Startups and small businesses can find themselves facing a bit of a dilemma when it comes to managing IT.
While tech resources are essential for any organization that wants to grow, the prospect of taking charge of service integration can be overwhelming for up-and-coming businesses.
That’s where IT services management (ITSM) steps in to provide ambitious businesses of all sizes with the ability to adopt innovative solutions without making compromises.
The basics
ITSM is an all-encompassing term that takes in the role that technology plays in providing a business’s customers with the best possible experience.
From designing and deploying lynchpin technologies to ensuring that they are sustained and maintained over time, an ITSM strategy will shore up systems and solutions from the point of conception to rollout and beyond.
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The implications for small businesses
As mentioned, small businesses may previously have been prevented from pursuing particular IT projects because of concerns over aspects like budget, scalability and crucially the limitations of in-house teams.
This is where modern solutions like SolarWinds’ ITSM platform come into play. The idea is to combine the processes that are part and parcel of ITSM under one unified toolset. As such, when new solutions and providers are added to the mix, this doesn’t have to lead to further fragmentation of resources.
The integration of AI-enhanced automation, support ticket generation and tracking within these cutting-edge platforms puts ITSM within reach of startups, even if the number of permanent team members with IT specialties is limited.
Furthermore, you can track assets wherever they might be. From local servers and workstations to cloud-powered storage and software, everything can be integrated and monitored centrally.
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The benefits
There are perks that come with embracing the concept of ITSM and implementing the tools needed to make it a reality. This includes:
Less service disruption
Knowing when problems arise, identifying what the source of the snafu might be, and stepping in to fix it is simpler if you’ve streamlined your technological ecosystem with ITSM.
Likewise, with persistent monitoring, you can be on the lookout for performance dips and suspicious behaviors, so costly downtime can be avoided.
Improved efficiency through minimal waste
Trimming the unnecessary aspects of your IT services will not just bolster efficiency, but also give you more of your budget to play with.
From getting rid of assets that are no longer needed or have been rendered redundant by a new acquisition, to ensuring uptime goals are achieved and employee productivity is unaffected by outages, ITSM can do all this and more.
Soaring satisfaction levels
Your IT resources aren’t just needed to meet and exceed the expectations of the customers you serve, they also play a part in determining internal levels of satisfaction.
If employees can’t rely on technology to let them do their jobs, they’ll get disgruntled and might not remain loyal to a startup or small business for long.
Conversely, if ITSM is taken seriously, then everyone involved with your business in some way will have a seamless, satisfying experience.
The last word on ITSM for small businesses
Like a lot of crucial concepts, ITSM can feel like it is burdened with jargon if you’ve not come across it before.
However, it’s definitely something that you should work to understand in greater depth. Even if you end up outsourcing aspects of the management of your IT services, you still need to be clear on how everything fits together. With the right strategies and tools, this is attainable.
