Your ITSM Investment And What To Expect In Return

By Lianne Larner, Operations Manager, Marval Software

Since the recession of 2008, many organizations have seen their budget shrinking year on year. Still, the technology world kept evolving and so did the senior management and customers’ expectations. As a result, IT Operations and Service Desk Managers were often left to deal with augmented expectations for performance and operational improvements, with cut budget and headcount; while their teams felt pressured, underappreciated and demotivated.

Knowing that they will be able to do “more with less”, organizations invest in ITSM technology for their Service Desk and anticipate a quick return on investment. To start with, this is not an empty promise. An ITSM solution that is properly designed and implemented to match the organization’s needs should indeed help the Service Desk improve critical KPIs and reach their goals with less cost and effort. They key word here is “should”. For a technology investment (any investment, really) to work at expected standards, we need to make sure that people know how to use it. For an investment to deliver rapid return, we need to make sure people will make the most of it. And there’s only one way to achieve that: good training.

ITSM training will provide the Service Desk staff with the confidence they need to deal with each day’s challenges effectively. It will eMSM them to be more productive, eliminate mistakes and provide better customer service.

There’s another aspect, which is crucial although often overlooked: it has to do with job satisfaction rates. Researches have shown that organizations which invest in people’s development and training have greater employee engagement and loyalty rates and lower turnover. People who are properly and frequently trained feel more valued and safer in their organization. Training means they will be able to do their job more efficiently and productively, and potentially with less conflicts within their team or across the organization. People who are trained know that the organization cares and provides adequate resources for them to use. They feel supported. They are motivated and eager to try for more. They are ready to put extra effort in their job.

Will organizations get ROI from their ITSM investment? Eventually, yes. Any organization will see some positive impact. But if they want to maximize results, accelerate return and achieve more in a shorter period of time, then they have to integrate training plans in their operations. It’s a rather small, parallel investment, which can prove catalyst for the ITSM project’s overall success.