useful but does not clearly serve the customer is of little value.

In the best-case scenario, service management corresponds exactly to the needs that customers express. These needs are identified either through direct feedback or indirectly through problems they have experienced. For example, a well-developed knowledge management system can be extremely useful for solving problems.

Customers must also always receive immediate information about issues and maintenance times. Ideally, this transparency should encompass all aspects of customer communication. To ensure that the quality is also right, teams need regular training and access to new developments and trends. This ensures team member growth and awareness.

Best practice #3: Align with standard frameworks such as ITIL

ITIL®️ (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) and other ITSM frameworks provide valuable guidance when it comes to IT service management. Predefined processes, practices, and guidelines help us use our resources well. They also create a strong base for high service quality.

For example, ITSM processes such as service request, incident, problem and change management benefit greatly from applying standards. The ITIL principle of using a configuration management database (CMDB) helps with asset management in many service areas.

The CMDB manages data about hardware and software. It can also contain information on service contracts, customers or service level agreements (SLAs). Regular service reviews for process optimization also pay off.

Best practice #4: Introduce self-service

Self-service gives customers more flexibility and independence. Self-service means that companies offer their customers additional options that are geared towards the reality of their lives. Modern customers no longer want to be dependent on the working hours of the service desk.

An example of providing self-service is when a customer solves a simple application problem by interacting with chatbot from their sofa in the evening.

The self-service options include:

Knowledge databases
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) with short answers
(AI) chatbots
Community forums
Independent bookings and scheduling
Independent creation of product configurations

Best practice #5: Use AI and automation

Artificial intelligence (AI) holds immense potential for optimizing customer service. The main benefits of AI are greater efficiency, time savings and more accuracy. Machine learning (ML) and the handling of big data also enable detailed analyses and an optimized, personalized service.

Practical applications of AI may include:

Summarizing ticket content,
Defining types of services or
Classify tickets.

Agents also benefit. They may:

Receive suggested answers to inquiries based on data on frequently asked questions,
Use sentiment analysis to understand the customer’s attitude and emotions or
Receive automatic translations.

Workflow automation is frequently used in ITSM too. It saves time, increases productivity and avoids errors. In some cases, process automation makes sense as well.

Best practice #6: Build a knowledge base

Knowledge is key to providing service that customers want. Creating a knowledge base and making it centrally accessible provides external customers with additional and better service options. It also helps internal employees with details about approvals, processes, solutions, and more.

It is important that companies regularly maintain, optimize and supplement knowledge bases. This is because content quickly becomes outdated. Customer requirements also change, especially with constant new developments.

It is also advisable to think about various forms of media. Knowledge content can be perfected and expanded using multimedia, such as videos, in order to maximize its benefits.

Best practice #7: Define KPIs and metrics

What companies want to achieve strategically with the service is an important factor, but it must be measurable. Well-defined KPIs and metrics are needed to measure the achievement of objectives. Doing so provides a baseline for optimizing services in a targeted manner and in line with corporate objectives.

Consider the following as an example:

Company goal: The customer retention rate (CRR) must be increased, i.e. customers should remain loyal to the company.

KPI: To increase customer satisfaction, problems should be solved as quickly as possible.

Metrics: First Call Resolution (FCR; percentage of problems resolved on first contact); Net Promoter Score (NPS) to measure customer satisfaction.

Best practice #8: Maintain continuous improvement

Those who do not improve will be overtaken. This explains why continuous improvement is so important. The principle is linked to a cyclical approach in which services are regularly examined, evaluated and optimized.

The Kaizen principle states that change for the better should take place. Those responsible do not have to strictly follow this principle, but it helps to implement improvements. These may be large or small improvements. They can be done on a regular basis in order to offer customers good, helpful and comprehensive service.

Best practice #9: Pay attention to security and compliance

Data security is an absolute necessity in service management. After all, confidential, personal and sensitive data and information must not be leaked. For example, it is important to comply with standards such as ISO 20000, ISO 27001 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

A recovery plan should also be in place for IT emergencies. The best possible incident management can be achieved by using a cyber defense solution.

Regular security checks and precise access management are also a good ideas. These should be done on a day-to-day basis.

Best practice #10: Adapting trends and current developments

The world doesn’t stand still, and customer needs change. Similarly, service offerings shouldn’t always stay the same and should expand as much as possible. This could include new self-service options, AI features or a high degree of personalization.

Trends and current developments include the following:

Use of AI features that expand the range of services and provide low-threshold answers.
Distinctive omnichannel support so that customers can flexibly choose their preferred channels.
Dynamic, multimedia self-service that can be used to solve problems.

Use cases that highlight ITSM best practices

In many cases, companies have succeeded in significantly improving management processes and reducing costs through the consistent implementation of best practices.

Using structured service management and best practices often leads to clear results. These results include shorter processing times, happier customers, and better transparency. For example:

By looking for and improving inefficient service processes, companies can speed up processing times.
By implementing ITSM tools, companies can enhance transparency regarding assets and save money on licensing.
By standardizing and organizing communication, companies offer consistency and efficiency to customers.

Here are a couple of specific customer use cases.

Example #1: SIEVERS-GROUP – standardize processes when supporting multiple departments

SIEVERS-GROUP, an IT system house, faced the challenge of making support more efficient. It wanted to offer its own customers higher quality and optimize service delivery. The aim was to use a central solution for seven different departments. As a prerequisite for this, relevant KPIs first had to be visible and measurable.

With OTRS, SIEVERS-GROUP now has uniform processes for ticket processing throughout the company. Customers experience significantly more transparency and optimized communication. Service quality is measured using the right KPIs.

Additionally, improvements can be quickly made when necessary. As a next step, SIEVERS-GROUP has plans to introduce a configuration management database (CMDB).

Find out more about the SIEVERS-GROUP use case.

Example #2: EMAPTA – incorporate more flexibility and compliance

EMAPTA, a personnel services company based in the Philippines, was frustrated by the lack of structured workflows for service provision. Compliance also needed to be improved in order to achieve ISO/IEC 2000 certification, among other things.

With OTRS as a service management system, EMAPTA now provides significantly higher workflow compliance, greater thoroughness. Customer needs are now better met.

OTRS as a service management solution

OTRS was developed in alignment with these best practices. It can be used in a variety of ways for service management. Teams benefit from fewer errors, optimized service delivery, customizable interfaces and guaranteed security.

Users can use numerous features to optimize their workflows, provide better service and increase customer satisfaction.

Conclusion: Best practices make a decisive difference

Service management means not just offering customers support. It also means taking a holistic view of customer communication and optimizing it as far as possible. Overarching strategic aspects are important here. It is also important to consider how customers perceive the service and the extent to which their requirements are met.

Best practices for service management each deal with important sub-topics. These can also be linked together in a meaningful way. Ideally, this results in improving customer satisfaction.

In most cases it also makes sense to focus on individual practices within the company. Clear KPIs and associated metrics for services should be defined. The path to success often lies in fixed standards, structured workflows and continuous improvements.

In many cases, companies with the right best practices and the right software solution can make the decisive difference in providing sensible and successful service management.

Tobias Kortas

Best Practices, Customer Service

10 ITSM Best Practices – Delivery Service More Successfully

Bernd Maus — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:08:28 +0000

10 ITSM Best Practices – Delivery Service More Successfully

2024-12-17
Bernd Maus

Best Practices, ITSM

ITSM and its relevance

IT service management (ITSM) is the basis for the efficient provision and management of IT services. Service provision requirements in both B2B and B2C environments cannot be successfully met without well-positioned IT service management.

ITSM aims to seamlessly adapt IT to business requirements. It maximizes service quality through clear processes, roles and best practices. As a strategic approach, ITSM ensures optimized workflows, improved customer satisfaction and adherence to compliance standards.

Utilizing IT service management frameworks like the information technology infrastructure library ITIL^®️ (ITIL^®️ is a registered trademark of Axelos Limited. All rights reserved.) allows for the focused management of information technology resources effectively. It also helps drive continuous service improvement.

This text highlights 10 ITSM best practices. It shares examples of how ITSM bridges the gap between technology and successfully achieving business goals.

Core concepts and objectives of ITSM

The core concepts of ITSM include standardized processes, service orientation and continuous service improvement. The aim is to provide IT services efficiently, align them with business objectives and ensure their quality. ITSM enables transparency, optimizes resources and promotes the ability to innovate in a dynamic, technology-driven environment.

Today’s demands on IT services require higher standards

In a digitalized world, the demands on IT services are constantly increasing. Higher standards are essential in order to integrate complex technologies, minimize downtimes and meet increasing user expectations. Sophisticated IT service management forms the basis for efficiency, quality, and competitiveness.

Definition and objectives of best practices in ITSM

Best practices in ITSM are proven methods that ensure the efficient provision and management of IT services. They serve to optimize processes, increase service quality and align with strategic business objectives. The aim is to sustainably promote scalability and customer satisfaction.

Best practices in ITSM are crucial for ensuring process standardization, service quality and consistently good service provision. They minimize risks, promote compliance and strengthen collaboration between IT and other departments. Through clear structures and continuous optimization, you create a basis for sustainable corporate success.

10 best practices for successful ITSM

Define ITSM processes and roles

Defining ITSM processes and roles creates transparency, minimizes overlaps in areas of responsibility and ensures accountability. This enables efficient collaboration and promotes compliance with standardized processes. The result is consistent service operation. This is the foundation for successful IT service management.

Establish a culture of continuous service improvement

Continuous improvement in ITSM means regularly analyzing and adapting processes and services. Establish a structured management process that includes:

feedback mechanisms,
audits and
the use of proven frameworks, such as the PDCA cycle,

This will support the adaptation of services to new requirements.

Use KPIs and metrics to measure ITSM performance

Data-based analyzes can be used to identify bottlenecks and weaknesses, monitor progress and make well-founded decisions. This promotes transparency, ensures compliance with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and supports alignment with strategic goals.

Involve stakeholders and promote communication

Involving stakeholders and promoting open communication are crucial to success. Successful teamwork and continuous dialogue ensure that requirements are acknowledged, priorities set, and changes implemented transparently. This strengthens trust and promotes acceptance among all those involved.

Proven change management practices ensure that all necessary steps are taken during implementation. They also identify potential risks at an early stage.

Automate recurring tasks and processes

Automating recurring tasks and processes reduces the workload, minimizes errors and increases efficiency. Automated workflows, such as ticket assignment or notifications, speed up processes and free up time for strategic tasks. Resources are used in an optimized way and good services are offered as a result.

Put know-how to use by adding knowledge management

Effective knowledge management enables systematic access to documented know-how, which speeds up incident management and problem management. It avoids redundant work and improves efficiency. The structured provision of solution-oriented knowledge base articles and best practices provides a clear structure. This helps employees make well-founded decisions more quickly.

Involve data security and compliance teams

Integrating security guidelines and regulatory requirements into ITSM processes protects sensitive data and reduces liability risks. Regular audits, training, and certifications such as ISO 27001 ensure that security and compliance requirements are met seamlessly without compromising service delivery.

Take a user-centered approach

A user-centric approach focuses on the needs and expectations of end users to maximize their satisfaction. Through continuous feedback and customized approaches, service design better aligns with the needs of the customer. This promotes acceptance and leads to better results in less time.

Keep scalability in mind

ITSM structures and the service management tools used should be designed flexibly. This lets the business integrate growing requirements and new technologies. Modular processes, scalable architectures and early resource management ensure smooth expansion and guarantee that service quality is maintained even as complexity increases.

Leverage the right software and technologies

The choice of suitable ITSM software should be based on functionality, integration capabilities and adaptability. Modern ITSM tools support the integration of AI-based applications, data-driven work, automation and seamless collaboration. Future-oriented technology choices ensure that the IT infrastructure meets the requirements of innovation and long-term growth.

Find out how OTRS takes ITSM to a next level and grows with your requirements.

3 examples of ITSM best practices in action

The following examples show practical approaches to the successful implementation of best practices in ITSM. The aim is to highlight industry-specific challenges, strategies, and results.

ITSM process optimization reduces processing time in the telecommunications industry

A leading telecommunications company was faced with the challenge of overcoming inefficient service processes and fragmented workflows. A systematic analysis removed redundant activities, optimized interfaces between teams and introduced a central ticketing system. The use of agile methods and proven ITIL practices sped up incident and problem management. This reduced the average processing time by 35%.

In addition, the introduction of a comprehensive reporting framework led to better traceability and increased transparency. Regular training for employees strengthened acceptance of the new processes, which also allowed them to be routinely improved. The company significantly increased customer satisfaction. It also saved money and secured its position in a highly competitive market

Take Away: Holistic process optimization and a methodical approach to strengthening service quality in ITSM offered distinct improvements in the telecommunications industry.

Financial services company reduces critical outages through automation

A leading financial services company was faced with the challenge of adapting ITSM to increasing service requests and complex processes. By using process automation and artificial intelligence in IT service management, frequent requests were processed automatically. Examples included password resets and access control changes. This allowed IT staff to focus on strategic tasks, while the processing time for routine requests was reduced by 50%.

At the same time, critical outages were significantly reduced. This was through AI-optimized event management, anomaly detection and proactive measures. These technologies were integrated into existing IT systems step by step, accompanied by training for the IT service desk.

Take Away: The combination of automation and innovative technology increased service performance, agility, and resilience in the financial sector.

Service catalog brings structure to the healthcare sector

A large healthcare company implemented ITIL to improve the quality and reliability of its IT services. By introducing structured management of the service catalog, all IT services were clearly defined and prioritized. They were more easily adapted to the needs of doctors, nursing staff and administrative employees.

Emphasis was placed on incident and problem management. With the help of a centralized system for tracking and documenting faults, recurring problems were analyzed and resolved. This significantly increased the availability of critical applications such as patient management systems.

In addition, change management was optimized to ensure smooth updates to medical systems. Training programs on ITIL practices strengthened the technical expertise of employees, enabling the IT team to work better.

Take Away: The targeted use of ITSM frameworks in the sensitive healthcare environment significantly improved service quality and resilience.

AI and automation are gaining in importance

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are changing IT service management. They offer opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce errors and proactively solve problems. They focus on:

identifying suitable service processes,
implementing proven methods for automation tools and
weighing the benefits and challenges

in order to achieve sustainable improvements in ITSM

Identifying processes for automation and AI use cases

The selection of suitable service processes for automation requires data-driven analysis and clear prioritization. Processes with high repetition, that are standardize and which have strategic added value should be prioritized. A careful evaluation of complexity, ROI (return on investment) and dependencies is crucial to ensure that AI and automation will actually improve processes in the long term.

Best practices for the use of AI and automation tools

Successful use of automation tools requires a strategic selection that takes scalability and integration capability into account. Tools should work seamlessly with existing ITSM systems and be adaptable to individual requirements. Regular testing and iterative implementation approaches minimize risks.

The use of AI and automation tools in ITSM requires a combination of technical expertise and clear objectives. Transparent algorithms, regular monitoring and individual adaptation of AI models ensure reliability. In addition, team training promotes acceptance and understanding.

It is advisable to initiate pilot projects in order to minimize risks and gain insights for a scaled introduction. Early involvement of stakeholders is crucial to ensure acceptance and sustainable use.

Benefits and challenges of AI and automation in ITSM

AI and automation offer enormous potential for increasing efficiency and service quality in ITSM. For example, they offer the possibility of proactive error detection and faster processing times. However, challenges exist in the complexity of implementation and ensuring data quality. A balanced approach maximizes benefits and minimizes risks.

Customer focus and user-centricity: the key to success in ITSM

Customer-oriented and user-centric approaches are essential in ITSM in order to increase service quality and meet expectations. Targeted measures to support this include:

customer journey mapping,
self-service solutions and
effective feedback systems.

Strategies and tools that enable a sustainable focus on user needs are key.

Introduction of customer journey mapping for IT services

Customer journey mapping enables a comprehensive analysis of the user experience along all touchpoints with IT services. By visualizing interactions and identifying critical touchpoints, gaps in the service offering can be uncovered and targeted improvements implemented. This creates a user-centric basis for strategic decisions and improves long-term satisfaction.

Implementation of self-service options and knowledge databases

Thanks to self-service portals and knowledge databases, user autonomy increases, and support costs are reduced. Successful implementation requires a user-friendly design, clear structuring and continuous updating of content. The integration of AI-supported search and personalized recommendations speeds up the solution finding process. This increases efficiency, reduces operating costs and improves satisfaction through immediate access to relevant information.

Feedback systems and their role in the continuous improvement of customer service

Feedback systems identify areas for optimizing customer service in ITSM. They enable the collection of user opinions in real time and identify weaknesses and potential for improvement. Effective systems combine automated surveys, tools for analysis and the targeted derivation of activities. Through regular evaluation and integration into decision-making processes, IT services can be proactively adapted to user expectations and sustainably improved.

Challenges for future-proofing ITSM

In the dynamic environment of modern IT landscapes, adaptability is crucial for future-proofing ITSM. Flexibility in process design as well as the ability to respond to disruptive technologies and changing business requirements are essential. Agile thinking, modular tools and continuous process optimization help companies maintain efficiency and innovation. They are better able to meet the increasing expectations of stakeholders.

The ITSM situation today

The rapid pace of technological change and the increasing shift to the cloud present ITSM with complex challenges:

Legacy systems need to be modernized.
Hybrid infrastructures must be managed.
Security requirements need to be met.

At the same time, the integration of new technologies such as containerization or edge computing requires flexible processes. An agile approach and continuous training are essential to meet these requirements.

Agile ITSM, AI and machine learning

AI and machine learning are changing ITSM by enabling automation and personalized service experiences. Predictive analytics can proactively identify system failures, customer sentiment and user requests, while chatbots and virtual assistants optimize interaction with users. These technologies improve error detection and free up support teams, creating resources for strategic tasks.

Fostering an agile culture based on continuous improvement and effective development of the IT staff is crucial to ensuring the ongoing optimization of performance and service quality.

A sustainable ITSM strategy requires constant adaptation to technological developments and changing business requirements. Best practices help to meet these requirements by regularly evaluating processes, integrating innovative technologies — such as AI and machine learning — and working closely with stakeholders.

Bernd Maus

Best Practices, ITSM

IT Solutions: How companies benefit from them

Tobias Kortas — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:11:45 +0000

IT Solutions: How companies benefit from them

2024-12-17
Tobias Kortas

Best Practices, ITSM

What are IT solutions?

“That’s the solution!” is how an IT solution should ideally feel. It should solve an existing problem, lead to process optimization or ensure efficient target achievement.

On the technical side, this includes the following:

software
hardware
data
infrastructure, and
security mechanisms.

On a qualitative level, these factors include:

consulting
integration
support, and
other services, as necessary.

Examples include ERP systems, cloud services, IT security solutions, databases, communication platforms and automation tools.

IT solutions: Definition

An IT solution is a comprehensive approach that goes beyond the mere application of software. It combines components such as hardware, infrastructure, services, integration, support or consulting. It is often individually tailored to a company in order to meet its specific needs.

An IT solution is different from software because it is a complex concept. It may comprise several software products and other elements.

Tobias Kortas

What types of problems are solved?

In the corporate world, there are countless problems and opportunities to use information technology in a meaningful way. It is important that an IT solution brings peace of mind to business owners.

IT solutions: Examples

The following examples use specific categories to illustrate the types of IT solutions available. Each type addresses specific requirements in companies or organizations.

Example #1: Information centralization

These include solutions such as ERP, CRM and HR systems. These are comprehensive, scalable IT solutions that meet the complex requirements of large companies. They integrate various systems and processes, such as financial management, customer relationship management (CRM) or human resources (HR). One of the aims is to manage data centrally and optimize company-wide processes.

Example #2: Data management

Data management solutions help companies organize, store, protect and analyse data effectively and purposefully. In the best case scenario, better decisions can be made based on this and processes can be sensibly revised.

Example #3: Increased IT security

Protecting systems and networks from threats such as hacker attacks or malware is of fundamental importance. The spectrum ranges from firewalls, encryption, analysis and incident identification to comprehensive protection of sensitive company data through an Information Security Management System (ISMS).

Example #4: Communication and collaboration

In the modern corporate world, business has changed. Remote work and large geographical distances are now the norm. Team members must communicate with each other and external parties in a targeted manner.

By using the right communication and collaboration platforms a strong culture is developed. This also improves the quality of collaboration.

Example #5: Automation and AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) and process automation lead to better outputs. For example, companies benefit from AI chatbots for support or use machine learning for better workflows. The list of benefits of artificial intelligence is long. Related solutions should always should always focus on the practical benefits.

Example #6: E-commerce

An e-commerce solution supports companies in setting up and operating online stores. It includes functions such as product management, payment processing, ordering processes and marketing tools. An important goal is to offer customers a seamless shopping experience.

Example #7: Industry-specific solutions

An industry-specific IT solution optimizes processes according to specific requirements. Examples of this include electronic patient records in the healthcare sector or trading systems in the financial sector. In most cases, the aim is to be competitive within one’s own industry or to offer clients a good service.

Application in large companies

Large companies (enterprises) usually have complex IT environments. Each department usually has its own requirements, prerequisites and success metrics.

Needless to say, solutions must cover a wide range of application scenarios. Selected systems must have a wide range of functionalities, be highly scalable and integrate easily.

Examples of enterprise solutions include:

ERP systems – for managing business processes
CRM tools for customer relationship management or
Data analysis solutions such as business intelligence platforms.

Use in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Large companies tend to focus on goals such as process optimization, greater security or staying ahead of the competition. In contrast, small and medium-sized enterprises are increasingly focusing on factors such as:

cost savings,
process digitalization and
diving growth.

These require effective solutions that deliver as much performance as possible at the lowest possible cost. They must also be scalable to support the business as it grows.

Typical IT solutions for SMEs may include:

Cloud-based business software such as Microsoft 365,
Collaboration tools such as Slack or Trello, or
CRM systems such as HubSpot.

However, IT security also plays an important role here. And, depending on their model, e-commerce solutions, such as web store services, may be practical.

Customized IT solutions

It’s like clothing: Tailor-made fits best.

IT service providers can develop options that are individually tailored to specific company needs. These are highly beneficial when there are unique business processes for which a standard offering is not sufficient. For example, automation of a unique business process may be developed individually.

Of course, a cost-benefit analysis would reveal whether this is possible. In commercial terms, the ROI must be calculated before such a project begins.

Sometimes, these are created in-house. These can be helpful as an interim answer. This gives room for advance planning that will support the longer-term business goals.

Tip: Since customized solutions also mean a high cost factor, it is advisable to choose an IT solution that can be easily adapted to individual needs and requirements.

Tobias Kortas

What does your business need today?

When investing in a new solution, it should deliver on an overarching benefit. Examples may be better service provision, reliable security or concrete time savings.

Below are some key benefits to consider.

1. Greater efficiency

Companies strive for productive and effective work. They also aim for the best possible results with the least possible effort – efficiency. In concrete terms, optimizing or automating processes can save a lot of time, money and resources. At the same time, optimized processes lead to better results.

2. Increased customer satisfaction

The customer is king. Companies depend on the loyalty of their customers. By using the right tools, processes and training customer satisfaction increases.

An example of using a solution would be improving communication or enabling personalized services and quick responses to inquiries. A self-service portal, for example, can guide customers quickly to the answers they are looking for.

3. Competitive advantage

The right IT solution helps companies gain valuable advantages over the competition. For example, automated processes or targeted workflow management can lead to faster and more cost-effective work. AI and IoT technologies also make it possible to develop new products, services or business models,

4. More security and compliance

The right IT solutions lead to better security in a variety of ways. Examples include data encryption, access controls, backups and restores.

Professional device management – the proper administration of various devices – also provides effective protection against unauthorized access or data loss.

In addition, the right IT solutions support compliance with legal requirements, which is particularly important in highly regulated industries.

5. Better decision-making

IT can pave the way for clarity and documentation of data that drives better decisions.

Data can “nudge” targeted user behavior. Applications such as AI-based summaries can provide a quick overview of complex processes. This means a quick decision about the next step can be made.

Remember: the cost-benefit ratio must be right

IT solutions offer many other solutions too. Examples include an optimized user experience, 24/7 service and cost savings through proven IT solution providers.

But, it is crucial that the cost-benefit ratio is high. Companies should have clarity on how they will benefit from selected solutions. Where this can vary greatly from company to company, steps such as a company-specific selection makes sense.

Solving customer problems

OTRS offers customized IT solutions that can be used for many different purposes across all industries. Through good adaptability, fast implementation and reliable local support OTRS customers solve a vast number of operational problems.

Often addressed areas in which OTRS Group works, include:

Conclusion: Apply technology for success

If you have a problem, you should look for a suitable solution as quickly as possible – and find it. This is no different in IT. The subtle difference is that IT often forms the basis for a company’s success.

It is important to point out the difference between pure software and an IT solution. A solution solves a business problem by using software, services, processes and more.

Users benefit from the focus on finding benefit-oriented answers to their problems. This includes options that improve upon processes and workflows, security and data-driven – decisions.

Find out how you can best benefit from OTRS IT solutions.

Tobias Kortas

Best Practices, ITSM

IT change management: background, objectives and checklist

Tobias Kortas — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 11:11:07 +0000

IT change management: background, objectives and checklist

2024-11-25
Tobias Kortas

ITSM

Definition: What is IT change management?

Changes to the IT infrastructure occur regularly. IT change management is the process for implementing these in a structured and controlled manner. It reduces potential service disruptions and better aligns IT objectives with business goals.

Adequate IT change management is based on proven standards, such as ITIL^® (ITIL^®️ is a registered trade mark of Axelos Limited. All rights reserved.). It helps to ensure the continuous operation of critical systems.

Change management vs. IT change management

Change management generally refers to the structured implementation of changes in organizations. Its goal is to successfully adapt people, processes and systems. IT change management is a specific sub-area that focuses on IT system management including their stability and security.

Change management encompasses all organizational changes. IT change management focuses on technical changes and their potential impact on the IT infrastructure.

IT change management and release management

Their focus is the key difference between IT change management and release management. IT change management is about making individual changes to IT systems in a controlled manner without causing major disruption.

Release management is concerned with software releases. It includes the planning, coordinating and providing software releases which often of several changes. It also executes a successful rollout.

„In a nutshell: Where IT change management reviews and approves changes, release management delivers finished, tested changes to the production environment.“

Tobias Kortas

Examples of IT change management

IT change management occurs frequently in organizations and in various contexts. Time and again, companies are asked to implement new software, install relevant updates and optimize existing processes.

Example #1: Introducing a critical software update

An application needs to be updated. Its potential effects are first identified.

Then, there is a risk assessment. It is used as a basis for analyzing the consequences for the IT infrastructure.

Finally, those responsible check the update in a test environment. This prevents as many errors as possible in the live environment.

Once the update has been approved for use on the live system, detailed planning takes place. This includes time windows, backup strategies and potential rollback procedures. Rollback proceduares are defined in order to be able to react quickly in the event of problems.

During the update, the IT team monitors the systems to avoid disruptions. After successful implementation, IT documents the result – and informs everyone involved of the current status.

Example #2: Switching to a cloud-based infrastructure

A company wants to switch from local servers to a cloud-based infrastructure. Change management begins by analyzing the requirements in more detail and evaluating the benefits and risks of cloud migration. Finally, a change plan is drawn up that describes the gradual transition – including employee training and price adjustments.

IT services are then gradually transferred to the cloud. Adequate communication ensures that everyone involved – from IT team members to end users – is sufficiently informed and prepared. Monitoring is also carried out to ensure that the new IT services function smoothly and problems are resolved quickly.

Important components of IT change management

IT change management is made up of a number of components. Here is some information on the most important terms in this context.

Request for Change (RfC)

A change request (CR) or a Request for Change (RfC) forms the basis for a corresponding process. This can be triggered in many ways. Examples include by a problem management process, a simple IT problem or even a process optimization.

A request for change is a formal inquiry to change something in an IT system or process.

„The aim: planned changes should be adequately evaluated, analyzed together with possible risks and approved. “

Tobias Kortas

An RfC can include the following information, among others:

Description of the change
Reasons for the change
Affected systems or product versions
Steps required
Date for specific implementations
Resources for implementation
Time required
Cost estimate

Forward Schedule of Change (FSC)

This term refers to a calendar or plan in which all planned changes for a specific period are recorded. A Forward Schedule of Change provides a tried and tested overview of upcoming steps. It is used to avoid conflicts and implement changes systematically, with the necessary approvals and a minimum of risk.

Post Implementation Review (PIR)

An evaluation of a completed change is carried out after a particular change has been made. This is called a post-implementation review.

Its importance should not be underestimated. This step provides an evaluation of whether the change process was successful. It also ensures the desired results have been achieved.

IT changes often need to be readjusted and many processes are never really completed – in line with continuous improvement. Possible problems or optimization potential should come to light as early as possible.

Classification of changes

Changes to be made are usually classified according to their importance and urgency. The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) – the de facto standard for best practices in IT Service Management (ITSM) – defines the following categories.

Standard change

A standard change is a pre-approved, low-risk and frequently implemented change that follows a defined, repeatable process. Such known changes do not require detailed approval and risk assessment, so they are quick and easy to implement. Common examples include resetting a password or adding a user.

Normal changes

This form of change is planned, repeated and standardized. Depending on the scope and risk, the changes can be minor, significant or serious. They are naturally less urgent than emergency changes. Examples include software updates, hardware replacements, rights adjustments, configuration changes or the onboarding and offboarding of employees.

Emergency changes

This is where things get explosive. As the name suggests, emergency changes are unexpected and usually have to be implemented immediately. The aim is to immediately mitigate negative situations and threat scenarios, resolve a major incident, or prevent serious consequences.

One example is post-attack recovery. Infected devices need to be isolated and cleaned quickly to prevent malware or ransomware from spreading further.

The IT change management process

An IT change management process implements changes in the IT infrastructure in a controlled and efficient manner to meet growing requirements and market changes. Changes should be as automated as possible.

The objectives include improved control and traceability of changes, clear responsibilities and continuous optimization. This promotes transparency and efficiency. It minimizes disruptions in IT operations.

Overall, the IT change management process contributes to the company’s competitiveness. It enables participation in trends and implementation of smooth changes

Roles and responsibilities

Adequate change management in IT involves a number of important tasks for which individuals must take responsibility. There is no universally valid list of roles and responsibilities. Rather, the specific people involved depend on the company’s internal processes.

Nevertheless, some roles can be identified that are usually part of IT change management:

Change Advisory Board (CAB)

A Change Advisory Board (CAB) usually consists of representatives from different IT and business teams. In the CAB meeting, people evaluate, approve or reject complex and high risk changes, in particular. The focus here is on possible effects and whether a planned change will actually be implemented. Sometimes an Emergency Change Advisory Board (ECAB) – a smaller, fast-acting committee – is also used for emergency changes.

Change Manager

This function coordinates and monitors the entire change process and manages the Change Advisory Board. It reviews the relevant requests, decides for or against planned changes and applies project management to the corresponding implementations. This is often also referred to as a change owner.

Change initiator

This refers to individuals or teams who propose or request changes. These are often developers or system administrators, for example, who have identified opportunities for improvement or bug fixes.

Change Implementer

This refers to IT employees or administrators who ultimately implement the corresponding change. They may be tasked with installing software, running updates or adapting configurations.

Change tester

The task here is to check possible changes so that there are no complications as a result of the changes.

Configuration manager

This role is responsible for ensuring that changes to the system configuration are documented. They make sure that the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is updated and that configuration items are tracked. This ensures documentation of lessons learned.

The most important goals
of IT change management

The objectives of an IT change management process are quite simple – implement planned, necessary and desirable changes.

However, this only describes the execution, the change process itself. The overarching goals (keyword: management) can be manifold.

The most important objectives are listed here:

1. High level of control

Changes need the right processes to be successful. With a dedicated approval process, organizations can better control them and manage each step effectively. By carefully planning changes, for example, errors and disruptions in operations can be avoided. Such control leads to good results.

2. Continuous improvement

The stakes are high with IT changes. Just think of the consequences of failed updates or implementations at company level.

„For large-scale changes good management brings about continuous improvements. This helps to avoid missteps in the medium to long term, keep pace with trends and achieve high quality. “

Tobias Kortas

3. Faster implementation

Effective IT change management allows changes to be carried out more quickly. This saves costs, time and resources in equal measure. For many employees, functional IT is the basic prerequisite for being able to work effectively. Important achievements include, for example, rapid – yet complete – approval and implementation processes.

4. Collaboration of IT teams

The DevOps approach shows the way. IT teams must work together in a goal-oriented cross-departmental way. This ensures a suitable overall vision and results-oriented working. ITSM, ITOM, development and operations teams must be well coordinated and collaborate with each other in order to implement relevant changes quickly and effectively.

5 Communication, documentation and transparency

Good communication is the basic prerequisite for IT teams and stakeholders to successfully complete important change projects. Documenting completed work steps and creating transparency creates an ideal basis for teamwork – an important prerequisite for change projects. Adequate process management is just as crucial as an intact flow of information for good IT change management.

Checklist for IT change management

To ensure that changes are planned as precisely as possible and progress is monitored, it can prove useful to work with a checklist.

The following contents may prove useful:

Requirement and documentation

Change request submitted and documented
Stakeholders informed
Requirements recorded

Categorization and prioritization

Change category defined
Prioritization completed
Resources and requirements checked

Roles and responsibilities

Responsibilities assigned
Tasks delegated
Communication plan drawn up for stakeholders

Risks and impacts

Risks analyzed
Impacts evaluated
Emergency and recovery plans drawn up

Planning and approval

Required approvals obtained
Compliance checked
Schedule created
Project plan created
Rollout plan developed
Communication planned
Resources secured

Implementation and review

Change tested
Change automated
Function and feedback checked
Implementation monitored and communicated
Documentation
Service desk training

Completion and monitoring

Change completed
System documentation updated
KPIs and change performance evaluated
Report and improvements documented

Conclusion: a comprehensive, decisive process

Changes are often critical – and IT affects companies on a holistic level. Adequate IT change management is required to operate efficiently. Change processes, such as the implementation of new software, should be standardized and structured. It is also crucial to adequately communicate and document relevant information and work steps.

The focus should be on the purposes and objectives of the respective changes and their anticipated consequences. Changes must have the greatest possible positive effect. They must also be of low risk and introduce as few negative effects as possible.

In change management, many eventualities must be considered, goals set, strategies outlined, stakeholders informed and appropriate tests carried out. An IT change never really stops. It should always be the focus of “daily business” through consistent monitoring and the resulting measures.

Find out how OTRS can support you in IT change management.

Tobias Kortas

ITSM

IT Operations: definition, applications, best practices

Tobias Kortas — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 07:50:14 +0000

IT Operations: definition, applications, best practices

2024-09-27
Tobias Kortas

Best Practices, ITSM

Definition: What is ITOps?

In IT operations, or ITOps, processes and tools are managed. This helps keep the business running smoothly.

The goal is to provide and manage high-quality IT services. These services should be available at all times for both internal and external users.

IT operations must enable companies and their customers to have permanent access to suitable software, cloud solutions, tools and data. It is also responsible for the IT infrastructure, ensuring quick problem solving and high levels of security.

Meaning in ITIL^®

ITOps is a core area in IT Service Management (ITSM) and defined in the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL^®️ is a registered trade mark of Axelos Limited. All rights reserved.). It is responsible for ensuring that the IT infrastructure and supporting services – both in day-to-day business and during maintenance – function without any problems.

In principle, ITOps covers all ITIL processes. For example, it is important to respond quickly and consistently to incidents in ITIL Incident Management. This helps ensure that ongoing operations are not affected. IT Operations is closely paired with Problem Management to determine the underlying causes of incidents.

ITOM and ITSM

ITOM is the abbreviation for IT Operations Management. It oversees the work of ITOps. It manages services and aligns the IT requirements of a company with the work being done. This leads to quality business operations.

Essentially, ITOM should ensure that the IT infrastructure is ready and permanently available. It also keeps an eye on the capacity and performance of the respective resources.

ITSM falls under ITOM and includes other areas, such as continuous improvement, IT strategy and service design. Sub-disciplines, such as change management, are subordinate to this. ITOM is hardly visible to the end user as it focuses on service management behind the scenes.

Background: A key difference of ITOM is that it is proactive. It does not react to reported incidents, problems or change requests alone. Rather, it works proactively to avoid that incidents in the first place.

In contrast, incident management in ITSM does. With ITOM, IT teams notify users about possible problems ahead of time. This is different from ITSM, where users report incidents to the teams.

Connection with DevOps

ITOps and DevOps both aim to run IT systems reliably and efficiently. However, their roles and responsibilities differ. ITOps enables the stable and smooth functioning of the infrastructure. DevOps enables the agile and collaborative provisioning of software applications.

In a modern IT environment, it is advisable that ITOps and DevOps to work closely together. This ensures that all relevant areas are seamlessly covered. Additionally, they can both benefit from automation and the principle of continuous improvement.

ITOps: areas of application

IT operations have an impact on various processes and factors. This section deals with the individual areas to which they relate.

IT infrastructure

IT Operations enables the IT infrastructure to be efficient, secure, stable, available at all times and scalable. It works to prevent service interruptions.

Infrastructure management also ensures better use of resources. It helps follow guidelines, like compliance, and supports new technologies. By automating and standardizing processes, ITOps builds a strong and cost-effective infrastructure. This infrastructure meets the needs of the company.

Networks

ITOps operates and monitors networks. This involves data center management, security and other factors, such as the hardware used. The network infrastructure and its integrity are very important. Communication, network security, and remote access also play key roles.

IT Operations monitors and maintains networks so that they are permanently available without outages.
By sensibly regulating load distribution and managing traffic, ITOps creates good network utilization and speed.
By implementing firewalls, VPNs or intrusion detection systems, ITOps protects networks from attacks.
By adapting networks to increasing requirements, ITOps creates scalability – for example through segmentation and cloud-based solutions.
Rapid responses to network disruptions and root cause analysis help to solve problems and prevent future outages.

Security

IT Operations can prove to be extremely important for security and incident response. For example, by monitoring systems, suspicious activity and threats can be detected at an early stage.

To support this, regular updates and patches can eliminate security gaps. ITOps is also responsible for access controls, encryption techniques and other measures to protect sensitive data. If security incidents have already occurred, incident management restores systems and minimizes damage.

Problem solving

Solving problems adequately is extremely important for IT operations. Ideally, this starts with predicting potential problems and creating opportunities for prevention. Understanding how a specific problem could affect you helps you see how serious it is and how quickly you need to act. If problems do occur, the aim is to respond and recover as quickly as possible.

In general, ITOps should effectively manage ongoing operations as well as possible. This leads to IT weaknesses being handled as well as outages, security incidents and other events being thwarted.

Best practices for IT operations

IT operations should not only function, but also have the best possible impact. After all, it’s about achieving relevant goals, making a difference, and ideally, being efficient in the process.

Analyze and audit data

One thing is certain: Data must form the basis for IT process decisions and business services. Consistent, target-oriented and robust decisions can only be made with accurate data.

This presupposes a number of requirements for data, such as the following:

Accuracy
consistency
comprehensive content
timeliness

On this basis, meaningful measures can be developed to optimize IT operations.

Evaluate solutions

In order to optimize IT operations, the existing IT landscape should be regularly compared with available solutions. A good knowledge base of internal processes on the one hand and suitable solutions on the other are crucial. Of course, a decision can also be made that the existing IT landscape is already completely sufficient.

In order to arrive at an ideal solution, a dedicated comparison is required:

What requirements do the IT processes and the status quo entail?
What are the current ITOM goals? How can they be achieved?
Which specific solutions fit the requirements and objectives?

Align with KPIs

IT should work – that is already clear. It must also support relevant growth in business services. Its operations have long since become a decisive factor in achieving corporate goals.

This means that IT operations acts as a strategic business unit. To fulfill this role, they should establish KPIs that align with corporate level goals.

Introduce automation

Anything that runs automatically saves effort and costs and frees up time for more value-added and innovative activities. More importantly, however, automation reduces errors and prevents the resulting problems.

However, steps such as process automation or workflow automation must be well thought out and require clear work steps. Anyone who automates a process that is not sufficiently good will duplicate errors and produce them again and again.

Check AI implementations

Increased use of AI is not just a trend. It makes perfect sense in many areas. When used correctly, AI leads to fast and satisfactory results, fewer errors and more time for value-added activities.

AI in ITSM is a pioneering area. It promises benefits such as shorter resolution times, better and more flexible service and increased efficiency.

However, IT teams should carefully evaluate which AI and machine learning solutions promise real improvements. They must understand individual use cases and practical applications.

While AI offers many benefits, practical experience and clear goals are what truly matter. These factors help decide which solutions, tools, services, and features make a real difference.

Embrace collaboration

Collaboration has many benefits. They can only achieve a solid overall result if they collaborate closely with each other.

For IT operations, this applies above all to areas such as DevOps or IT security. It also serves as a partner to the business. Teams should collaborate with various operational teams about needs and expectations.

Team members should take responsibility to collaborate frequently.

Design clear documentation

Clearly documenting configurations, processes and changes is a basic requirement. It is crucial that this is also clear and can be viewed and understood by all those involved via a knowledge base. In practice, missteps and mistakes occur too quickly, so a granular approach is needed.

Plan with scalability in mind

The world is constantly changing, and the IT infrastructure is changing as well. What works today may be inadequate tomorrow. Those responsible need to be aware of this and keep an eye on possible future developments. If the company and the associated IT requirements grow, the infrastructure must reflect this.

Engage in proactive monitoring

Problems don’t usually appear out of nowhere. They announce themselves. When people who monitor systems and services are dedicated and organized, they can find problems quickly. This helps them prevent incidents from happening.

The main point is to keep working on this task in real time. They should aim to stop problems from happening before they start.

ITOps and the use of ticket systems

IT operations is a core area in ITSM. It requires a high level of responsibility as well as a pronounced need for organization, structure and an overview.

By covering these requirements, a ticketing system creates efficiency, transparency and traceability. It helps manage areas such as critical processes, problem solutions, service request handling and changes. In short: work is faster and more reliable, which improves the relationship with the business and its customers.

This starts with systematically recording, prioritizing and assigning inquiries and problems. Clear documentation of all processes is very important. It provides a central source of information for key tasks. This includes solving problems and managing changes.

In addition, analyses and statistics integrated into a ticket system can serve to optimize processes. For example, it may bring current or recurring problems to light.

Finally, it improves communication both inside and outside the organization. Users can interact clearly and focus on tasks while staying well-informed.

Conclusion: ITOps – an important pillar for business success

IT operations plays a key role as a core ITSM area. Modern companies are highly dependent on functional and goal-oriented IT. It forms an important pillar of success for companies as a whole.

With many challenges, change requests, detailed security needs, and problems, keeping regular IT operations running is often hard. Aligning IT effectively with KPIs and business goals, introducing meaningful automation and implementing relevant AI complicates the task.

It is therefore clear that those responsible in ITOps have important roles with a high impact. This work needs a clear structure. It can improve a lot with best practices and a good ticket system.

Learn how OTRS can support and optimize your IT operations.

Tobias Kortas

Best Practices, ITSM

20 Best Practices for IT-Change-Management

Tobias Kortas — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 08:42:05 +0000

20 Best Practices for IT-Change-Management

2024-09-18
Tobias Kortas

Best Practices, ITSM

IT change management is a structured approach to handling technology changes. It plays an important role in IT service management (ITSM). In other areas of the company, change management may deal with adaptations to goals, processes or teams as well.

Companies should understand how to start a change management process. The best practices below will help teams improve their processes. These tips are based on others’ experiences, key frameworks, and useful knowledge.

Why is change management important?

Changes to critical IT systems and services can cause serious interruptions and disruptions that might affect users. Suppliers and service providers should avoid this as far as possible.

A thought-out change management process evaluates the potential impact of suggested changes to ensure minimal disruptions.

Of course, dedicated change management is also useful in many other areas, including the following during:

Introduction of new systems and software
Implementation of new processes
Process optimizations
Organizational restructuring
Introduction of new project methods
Adaptation of business strategies
Relaunches and implementation of new marketing channels
Implementation of new communication channels such as AI chatbots

In these areas processes involved can be critical to the business and extremely error-prone. It is therefore obvious that the right best practices make a huge difference in change management. In many cases, success depends on how exactly those responsible initiate, implement and follow up the change processes.

10 ITIL^®-Related Change Management Best Practices

The following best practices are aligned with the ITIL (ITIL^®️ ist ein eingetragenes Warenzeichen von Axelos Limited. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.) framework and are particularly relevant for ITSM teams. They could also be adapted for other areas. Changes to IT services and infrastructures should be systematic and structured in order to be successful and minimize risk.

The practices mentioned here can be modified, revised and expanded upon based on your business. (More on this in the following section.)

Practice #1: Develop a format for change requests (RFC)

Every change should begin with a Request for Change (RFC). It should include all relevant information, such as the change’s benefits, risks, implementation details and a rollback plan.

Practice #2: Set up a Change Advisory Board (CAB)

Establish a team of key stakeholders who evaluate, prioritize and approve upcoming changes. An Emergency CAB (ECAB) can be established for urgent cases. The CAB should have an established approval process in place for determining if a change should be implemented.

Practice #3: Categorize upcoming changes

Assign upcoming changes to categories. This makes it easier to have a quick overview of how important and urgent they are. The following classification can be useful:

Standard changes have been approved in advance, are often recurring and carry only a low risk.
Normal changes require formal approval.
Emergency changes. These should be carried out as quickly as possible to resolve critical problems – faster approval is used.

Practice #4: Clearly define roles and responsibilities

Managing change typically requires a:

Change Manager – person who oversees the entire process
Change Requester – person who asks for the change
Change Implementer – person who ensures that changes are implemented

It’s not necessary to keep these titles and breakdown of responsibility. What is important is for clear responsibilities to be defined so that change processes run in a structured and effective manner.

Practice #5: Conduct risk assessments

Changes are always associated with risks – sometimes these are smaller and sometimes larger. Question how the change may negatively impact:

operations,
processes and workflows
security
compliance
data protection
employees
other technology, or
customers

Ideally, stakeholders should be aware of these risks at the onset and take steps to mitigate them when possible.

Practice #6: Ensure effective communication

Regularly discuss changes with stakeholders to promote the positive aspects of the change and increase its acceptance. This also helps people and teams prepare themselves for the upcoming change. In most cases, basic information on planned changes, status and potential problems are sufficient.

Practice #7: Conduct testing

Before making a change, test the technology and its implementation methods, especially in critical environments and processes. Do so in a safe environment such as a test system.

Practice #8: Conduct and document audits

Change management processes should be documented so that they can be analyzed. This ensures compliance. Regular audits check how effective the processes are and identify potential areas for improvement.

Practice #9: Schedule a change review

Change management does not end with the implementation of a change. Rather, in the post-implementation review (PIR), change managers ensure that changes are successful. They evaluate results and check for errors.

Practice #10: Continuously improve technology and processes

Changes that have been made become part of an ongoing process and thus become routine. To ensure long term success, teams should subject them to continuous improvement.

10 Best Practices – Independent of ITIL

While ITIL forms an excellent basis for IT change management, the framework simply offers recommendations. To improve your change management and set yourself apart from the competition, go beyond ITIL. Consider these additional best practices in addition to the framework.

Practice #1: Consider ITIL as a guideline

To use the ITIL framework profitably, don’t try to follow it strictly. Rather, align your teams around precisely those points that prove helpful for in your company. ITIL is simply a stable foundation on which ITSM teams can build.

“It seems strange: But a good practice can be to throw good practices overboard and replace them with more suitable ones.”

Tobias Kortas

Practice #2: Communicate change goals and benefits

Why is a change necessary at all? Too often, teams only have a basic understanding of this. Instead, the background should be clear.

For example, a team requests a change to implement granular authorization management in the software, because certain customers have problems with their compliance requirements. The customers are threatening to leave.

The benefit for the company would be to avoid current customer churn as well as offer prospective customers an additional advantage. Stakeholders should understand this.

Practice #3: Get communication teams involved

Marketing, PR, and internal communications should know about important changes. This way, all communication channels can be used effectively.

The knowledge manager is also a key communicator. They can be made easier for people to adapt to the change by keeping documentation in a knowledge base.

Practice #4: Remember project management

Implementing change management is only one step towards making changes successful. Project management should be considered to keep tabs on the timeline and budget of the pending change.

Practice #5: Redefine the CAB’s scope

The ITIL Change Advisory Board (CAB) is a helpful approach. However, it can make changes more complicated and slow them down. Experienced teams, in particular, should be able to work agilely, quickly and flexibly.

This can be achieved by only requiring approvals for risky changes. In this way, the CAB supports teams strategically.

Bonus tip: Checklists, automation and peer reviews are quick alternatives to engaging the CAB on smaller changes.

Practice #6: Weigh individual risk tolerance

Making a decision based on risks depends on how much a team or company can handle those risks. The higher the risk tolerance, the more proactively and freely extensive changes can be made. Discuss this with management and leadership teams.

Practice #7: Track data to improve long-term decision

Ongoing adjustments and iterations will be needed until the desired result is achieved. Collecting data, like the effects of a new implementation or customer feedback, helps teams improve change management over time.

Practice #8: Automate change processes

There are definitely some change processes for which automation makes sense. Standard and routine changes are particularly suitable for this. With the right software, teams can work together better. This helps them save time and effort.

It is a good idea to automate processes that are already efficient and well-developed. These processes are easier to repeat and have fewer errors.

Practice #9: Celebrate successes

Successes do not happen by chance. Celebrating them can increase productivity and motivation immensely.

This does not mean that managers have to call one celebration after another. However, the employees involved in change management should experience appreciation and recognition. This will make them feel better and be more motivated to perform, making overall projects much more likely to succeed.

“Celebrating successes creates a good basis for further - sometimes even greater - successes.”

Tobias Kortas

Practice #10: Evaluate long-term impacts

Many change projects fail because they are too short-term. The long-term consequences and the wider context often remain unclear. After all, it is a considerable challenge to recognize these, assess them, and keep an eye on them in the long term.

However, if these are known at an early stage, teams can act with foresight and anticipate the subsequent effects. The best situation is when we know as many factors as possible. Changes should focus on long-term effects. This includes both the change project itself and its context.

Conclusion: Best Practices Pave the Way for Good Changes

Change for the better: This is the epitome of the Japanese Kaizen method for process optimization and the aim behind so many management initiatives. Clearly planned changes in ITSM and other areas help businesses achieve this goal.

The right practices and methods are of immense value to teams. They can bring quality to change management and optimize it sustainably.

In any case, best practices offer more guidance than fixed rules. They provide valuable assistance in identifying the most promising procedures. How companies, teams or individual employees proceed is, however, almost always an individual matter.

Seeking to automate change management practices? Learn how OTRS can support your change management team today.

Tobias Kortas

Best Practices, ITSM

IT Service Catalog: Definition, Benefits and Best Practices

Tobias Kortas — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 11:51:14 +0000

IT Service Catalog: Definition, Benefits and Best Practices

2024-09-11
Tobias Kortas

Best Practices, ITSM

The world of IT services is complex. Numerous services are available in the modern corporate world. A catalog identifies these and provides users with an overview about what’s possible. This article provides an overview of the service catalog and how it may be structured.

What is an IT service catalog?

A service catalog can be compared to a menu in a restaurant: Customers or end users are given a clear and organized overview of which IT services, hardware options, and software options they can take advantage. It is a central directory of all available IT services.

The IT service catalog serves an important instrument of communication between the IT department and the end users. It offers transparency about offered services.

It also highlights what information and steps are needed to obtain each service. This improves overall efficiency because service requests are standardized.

Background: The IT service catalog has its origins in Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL^®️). (ITIL^®️ is a registered trade mark of Axelos Limited. All rights reserved.); it was officially introduced as best practice in ITIL V3.

What is the difference between an IT service catalog and a self-service portal?

In IT Service Management (ITSM), the self-service portal and the ITIL service catalog both play a role, albeit a slightly different one in each case.

Where a service catalog provides information about available IT services, a self-service portal allows users to request services directly, find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and obtain further information.

In short, the catalog is informative, providing structure and definition. The portal is interactive. It empowers employees to take advantage of the IT services offered by an organization.

What Should Be Included in an IT Service Catalog?

Think of the menu again: It outlines dishes, ingredients, and the price. A service catalog is just a little more extensive than a menu card.

If you are building an IT service catalog, consider the following as part of the structure:

Overview

Name – preferably according to an established and intuitive nomenclature
Brief description of the service
Category, such as network, application or security services

Description of the service – What does the service include?

Target group – specific departments, end users, external customers, etc.
Benefits and purpose for each service
Requirements for successful implementation
Limits of the service – What does the service not (or no longer) cover?

Scope and availability

Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Response and resolution time
Performance indicators (KPIs), if applicable – How is performance measured?
Availability – usually a percentage for a guarantee (e.g. 98%)

Terms of use

Access – Who may use the service? / How is access regulated
Technical requirements and organizational prerequisites

Provider

Responsible persons and contact persons
Ordering – What is the procedure?
Support information – What is the best way to contact the service desk? How can the helpdesk and escalation procedures be used?
Which processes need to be run through?

Costs and billing

Pricing model – How are the costs and fees broken down?
Billing details – How is billing carried out

Depending on the requirements, there may be additional points. In some cases, information on:

security and compliance,
relevant processes,
supporting services, or
the expiration date of services may be important.

A service catalog should leave as few questions as possible unanswered so that users are fully informed and only need to contact the right person if they have unusual questions.

IT Service Catalog Benefits

A user friendly IT service catalog is essential for managing IT more effectively and providing better service. Both providers and end users benefit greatly.

These are the key benefits of an IT service catalog:

Benefit #1 – Clear and organized overview

An IT service catalog clarifies exactly which services are available. This means that everyone involved knows what’s offered and how to use the existing services. All users receive standardized information so that there are no misunderstandings or communication problems.

Benefit #2 – More efficient use

By documenting IT services centrally, there are fewer redundant inquiries or unnecessary deployments. Users select the appropriate services and don’t waste resources. Service delivery is improved as service request management can be standardized and even automated to a certain extent.

Benefit #3 – Optimized service quality

Clear service level agreements (SLAs) define exactly what users can expect and what the IT department is obliged to do. SLAs also make it easier to monitor and control performance and quality. All this increases service quality as it provides structure and clarity.

Benefit #4 – More budget control

The catalog provides information on the costs of individual IT services so that users can plan their budgets realistically and with foresight. On the other hand, providers can better analyze demand and optimize their service portfolios accordingly.

Benefit #5 – Higher customer satisfaction

The principle is simple: if users can learn about IT services quickly and easily, their satisfaction increases. It also sets clear expectations so that there is no dissatisfaction caused by misunderstanding.

Benefit #6 – IT strategy and governance

With a catalog, IT services can be better aligned with goals – simply through transparency and clarity. Service catalog management helps enable IT governance.

Benefit #7 – Good communication of innovations

Providers can easily integrate new services into the existing catalog, making it easier for them to implement new technologies and services. Users are also more likely to adopt them because they can clearly understand the benefits.

Best Practices for Creating an IT Service Catalog

Implementing and maintaining an IT service catalog requires a strategic approach. Here are some best practices for creating and managing an IT service catalog:

Involve stakeholders

Encourage users to provide qualified input. Constantly communicate with users (employees, customers, etc.) during the creation of a service catalog and incorporate their feedback. Even the finished catalog can be subject to continuous improvement based on surveys or stakeholder meetings.

Start with the most popular services

This much-quoted principle applies to the content of service catalogs. Companies should start with IT services that are in high demand, such as incident management. In this way, users quickly understand the value of the catalog. Additional services can then be added to the catalog.

Describe services clearly and precisely

It may seem trivial, but good descriptions are extremely important. Don’t let details get lost in or essential information missed. For example, the purpose and benefits of the service in question should be stated first. It is also important to explain exactly what it does and does not include.

“Intuitive navigation is key: users need to find what they are looking for as quickly as possible.”

Incorporate restrictions

People need different IT services depending on their role, position, department and other requirements. Show services dynamically based on role. This significantly improves the overview and user experience and prevents confusion.

Integrate the catalog into ITSM software

IT service catalogs can be perfectly integrated into IT service management (ITSM) software. This creates seamless processes and workflows for agents and end users. Process automation is also recommended to effectively manage orders, provisioning, approvals and more.

Prioritize user-friendliness

The user interface is extremely important: the catalog should be intuitive to use, including easy navigation and clear menus. Visual elements such as icons and diagrams can help. As a general rule, if something is not easy to use, users will quickly put it aside.

Make it easily accessible – even on mobile devices

The catalog should be easily accessible, such as through a self-service portal. Also, consider mobile access. This is crucial so that users can access the catalog from anywhere.

Offer training

No one should simply present users with an IT service catalog and expect them to be able to use it on their own. Basic training is important. In many cases, short videos and instructions added to a knowledge base or FAQs are sufficient. The important thing is that users are informed and know how to use the catalog.

Conclusion: IT Service Catalog – An Important Tool

An IT service catalog is an important tool – especially for complex and multi-layered IT services. It is of great importance for IT service management. Ideally, it provides users with transparent and clear information, resulting in a noticeable improvement in service quality. Providers also have more control over their IT strategy, can communicate more effectively and enjoy greater customer satisfaction.

The overview helps everyone understand the scope of services, service level agreements, terms of use, responsible parties, contact persons and information on costs and billing.

When creating an overview, it is advisable to involve stakeholders immediately, start with the most popular services and focus on clear and precise descriptions. User-friendliness and easy access – including mobile access – are of great importance. Integrating the catalog into ITSM software and offering users training on how to use the IT service catalog are also important.

Learn how OTRS can support you with ITSM and an IT service catalog.

Tobias Kortas

Best Practices, ITSM

IT support – definition, tasks, and tips

Tobias Kortas — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:21:25 +0000

IT support performs an important task for companies. This is the organization that customers reach out to for help with all types of technical inquiries. IT support services can vary greatly – from helping people with standard processes to solving complex technology problems. This article sheds light on what exactly IT support is about and how to get started in the field.

Continuous improvement: principles, goals, relationships

Tobias Kortas — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 08:47:29 +0000

Achieving optimization is not only a frequent objective, but often also an absolute necessity. Companies must constantly improve individual processes and workflows in order to be competitive and strengthen their positions. Continuous improvement process (CIP) is the article’s topic. The article explains how this can best be achieved, specifically in ITSM.

Data management: definition, benefits and best practices

Tobias Kortas — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 09:59:00 +0000

Data and information are now among the most important resources. The problem is that most companies don't even know what data they have or how to use it. Valid data helps teams understand target groups correctly and create the right messages for them. The more structured the data is, the more easily companies can use it. Data management, including its benefits and practical tips for companies, is the topic of this article.