For us, responsive ITSM means:
- customer-focused processes before exact depiction of IT structures
- preventive measures before reactive incident management
- rich conversation before digitized “correspondence” (ticketing)
- customer-focused processes before exact depiction of IT structures
- preventive measures before reactive incident management
- rich conversation before digitized “correspondence” (ticketing)
Customer-focused processes
ITSM systems are procured by IT organizations. We find that the end customer, whom the ITSM organization wants to serve, is often too superficially involved in designing the system. For example, service catalogs are structured based on detailed technical services, as provided by the ITSM organization. But it would be better to ask as a first priority which services the customer would like to access individually. We recommend implementing effective stakeholder management in implementation projects and transferring user-centered methods such as customer journey mapping to ensure a high-quality customer experience to internally provided IT services for the benefit of the business.
Preventive measures
How can you be proactive? The key is to make ITSM data-driven. It is only with well-developed sensors that it is possible to reproduce the quality of the service experienced by customers in everyday life.
In everyday ITSM life, there is often a lack of relevant early indicators, which would make it possible to address emerging problems in good time. The figure on the right shows a single example indicator. On the other hand, if the IT professionals' dashboard looked like the following figure, they would immediately know which problems that have not yet been reported should be addressed.
In everyday ITSM life, there is often a lack of relevant early indicators, which would make it possible to address emerging problems in good time. The figure on the right shows a single example indicator. On the other hand, if the IT professionals' dashboard looked like the following figure, they would immediately know which problems that have not yet been reported should be addressed.
Rich conversation
Setting up an ITSM usually means introducing a ticketing system. Systems such as ServiceNow or Jira Service Desk make a significant contribution to transparent and controllable ITSM. However, a major limitation of most ticketing systems is that the communication pattern between end users and IT and between the various support level managers is like an “exchange of letters” between two agencies.
It makes sense to supplement the ticketing tool with digital rooms in which a chat-based conversation can be conducted together with the active participation of all required specialists. They have the great advantage that customers immediately feel that someone is taking care of the problem and that initial queries can be answered immediately without delay.
The combination of ticketing with other communication channels enables tasks to be completed more quickly and effectively.
It makes sense to supplement the ticketing tool with digital rooms in which a chat-based conversation can be conducted together with the active participation of all required specialists. They have the great advantage that customers immediately feel that someone is taking care of the problem and that initial queries can be answered immediately without delay.
The combination of ticketing with other communication channels enables tasks to be completed more quickly and effectively.
Our toolbox: “best of breed” solution components
Frontend tools: interaction with end users and IT teams
The front-end tools ensure the ITSM customer interface.
The component Status Information is used to communicate the service status to end users. This includes the communication of availability restrictions, the announcement of maintenance work, etc. As part of business continuity management, this component ensures the information even if all other communication channels fail. Our preferred product for this is Statuspage.
In Chat Rooms Support can be easily provided to end users in a conversation (“conversational ticketing”). Depending on the customer journey concept being followed, the chat-based interaction can be initiated either directly by the end user or by IT. We prefer to work with Halp, Chatlio and Slackwhen a cloud solution can be used with the participation of US companies, or with Mattermost and Jitsi if a company in Switzerland is required. If Microsoft Teams exists, integration is obvious.
In Ticketing portal End-users can make and track their service requests This includes the provision of order forms, their approval by the competent authorities and the processing of the provision of services. We prefer to work with Jira Service Desk or add our own portal development to Jira if there are special requirements for designing or integrating the portal.
The component Status Information is used to communicate the service status to end users. This includes the communication of availability restrictions, the announcement of maintenance work, etc. As part of business continuity management, this component ensures the information even if all other communication channels fail. Our preferred product for this is Statuspage.
In Chat Rooms Support can be easily provided to end users in a conversation (“conversational ticketing”). Depending on the customer journey concept being followed, the chat-based interaction can be initiated either directly by the end user or by IT. We prefer to work with Halp, Chatlio and Slackwhen a cloud solution can be used with the participation of US companies, or with Mattermost and Jitsi if a company in Switzerland is required. If Microsoft Teams exists, integration is obvious.
In Ticketing portal End-users can make and track their service requests This includes the provision of order forms, their approval by the competent authorities and the processing of the provision of services. We prefer to work with Jira Service Desk or add our own portal development to Jira if there are special requirements for designing or integrating the portal.
Backend tools: data-driven ITSM and process support
With the Knowledge Management The aim is that problems can be solved more quickly. On the one hand, when creating tickets, end users can be shown relevant troubleshooting articles based on keywords with the aim of either solving the problem themselves or at least providing the relevant information to describe the problem. On the other hand, it also serves to transfer know-how through the support chain (2nd level to 1st level, etc.). We work with Confluence.
In Asset Management The components and their properties for which ITSM provides services are managed in the sense of an inventory. This information is then read out when tickets are created or to identify dependencies when solving problems. Ideally, the information is not only entered manually but, as far as possible, automatically supplemented by service or user device monitoring. We prefer to use Insight — Asset Management for Jira.
About the Alarming Depending on the stored shift schedule, the employees required to solve a problem are deployed or escalation chains are initiated as soon as certain criteria are met. For example, shortly before a guaranteed SLA response time expires or in the event of a service failure. We prefer to work with OpsGenie.
that Service monitoring is used to monitor the status of IT services. In particular, this includes checking service availability (uptime), performance (response times) and resource usage (such as disk space, RAM, etc.) for capacity management. In this area For more simple problems, we are happy to use in this area StatusCake and prometheus. However, experience has shown that the problems in service monitoring are very heterogeneous.
that User device monitoring deals with monitoring the PC workstations used by end users. Thanks to software distribution tools such as Microsoft SCCM, IT traditionally has good information about the target state of the devices, e.g. which software should be installed. Proactive management of devices is only possible when accurate information about the current status of the organization can be evaluated. Frequent crashes, decreasing storage space, declining performance, etc. can thus be detected and processed before the end user creates a ticket and then has to solve it under time pressure. Monitoring of end devices is particularly relevant in environments with less management control by IT (Bring Your Own Device, School Informatics, Software Development, etc.) so that an appropriate level of security for the end devices can be achieved.
that Project Management is used to handle projects or more complex operational processes that cannot be adequately managed by individual tasks. We work in this area with Jira Software, which is particularly widely used for software projects, but can also be used for any organizational and IT projects.
The working time worked is calculated in Time Reporting reported and evaluated. We prefer to use in this area Tempo Timesheets one.
In Asset Management The components and their properties for which ITSM provides services are managed in the sense of an inventory. This information is then read out when tickets are created or to identify dependencies when solving problems. Ideally, the information is not only entered manually but, as far as possible, automatically supplemented by service or user device monitoring. We prefer to use Insight — Asset Management for Jira.
About the Alarming Depending on the stored shift schedule, the employees required to solve a problem are deployed or escalation chains are initiated as soon as certain criteria are met. For example, shortly before a guaranteed SLA response time expires or in the event of a service failure. We prefer to work with OpsGenie.
that Service monitoring is used to monitor the status of IT services. In particular, this includes checking service availability (uptime), performance (response times) and resource usage (such as disk space, RAM, etc.) for capacity management. In this area For more simple problems, we are happy to use in this area StatusCake and prometheus. However, experience has shown that the problems in service monitoring are very heterogeneous.
that User device monitoring deals with monitoring the PC workstations used by end users. Thanks to software distribution tools such as Microsoft SCCM, IT traditionally has good information about the target state of the devices, e.g. which software should be installed. Proactive management of devices is only possible when accurate information about the current status of the organization can be evaluated. Frequent crashes, decreasing storage space, declining performance, etc. can thus be detected and processed before the end user creates a ticket and then has to solve it under time pressure. Monitoring of end devices is particularly relevant in environments with less management control by IT (Bring Your Own Device, School Informatics, Software Development, etc.) so that an appropriate level of security for the end devices can be achieved.
that Project Management is used to handle projects or more complex operational processes that cannot be adequately managed by individual tasks. We work in this area with Jira Software, which is particularly widely used for software projects, but can also be used for any organizational and IT projects.
The working time worked is calculated in Time Reporting reported and evaluated. We prefer to use in this area Tempo Timesheets one.
Our deployment options
Atlassian Cloud
The solution can be implemented on the cloud solution operated by Atlassian from the USA.
Linkyard Cloud
The solution can be implemented on the cloud solution operated by linkyard in Switzerland.
On premise with support
The solution can be implemented on systems provided by the customer. It is operated by the customer, and linkyard provides support when required.
Managed service on private cloud
The solution can be implemented and operated on the private cloud or linkyard infrastructure provided by the customer. The customer's IT operator takes over the operation of the infrastructure, and linkyard ensures application operation and maintenance.
Excerpt of completed projects
Service Desk
Service Desk
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