DIGITAL FIRE
Computer Consultant
Digital Fire was established in 1999 to help small businesses in Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto get the most out of their IT infrastructure. Over the years, we have reduced or eliminated the technical disruptions our clients experience, enabling them to concentrate on growing their businesses and achieving their goals.
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What is the Point of IT Service Management?
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What is the point of IT service management? The purpose of IT Service Management is to understand the needs and requirements of the company and then to provide IT solutions that are aligned with these needs. This aligning of the IT services with the company's goals and objectives can be referred to as IT Service Management or IT Services Management. The term can be applied to any service or process which supports the business goals of a company.
IT Service Management is, at its most basic level, the management of resources in such a way that these resources are used to achieve the business objectives of the company. IT Service Management therefore involves the identification of appropriate technology, processes and people to support the business. It also involves the allocation of resources to meet these goals. The resources required including hardware and software, network and desktop hardware, computer and communication devices, specialized personnel and expertise and so on. In other words, IT Service Management includes the efforts to ensure that these resources are used for the accomplishment of business goals.
Digital Fire IT Service Management can be regarded as the process of incorporating IT into the business environment. There are two schools of thought in this regard. One school of thought sees IT Service Management as something independent of the technological base of a company. Such an approach might see IT Service Management as a means of protecting and improving the IT infrastructure of a company by ensuring that technology is deployed where it makes sense and that appropriate technology is deployed.
The other school of thought is that IT Service Management is not just about securing IT systems and technologies, but also about ensuring that these systems and technologies are put to good use. That is, the objective of IT Service Management is to ensure that the IT resources of a company are utilized to the fullest and there is no waste of any IT resource. Both the views seem to conflict with each other; however a balanced approach can be adopted that may actually deliver what is the point of IT service management?
The first aspect of IT service management that needs to be examined is whether the objectives of a company really do need IT Services. Many IT professionals argue that a business can achieve most of its objectives with current IT resources and IT services alone. This might be correct in some aspects but not necessarily in all aspects. For example, when IT is used to support customer requirements, it provides an enormous benefit to the company; yet IT is not strictly speaking a service but rather a tool that enhance business objectives.
It is this broad view that is the important point of IT service management; rather than IT being a necessary part of business requirements, it can be seen as a marketing and sales tool that enhance business objectives. It is for this reason that some IT managers believe that IT should be considered a Strategic Business Activity and not a mere service or tool. However, one must also recognize that IT only works best when used in conjunction with other tools such as Marketing, Finance, Service and Creative.
The second aspect that needs to be examined in what is the point of IT service management is whether IT supports business objectives in its entirety. In order to do so, IT must be seen to encompass every aspect of the business. For example, IT must support sales, marketing, technology, and accounting. This therefore means that IT support has to encompass every aspect of the business from the smallest to the largest aspects.
As IT service management is aimed at aligning IT with all the aspects of the business, it has been criticized on the grounds that it could easily become a management-driven activity that IT may become more dependent on. To avoid this problem, IT should be understood to serve as an advisory board that gives IT a unified vision of the company's goals. This in turn would eliminate IT being a sole decider on what is the point of IT service management. IT should instead become a partner in the success of the business by helping to align its IT systems, products, and services with business objectives. Only then IT can contribute something to the success of the business.
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482 South Service Rd E #112
Oakville, ON L6J 2X6