Although we’re only halfway through 2024, it’s never too late to start developing an IT strategy for the year. In fact, around 80% of ITSM teams that are failing to work with agility will find their efforts being ignored or bypassed, so it’s up to IT leaders to figure out how to keep ITSM evolving and adapting.
An important thing to consider when reevaluating ITSM efforts is client expectations. As the era of digital transformation continues, clients are coming to expect more efficiency and fast, effective results from IT teams. Having the right ITSM software features can make or break an IT team’s success for the rest of 2024.
Keep reading for 9 ITSM software features you’ll need for the new year to create a better experience for both customers and IT teams.
1. Automated Approvals
One thing that can cause unnecessary delays to speedy ticket resolutions is a slow approval chain. Often, a ticket needs to go through a specific sequence and be approved by various levels of authority on its way to being resolved. Techs usually have to manually follow up with people when the approval chain is blocked by someone, which can take time away from other tasks.
By using IT automation to automate the follow-up process, you can ensure that tickets are sent to the right people at the right time, every single time, then tickets can move along quickly and nothing will fall through the cracks. Automation will send reminders to relevant parties to review their assigned tickets. Once a ticket is approved, an ITSM tool can move the ticket to the next person in the approval chain or back to the techs for next steps.
2. Task Lists
Task lists are a versatile tool that can accelerate business goals. They can be used in numerous ways, including as a checklist, technical instructions, or a historical record for your IT team. You can embed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), important documents, and in-line instructions directly into task lists. Task lists promote efficiency, standardization and clarity for the entire IT department.
3. Incident Management Solutions
Companies of all sizes inevitably have to deal with risk and incidents, especially as the digital transformation continues. ITSM software that has incident management features allows businesses to implement the processes, automation, and transparency that will help a company prevent and deal with incidents. An incident might be a service outage or a broken tech feature, or anything else that disrupts service.
4. In-Line Forms Designer
Forms are one of the most important types of interactions for users in apps and customer portals. A custom in-line forms designer enables you to build personalized dynamic forms in your service portal to collect key information from clients. You can also use inline forms in emails or chats with clients to continue collecting and adding new information to existing tickets, eliminating unnecessary steps of manually updating tickets or opening additional ones.
5. Ticket Groups
Ticket groups organize tickets into categories that reduce clutter and make sense to the user. These groupings can be flexible and customizable. Ticket groups can be used in tandem with automated approvals, and can act as a filter for IT automation. In short, this tool reduces disorganization and saves costs.
6. Smart Tickets & Macros
Smart tickets and prepared responses (macros) are a great way of creating dynamic ticket processes that can quickly respond to the needs of the end-user. Smart tickets can trigger specific actions within a ticket, create rules, and automate intricate workflows to route tickets or send instructions to your IT techs.
7. Integrations
At this point, many businesses have a comprehensive tech-stack that can’t easily be replaced, so an integral ITSM software feature is the ability to seamlessly integrate with pre-existing tech. Integrations will help businesses build a strong, robust IT infrastructure with systems and software that work together in harmony and share data.
8. Reporting Tools
Clear and accurate data is necessary to make improvements in ITSM processes and prevent future risks. ITSM software that has clean, easy-to-read dashboards focused on relevant metrics and provide visuals is a must for businesses that want to grow in revenue and size in 2024. This will promotes transparency internally and externally, which helps clients and employees alike have a deeper understanding of IT service processes and updated.
9. Self-Help Resources
Sometimes, an IT issue has a simple solution that a user could execute themselves, if given an explanation on how to do it. That’s where self-help resources come in. This ITSM software feature offers organized, user-friendly articles, videos, and instructions that will let customers fix simple problems without IT having to get involved. It’s a win-win for your techs and your clients.
Strengthen Your ITSM in 2024
These 9 ITSM software features can take a business to the next level in the second half of 2024. The right ITSM software will even have the capability to do all 9, which will help boost team efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business success.
If you’d like to see how powerful ITSM software features like these can support your IT efforts, sign up to try DeskDirector.
