Customers Want Business Services from IT


Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) embodies the idea that the IT department is a service organization, delivering IT services to the business. As such, IT should be focused on creating and delivering IT services that are defined in business terms.

For too long, IT has expected the business to learn technical language. This has led to unintended consequences, such as having business decision makers emotionally tied to specific technologies and micromanaging of IT by the business. Refocusing the IT department’s efforts around delivery of technology services to the business can counter some of these unintended consequences. When communicating outside of IT, customer or end-user focused terminology should always be used.

Customers should not be required to concern themselves about one vender’s technology versus another’s. They should be free to care about technology services with the features and the quality that the business requires to drive revenue and profits, at a cost that is acceptable to the business.

Crisp and clear understanding of an organization’s mission is important to ensure that the organization performs efficiently, effectively, and consistently. Recognition that IT is a services organization that only exists to support the business in its revenue generating activities places natural boundaries around the organization’s activities and focuses those activities in a direction that maximizes value for the business. ITSM assumes that the mission of IT shares similar mission characteristics that are common to all services organizations.

When an organization claims that it adheres to ITSM principles, it is stating that IT is being professionally managed as a business for the business. IT is expected to be a mature, business focused, strategic partner for the business organization it supports.

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