Let’s talk about ITSM tool use in education. It’s no secret IT service management (ITSM) and ITSM tools can help companies and businesses streamline efficiencies, cut down on costs, and improve customer satisfaction. But can it help schools? Today, many educational entities are embracing ITSM, or the process and technology used to plan, deliver, and support IT services, at a rapid rate – and for good reason.
Take the average college or university, for example. During any given year, there are thousands of students enrolled, and these students need help with everything from configuring the Wi-Fi to resetting their campus password. Along with students, faculty, staff, and alums also need assistance with things like booking rooms, renting equipment, and troubleshooting issues.
This article via @TOPdesk looks at five ways #ITSM, enabled by an ITSM tool, can help educational institutions – from primary schools to universities. Click To TweetAccessing such services could mean a phone call, an email, or an in-person visit to the relevant department. Or it could be as simple as registering a ticket in an easy-to-navigate self-service portal.
But it’s not just higher education institutions embracing ITSM. Many secondary schools or multi-academy trusts are finding value in the performance, reliability, and improved efficiency ITSM can help provide. Millfield School, for example, implemented ITSM to improve communication across sites and between departments significantly.
What is ITSM, and how does it work?
ITSM is the process of designing, delivering, managing, and improving the IT services an organization provides to its end-users. For example, instead of a student having to email or call the IT department for help with configuring the Wi-Fi or a professor making a special trip to the departmental office to rent a lecture hall, they simply log into their self-service portal, fill out a request, and go about their day.
Here are five ways ITSM, enabled by an ITSM tool, can help educational institutions – from primary schools to universities.
1. Reduced operational costs and improved efficiency via an ITSM tool
ITSM tools help streamline problem resolution. As a result, your helpdesk team will spend less time on each service request, and the end-users will be back up and running faster. ITSM insights can also help identify which resources are not being used efficiently. For example, is there technology that isn’t being used because it’s outdated? Are certain rooms constantly requested because they house the latest equipment and connectivity? A good ITSM tool can help you identify ways to streamline and update your school’s resources.
2. Increased staff and student productivity
With the right system, an ITSM tool – especially one with self-service capabilities – can help shorten resolution wait times. Leaving IT resources more available when your end-users need them. With self-service, students will no longer need to make an appointment to resolve a housing issue, and professors will not need to trek across campus to reserve a specific lecture hall. Requests like these can be resolved quickly through a web interface. This capability can also help staff with similar needs.
3. Improved customer experience with an ITSM tool
When students, staff, or faculty visit the IT service desk, they expect to receive knowledgeable help to solve their issue(s) quickly so they can continue their day without delay. One of the benefits of implementing ITSM is that it allows the service desk to feed known issues into a knowledge base for future use. If the issue occurs to another end-user, they can help solve it immediately.
Once an issue has been solved, automation can make it simpler to obtain opinions, feedback, and suggested process changes. Instead of lengthy conversations to garner feedback, automation can send a short survey after each interaction that helps managers understand which areas can be streamlined and which processes may be overly cumbersome.
4. Better visibility
Your ITSM tool should provide clear reports and key performance indicators (KPIs) to help you understand where your team’s time is being spent and where they may need extra assistance. Utilizing automation can provide insight into where workflows might need to be adjusted, which tasks might be time-consuming, and which tasks could be moved to self-service.
5. Collaboration across departments via an ITSM tool
ITSM tools allow several departments in your school to work in a single tool, making it easier to share tasks and important knowledge. With all your departments on the same page, your services will become easier to operate and manage. And your end-users? They’ll be grateful they can turn to a single point of contact (SPOC) with their questions.
With fewer repetitive tasks, simpler administration, and improved execution of self-serve capabilities, implementing ITSM and an ITSM tool can provide relief to an overworked service desk and help your team stay on track. Allowing educational institutions of all sizes to provide the best IT experience for their students, faculty, and staff.
Hannah Price
As a Service Management Consultant at TOPdesk, Hannah helps numerous organisations in the UK and beyond implement software and design and optimize service processes. She’s a regular presenter and speaker at industry events and a keen blogger.
