From ITSM to Enterprise Service Management

Moving from ITSM to enterprise service management means adapting proven service principles to any function that provides repeatable services to internal or external consumers, such as HR. The practical test is whether work is organised around the consumer outcome rather than around the provider's structure.

• Select a suitable non-IT service as the starting point, and demonstrate one measurable improvement before expanding.
• Translate rather than copy IT language. In the article's example, HR adopts request, knowledge and fulfilment practices while keeping language that makes sense to managers and employees.
• Co-design with the receiving function, and keep the shared commitment visible wherever ownership crosses boundaries.
• Measure adoption outside IT, consumer effort reduction and time to fulfil, with an agreed baseline, data source and owner for each, and review trends with both providers and consumers.
• Avoid imposing an IT process unchanged, leading with jargon, and expanding before proving value. Treat the work as an evidence-led learning loop: establish the current position, make a controlled change, inspect the result and keep only what improves value, flow, resilience or experience.