4 steps to choose the right ITSM solution

Of Marina Kirkegaard
February 1, 2023
Reading time: 7 minutes

4 steps to choose the right ITSM solution

The challenge of choosing a new ITSM solution

One of the biggest challenges when choosing a new ITSM solution is that the market is not transparent, and it is indeed very difficult to compare the different solutions offered on the market. In a way, it can be compared to the situation when you are on a foggy road with poor visibility. You're on your way somewhere, but you're having trouble navigating the road and you're not sure where you're going.

That's because, on the surface, many ITSM solutions look similar, and most vendors promise many capabilities and use many of the same words for their solutions. Contributing to this is ITIL, which stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library, and the associated standardization of terminology, which means that a common language has been obtained for how to operate IT efficiently in interaction with ITSM systems.

Read our blog post about ITIL here.

Many ITSM solutions support few or many ITIL processes as standard, but in addition there are other factors that come into play when you need to find the right ITSM solution. It is important to emphasize that two different ITSM solutions that support the same ITIL needs do not necessarily do so in the same way in practice. Therefore, it can be difficult to evaluate the different ITSM solutions, which on paper cover the same needs, but which in practice will be experienced very differently.

We also see today two different needs in connection with the selection of a new ITSM solution. There are some who prefer to implement a solution that can be adapted to the unique needs. And there are others who prefer to compromise with the solution, in order to gain value in the short term. This is important to consider during the process, as this affects the way you will work with your ITSM system.

In this blog post, we have collected 4 steps that we believe are necessary to review and consider in your process towards finding the right ITSM solution that covers your needs and wishes. You will, among other things, find out what differentiates solutions at different levels and what advantages you get from the different choices.

4 steps to choose the right ITSM solution

1. Consultant vs. The do-it-yourself method

When you have to start your journey with finding your new ITSM solution, there are at least two paths you can take. We can call the first the consulting route, where you hire a consultant to help you find the right solution. A consultant can provide valuable support and contribute to helping you identify the possible ITSM solutions on the market, based on your information and wishes.

We sometimes experience that it can be a costly solution to choose to go the consulting route and that the result does not always end up finding the right solution. The challenge can i.a. be that the consultant chooses the best from their experience, but that this is not the best choice for you.

Instead of hiring an ITSM consultant, you can form a larger overview of the ITSM market yourself. In this way, you control the process yourself, and you have the opportunity to examine the market based on your project plan. It can be a big task because it can be difficult to approach systematically and this can be difficult to get done in a busy working day. Another risk in this context is that you might only talk to a certain part of the market and thus miss the potentially good solutions out there. This means that you may not get to evaluate a representative section of the market, but due to time pressure you end up going with the first and best choice, based on your gut feeling or whoever just happened to be there.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods, but the most important thing is that you make a choice and think about the market. A small tip is that there are a large number of good analysis companies that come up with different offers on what the leading solutions are in the market. This is, for example, Gartner, IDC and Forrester, all of which offer different types of analysis of the ITSM market to assess the best and leading players who are paving the way in ITSM.

Here in the Nordics, Gartner in particular has received good recognition and with their analysis of the ITSM market, and the associated magic quadrant, it can be a simple and quick way to form an impression of the top of the market based on a number of different criteria. This can be inspiring reading and provide important insights for you, both if you choose to use consultancy assistance or the "we do it ourselves" method. If you use Gartner (or one of the others), remember to read the entire report, as there is often a deeper analysis of the individual supplier, and the report also reviews the actors' strengths and weaknesses, as well as what you should be aware of about the various actors.

2. Platform vs. Application?

ITSM solutions can often imply that they cover the same needs, but in practice it turns out that ITSM solutions are very different. Here, in the earlier phase, it may be relevant to assess whether you need one for a platform solution or an application. The way of defining solutions is not an official term, but based on our own experience and knowledge.

With a platform solution, you will achieve a large degree of freedom to build an ITSM solution that fits specifically your wishes and needs. It typically also contains a certain complexity and is a good toolbox with many options for creating a unique solution that you can grow with and develop over time. The result is thus created on the basis of the effort you make, because it is important to emphasize that it requires a certain amount of effort to reach the goal of using a platform solution. As a rule, platforms also contain strong possibilities for automations, integrations and often almost unimagined possibilities. It can therefore be an advantage to choose a platform if you have a certain level of maturity and thus described and documented processes. At the same time, the platform solution is interesting if you yourself have a desire to adapt the solution rather than changing the way you work today.

If, on the other hand, you do not yet have defined processes, an ITSM solution built as an application might be a better choice. With an application, there is a short path to value, and it creates opportunities for your organization, without requiring expert knowledge or consulting assistance to develop the solution. At the same time, there is also the freedom to choose between a few options, which have low complexity, and there is always a result, almost no matter what. Here, however, you may have to compromise with your work processes, as several solutions do not have the option of configuring your own processes.

We offer both ITSM solutions which are platforms and applications. If you are interested in seeing our various solutions, you can read more about the ITSM solutions will offer here.

3. Be sure of your supplier

When you have decided whether you need a platform or an application, you have already come further in relation to the options and solutions available on the ITSM market. You have thus also reached the point in the process where you begin to have direct contact with potential suppliers about a possible match between you and their ITSM solution.

It is really important to choose your future supplier carefully. Through our work with IT & Enterprise Service Management for the last 8 years, we find that suppliers work with short-term time horizons and their first priority is only to get new customers on board.

Therefore, the first thing you need to do is get references or customer cases on their current customers and previous customers. It is important to get an insight into how the supplier collaborates with their customers and who they recommend, in order to investigate whether their experience matches your project and implementation.

The second thing you must do in the dialogue with a potential supplier is to make demands on them and the supplier contract. Our experience shows that contacts on an ITSM solution can be associated with a certain uncertainty and lack of transparency. Therefore, you should have the contract thoroughly worked out with the supplier, so that you agree with any price changes that occur in the future and understand the contract.

At the same time, the most important thing you can do in this situation is to do your research on your future supplier. That way, you are sure to choose a business partner who prioritizes good and honest cooperation, and where you can achieve your vision and goals together.

4. Test the ITSM solution

It is an advantage to test the ITSM solution before you give acceptance and sign a contract with a possible supplier. We have experienced several times that our current customers have previously been in dialogue with suppliers who have promised them specific processes in the initial conversation. But it has become apparent later in the process with, among other things, the technical consultants that the specific desired processes are no longer an option.

Therefore, our recommendation is that you spend time testing the ITSM solution to investigate whether your requirements and wishes can be fulfilled. The most important thing is that you end up choosing an ITSM solution that can support your important business processes and thus also your entire organization.

We hope the above can help you on your journey towards finding the right ITSM solution for your organisation. If you at least consider our 4 steps, then you have already come a long way in the process.

At Clever Choice, we are always ready to discuss your wishes. We offer several IT & Enterprise Service Management solutions because we want to ensure that we find the right solution that matches your needs. For example, you can choose Freshservice which is an IT Service Management solution aimed at those who want a modern and intuitive solution.

Would you like to try one of our ITSM solutions?

An ITSM solution is like a picture and more than 1,000 words cannot describe how an ITSM solution is experienced. Here you have the opportunity to get an ITSM demo and thus a better knowledge of the various solutions we offer in Clever Choice

Let us help you

We are experts in IT & Enterprise Service Management, and we meet our customers at eye level. We believe in a good relationship, where an open dialogue is the way forward to a successful collaboration.

Our focus is on top-shelf solutions, which we know have a good balance between diet and value.