Sascha Giese, Global Tech Evangelist, Observability at SolarWinds, has penned a superb op-ed that outlines how a combination of automation, self-service and SLAs are elevating IT service management as a critical function in today’s constantly evolving digital world.
In today’s fast-moving digital world, IT is no longer a back-office function—it’s the backbone of every organisation. Think about the last banking transaction you made, the last flight ticket you booked, or the winter jacket you considered buying.
There’s a high chance each was transacted online in a few taps, clicks, or swipes. Today, in many ways, every company is a technology company. However, with this reliance on IT comes a rising tide of service requests, each vying for attention.
SolarWinds State of ITSM Report reveals an average organisation handles around 750 incidents monthly, with resolution times hovering at approximately 21 hours per ticket. That translates to a significant chunk of IT resources dedicated to incident management. The instinct might be to increase headcount to solve the problem, but this isn’t a sustainable solution. It is costly and challenging in regions such as the Middle East, with a shortage of skilled IT professionals.
Instead, fundamental transformation comes from a smarter approach, integrating the right technologies and refining processes through service-level agreement (SLA) management. This isn’t just about cutting ticket resolution times. It’s about recognising IT service management (ITSM) as a critical function, then reimagining it to deliver sustainable benefits: lower costs, reduced dependency on large teams, and a better user experience through empowerment and efficiency.
So, if hiring more agents isn’t the answer, what is? The key lies in leveraging a combination of strategies to elevate ITSM as a proactive and efficient function.
Accelerate With Automation
Automation is one of the most powerful tools in this transformation. By automating repetitive tasks within ITSM workflows, organisations can significantly reduce manual effort and streamline operations. The data shows that automation saves an average of three hours per ticket. Beyond speeding up resolutions, automation enhances scalability, enabling teams to handle growing workloads without compromising quality. Importantly, it allows IT professionals to shift their focus from time-consuming manual tasks to strategic initiatives that create long-term value for the business.
Streamline With Self-Service
Another game-changer is the use of self-service portals. These platforms empower employees to resolve many common issues independently, bypassing the need to raise a ticket. This reduces ticket volumes and results in faster resolutions, as users no longer need to wait in a queue.
Tickets are frequently created in incorrect queues, meaning agents must reassign them, wasting more time. Intelligent automation in a proper self-service solution will identify keywords in real time, suggest the correct queue, and change the user interface to something appropriate.
Self-service portals work best when they’re intuitive and supported by robust knowledge bases. Knowledge management is the often-overlooked hero of an effective ITSM strategy. When users can access clear, concise, and actionable information, they’re more likely to find solutions independently. Research highlights that organisations using knowledge-base articles see incidents resolved an average of six hours faster than those that don’t—the secret lies in keeping this content relevant and easy to access. A well-curated knowledge base reduces the burden on IT teams, creating a win-win scenario.
Stay Accountable With SLAs
SLAs tie all these efforts together, setting clear expectations for performance and helping ensure accountability. They aren’t just a metric for monitoring resolution times—they’re a foundation for trust. When IT teams consistently meet their SLAs, they reinforce customer confidence and create room for continuous improvement. Each success becomes a stepping stone toward new benchmarks, whether faster response times or greater operational efficiencies.
Stronger Together
What’s particularly striking is how these strategies work together. Automation, self-service, knowledge management, and SLAs don’t exist in silos. Their combined effect amplifies the benefits of each component. Automation reduces the time spent on repetitive tasks, freeing up resources for complex issues. Self-service empowers users, reducing the overall load on IT teams.
Knowledge management bridges the gap by equipping users and agents with the information they need to resolve problems efficiently. SLAs provide a framework for keeping the entire system aligned with organisational goals.
These elements transform ITSM into a proactive, agile, and user-centric function. This isn’t just about improving resolution times or reducing costs—it’s about rethinking the role of IT service management in driving business success.
Changing Conventional Thinking
Traditionally, many organisations have believed that increasing headcount is the quickest path to better ITSM outcomes. But the data tells a different story. There’s no clear correlation between the size of a service desk team and ticket resolution times. What truly makes a difference is a holistic strategy that combines people, processes, and technology in the right way.
Ultimately, the goal isn’t to fix tickets faster. It’s to create an ITSM framework that supports innovation, empowers employees, and enhances the overall user experience. When automation, self-service, knowledge management, and SLAs unite harmoniously, they unlock efficiency and effectiveness benefitting organisations and people.
In a perfect world, an ITSM solution finds its place in departments other than IT, transforming from ITSM to general service management. This is where fine-tuned processes will enhance efficiency for the entire business.
Think of purchasing and approval processes, permission management, or onboarding new hires. Automation helps in these fields, too, and the IT team can increase its value for the complete organisation. By embracing such a forward-thinking approach to ITSM, organisations can stay ahead of the curve and ensure their IT functions remain a support system and a driver of business success.
