In recent years, different industries are adopting software solutions to streamline business processes and workflows. The IT services have also jumped on the bandwagon to operate more efficiently. If you own or manage such a company, you should already know the power of ITSM tools. However, it’s not easy these days to choose the right one due to an abundance of options.
Well, you’re in luck because we’re about to share helpful tips on how you can choose the right ITSM tools for your business needs. Consider this a basic outline of the steps you should go through.
Define the Requirements
Business owners have the tendency to look into software solutions before defining the requirements. Requirements, in this case, refer to your needs for an ITSM tool. There are hundreds of tools out there and all of them excel in different areas. If you don’t define your requirements before considering your options, you’ll only confuse yourself.
One of the first things you should consider is the nature of your business environment. Is it a software development firm that needs to streamline onboarding, development, and delivery? Or, is it a general-purpose IT service that covers all grounds?
Most importantly, you need to create a benchmark of the organization’s capabilities to identify areas where an ITSM tool can help.
Decide on a Budget
If you have used other software solutions before, you know how widely the costs can vary. ITSM tools are no different. You’ll find tools that cost less than $10/month as well as ones that cost over $100/month!
So, it’s crucial that you fix a budget before looking into the features of the ITSM tools. Pricing for these tools also depends on licensing. If you’re new in this area and not sure what a good budget range is, you can always consult IT experts who have experience deploying such tools.
When you forecast the budget, be sure to calculate the total cost of ownership. Read the terms and conditions for a particular tool carefully before including them in your draft. Most tools offer a per-user per-month billing model. If you misread any of the terms, it can turn out to be an expensive mistake.
ServiceNow is usually the choice for managers simply because it’s easy to find and has a large customer base. But you can look into competitors to ServiceNow in case your budget doesn’t fit ServiceNow ITSM.
Thoroughly Evaluate the Features and Functionality
Needless to say, this is the most important step in choosing the right ITSM tool for your business. The goal is to find a tool that offers all the features you need within the budget you’ve decided on.
Start by going through different ITSM solutions out there. Read their offerings and contextualize the features to your requirements. For example, if you need IT asset management in the tool and it’s non-negotiable, you should only look into ITSM tools that offer this feature.
This is also a great way to filter through the options. Start by making a list of non-negotiable features and eliminate all the tools that don’t offer it. You should end up with a relatively short list and the top contenders.
We recommend adding automation to your list of non-negotiable. The more business processes you can automate these days, the more productive work environment you can expect.
Learning Curve and Usability
It’s a no-brainer. If you want to include a software solution that all employees use, it must be easy to use. Not only that but you also have to factor in the onboarding process. If the tool is too hard to get a hang of, you’re adding a lot more training time every time a new staff is onboard.
Ideally, the interface of the ITSM tools should be clutter-free and straightforward. Also, how users interact with the tool is a critical factor.
We recommend opting for a GUI (Graphical User Interface) tool if your team members are not programmers. A GUI allows users to visually perform the tasks with drag-and-drop menus, ribbons, and toolbars.
A code-based ITSM tool, on the other hand, will better suit software companies where only programmers are supposed to use it. Of course, coding allows users to benefit from a lot more features with granular control compared to GUI-driven tools.
Whatever you need, just make sure you’re factoring this in before you pull the purchase trigger.
Do You Want it On-Premise or Cloud-Based?
ITSM tools come in both forms. And both have their merits and demerits.
On-Premise Solutions
As the name suggests, the software is installed on hardware present in your business facility. If you want absolute control over your data and operations, this is a better approach. However, maintaining on-premise solutions is more expensive and time-consuming. Apart from the upfront setup cost, you’re looking at timely maintenance and updates.
From what we’ve seen, enterprise-grade businesses better benefit from on-premise ITSM tools simply because they have the resources to handle it.
Cloud Solutions
Cloud-based ITSM tools are targeted to small and medium businesses. As you’d expect, the software is run on cloud servers with no hardware requirements on your end. You can access the tool from anywhere in the world. There’s no maintenance on the business end.
The downside of this approach is the potential for data breaches from the data centers. Although highly unlikely, it can happen if you opt for a mediocre vendor.
Bonus Tip: Vendor Relationship is Important
When you finally decide which ITSM tool to deploy in your business, you’re partnering up with the vendor for the duration of your subscription. So, it’s important for you and the vendor to be on the same page when you define business requirements.
At the same time, you should communicate clearly about future upgrade paths before signing a contract. If the software is not scalable without compromising security or control, it may not be the right choice. Learn more about vendor relationship management before following through with your decision.
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