How to Evaluate 5 Common IT Management Platforms: ServiceNow, BMC Remedy, Jira, Salesforce, and SharePoint

Originally published on 2015-10-24; fully revised and updated.

If you are choosing an IT management platform, a simple “top tools” list is not enough. This guide helps IT managers, DevOps leaders, and service owners compare five commonly referenced platforms—ServiceNow, BMC Remedy, Jira, Salesforce, and SharePoint—so you can map them to your actual process, integration, and governance needs.

Why this list needs context

The original post listed five product names without decision criteria. In practice, these tools are not all direct substitutes for one another. Some are purpose-built ITSM suites, while others are broader platforms often adapted for IT operations, service delivery, or knowledge management.

• Use this comparison when you need incident/request/change workflows, service tracking, and internal process visibility.
• Do not use name recognition alone as the selection method; process fit and operating model matter more than popularity.
• Plan a pilot before committing to enterprise rollout.

Side-by-side comparison of the five platforms

A practical evaluation workflow

A repeatable evaluation process reduces vendor bias and helps teams justify final selection to security, finance, and operations stakeholders.

flowchart TD
    A[Define IT management goals] --> B[Document must-have processes]
    B --> C[Shortlist candidate platforms]
    C --> D[Run a time-boxed pilot]
    D --> E[Score fit cost and adoption risk]
    E --> F{Meets requirements}
    F -- no --> G[Refine scope or test another platform]
    F -- yes --> H[Plan phased rollout]
    H --> I[Track SLA and adoption metrics]

Example pilot scoring template

Use a weighted model so every stakeholder scores tools against the same criteria.

evaluation:
  scoring_scale: 1-5
  criteria:
    - name: process_fit
      weight_percent: 30
    - name: integration_with_current_stack
      weight_percent: 20
    - name: reporting_and_visibility
      weight_percent: 15
    - name: security_and_compliance
      weight_percent: 15
    - name: total_cost_of_ownership
      weight_percent: 10
    - name: admin_and_user_adoption
      weight_percent: 10

tools:
  - name: ServiceNow
  - name: BMC Remedy
  - name: Jira
  - name: Salesforce
  - name: SharePoint

pilot:
  duration_weeks: 4
  required_use_cases:
    - incident_intake_and_triage
    - change_request_approval
    - knowledge_article_publish
    - dashboard_for_sla_tracking

During the pilot, capture both quantitative scores and qualitative feedback from service desk agents, platform admins, and business approvers.

Best practices for selection and rollout

• Start with process clarity before tool customization.
• Evaluate integration effort with identity, monitoring, and collaboration systems early.
• Prefer phased deployment over big-bang migration for core service workflows.
• Define ownership for workflow changes, SLAs, and knowledge lifecycle from day one.
• Measure success with adoption and resolution outcomes, not only implementation completion.

Common pitfalls

• Treating all five platforms as interchangeable ITSM products.
• Selecting based on brand familiarity instead of required workflows.
• Underestimating data migration and role-based access design.
• Skipping pilot validation and going straight to full rollout.
• Ignoring long-term operating model, admin training, and governance.

Rajesh Kumar

I’m Rajesh Kumar, a DevOps, SRE, DevSecOps, Cloud, and Platform Engineering expert passionate about sharing practical knowledge, real-world experiences, and industry best practices. I have worked at Cotocus and regularly write about technology, travel, investing, health, product reviews, and digital marketing through my various platforms.

I publish technical articles at DevOps School, travel stories at Holiday Landmark, stock market insights at Stocks Mantra, health and fitness guidance at My Medic Plus, product reviews at TrueReviewNow, and SEO and digital marketing strategies at Wizbrand.