Service Management Silos – The Key to Breaking Down ITSM Silos

Service Management silos prevent organizations from enjoying a holistic view of their IT Service Management (ITSM) data. 

Data and information silos are caused by a lack of integration between disparate technologies. For organizations where data is a key part of its operations, these silos severely impact the levels of service provided to customers. 

Meeting customer expectations and service management goals requires input from data, from multiple, often disparate sources. 

Sources include CRM systems, ERP systems and knowledge management systems, all of which are typically maintained by their respective departments. 

Without a consistent and efficient means of consolidating such data, organizations introduce a greater potential for poor data quality, and an increased need for manual data validation.

Take customer data in CRM and ITSM systems, for example. Without a strong integration framework, the data silos make it difficult to keep both systems in sync. When data about a customer updates in one system without updating in the other, the data is inconsistent.

The solution? Data integration via a federated system of record.

The Federated System of Record

A federated system of record is much like the “brain” of your ITSM strategy. 

The human brain collects and aggregates data from multiple senses or “sources”, and aggregates this information so it can be understood holistically. 

The smell of burning and the sensation of warm air on the skin are separate sensory experiences. But the brain collates these experiences to create a holistic understanding of the given situation. 

In this vain, a federated system of record collates data from relevant systems to prompt greater visibility and support more informed action.

Systems of record can be “single” or “federated”. 

A single system of record centralizes the golden record in one source, one application. 

A federated system of record distributes that golden record across the organizations’ various systems of record, ideally in best-of-breed applications.

Both aim to create and maintain a single source of truth. However, federated systems of record have benefits that more specifically address the difficulties associated with managing various disparate systems. 

That’s because federated systems of record allow users to work in applications that are familiar to them. This helps breakdown IT Service Management silos by making data and information available when – and where – it is needed.

Building a Federated System of Record to Break Down IT Service Management Silos

Organizations have a number of options available for creating a federated system of record. 

Such options include:

• Recommended – The managed service approach
• The swivel-chair approach
• The DIY approach
• The integration toolkit approach

The recommended approach for creating a federated system of record is to use a managed service to create and maintain integrations. 

To understand why the managed service approach is the recommended option, it’s useful to understand the limitations of the others.

The swivel chair approach requires manually extracting from one system and inputting it into another. While it’s a low cost option to deploy, it’s impossible to manage at scale. And even at smaller scales, manual data entry will always increase the scope for human error. 

The DIY approach typically leverages custom solutions and web-services to create integrations. It is usually undertaken with cost savings in mind.

However, the hidden costs of DIY integrations can quickly escalate, particularly when maintaining and enhancing the integration. It’s also a huge drain on internal resources, as the party responsible for maintaining the integration will be taken away from more proactive tasks. 

Integration toolkits are a way of buying the integration for a federated system of record rather than building it. Or so it seems.

Although an integration toolkit solves many of the challenges of the previous two approaches, you still have to learn a proprietary language to create an integration. You still build the integration yourself, just from larger pieces.

Managed Service for ITSM Integration

With a federated system of record, organizations can breakdown IT Service Management silos for a more holistic view of their enterprise. 

The recommended approach to creating a federated system of record is to use a managed service.

Perspectium is a managed service that delivers integrated solutions for your federated system of record. That means that Perspectium takes responsibility for getting data from A to B. 

With nothing to write, assemble, or maintain by the customer, Perspectium delivers solutions that are complete from end to end. 

With 24/7 support and regular customer-success reviews, Perspectium ensures that your federated system of record is delivering the competitive value that your business needs.

Learn more about how Perspectium can break down Service Management Silos and support your ITSM strategies.