Build an ITSM Tool Implementation Plan
Plan ahead with a step-by-step approach to ensure the tool delivers business value.
- Selecting the Wrong Resources: You need ITSM technology and process experts, because this is not just a technology project, but also a process improvement opportunity.
- Over-Reliance on the Vendor to Optimize Your Tool: Yes, the vendor will typically install and set up the tool, but they will not fix your processes for you.
- Not Preparing for Data Migration: Data migration is complex. You need to determine what data to migrate, if any, and how that data will be mapped to the new environment.
- Insufficient IT and End-User Training: A link to the ITSM tool manual is not enough. Staff and users need training on how your processes will be executed in the new tool.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Start with the assumption you don’t need to migrate old data.
- ITSM tools are designed to support ITIL best practices.
- Implement your new tool in stages to manage scope.
Impact and Result
- Ability to plan and scope the project to avoid or reduce last-minute chaos.
- Opportunity to review and optimize processes as part of the ITSM tool implementation project.
- Improved project management, and therefore, better cost and effort estimates, by identifying required tasks upfront.
Member Testimonials
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
8.0/10
Overall Impact
$9,893
Average $ Saved
8
Average Days Saved
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick
Guided Implementation
8/10
N/A
N/A
Thanks, The Blueprint give us a big picture of the work ahead and I appreciate the checklist that will help us to plan our implementation.
Veterans United Home Loans
Workshop
6/10
N/A
N/A
Overall, we thought the engagement went very well. The content was good. Joe knew the material and did a good job facilitating the content. There w... Read More
Clear Channel International Ltd.
Guided Implementation
9/10
$16,400
10
Clear Channel International Ltd.
Guided Implementation
8/10
$3,280
5
County Of Wellington
Guided Implementation
9/10
$10,000
10
Alabama Department of Environmental Management
Guided Implementation
2/10
N/A
N/A
Town Of Marana
Guided Implementation
9/10
$68,177
47
Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
N/A
Dakota County Government Center
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
4
Build an ITSM Tool Implementation Plan
Plan ahead with a step-by-step approach to ensure the tool delivers business value.
EXECUTIVE BRIEF
Analyst perspective
Take control of the wheel or you might end up in a ditch.
An ITSM tool implementation is a complex project with direct impact on IT’s ability to support the business. With that level of risk, you need to take control early on.
Yes, your vendor will support or execute the technical implementation, but they depend on you to tell them how to configure ITSM parameters and workflows that affect user interface, the ability to manage incidents, and governance over assets and IT changes.
If you leave the configuration completely to the vendor, at best you might get the same setup as in your old tool (and not realize the benefits that leadership is expecting). At worst you end up with default values that don’t fit your process needs, i.e., confusion and not realizing expected benefits.
A successful implementation requires early planning from a wide range of resources including ITSM tool experts (supported by the vendor), process experts, and a project manager to methodically step through the hundreds of parameters you will need to define before implementation.
Frank Trovato
Research Director, Infrastructure and Operations
Info-Tech Research Group
Executive Summary
|
Your Challenge |
Common Obstacles |
Info-Tech’s Approach |
|
Leadership has invested significantly in a new ITSM tool and expects to see the benefits they were promised by the vendor and the procurement team. The ITSM project team needs to balance leadership expectations with the direct impact this project will have on IT staff and end users. |
Implementing an ITSM tool is a large project that is often highly complex in part because it requires input from a wide range of stakeholders: IT staff, end users, senior management, and vendors. A new ITSM tool will change how IT staff work and how users are serviced, and change is always difficult. Finally, implementing the new tool requires a migration from an existing tool without a pause in IT service availability. Incidents don’t take a week off while you execute the final product rollout. |
There may be hundreds of parameters to define and decisions to make, so identifying the full list of tasks early is critical to:
|
Info-Tech Insight
As with any large project, a key step is tackling it one bite at a time – but also understanding the size of the whole meal. This is where organizations often fail with ITSM implementations: not understanding upfront the volume of work required for a successful implementation.
Your Challenge
Organizations implementing a new ITSM tool often face these pitfalls:
- Selecting the Wrong Resources: You need ITSM technology and process experts, because this is not just a technology project but also a process improvement opportunity. You will need to configure ITSM parameters and workflows in the new tool – which directly affects processes. Take advantage of that opportunity to fix pain points. For example, if your existing ticket categories are not effective, implement a better categorization scheme rather than just configure the same old, ineffective scheme.
- Over-Reliance on the Vendor to Optimize Your Tool: Yes, the vendor will typically install and set up the tool but they will not fix your processes for you. On installation day, if you are not prepared with the categories, ticket templates, and so on that you wish to configure, your vendor will just go with the default or migrate your old parameters from your old ITSM tool.
- Not Preparing for Data Migration: Data migration is complex. You need to determine what data to migrate, if any, and how that data will be mapped to the new environment. That takes planning and must be defined well before the vendor is ready to implement your tool.
- Insufficient IT and End-User Training: A link to the ITSM tool manual is not enough. Staff and users need training on how your processes will be executed in the new tool.
A survey of implementation challenges for ServiceNow’s customers
26% Resistance to change
43% Lacked a clear roadmap
38% Planning for resources
Source: Acorio, 2019
Info-Tech’s approach
Divide the implementation project into controllable phases for an effective implementation.
|
Plan |
Define the scope of your project, identify and get buy-in from your stakeholders, and establish a timeframe for the implementation. |
|---|---|
|
Design & Build |
Identify existing process challenges and design workflows and ticket management to improve processes. Make decisions on data migrations and integrations for your new tool. |
|
Deploy & Train |
Create a rollout plan and communicate changes and improvements to users. Plan for the new tool deployment and monitor your solution. |
STOP: Use this blueprint after you have selected an ITSM solution
Leverage our SoftwareReviews service and related blueprints to assist with ITSM tool selection, and then use this blueprint to plan the implementation.
|
1. Evaluate solutions |
2. Select and purchase |
3. Implement (use this blueprint) |
|---|---|---|
|
Use our SoftwareReviews resources to evaluate solutions and vendors based on criteria such as features and customer service. Below are links to our ITSM software reviews: |
Use the following resources to help you make the case for funding and execute the purchase process: |
Your ITSM vendor or systems integrator will lead the technical implementation (e.g. software install and integration). As a result, your implementation plan needs to focus on preparing the information needed for implementation (e.g. ticket categories, workflow requirements) and organizational change management. This blueprint provides a methodology, checklist, and supporting templates to prepare for the implementation. |
Info-Tech’s methodology to build an ITSM Tool Implementation Plan
|
1. Identify Scope, Stakeholders, and Preliminary Timeline |
2. Prepare to Implement Incident Management and Service Request Modules |
3. Create a Deployment Plan (Communication, Training, Rollout) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Phase Steps |
1.1 Define scope 1.2 Define roles and responsibilities 1.3 Identify preliminary timeline |
2.1 Review your existing solution and challenges 2.2 Plan ticket management and workflow implementation 2.3 Plan data migration, knowledgebase setup, and integrations 2.4 Plan the module rollout |
3.1 Create a communication plan (for IT, users, and business leaders) 3.2 Create a training plan 3.3 Plan how you will deploy, monitor, and maintain the solution |
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Phase Outcomes |
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|
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Insight summary
|
Start with the assumption you don’t need to migrate old data |
ITSM tools are designed to support ITIL best practices |
Implement your new tool in stages to manage scope |
|---|---|---|
|
We all love data. We love being able to run reports showing trends, measuring changes over time, and highlighting pain points – but is your data from five years ago relevant to those assessments? Can you get by with just migrating open tickets and perhaps just the last year of critical tickets? Be ruthless in deciding what really needs to be in your active system to support incident matching, troubleshooting, or ongoing reporting. If you can’t make a strong case, don’t waste your time on old data. Remember, you can still save an exported copy or report of your old data if the need arises to search historical records. |
For organizations lacking process maturity, the tool’s default settings will often provide a good starting point. For example, a good ITSM tool will typically already be configured to follow best practices such as:
Within those defaults, you will still need to decide your specific parameters – e.g. what your categories and resolution codes should be – so don’t blindly follow default settings but use them as a starting point. |
Start with the incident management and service requests modules. Those are typically the core of IT service management operations, so that should help realize benefits from the new tool sooner. In addition, incident management and service requests processes will support other ITSM processes such as asset management and problem management. Once those modules are implemented successfully (from a technology and process perspective), then start to implement your next core module (e.g. asset or change management), and continue to build from there. |
Blueprint deliverables
This blueprint includes tools and templates to help you accomplish your goals:
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ITSM Tool Implementation Checklist Identify the most common decisions you will need to make and prepare for your implementation project. |
ITSM Tool Project Charter Template Review and edit the template to suit your project requirements |
|
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ITSM Tool Deployment Plan Template Prioritize and prepare tool rollout plan |
|
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ITSM Tool Training Schedule Use the checklist to create your new tool training roadmap |
|
Blueprint benefits
|
Benefits for IT |
Benefits for the business |
|---|---|
|
|
Measured value from using this blueprint
Use this guide as an example to calculate your total cost savings from the ITSM tool implementation project.
|
Phase 1 |
Identify Scope, Stakeholders, and Preliminary Timeline Time, value, and resources saved by using Info-Tech’s methodology to define scope and plan your project |
E.g. 2 FTEs * 6 days * $80,000/year = $4,000/- |
|
Phase 2 |
Prepare to Implement Incident Management and Service Request Modules Time, value, and resources saved by using Info-Tech’s methodology to build your solution strategy and determine configurations |
E.g. 2 FTEs * 8 days * $80,000/year = $5,400/- |
|
Phase 3 |
Create a Deployment Plan (Communication, Training, Rollout) Time, value, and resources saved by using Info-Tech’s methodology to establish an effective communications roadmap and deploy tool |
E.g. 2 FTEs * 6 days * $80,000/year = $4,000/- |
|
Total Savings |
Total Savings |
Phase 1 + Phase 2 + Phase 3 = $13,400 |
Info-Tech offers various levels of support to best suit your needs
| DIY Toolkit | Guided Implementation | Workshop | Consulting |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Our team has already made this critical project a priority, and we have the time and capability, but some guidance along the way would be helpful." | “Our team knows that we need to fix a process, but we need assistance to determine where to focus. Some check-ins along the way would help keep us on track.” | “We need to hit the ground running and get this project kicked off immediately. Our team has the ability to take this over once we get a framework and strategy in place.” | “Our team does not have the time or the knowledge to take this project on. We need assistance through the entirety of this project.” |
Diagnostics and consistent frameworks used throughout all four options
Guided Implementation
| Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Call #1: Define scope, roles, responsibilities and timeline. |
Call #2: Review your existing solution and challenges. Call #3: Plan ticket management and workflow implementation. Call #4: Plan data migration, knowledgebase setup, and integrations. Call #5: Plan the module rollout. |
Call #6: Create a communication plan. Call #7: Create a training plan. Call #8: Plan how you will deploy, monitor, and maintain the solution. |
A Guided Implementation (GI) is a series of calls with an Info-Tech analyst to help implement our best practices in your organization. A typical GI is between 6 to 8 calls over the course of 3 to 6 months.
Phase 1
Identify Stakeholders, Scope, and Preliminary Timeline
| Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Identify Stakeholders, Scope, and Preliminary Timeline |
Prepare to Implement Incident Management and Service Request Modules |
Create a Deployment Plan (Communication, Training, Rollout) |
This phase will walk you through the following steps:
- Define scope
- Define roles and responsibilities
- Identify preliminary timeline
Step 1.1
Define scope
Activities
|
1.1.1 |
Use the Project Charter Template to capture project parameters |
|
1.1.2 |
Leverage the Implementation Checklist to guide your preparation |
|
1.1.3 |
Review goals that drove the ITSM tool purchase |
|
1.1.4 |
Interview ITSM staff to identify current tool challenges and support organizational change management |
|
1.1.5 |
Identify the modules and features you will plan to implement |
|
1.1.6 |
Determine if data migration is required |
This step will walk you through the following activities:
- Define the scope of the implementation project
- Establish the future processes and functionalities the tool will support
This step involves the following participants:
- CIO
- IT Director/Manager
- Service Manager
- Project Manager and the project team
Outcomes of this step
- Specifying the implementation project
- Identifying the business units that are needed to support the project
- Defining the ongoing and future service management processes the tool will support
1.1.1 Use the Project Charter Template to capture scope, stakeholders, and timeline as outlined in Phase 1
Follow the instructions in Phase 1 (step 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3) to gather information needed to create a project charter to define project parameters.
Specific subsections are listed below and described in more detail in the remainder of this phase.
- Project Overview: Includes deliverables, scope, milestones, and success metrics.
- Governance and Management: Includes roles, responsibilities, and resource requirements.
- Project Risks, Assumptions, and Constraints: Includes risks and mitigation strategies as well as any assumptions and constraints.
- Project Sign-Off: Includes IT and executive sign-off (if required).
Download the ITSM Tool Implementation Project Charter Template
1.1.2 Leverage the Implementation Checklist to guide your preparation
The checklist tabs align to each phase of this blueprint.
- Phase 1 (Tab 1) – Identify Stakeholders, Scope, and Preliminary Timeline
- Phase 2 (Tab 2) – Prepare to Implement Incident Management and Service Request Modules
- Phase 3 (Tabs 3+4) – Prepare to Implement Additional ITSM Modules (e.g. Change Management)
- Phase 4 (deployment section in each tab) – Create a Deployment Plan (Communication, Training, Rollout)
Download the ITSM Tool Implementation Checklist
1.1.3 Review goals that drove the ITSM tool purchase
Identify the triggers for the selection and implementation of your new ITSM tool.
Whether this is your first ITSM tool or a replacement for your old tool, the project was likely triggered by pain points that must be addressed by the new tool to improve your service desk. Having a clear understanding of these pain points throughout the implementation of your new tool will help to prevent them from reoccurring.
Common ITSM pain points include:
- Poor communication with end users on ticket status.
- Lack of SLA automation to escalate issues to the appropriate channels.
- Poor self-service options for end users to perform simple requests on their own.
- Undeveloped knowledgebase for users to find answers to common issues.
- Lack of reporting or mistrust in reporting data.
- Lack of automation, including ticket templates.
- Overcomplicated ticket categories resulting in categories being misused.
- Overconfiguration prevents future upgrades.
- Lack of integration with other tools.
If you haven't already selected an ITSM tool, leverage the IT Service Management Selection Guide to select the right tool.
Download the IT Service Management Selection Guide
1.1.4 Plan to interview staff to support organizational change management
Identify challenges with the existing tool and processes as well as potential objections to the new tool.
Incorporate this feedback in the implementation to drive buy-in and a successful rollout.
Implementing a new ITSM tool will force changes in how IT staff do their work:
- At a minimum, it means learning a new interface.
- It could also mean leveraging features that improve IT operations but could change the process or tasks for the staff.
- Their input on the current tool and process challenges can be critical for the project.
- Solving at least some of their challenges can help bring them onboard to use this tool properly and follow associated process changes.
Info-Tech Insight
Keep management in the loop through every stage of the implementation process. They are the ones who are paying for the software, so they need to be informed throughout implementation and feel that their needs and feedback are being heard to prevent pushback further into the implementation.
1.1.5 Identify the modules and features you will plan to implement
Consider these factors when deciding what modules and features you want to implement:
- Specific ITSM modules based on the recommended order and any unique business requirements
- Key features that drove the tool purchase and address key issues
- High-level process changes needed to address challenges and realize expected benefits from the new ITSM tool (e.g. if a key goal was automated ticket routing based on categories, then the project needs to include developing a good categorization scheme)
Recommended order for implementation:
- Incident Management and Service Request
- Change Management
- Asset Management
This is the core of service management and typically has the highest impact on the organization. Include knowledgebase development as part of this implementation.
A foundational component of service management, it allows organizations to minimize disruptions to IT services when making changes to services and critical systems.
A foundational component of service management, it allows organizations to track their assets’ locations, how they are used, and when changes are made to them.
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 8 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Identify Stakeholders, Scope, and Preliminary Timeline
- Call 1: Define scope, roles, responsibilities and timeline.
Guided Implementation 2: Prepare to Implement Incident Management and Service Request Modules
- Call 1: Review your existing solution and challenges.
- Call 2: Plan ticket management and workflow implementation.
- Call 3: Plan data migration, knowledgebase setup, and integrations.
- Call 4: Plan the module rollout.
Guided Implementation 3: Create a Deployment Plan (Communication, Training, Rollout)
- Call 1: Create a communication plan.
- Call 2: Create a training plan.
- Call 3: Plan how you will deploy, monitor, and maintain the solution.
Contributors
- Rod Weir, Founder and Managing Director, PRD Software
- Nicklas Fredriksson, CEO and ITSM Magician, Penguin Consultants Brasil
- Kamal Roz, IT Operations Manager, USO
- Gautam Bangalore, Business Analyst, Optus
- Michelle Hoyt, Enterprise Application Supervisor, Matanuska-Susitina Borough School District
- Anusha Das, IT Governance Analyst-ITIL, Oregon Lottery
- Ravi Prakash Singh, MS IS Student, Stevens Institute of Technology
- Brett Andrews, Managing Director, BAPTISM Consultancy
- Marty Miller-Crispe, Manager – Service Management Office, Griffith University
- Vlad de Ramos, General Manager, AIM Corporate Solutions, Inc.
- Pete Langlois, Systems Administrator, Century Bank
- Scott Walling, Co-founder, Monitor 24-7
- Pedro Soto, Managing Director, TOPdesk
- Roeland van Rijswijk, Service Management Consultant, TOPdesk
- Yev Khovrenkov, IT Consultant,
- Lucas Gutierrez, End-User Services Manager, City of Santa Fe
- Dave Smith, IT Trainer, Quanta Training Ltd
Standardize the Service Desk
Optimize the Service Desk With a Shift-Left Strategy
Reduce Shadow IT With a Service Request Catalog
Build a Service Desk Consolidation Strategy
Design a VIP Experience for Your Service Desk
Improve Service Desk Ticket Intake
Improve IT-Business Alignment Through an Internal SLA
Implement Systems Management to Improve Availability and Visibility
Build a Chatbot Proof of Concept
Incident Management for Small Enterprise
Analyze Your ITSM Ticket Data
Deliver a Customer Service Training Program to Your IT Department
Accelerate Your Automation Processes
Build an ITSM Tool Implementation Plan
Right-Size the Service Desk for Small Enterprise
IT Service Management Selection Guide
Manage the Active Directory in the Service Desk
Staff the Service Desk to Meet Demand
Define Service Desk Metrics That Matter
Improve Service Desk Ticket Queue Management
Transform Your Field Technical Support Services
Define Requirements for Outsourcing the Service Desk
Take Action on Service Desk Customer Feedback
Transition Projects Over to the Service Desk
Build Better Workflows
