Choosing an IT Service Management (ITSM) tool isn’t just about ticking off feature lists or sticking to a budget—it’s about finding what truly works for your organisation’s ITSM maturity level. Whether you’re just getting started with ITSM or aiming for advanced service management practices, different tools cater to different needs. The key to making a well-informed choice is understanding where you are today and what you need to move forward.
Assessing Your ITSM Maturity
Before diving into features and integrations, take a moment to evaluate your current ITSM maturity. Are you at the very beginning, simply trying to track IT requests and prevent things from falling through the cracks? Have you already been logging tickets and are now looking to establish structured processes? Or are you at a stage where service levels, automation, and configuration management play a critical role?
If you want a formal approach to assessing your maturity, you can look into structured frameworks like the ITIL Maturity Model (Axelos), COBIT, CMMI for Services (CMMI-SVC), ISO/IEC 20000 Maturity Model, Gartner ITScore for ITSM, or FitSM Maturity Model. These frameworks provide structured methodologies for assessing ITSM capabilities and identifying areas for improvement. But if you just want a quick, practical way to assess where you stand, let’s break it down into four levels.
Level 1: Getting Started – Basic Task and Request Logging
At this stage, organisations often rely on informal processes (emails, spreadsheets, or messaging apps) to track IT requests. The main goal here is to centralise information and prevent things from getting lost.
Considerations:
- A lightweight, easy-to-use ticketing system.
- Basic automation for routing requests.
- Minimal setup and configuration requirements.
- Simple reporting to track basic metrics.
Example tools:
- Simple service desk tools with basic ticket tracking.
- Cloud-based SaaS solutions that require minimal configuration.
Level 2: Implementing Processes – Structured Service Management
Once you’ve consistently logged IT requests, the next step is to formalise service management processes. This is where workflows, categorisation, and initial analytics start making an impact.
Considerations:
- Workflow automation for repeatable processes.
- Categorisation and prioritisation of requests.
- Initial reporting and analytics for insights into service performance.
- Standardised templates for service request handling.
Example tools:
- ITSM solutions with built-in process templates.
- Platforms that support SLA management and escalation workflows.
Level 3: Service Level Management and Performance Tracking
Here, you’ve already got structured processes in place, but now you want to improve efficiency, accountability, and customer satisfaction. The focus is on Service Level Agreements (SLAs), automation, and self-service.
Considerations:
- SLA tracking with automated alerts and escalation.
- Enhanced reporting for service performance monitoring.
- Self-service portals to reduce the burden on IT teams.
- Knowledge base integration to improve resolution times.
- IT asset management for better control over resources.
Example tools:
- ITSM platforms with SLA enforcement mechanisms.
- Solutions offering end-user self-service capabilities.
Level 4: Advanced ITSM – CMDB and Full IT Service Integration
At this level, organisations aim to optimise IT service delivery through deep integration of ITSM with broader IT operations, including a Configuration Management Database (CMDB) and advanced automation.
Considerations:
- CI (Configuration Item) tracking and relationship mapping.
- Integration with monitoring and asset management tools.
- Advanced security and compliance measures.
- Automated change management to reduce manual efforts.
- AI-driven predictive analytics for proactive issue resolution.
Example tools:
- Enterprise ITSM platforms with CMDB and asset management.
- Solutions that support ITIL-based service management practices.
Introducing the MoSCoW Framework
Once you’ve assessed your ITSM maturity, the next step is prioritising what truly matters. The MoSCoW framework is a simple but effective way to categorise requirements into:
- Must-Have: Non-negotiable features your ITSM tool must include.
- Should-Have: Important features that enhance functionality but aren’t critical.
- Could-Have: Nice-to-have features that add value but are not deal-breakers.
- Won’t-Have: Features that are unnecessary or out of scope for your current needs.
It’s important to note that the following examples are just a starting point—each organisation should create its own detailed MoSCoW list based on its unique needs and maturity level.
Applying MoSCoW to ITSM Tool Selection
For Level 1 (Basic Task and Request Logging)
- Must-Have: Simple ticketing system, easy deployment, cloud-based option.
- Should-Have: Basic automation for routing requests, simple reporting.
- Could-Have: Mobile app for IT teams, basic integrations with communication tools.
- Won’t-Have: Full ITIL compliance, complex integrations, advanced reporting.
For Level 2 (Structured Service Management)
- Must-Have: Workflow automation, categorisation, prioritisation, request tracking.
- Should-Have: SLA enforcement, initial reporting and dashboards.
- Could-Have: Self-service portal, basic knowledge management.
- Won’t-Have: CMDB, advanced incident correlation.
For Level 3 (Service Level Management)
- Must-Have: SLA tracking and reporting, escalation workflows.
- Should-Have: Custom dashboards, knowledge base integration, automation of repetitive tasks.
- Could-Have: AI-driven analytics, IT asset management, chatbot-based ticketing.
- Won’t-Have: Full-scale CMDB, AI-powered predictive maintenance.
For Level 4 (Advanced ITSM with CMDB Integration)
- Must-Have: CMDB with automated CI discovery, full ITSM integration, compliance tracking.
- Should-Have: Integration with IT monitoring, security and compliance automation.
- Could-Have: AI-driven incident prediction, dynamic workflow automation, advanced risk analysis.
- Won’t-Have: Basic task tracking tools (already covered at lower levels).
At the end of the day, the right ITSM tool should meet your needs today while paving the way for your future growth. So, where do you see your ITSM journey heading next?
