Replacing your current ITSM solution? Part 1 – Drivers for replacements

Research from Forrester indicates that 2 out of 3 business users are unhappy with what they get from IT, and 1 in 3 IT people are unhappy with their ITSM solution. Coincidence? Or is the wrong ITSM solution half the problem? Running IT services in a big company is a very complex task, so software is an essential to part of the strategy – along with the right people and processes. At some point, usually within the first 3-5 years of using their current solution, an organization will decide that they need a new one.

  Click to see (and save) the infographic There are a number of reasons why - coming from both the business side and the technology side: Why the business wants a new solution:

• Management change – New management want to ‘spring clean’ IT, make a fresh start or bring in solutions that have worked for them before
• Costs are too high – IT and the business feel that they aren’t getting value for money
• Cloud/SaaS technology strategy – An outsourcing strategy might drive the decision to move to a cloud ITSM solution
• Mergers/acquisitions driving consolidation – The need to consolidate multiple ITSM solutions often drives the organization to find a single solution that will support the new shape of the organization
• Moving to a shared services model – Driving the replacement of multiple ITSM solutions with one central solution amongst the group

Why IT wants a new solution:

• Outdated ITSM technology – The organization has outgrown their solution and need new technology
• Poor vendor support – More organizations are now switching their solutions because their vendor doesn’t provide good support
• Maintenance/administration –High maintenance and admin overheads push the cost of ownership over an acceptable limit
• Solution sunsetting – Acquisitions within the ITSM solutions market often result in end-of-life for product lines, leaving customers without upgrades and support
• Version-lock –If a customer is stuck on an older version of a solution, it is simpler to go back to the market
• Over-customization – The temptation for IT to ‘tinker’ with enterprise solutions often gets them into a mess. Maintenance costs spiral and upgrades become too difficult

Our ITSM solution Replacement Infographic shows the right steps to take in an ITSM replacement journey. Keep an eye out for part 2 of our solution replacement series, where we’ll take a detailed look at the process you should follow to successfully replace your current ITSM software.