Intelligent Process Automation in IT Service Management (ITSM)
IT Service Management (ITSM) environments use a number of automation-based capabilities. Whether it is workflow automation or automation of repetitive infrastructure tasks, ITSM ecosystems are managing it all. With advancing technology, ITSM practices can now be further automated, which offers several user advantages.
The IT industry is already making the most of automated cloud capabilities. The automated components of DevOps and natural-language processing are also being leveraged to a great extent.
In modern times, technology has been instrumental in automating traditional high-volume as well as low-volume ITSM tasks. The combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation has led to reduced manual effort.
This, in turn, has resulted in:
1. Fewer Human Errors: When compared to humans, the use of AI and automation results in fewer errors and elevated performance.
2. Accelerated Speed of Execution: AI and automation perform faster than their human equivalents.
3. Constant Availability of Service and Support: AI and automation enable round-the-clock availability.
4. Lowered Operational Costs: Over time, AI and automation prove to be cheaper than manual labor costs.
5. Enhanced User Experiences: Improved performance and increased speed lead to better outcomes and experiences for users.
Hyper-automation in ITSM
The ITSM industry is constantly looking at new and emerging technologies that can enable it to improve IT service delivery and support. Use cases include:
1. Initial Ticket Processing: This process, from prioritization/categorizing tickets to resolving group assignments, becomes more seamless.
2. Creation of Digital Agents: Those who need assistance can avail prompt and efficient self-help through chatbots, virtual assistants, and more.
3. Analytics Capabilities: It becomes easier to understand large and complex data sets.
4. Contextual Knowledge: It enables faster decision-making on the part of end users.
Organizations are now harnessing intelligent automation technologies and capabilities to transform the processes and operations used in ITSM. This, in turn, has simplified procedures, increased productivity, and enhanced experiences.
If organizations are to reap the maximum benefits of from their ITSM operations, they need to focus on the following:
1. Integration of AMDB and CMDB
In order to ensure that ITSM automation delivers maximum value, organizations need to integrate their Asset Management Database (AMDB) and Configuration Management Database (CMDB). Automation can then be leveraged to keep the CMDB consistently updated. This, in turn, can result in heightened accuracy.
2. Creation of an Actionable Service Catalog
An organization’s service catalog contains all information related to their business, technology, and the services on offer. An actionable service catalog enables end-users to not only request for services, but also perform self-service tasks. The inclusion of intelligent process automation in ITSM can augment these features, resulting in enhanced user experiences.
3. Alignment with Change Management Strategy
It is crucial that ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is aligned with the organization’s change management strategy. This will be instrumental in ensuring that ITSM automation supplements each and every change initiative, rather than impede it. Users should be able to open change tickets through automation. Organizations should also ensure that change tickets are adequately approved in keeping with the necessary compliance.
4. Integration with IT Financial Management
In modern organizations, integrating IT service management automation with IT financial management is a necessity rather than an option. This integration allows portfolio managers and financial service providers to scale operations and maximize output to meet growing demand. It also enables enhanced logistical operations by simplifying reporting processes.
5. Facilitation of Ongoing Automation
It is important to remember that automation is not a one-time deal. Far from that, it is an ongoing task, and is most effective when its implementation is spread over different conducive stages. Further, it should be executed incrementally in a planned manner. ITSM automation tools should be well-integrated enough to allow service managers to monitor and govern the automation process.
Sneak Peek into the Future
With organizational needs evolving with time, ITSM solutions undergo constant changes as well. In the future, Businesses will likely witness the following:
1. Enhanced Integration with Social Media
ITSM is already adapting communication platforms to the user rather than the other way around. This has resulted in social networks such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and text messages becoming the medium for raising tickets and tracking support. The integration with social media channels means future-ready organizations will be able to analyze customer sentiment with greater accuracy.
2. Improved Insights via IoT
IoT (Internet of Things)-connected devices are gaining popularity and branching out in the form of hardware, networks, electrical gadgets, and delivery automobiles. By interconnecting with one another, these devices are able to constantly gather data, such as location, movements, and status reports. ITSM will be used to leverage all this data to enhance problem solving and decision-making. This, in turn, will allow businesses to gain greater insights into customer behavior patterns.