It’s time to listen to the new voices in ITSM.

If e-mail is the answer to your ITSM needs, you’re asking the wrong questions.

As it’s SITS - The Service Desk & IT Support Show week here in London, I’ll be popping along to see and hear what’s new in the ITSM world.  It’s often a reminder though that we see and hear the same voices and the level of innovation fails to keep up with the pace with technical evolution.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, agility and innovation are pivotal.  However, many ITSM leaders and specialists continue to cling to traditional models and methods, such as implementing ITIL processes and governance through outdated tools like spreadsheets, emails, and rigid one-person-one-task frameworks.  This adherence to legacy practices not only stifles innovation but also limits the potential to drive real business value.

Relying on spreadsheets for managing ITIL processes is highly error-prone and inefficient.  These tools lack real-time updating and version control, leading to inconsistencies and outdated data that can skew decision-making.  It develops blindspots due to a lack of the holistic view of your world, alongside the tendency to encourage conversations about ‘what happened and who is to blame’, instead of progressive conversations about ‘where are we and how can we evolve from here’.

Emails and isolated task assignments do not support real-time collaboration.  In today’s fast-paced environment, the ability to collaborate and share insights instantly is crucial.  Legacy methods, which often compartmentalise information and restrict access to one individual at a time, impede the flow of information and slow down response times.

It also encourages ‘hero-based’ resolutions and knowledge silos.  Traditional one-person-per-job approaches lack flexibility, making it difficult to scale processes or adapt to new challenges.  This rigidity can be detrimental in a landscape where technological needs and business goals evolve continuously.

Legacy systems often encourage these silos and fail to integrate seamlessly with other tools and systems within the organisation.  This lack of integration can lead to duplicated efforts and gaps in communication, which in turn hinder comprehensive service management.

Sticking to these outdated methods has tangible costs.  Primarily, it leads to a reactive rather than proactive IT environment.  IT departments find themselves constantly battling fires, rather than innovating or improving processes.  Moreover, this stagnation affects the service quality and can diminish the overall perception of the IT department within an organisation.

To overcome these challenges and truly add value to the business, ITSM leaders must have the confidence to step away from rolling out their tried and tested playbooks that may have once bought success - times have changed.

Tools that support agile methodologies and provide automation, like AI-driven analytics and cloud-based ITSM platforms, can transform service management.  These technologies not only streamline processes but also provide actionable insights that drive better decision-making.

Implementing collaborative platforms that integrate with ITSM tools can enhance transparency and efficiency.  These platforms enable real-time communication and documentation, crucial for modern IT operations.  Encouraging a shift in mindset from rigid task assignment to more dynamic role allocation allows teams to be more adaptive and innovative.  This approach leverages diverse skill sets and fosters a culture of continuous improvement and learning.

With the IT landscape continually changing, investing in ongoing training and development is essential.  This ensures that IT staff are up-to-date with the latest technologies and methodologies, which in turn can drive innovation. 

Remember to nurture your culture.  There is no success in isolation, time taken to build your team’s brand and ethics will payback in bucketloads when you are up against a wall.  If you want to be the smartest person in the room, then recognise you need to fill that room with a team that is cleverer than you.

While traditional ITSM methods might feel safe, they are increasingly becoming a liability in the dynamic digital age.  By moving away from legacy models and embracing innovative, integrated, and flexible practices, ITSM leaders can transform their departments into agile, efficient units that drive substantial business value and support organisational goals.

As ITSM leaders, the challenge is not just to manage IT services but to lead in a way that propels the entire organisation forward.  Embracing change, being less prescriptive, stepping into the world of Human Centred Design and Design Thinking,  leveraging new technologies, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement are essential steps on this path.

If you learn anything about ITSM this week, seek out the new voices and avoid your frameworks becoming ‘blameworks’!