It’s no secret –– we live in an era of rapid tech evolution. Advanced tech is a good thing, but the changing landscape demands constant agility from IT professionals and MSPs. The good news is that innovative IT technology and customer service portals can help your support technicians streamline operations and boost your ROI.
When you’re proactively planning for the future of your ITSM, it’s helpful to take a step back and look at the big picture of how far the industry has come and the possibilities for the road ahead. Read on to learn about the latest in ITSM software and how the right platform can accelerate your business efforts.
The Evolution of ITSM
The Ghost of Help Desk’s Past: If you were around back in the day (cue the 80s music), you remember how different the old-school service desk was compared to today’s cloud-based service options. The speed of resolution was slower, and support requests came in through phone calls or in-person. Additionally, there weren’t dependable ways for customers to track their tickets.
Times are changing and indeed for the better. We’ve seen how rapidly ITSM software and automation tools have swooped in to eradicate old-school pain points.
The Introduction of SaaS: The emergence of the SaaS model heavily impacted the ITSM space in a significant way. The cloud-based SaaS model provides the option for IT organizations to bypass the hosting or managing of their own systems. Instead, they can rely on the cloud to help them execute important initiatives for customers.
Rise of Omnichannel & Online Portals: Customers don’t just make phone calls anymore. They expect to seamlessly interact with support teams across multiple communication lines. According to CX Today, nine out of 10 of consumers want an omnichannel experience with seamless service between communication methods. And Microsoft research indicates that up to 90% of consumers expect companies to have an online portal for customer service.
Your customers will want to reach you via email, chat, video call, phone and customer service portals, so it’s wise to adopt the right ITSM software to offer your clients various channels to reach your support techs and service reps.
Automation: IT automation tools and AI burst into our lives like rays of helpful, problem-solving sunshine, and they show no signs of disappearing.
Automation helps your teams by taking on the lion’s share of repetitive tasks so your support engineers can focus on solving customer problems and closing tickets. With faster ticket resolutions, you’ll improve your CX and enhance your brand reputation, therefore attracting new customers and driving higher retention rates. That keeps more revenue in the business and leaves your customers satisfied.
Drive Positive Business Outcomes With ITSM Software
In order to keep up with the ever-evolving world of IT tech, you’ll need the right service portal in your arsenal. Here are some of the ways that ITSM software helps streamline operations and boosts your business performance.
- IT Automation Tools: Automation is a must for your ITSM platform. As we mentioned earlier, automation tools help your team close tickets faster, organize your support workflows and prioritize urgent issues.
- Customer Service Portal: Find a solution with client portal features that offer customers easy access to communication channels and insights via chat, email notifications, status updates and ticket tracking.
- Integrations: Look for an ITSM tool that offers flexible integrations with important platforms like your LMS, CRM and PSAs such as ConnectWise and Autotask, etc. This will make it easier for your teams and customers to accomplish more without operating across siloed applications.
- Consolidation & Standardization: The right ITSM software will make your support technician’s life ten times simpler. Triage tickets, manage a live chat and execute critical tasks all at once. You can also automate specific tasks, workflows and approvals.
No Fear of Future With The ULTIMATE Customer Success Portal
Following such a year of upheaval and massive migration to remote offices, big changes are in store for IT professionals, and the trends are becoming apparent. Firstly, the emphasis on customer experience will continue to play a pivotal role in the future of ITSM.
Another momentum-building trend is the hyper-focus on enterprise service management. In light of this, IT teams will need the tech capable of supporting large customer demands. And finally, AI, automation and machine learning will continue to develop and increase efficiency.
Fortunately, you can face the future with confidence with advanced ITSM software that's flexible and proactive, ready to adapt to your needs based on changing trends and technology. See for yourself by signing up for a free 14-day trial of DeskDirector.
