By Xcession

A new wave of lower cost, high-performance ITSM solutions has emerged just as many enterprises make the shift to remote or hybrid working, making this the optimum time for a major rethink.

Solutions provided by next-generation vendors are capable of delivering 80 per cent of the functionality of the big names in the ITSM market, but at only 20 per cent of the cost. This could not have come at a better time, as the explosion in hybrid working imposes new burdens on IT, who must deal with more extended infrastructure and the demand for greater integration of systems with supply chain partners.

For years, enterprises have failed to use much of the ITSM functionality they buy in expensive software from well-known vendors. It’s time for organisations to reassess what they need so they can take advantage of leaner solutions that provide what they really need (and are far better at integration) at a fraction of the cost of the well-known logos.

Ease of integration with the systems of potentially thousands of suppliers and partners should be a high priority because organisational agility depend on it. The new breed of platforms have pre-packaged integrations that make it easy for IT to on-board and off-board partners, suppliers and outsourcers quickly.

Effectively implemented, such integrations allow tickets relating to printer interfaces or server provisioning to pass swiftly between different organisations in the supply chain, much as the baton is passed between members of a winning relay team. It is also much easier to add on functionality for HR, facilities or legal.

One of the other major advantages of newer ITSM software is speed of implementation. In a matter of months, vendor-agnostic implementers can knit together new solutions providing a customised platform that fits the desired purpose, compared with the two or three years it takes to achieve full implementation using bigger box solutions.

Prices are lower with the newer vendors because they often have different, more flexible and user-friendly pricing models. Others among the newer providers spend little on sales and marketing. A vendor such as 4me, for example, uses the network effect to expand its customer base, rather than ramping up fees or investing in big marketing campaigns.

It is worth pointing out that many of the newer companies have already outstanding track records, recognised by global technology consultancy Gartner¹. Many of the newer vendors are high up the list for customer choice, as revealed in testimonials.

Choosing from such a wide field of new ITSM software providers may seem difficult, however. The best approach is to seek the expert help of completely independent implementers who are not involved in sales-driven contractual arrangements with vendors. This is more likely to provide the best fit and to be quick.

Experience is also important in implementation. Enterprises that require enhanced employee self-service functionality or automation in their ITSM platform, for example, can easily run into difficulties with data management, or find they run into unexpected cultural barriers. An experienced implementer will sort out such problems before they develop.

It is never easy to push for a new solution from a less well-known vendor when the boardroom is cautious. Yet enterprises cannot ignore the fact they may be paying much more than they need for solutions that are either overladen with functionality or fall short of requirements in the changed world of cloud-based remote working.

It is time for enterprises to think hard about new approaches in ITSM that will save them large amounts of money and provide much more agile and durable solutions.