Agile organizations use IT Service Management (ITSM) to manage the delivery of IT services across departments. An organization may utilize different ITSM processes based on their needs and business goals. However, some ITSM processes are more commonly used than others.

Exploring the Core ITSM Processes

In order to help expand the way you use ITSM, we’ve put together descriptions of some of the most widely implemented ITSM processes that are commonly used across industries.

Service Request Management

Service request management happens when a user submits a request for something new, this might include requesting access to an IT service, new technology, or information. The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) determines what a service request is.

Why it matters: Service request management allows employees to request the right resources to help them do their best work. Learn more about service request management and how to standardize the process in our dedicated blog article. 

Knowledge Management

Knowledge management is the process of creating, sharing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of your organization. The goal of knowledge management, according to ITIL, is to “ensure that stakeholders get the right information, in the proper format, at the right level, and at the correct time.”

The knowledge base is the foundation of knowledge management, represented by a self-serve online, accessible library of information about a product, service, or topic.

Why it matters: Knowledge management helps IT teams keep up with the broad range of technologies and procedures needed to effectively support your organization, as well as supporting other ITSM processes by making key information more accessible and reducing repeat requests.

IT Asset Management

IT Asset Management helps ensure your organization’s assets are accounted for, deployed, maintained, upgraded, and properly disposed of. This ITSM process helps your business account for tangible and intangible items within your organization and track what is being used.

Why it matters: IT Asset Management helps you determine what resources are most important to your organization and can also help you remove certain assets that are no longer useful.

Configuration Management

Configuration management involves tracking and maintaining information about components such as hardware, software, systems, and networks which make up your IT services. These different components are known as configuration items,  or CIs. The relationships between them, and their configurations, are stored in a Configuration Management Database (CMDB) throughout their lifecycle.

Why it matters: Understanding how services and systems are connected helps teams troubleshoot issues effectively and supports smarter decision-making around upgrades and changes. Configuration management is a critical part of effective ITSM processes.

Incident Management

Incident management is a set process for responding to an unplanned event or service interruption that accompanies a plan for restoring service to its operational state. This process would include software services that are vital to your organization’s daily operations.

Why it matters: Having a well defined ITSM incident management process helps reduce downtime and ensures a quick recovery. It’s important to have these plans in place as even a small software service outage can cost your business time and money. 

Problem Management

Problem management involves identifying and managing the causes of IT service incidents. The goal of problem management is not only to find and fix incidents, but also identify and understand their underlying causes so that these incidents don’t happen again.

Why it matters: Problem management helps your organization eliminate the root cause of IT service problems and helps free up your team’s time to focus on more profitable work, as well as supporting the long term improvements across ITSM processes.

Change Management

Change management involves establishing standard procedures for changes in IT infrastructure. Possible changes include rolling out new services or managing updates to existing services. This process helps minimize disruptions while making changes or updates to critical systems.

Why it matters: Change management goes hand-in-hand with risk management to help ensure that changes to your IT infrastructure and software happen as smoothly as possible.

Release Management

Release management includes the process of planning, scheduling, and deploying software changes into production environments including new features, bug fixes, or configuration updates.

Why it matters: A clear release process ensures updates are delivered smoothly, with minimal disruption. It also supports the change management processes by coordinating deployment activities and reducing the risk of downtime, supporting service reliability.

Security Management 

Security management focuses on protecting IT services from threats like data breaches, malware, or leaks. It involves setting security policies, monitoring activity, and responding quickly when incidents occur. The aim of security management is to keep your business protected while not affecting efficiency. 

Why it matters: When a threat is detected, a well-defined ITSM incident management process helps your team act quickly to contain it while limiting damage. 

Disaster Recovery Management

Disaster recovery aims to restore IT services after major disruptions like cyberattacks, system failures, or natural disasters. It includes both planning and response, with clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and recovery steps.

Why it matters: Having a disaster recovery plan is essential for reducing downtime and maintaining business continuity. It’s an important extension of your ITSM processes, especially when dealing with critical infrastructure or high-availability services.

Why Should You Consider This Integration?

Integrating platforms like Jira Service Management into your ITSM processes can streamline communication, automate workflows, and give your teams a single source of truth. This is especially useful when managing complex requests, changes, and incidents.

This is important as tool integration reduces manual work for teams, as well as improving visibility and supporting faster issue resolution. It also allows your organization to scale its ITSM incident management process and ITSM change management process without adding unnecessary overhead.

How Atlassian Supports ITSM Processes

Jira Service Management is a popular software application from Atlassian that supports the major ITSM management processes outlined above. The ITIL-certified service desk software’s purpose is to help unite your development, IT, and business teams. In addition, there are some additional tools that can make implementing ITSM in your organization even easier. 

Adopting the Right ITSM Processes

You don’t need to adopt all of the available ITSM tools and processes for your organization right away, instead, determine what processes best align with your IT goals and start there.

Reach out for insights on how our team can help organize your ITSM processes with the tools that make the most sense for your organization.

CONTACT US

FAQs:

What are the 5 Stages of ITSM? 

The 5 stages of ITSM, based on the ITIL framework, represent the lifecycle of managing IT services. They include Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement. These stages create a structured, responsive approach to managing IT. 

What is the Difference Between ITSM and ITIL?

ITSM refers to how an organization manages its IT services to meet business needs, whereas ITIL is a specific framework of best practices used to implement ITSM processes. Think of ITSM as the what, and ITIL as the how.

What is an ITSM Workflow?

An ITSM workflow is a step-by-step sequence used to manage service requests, incidents, problems, or changes. It defines how work moves from the initial report to resolution.