IT service management (ITSM) should actually help to structure IT operations, right? Would you like to simplify ITSM and end the process madness? Instead, you experience endless tickets, chaos with approvals and a jumble of tools that nobody can see through. Sound familiar? Then you're not alone! According to a ManageEngine study (2023), 78 % of IT managers say: Our ITSM processes are too complex.

Let's crack the problem together and Simplify ITSM! Find out why complicated ITSM is damaging your business and how you can regain control with 5 simple hacks.

Why complicated ITSM is a real business killer

ITIL, COBIT & Co. promise structure, but often lead to absurd scenarios - which is precisely where the opportunity lies, Simplify ITSM:

  • Too much theory: 26 ITIL processes? Nice to have, but nobody really needs all of them.
  • Tool proliferation: Jira, ServiceNow, Slack, e-mail - and where is the ticket again?
  • Bureaucratic hurdles: A permit for every little thing? Feels like tax office 2.0.
  • Standard solutions that don't fit: ITSM tools are often like one-size-fits-all clothing - they don't fit anyone perfectly.

Imagine your e-commerce business is about to undergo a major relaunch. Your team has been working on the new platform for months, marketing has launched campaigns - everything is ready. But then things come to a standstill: a ticket for an important server release is stuck somewhere in the system.

Nobody knows who has to approve it. The ITSM tool shows it as "in progress", but no one is responsible. The result? The launch is delayed, the traffic is lost and you lose sales. Completely unnecessary!

The hidden costs of complicated ITSM

Inefficient ITSM not only costs nerves, but also a lot of money. With the goal, Simplify ITSMyou can significantly reduce these hidden costs:

Time and money wasters

Gartner says: IT teams with inefficient processes need 30 % more time for standard tasks. Sounds harmless? Extrapolated over a year, that's thousands of euros!

At an energy supplier with thousands of end devices, security updates need to be approved. Each escalation takes days - in the meantime, outdated software versions pile up while IT staff spend hours emailing back and forth to find out who can approve the ticket. This leads to security risks and rising operating costs.

Burnout in IT

65 % of IT teams in complex ITSM environments are stressed. High stress = high fluctuation. (Source: ServiceNow)

IT processes are directly related to critical processes, but the IT team is suffocating in approval loops - every small software adjustment requires approvals from several departments. This means that stakeholders wait longer for urgently needed digital tools. IT employees come under pressure and, in the worst case scenario, switch to an employer where processes simply run smoothly.

Innovation on the brakes

IDC shows: Companies with optimized ITSM bring innovations to market 50 % faster.

A logistics company wanted to introduce a new system for automated route planning. However, the existing ITSM system was so inflexible that each integration took months. In the meantime, the competition launched their own automation - and secured important market shares.

Dissatisfied customers

72 % of users expect IT problems to be solved within an hour, according to Zendesk.

Do you know Black Friday? Think about it: when a major retailer has a massive checkout outage during Black Friday sales, customers abandon the checkout process. The problem? Incident management is so confusing that no one knows where the fault lies. Customers can't pay and switch to the competition. The IT team only finds the bug hours later - too late to compensate for the loss of sales.

High risk

Slow processes = security risk. Compliance breaches, data leaks, etc. become more likely.

Imagine a bank misses critical security patches because the ITSM system has no automatic escalation for outdated tickets. Hackers exploit the vulnerability and 250,000 customer records are leaked. The penalties? Six-figure sums and massive reputational damage. And customers flee to the competition.

5 ITSM hacks that simplify your ITSM

You don't need a radical ITSM reboot.

Simplify ITSM is simple. With these 5 hacks, you'll succeed:

1. change ITSM step by step

Why? Small steps = quick success.

How?

  1. Start with the most important processes (e.g. incident management).
  2. Do a maturity level analysis - what is your biggest problem?
  3. Think about which steps are missing, which are too many.

2. automate the time wasters

Why? Reduces errors & saves hours of manual work.

How?

  • Automatically route tickets according to type and urgency.
  • Use chatbots for standard requests (password reset & co.).
  • Automate approvals with workflows.

3. consolidate ITSM tools

Why? Fewer silos, more transparency.

How?

  1. Use an integrated ITSM suite or connect tools via API.
  2. Rely on dashboards with real-time insights.

4. adapt processes to the business

Why? Customized ITSM processes are more efficient than rigid standard solutions.

How?

  • Involve IT teams and specialist departments in process design.
  • Allow low-risk changes without time-consuming approvals.
  • Create customizable templates for faster editing.

5. continuously improve ITSM

Why? If you don't optimize, you fall behind.

How?

  1. Hold regular ITSM review meetings.
  2. Optimize processes after incidents and learn from them.
  3. Celebrate small successes to keep motivation high in the team.

Simplify ITSM - get started now!

ITSM can be a turbo for your business, but only if it runs efficiently. With small optimizations, automation, integrated tools and a "keep it simple" mentality, you can turn process chaos into a real competitive advantage. Start now to simplify ITSM and give your company the momentum it needs!