Empower your service desk with this treasure trove of all things IT service management (ITSM).
Information is power, and you need every bit of power you can get to run your service desk. Do yourself a favor and take a look at this list of ITSM best practices, quotes, and statistics
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Let's take a look at some of the major trends of the past few years to get an idea of what to expect in 2019.
ArtificiaI Intelligence & automation
"Business-aligned organizations are more likely to spend money on technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), predictive analytics, service automation, and virtual agents over the next twelve months, and far less likely to have no plans."
Business-aligned organizations are more likely to spend money on technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), predictive analytics, service automation, and virtual agents over the next twelve months, and far less likely to have no plans.
Does your ITSM tool currently have a self-service or automation element?
Service Desk institute (2017),
"Analyst 2.0 survey."
Does your ITSM tool currently have a self-service or automation element?
In regard to AI and machine learning, "77 percent [of Axelos survey respondents] said they believed these trends would profoundly impact the IT workforce, liberating ITSM professionals from routine tasks and for responding to demands for more creativity and human input."
Axelos (2016), "The IT Service Management Professional in 2030: A future full of opportunities."
In regard to AI and machine learning, "77 percent [of Axelos survey respondents] said they believed these trends would profoundly impact the IT workforce
"By 2019, IT service desks utilizing machine learning enhanced technologies will free up to 30 percent of support capacity."
By 2019, IT service desks utilizing machine learning enhanced technologies will free up to 30 percent of support capacity.
Machine Learning
Digital transformation
"Although 70 percent of ITSM professionals say they understand their organization's strategy, fewer than half (41 percent) see a clear alignment between their current goals and the overall direction of the business. This disconnect presents a serious risk, as more than 60 percent claim ITSM is instrumental to achieving business objectives in the next five years."
Axelos (2017), "IT Service Management Benchmarking Report 2017"
Although 70 percent of ITSM professionals say they understand their organization's strategy, fewer than half (41 percent) see a clear alignment between their current goals and the overall direction of the business.
"Forty-one percent of companies report having a dedicated Digital Transformation team in place."
Forty-one percent of companies report having a dedicated Digital Transformation team in place.
"Agile service management involves adapting Agile and Scrum values and practices to ITSM processes and process design and improvement activities."
Donna Knapp, curriculum development manager, ITSM Academy
Agile service management involves adapting Agile and Scrum values and practices to ITSM processes and process design and improvement activities.
"Respondents report that in the past 12 months, an average of nearly one-half of their organization's projects used predictive approaches, while nearly one in four used either hybrid or agile."
Agile
Agile
IoT
"Worldwide spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) is forecast to reach $745 billion in 2019, an increase of 15.4 percent over the $646 billion spent in 2018."
Worldwide spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) is forecast to reach $745 billion in 2019, an increase of 15.4 percent over the $646 billion spent in 2018.
8.4 billion connected things will be in use worldwide in 2017, up 31 percent from 2016, and will reach 20.4 billion by 2020.
Does your ITSM tool currently have a self-service or automation element?
Customer experience is the differentiator and IT departments need to understand that IT services management, delivery, and support need to be far closer to the consumer world than they have previously been..
Stephen Mann, principal analyst and content director, ITSM.tools
Customer experience is the differentiator and IT departments need to understand that IT services management, delivery, and support need to be far closer to the consumer world than they have previously been.
"Only one-tenth of people responsible for customer experience can put a dollar value on their customer experience investments ROI. Three-tenths of customer experience decision makers rely on anecdotal evidence for estimating ROI. Four-tenths don t measure ROI at all."
Gartner (2016), "The State of Customer Experience Innovation, 2016: Customer Analytics Gets Critical"
Only one-tenth of people responsible for customer experience can put a dollar value on their customer experience investments ROI. Three-tenths of customer experience decision makers rely on anecdotal evidence for estimating ROI
Customer engagement and experience
Chatbots
"Twenty-five percent of customer service and support operations will integrate virtual customer assistant (VCA) or chatbot technology across engagement channels by 2020, up from less than two percent in 2017."
Twenty-five percent of customer service and support operations will integrate virtual customer assistant (VCA) or chatbot technology across engagement channels by 2020, up from less than two percent in 2017.
"By 2020, 55 percent of all large enterprises will have deployed at least one bot or chatbot in production, and AI augmentation will generate $2.9T in business value and recover 6.2B hours of worker productivity by 2021."
Gartner (2017), "Top Strategic Predictions for 2018 and Beyond: Pace Yourself, for Sanity's Sake"
By 2020, 55 percent of all large enterprises will have deployed at least one bot or chatbot in production, and AI augmentation will generate $2.9T in business value and recover 6.2B hours of worker productivity by 2021.
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A service desk is only as good as its processes. Here are some interesting stats about ITSM and ITIL processes.
Incident management and ticketing
"The service desk uses alerts and monitoring tools in less than 60 percent of organizations, meaning that outages are either being reported by other groups or by affected customers."
The service desk uses alerts and monitoring tools in less than 60 percent of organizations, meaning that outages are either being reported by other groups or by affected customers.
Thirty percent of tickets are password-reset related, despite the fact that 69 percent of support teams allow their customers to reset at least some of their passwords without contacting the IT help desk.
HDI (2012), "Password-Reset Practices in Support."
Thirty percent of tickets are password-reset related, despite the fact that 69 percent of support teams allow their customers to reset at least some of their passwords without contacting the IT help desk.
IT-related problems are estimated to impact the US economy to the tune of around $60 billion per year for software errors and around $140 billion per year for info/data security breaches.
Mark Hall, Apollo RCA instructor and investigator
IT-related problems are estimated to impact the US economy to the tune of around $60 billion per year for software errors and around $140 billion per year for info/data security breaches.
"Sixty-two percent of organizations that reported following a formal problem management process also reported a decrease in recurring incidents. This indicates that implementing problem management can have an identifiable and positive effect on support organizations."
HDI survey (2014), "Thinking and Doing: Current Practices in Problem Management"
Sixty-two percent of organizations that reported following a formal problem management process also reported a decrease in recurring incidents.
Problem management
Change management
"Organizational change management (OCM) is not something that s applicable only to IT-driven changes and projects; it should be a key part in any change that affects people."
Axelos (2016), "ITIL¨ Practitioner Guidance."
Organizational change management (OCM) is not something that s applicable only to IT-driven changes and projects; it should be a key part in any change that affects people.
"What percent of your incidents are the result of a change?"
Forrester (2013), "IT Speed: The Crisis And The Savior Of The Enterprise."
What percent of your incidents are the result of a change?
"Every time someone learns something of value within an organization, everyone should have the ability to learn it too."
Colin Rudd, ITSM consultant, ITSMF UK
Every time someone learns something of value within an organization, everyone should have the ability to learn it too.
"Through 2020, 99 percent of artificial intelligence initiatives in ITSM will fail due to a lack of an established knowledge management foundation."
Gartner (2017), ÒPredicts 2018: IT Operations.Ó
Through 2020, 99 Sixty-two percent of organizations that reported initiatives in ITSM will fail due to a lack of an established knowledge management foundation.
Knowledge management
Self-service
"The future service desk should more closely align with the consumer experience in terms of self-service and the availability of applicable information."
David Slavkin, service desk manager, Gensler
The future service desk should more closely align with the consumer experience in terms of self-service and the availability of applicable information.
Top three drivers of decrease in ticket volume:
HDI (2017), "2017 Technical Support Practices & Salary Report."
Top three drivers of decrease in ticket volume
Modern society is heavily reliant on physical assets in order to function effectively. Managing assets so they can provide products and services now, and into the future, is a core part of the discipline known as asset management. But assets can be made of anything a brand, a licence, a right of way, a group of companies, opportunities anything in which you invest to achieve your purpose!
Modern society is heavily reliant on physical assets in order to function effectively. Managing assets so they can provide products and services now, and into the future, is a core part of the discipline known as asset management.
"Organizations that practice ITAM had 15 percent or lower TCO. The greatest savings were in procurement (160 percent); disposal (60 percent); and operations (44 percent)."
Gartner (2002), "Using IT Asset Management to Ensure Software Compliance."
Organizations that practice ITAM had 15 percent or lower TCO. The greatest savings were in procurement (160 percent); disposal (60 percent); and operations (44 percent).
Asset management
Analytics
"Business users now want to be able to reduce the time and complexity of preparing data for analysis, something that is especially important in the world of big data when dealing with a variety of data types and formats."
Dan Kogan, director of product marketing for technology partners, Tableau Software
Business users now want to be able to reduce the time and complexity of preparing data for analysis, something that is especially important in the world of big data when dealing with a variety of data types and formats.
"Sixty percent of ITSM practitioners currently have no monitoring or evaluation in place."
Axelos (2017), "AXELOS IT Service Management Benchmarking Report 2017."
Sixty percent of ITSM practitioners currently have no monitoring or evaluation in place.
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Practices like DevOps have seen wide adoption in the past few years, and they're expected to see even greater adoption in the coming year. Take a look at some of the popular ITSM standards, practices, and adoption rates.
ITIL
"ITIL framework does not offer clear-cut implementation techniques. The implementation mechanism is left for the implementer to decide upon."
Mohamed, Ribiere, O Sullivan and Mohamed (2008), "The re-structuring of the Information Technology infrastructure library (ITIL) implementation using knowledge management framework."
ITIL framework does not offer clear-cut implementation techniques. The implementation mechanism is left for the implementer to decide upon.
An individual with the ITIL v3 Foundation certification has an average salary of $87,453 in North America. Globally, those with ITIL v3 Foundation earn average salaries of $66,143.
Global Knowledge (2018), "The Global Knowledge's annual IT Skills and Salary Report 2018."
An individual with the ITIL v3 Foundation certification has an average salary of $87,453 in North America. Globally, those with ITIL v3 Foundation earn average salaries of $66,143.
"ISO/IEC 20000 sends a powerful message that we have the processes to cover the design, transition, delivery, and improvement of services that fulfil our clients requirements. It helps us stand out."
Nada Moussa, UK-based IT and telecoms provider, Alternative Network
ISO/IEC 20000 sends a powerful message that we have the processes to cover the design, transition, delivery, and improvement of services that fulfil our clients requirements. It helps us stand out.
"The ISO/IEC 20000 system has delivered considerable time savings increasing efficiency in the region of 20 percent."
Richard Smith, UK-based IT solutions provider, Tegen Ltd.
The ISO/IEC 20000 system has delivered considerable time savings increasing efficiency in the region of 20 percent.
ISO/IEC 20000
Six Sigma
"IT always gets caught up in insatiable demands and lost ROI. Six Sigma solves both those problems."
Charles P. Costa, executive vice president and CIO, Chase Financial Services
IT always gets caught up in insatiable demands and lost ROI. Six Sigma solves both those problems.
"Six Sigma Green Belt certification, sponsored by the independent association IASSC, is a foundation certification on a set of techniques and tools for process improvement. Individuals who earn the Six Sigma Green Belt certification receive an average annual salary in North America of $99,865. In EMEA, individuals with the certification earn an average annual salary of $78,832."
Global Knowledge (2018), "The Global Knowledge's annual IT Skills and Salary Report 2018."
Individuals who earn the Six Sigma Green Belt certification receive an average annual salary in North America of $99,865. In EMEA, individuals with the certification earn an average annual salary of $78,832.
"Implementing an ISO 27001-compliant ISMS is not only an information security best practice but it is also integral to demonstrating data protection compliance."
IT Governance (2018), "Why ISO 27001 is integral to data protection compliance"
Implementing an ISO 27001-compliant ISMS is not only an information security best practice but it is also integral to demonstrating data protection compliance.
"Seventy percent of respondents say that improving their organization's information security posture was the biggest driver for implementing ISO 27001."
IT Governance (2018), "ISO 27001 Global Report 2018."
Seventy percent of respondents say that improving their organization's information security posture was the biggest driver for implementing ISO 27001.
ISO 27001
DevOps
"DevOps does not in and of itself have a single body of knowledge, so it really supports agile, lean and IT service management [...] It takes ITIL and IT service management to the next level."
Jayne Groll, CEO, DevOps Institute
DevOps does not in and of itself have a single body of knowledge, so it really supports agile, lean and IT service management [...] It takes ITIL and IT service management to the next level.
DevOps will be adopted by 80 percent of Global 1000 organization by 2019.
DevOps will be adopted by 80 percent of Global 1000 organization by 2019.
"Microsoft believes that the leading publicly available body of knowledge of best practices is the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). Therefore, Microsoft has chosen ITIL as the foundation for Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF)."
Bret Clark, director, Microsoft Operations Framework
Microsoft believes that the leading publicly available body of knowledge of best practices is the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). Therefore, Microsoft has chosen ITIL as the foundation for Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF).
"MOF and the Microsoft Team Model were defined based on ISO 15504 (also referred to as SPICE) from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). SPICE provides a normalized (common) approach to assessing software process maturity."
Wilson Mar, DevOps evangelist
MOF and the Microsoft Team Model were defined based on ISO 15504 (also referred to as SPICE) from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). SPICE provides a normalized (common) approach to assessing software process maturity.
Microsoft Operations Framework
COBIT
"Although COBIT is not plug and play, it will certainly enable organizations to achieve better alignment of IT and business objectives."
Howard Nicholson, international vice president, ISACA
Although COBIT is not plug and play, it will certainly enable organizations to achieve better alignment of IT and business objectives.
"An individual with the COBIT 5 Foundation certification has an average annual salary of $102,112 in North America and $77,300 worldwide."
Global Knowledge (2018), "The Global Knowledge's annual IT Skills and Salary Report 2018."
An individual with the COBIT 5 Foundation certification has an average annual salary of $102,112 in North America and $77,300 worldwide.
"VeriSM supports how to use all organisational capabilities, from IT to marketing, finance to customer service, to deliver value."
VeriSM supports how to use all organisational capabilities, from IT to marketing, finance to customer service, to deliver value.
"Only 24 percent of respondents think that existing ITSM best practices have kept up with the changing IT and business landscapes."
ManageEngine (2017), "IT service management future readiness survey report"
Only 24 percent of respondents think that existing ITSM best practices have kept up with the changing IT and business landscapes.
VeriSM
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Get to know the people running your service desks.
Demographics
JobOutlook, "ICT support technicians"
OpenColleges, "Employment Outlook - Service Desk Technician"
SDI (2018), "Service Desk Benchmark Report 2017"
Average salary by position
Basic abilities
Essential expertise
Processes and methodologies
IT Jobs Watch, "Service Desk Technician Jobs"
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Key performance indicators (KPIs) help you gauge the current state of your service desk. Here are some important metrics to watch.
SLA compliance rate
"The SLA explains the service. It does not predict the performance of that service. Explanation does not mean prediction."
Denis Matte, manager of IT service management, House of Commons
The SLA explains the service. It does not predict the performance of that service. Explanation does not mean prediction.
Sage Publications (2001), Sage research survey
"IT service and support is typically a manual, labor intensive function. Likewise, most of the costs associated with operating a service desk are personnel related (51.4 percent for agent salaries and benefits alone)."
HDI (2017), "2017 Practices & Salary Reports."
IT service and support is typically a manual, labor intensive function. Likewise, most of the costs associated with operating a service desk are personnel related (51.4 percent for agent salaries and benefits alone).
"The average cost per ticket for North America is roughly $15.56, but can go up to almost $50 depending on the wages for help desk staff and the time/complexity involved in the resolution."
HDI (2017), "Metric of the Month: Service Desk Cost per Ticket."
The average cost per ticket for North America is roughly $15.56, but can go up to almost $50 depending on the wages for help desk staff and the time/complexity involved in the resolution.
Cost per ticket
First call resolution rate
"For every one percent improvement in FCR, there is a one percent improvement in Csat (top box response). Clearly, FCR is highly correlated to Csat. In fact, of all the contact center internal or external metrics, FCR is the metric with the highest correlation to Csat. The absence of FCR is the strongest driver of customer dissatisfaction."
Service Quality Management Group (2017), "FCR Improvement Plan."
For every one percent improvement in FCR, there is a one percent improvement in Csat (top box response). Clearly, FCR is highly correlated to Csat.
"Sixty percent of companies measuring FCR for a year or longer reported improvements of up to 30 percent in their performance."
Ascent Group (2017), "Voice of the Customer Drives FCR Improvement."
Sixty percent of companies measuring FCR for a year or longer reported improvements of up to 30 percent in their performance.
"The service desk is a labor intensive function, with over 50 percent of the costs of a support organization tied up in personnel."
HDI (2012), "Metric of the Month: Agent Utilization."
The service desk is a labor intensive function, with over 50 percent of the costs of a support organization tied up in personnel.
"An 85 percent occupancy rate means that 15 percent of the CSR time is available and waiting for a call."
Lori Bocklund, founder and president, Strategic Contact, Inc.
An 85 percent occupancy rate means that 15 percent of the CSR time is available and waiting for a call.
Agent utilization rate
Customer satisfaction score
"Service organizations create loyal customers primarily by reducing customer effort i.e. helping them solve their problems quickly and easily not by delighting them in service interactions."
CEB (2013), "Key Capabilities to Drive Customer Service Rep Performance."
Service organizations create loyal customers primarily by reducing customer effort i.e. helping them solve their problems quickly and easily not by delighting them in service interactions.
While many e-commerce businesses might feel pleased if their CSAT rating is over 70 percent, the most recent benchmark for internet retailers is 82 percent.
American Customer Satisfaction Index (2017), "Benchmarks By Industry."
While many e-commerce businesses might feel pleased if their CSAT rating is over 70 percent, the most recent benchmark for internet retailers is 82 percent.
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Setting up and running a service desk has its fair share of challenges. Here are some of the most common challenges faced by service desk teams.
High cost
"Organizations are interested in ITSM frameworks because they expect that implementation of best practice ITSM processes results in cost savings, reduced occurrences of incidents, and increased customer satisfaction."
Iden, J., & Eikebrokk, T. R. Implementing IT Service Management: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Information Management, 33(3), 512-523.
Organizations are interested in ITSM frameworks because they expect that implementation of best practice ITSM processes results in cost savings, reduced occurrences of incidents, and increased customer satisfaction.
Gartner s measurements showed that the overall results of moving from no adoption of IT Service Management to full adoption can halve an organization s Total Cost of Ownership.
Koch, H., & Gierschner, C. Advantages of an ITIL-Based Process Framework in a Complex SAP¨ System Landscape. Paper presented at the 4th IEEE Workshop on Intelligent Data Acquisition and Advanced Computing Systems: Technology and Applications (IDAACS).
Gartner s measurements showed that the overall results of moving from no adoption of IT Service Management to full adoption can halve an organization s Total Cost of Ownership.
"Proactive methods, such as trend analysis, preventive actions and major problem reviews are considered as an effective way to decrease the number of support requests. Unfortunately, IT service providers often focus most of their resources on reactive activities and ignore the proactive methods despite the benefits."
Scott, D. "IT Operations Management Is Undergoing Transformation."
Proactive methods, such as trend analysis, preventive actions and major problem reviews are considered as an effective way to decrease the number of support requests.
"As a rule of thumb, if an end user spends more than ten minutes in a self-service portal, they cost the organization more money than calling the service desk."
HDI (2017), "FUSION 17 Ð It's all about the experience."
As a rule of thumb, if an end user spends more than ten minutes in a self-service portal, they cost the organization more money than calling the service desk.
Inadequate support
Lack of proper documentation
"By 2020, customers will manage 85 percent of their relationship with the enterprise without interacting with a human."
Gartner (2011), "Gartner Customer 360 Summit 2011"
By 2020, customers will manage 85 percent of their relationship with the enterprise without interacting with a human.
"Thirty-one percent of customers want instant online help, while 40 percent of them expect to receive assistance in less than five minutes."
Econsultancy (2013), "83% of online shoppers need support to complete a purchase: stats"
Sixty percent of companies measuring FCR for a year or longer reported improvements of up to 30 percent in their performance.
"Only by deploying integrated processes and technology will the next-generation IT service and support organizations maximize operational cost management benefits and customer satisfaction."
Michele Hudnall, senior research analyst, Meta Group
Only by deploying integrated processes and technology will the next-generation IT service and support organizations maximize operational cost management benefits and customer satisfaction.
"Forty-five percent of IT organizations only had ad-hoc processes for IT infrastructure and operations; only 30 percent of IT organizations had defined processes for IT service support; the ones which had repeatable and individually automated processes only counted for 15 percent of all IT organizations."
Gartner (2007), "IT infrastructure and operations maturity model."
Forty-five percent of IT organizations only had ad-hoc processes for IT infrastructure and operations; only 30 percent of IT organizations had defined processes for IT service support
Lack of formal and well-planned processes
Not enough flexibility
"Nearly half of organizations spend more than one hour per incident repairing performance issues."
DEJ study (2017), "Modernizing IT operations for digital economy."
Nearly half of organizations spend more than one hour per incident repairing performance issues.
Ninety percent said that ongoing training would be vital to keep up with the pace of change, and that there will be a need to more creativity and flexibility in project management.
Ninety percent said that ongoing training would be vital to keep up with the pace of change, and that there will be a need to more creativity and flexibility in project management.
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Here are some ITSM experts, groups, and channels you can follow to stay in touch with all ITSM-related news.
YouTube channels
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Let's take a look at some of the major trends of the past few years to get an idea of what to expect in 2019.
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