Essential tips for finding your ideal ITSM solution

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If you’re satisfied with your current situation or aren’t ready to change,
read no further. This guide isn’t for you.

But what if you and your IT team are tired
of firefighting and answering the same
questions over and over? If you’re stuck
at the office after hours because creating
reports is slow and time-consuming. If
you’re done feeling overwhelmed with the
workload, with no time for improvements
or other plans. If your current solution for
answering questions and solving tickets
isn’t user-friendly. What then?
what’s right for one organization, isn’t
right for another. That’s what this guide
will help you with: finding your
ideal ITSM solution.
Think of it like having a great relationship.
It all starts with finding that perfect match.
Someone you have that connection with,
who ticks the boxes, and who’ll go the
extra mile to make you happy.

Well, then we’d suggest you keep on With our step-by-step plan, we’ll walk
reading. Why? Because obviously the way you through strategies to figure out your
you’re working now isn’t helping you at all.IT department’s needs, help you decide
Whether you’re using Excel or an outdated which type of ITSM tool is right for you,
service management tool, we’re here to and how to find the perfect vendor. We’ve
tell you: you can do better. included questions to consider when
evaluating software and vendors, and
Modern ITSM solutions have come a long some tips for initiating that first contact.
way – probably even since you first started Even though change is scary, we hope this
using yours. The best solutions are easy guide will inspire you to take a fresh look
to use by everyone and have just the right at what works for you.
number of features for your needs. But

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Table of
contents
1. Create a business case
2. Let's talk about strategy
3. Software checklist
4. What to look for in your ideal vendor
5. From shortlist to selection

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 1
Creating a
Business
Case
Change doesn’t happen out of thin
air. And when it comes to your service
desk, the success of a new solution
begins way before you purchase a
service management tool. In fact, it all
starts with you and your needs. How
is your current way of working holding
you back? What would it take to solve
these issues? And most importantly: is
investing in a new tool the way forward?

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 You might already have an idea of what
you’re looking for, but you still have to
convince management that spending
time and money on a solution is worth it.
If this sounds overwhelming, we have a
tip: create a business case. Now this really
doesn’t have to be hard. Simply answer
some of the questions below to create
your case. It’s your first step to envisioning
a new solution for your service desk, and
a perfect way to validate your investment
with management.

Let’s start with what is perhaps the most

1 urgent incentive for your business case:
what is it that you dream of achieving?
Take a moment to sit down and map out
your vision on a service desk Utopia. It’s
best not to overcomplicate things here.
What are the two or three main goals you
have for your service desk?

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 Now that you’ve written down your main
2 goals for an ideal service management
workflow, it’s time for you to face your
pains. Which specific problems are
you currently experiencing? How often
and when do they occur? How does it
My agents are spending x amount of time answering
the same questions over and over. A solution that
supports better knowledge management would save
my team x time per month.
Simple questions like password resets and printer
errors make up x % of our call volume. If end users
could access a self-service portal to solve these easy
problems, I expect 50% fewer calls to come in.
affect your employees? What are these
problems costing you? And what could
any possible solutions save in terms of
time and money? Stick to two or three
of your biggest pains and find business
benefits that you’d wish to gain.
For instance:
We spend x amount per year on updates of our current
service management system. We could better spend
this money on x.
My team is always firefighting. Our current system
lacks modern features and automation, meaning
agents spend an average of x time solving even a
simple ticket. All this time spent on manual tasks, we
could better spend on larger improvements such as x.
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 If you can’t point out one major flaw
3 with how you currently work, but you
still see room for improvement, then
ask yourself why. Perhaps you’ve
seen vendors that offer a slick portal
and think it might improve your
organization in small but effective
ways. But how exactly? Do you think
sharing knowledge with end users will
make them happier and more self-
reliant? Or do you currently use an
ITSM tool with an outdated interface
and would you like to improve your
customer experience? These are all
valid reasons to switch things up and
improve your service desk.
Both lists—of goals and of pains—are
specifically for you and your case only.
One thing that’s universal however, is
that these two lists make for a truly
appealing case for change. Getting this
step right will help you get maximum
adoption when the time comes to
replace your tool.
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Evaluate and act
You’ve identified an urgency for change,
and you’ve spent quite some time thinking
through both your service management
goals and struggles. It’s safe to say you’re
almost done with finalizing your business
case. There’s one more thing to take
care of. Now be honest: if you look at
the bottom line and total cost, is it worth
investing your time and effort into looking
for a new tool? Both for your team and for
your organization at large? If the answer
is no, either you need to revise and re-
evaluate your goals and pains, or your
current solution is as good as you need it
to be for the time being.
But if your answer is yes, then some
exciting change is coming. This means
you are ready to present and discuss
your case with your team, and already
with management as well. Tell your
colleagues and management about
all the seemingly unimaginable things
your service desk team is capable of.
Convince your stakeholders that the
needed transformation will lead to a
positive overhaul on all levels of your
company and that there’s something
valuable at stake for them too.
Once you get that green light, you’re set
and ready to choose your ITSM tool and
vendor! Since this is a whole journey of
its own, our next chapter outlines all
the things you should look out for when
finding the right tool for your team.
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2
Let's talk about
Strategy
Now you’ve got your business case,
it’s time for you to go out there and
start exploring your options. With so
many different vendors and solutions,
where do you start looking? How can
you find your perfect match? Let’s say
that preparation is half the battle. The
following approaches can help you
narrow down your search.

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1. Checking the boxes
Most companies looking to replace
their software send out an RFI (request
for information): a large document or
checklist that covers all technical features
and solutions. The idea behind them
is good: helping you compare vendors
and their software in a uniform and
structured way. But often they’re far too
extensive, difficult to make, or expensive
to outsource. So no, we don’t suggest
sending out an RFI, but we do suggest
creating a short checklist for yourself
with all the most important demands you
have for your new solution. Take a good
critical look at your business case and
write down: what do I expect from the
software and the vendor. What are the
technical requirements? Which features
do we need? Should the vendor offer
local support? And so on.

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2. The problem solver
Checklists are a good place to start when
narrowing down your search, but two
important questions they won’t answer
for you are: How is this vendor going to
solve my problems? And how do I know
if I can rely on them? To answer the
second question about reliability, you’re
going to have to do some research,
which we’ll discuss in step 5.

If you want a more personal approach

that goes beyond standard features
and functionalities, you should ask the
vendor how they are going to solve your
problems. And guess what? 4 0 3

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You already have your problems and
goals on paper: it’s your business case.
You can contact several vendors, present
them your business case and ask them
questions like:
- How will you help us reach our goals?
- How are you going to support us?
- How can I get my team excited about
switching tools?
- How will we measure the success of
this system?
Ask vendors to write you a proposal
based on these questions. Or let them
create a use case to show you how they
work. It will help you figure out which
vendors offer the most value and are
truly invested in solving your problems.
3. Best of both worlds
Normally, we’d say you can’t have it
both ways. But in this case, we think you
should combine both approaches. In
the end you want to have a shortlist of
potential vendors who’ll show you how
they can help you, and how they’ll solve
your problems. But because you don’t
want to go on 50 first dates, you first
need to create a short checklist to narrow
down your search. In the next section,
we’ll discuss some topics to include in
your checklist and help you on your way
to finding your perfect vendor.
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3
Creating your
software
checklist
What to look out for? why it’s good for you to be critical, and
There are a lot of ITSM solutions out truly think about what fits your needs.
there. And to be honest, most solutions After all, you want to be in it for the long
offer very similar features. So, how do haul and not have to switch solutions
you decide which ones to add to your every year. Here we’ve listed some
shortlist? If you look closely, you’ll see technical aspects for you to consider when
that vendors do differ. For instance, in adding vendors to the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ list.
how they deliver their software, and how
flexible and future-proof they are. That’s

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SaaS vs On-premises
Traditional ITSM solutions, like the
one you might be using right now, are
installed on-premises. This often means
you pay a large chunk of money upfront
for the software and licences. The
advantage of an on-premises solution
is that you have full control over the
solution: from security and data to the
way you get someone to customize and
configure it for you down to the last
detail. On the downside, you also have to
get someone in to update and maintain
the software every once in a while. This
can become expensive, and in between
updates you run the risk of working with
software that’s not the latest version.
SaaS, on the other hand, means your
solution is hosted in the cloud. You pay
a monthly subscription fee to get going
and the vendor takes care of the rest.
The advantage of SaaS is that it’s quick
to set up and cheaper to maintain.
Frequent updates are part of the
package, which you’ll get automatically
through continuous deployment. On
the downside, it’s not as flexible or as
extensively customizable as an on-
premises solution. And you’ll have to
trust your vendor to handle your data
with care.
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 Integrations flexible enough to deal with these
While we understand your ITSM solution changes and grow with your needs? For
is the centre of your universe, it should instance: can you easily collaborate with
also play nice with the other tools your other departments in your organization
company uses. Things like staff data and in the future? Or with suppliers? Can you
network scans should be easy to integrate, easily add features if necessary? Or drop
which saves you a lot of manual work. them if you no longer need them?
That’s why it’s important to check whether
a solution integrates well with 3rd party
software. Ask yourself: what software can I Ease of use
integrate with? Does the solution integrate One of the most important aspects for
with Active Directory, for instance? And do you to get right is user experience. Will
they offer an open API so I can make my your IT team and end users get along
own integrations? with your new system? The easier the
software is to use, the less resistance
you’ll get from your team and the rest
Flexibility of the organization. To start with, ask
Don’t just think about the present when yourself: do I really want to hire an
evaluating a new ITSM solution. It’s a external consultant for every small
long-term commitment, remember? change? If not, you should be critical and
Think about new challenges, changes and find a solution that’s truly easy to use.
opportunities you might face in the next Also consider things like: how quickly
years. Is the solution you’re reviewing can I get up and running?

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Can we adjust the smaller things
ourselves? Is the interface intuitive? Will
end users be able to understand how to
use the self-service part of the software?

You can discover all these things in a

trial version, or you can ask the vendor
to demonstrate the software and show
you specific use cases. Look closely at
what they’re showing you and see: how
many clicks does it take to log and close
an incident? Can I easily create reports?
But also: are buttons labelled clearly?
Is the flow of actions logical? It’s best to
consider all these things now, rather
than find out later once you’ve made
the commitment.

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4
ideal
The

vendor
profile
When picking a vendor, it’s easy to get
stuck comparing feature lists. No doubt,
the software part of your new ITSM
solution is important. We understand
you want your costs to be justified, and
a vendor that provides the most options
and features might look like the most
sensible solution for you. But finding
the right match isn’t just about pretty
features. It's what's inside that matters
most. A vendor that truly listens and
responds to your needs, someone who’s
an actual partner, can make the success
of your new solution. To help you find
the right match, we’ve prepared a
checklist of things to keep in mind when
selecting a vendor.

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Industry experience
Some might say experience isn't
everything, but when it comes to picking
a vendor, it can be crucial to your new
solution's success. We’re not saying you
should just settle down for someone
who’s been in the game for the most
years. So, what should you look out for?
As a first step, you could check out the
vendor’s customer base, their customer
retention, and how much they've grown
since they started. Another key element
is to look for vendors who have worked
with companies and industries like
yours. These facts speak volumes on
the trust and longevity a vendor will
provide you. That’s why we suggest you
consider a vendor with proven industry
experience and with a kaleidoscope of
loyal customers.
Local support
Like in any relationship, things can’t
always run smoothly. Luckily, your
vendor can already give you a heads-up
on what kind of support they will provide
you when things get rocky. What’s
important here is to pick a vendor with
local, in-house support agents. They are
most likely to have a lot of knowledge
about the software they provide and will
offer you individualized support in your
preferred language. We believe that
there’s one stand-out trait of excellent
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support: agents who will go that extra
mile to help you solve any problem you
might have. So, look out for this!
In-house implementations
Some vendors don’t go any further
than selling you a product. Just like
some vendors don’t offer in-house
support, others also get a 3rd party in
to implement the software for you. The
downside to these consultancy parties
is that they charge by the hour, which
can lead to unexpected costs. They also
might not be as involved with you and
your needs if they don’t actually work for
the company. If it’s a true partner you’re
looking for, checking for things like in-
house consultants is something to keep
in mind.
Trainings for staff and webinars
Ultimately, it’s all about easing the work
and lives of individuals within your
organization, and selecting a vendor
that provides trainings and webinars will
ensure your colleagues and customers
are self-reliant and feel confident about
using a new ITSM solution. You should
also ask what type of training the vendor
provides. Just help with getting started?
User and application manager training?
Perhaps also knowledge management
training, or other best practices? And
make sure to check out previous
webinars the vendors has hosted. Do
these align with your company's needs?
Is the extra content suitable for you? The
answers to these questions will really
show to what extent the vendor will be
your long-time partner instead of just an
interim supplier.
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Cultural match for
your company
Our last (but not least) top tip is to go
for a vendor that is a match with your
company culture. Implementing a new
tool is so much more than a software
switch-up. Your new ITSM solution is
made and run by people, for people; and
it will undoubtedly reflect the mindset
and culture of those people. Are your
vendor’s employees highly engaged and
driven? Does their culture encourage
empathy, freedom, trust? Take a close
look at your own values and go for an
option that reflects those. It might seem
superficial when compared with the
importance of features and other vendor
characteristics, but opting for a culture
match will pay off in the long run.

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5From

to
shortlist
selection
You have a business case, you’ve outlined
your solution and vendor criteria, and
management has finally given you the
green light. You’re almost all set! Here’s
just a few last things to consider before
you make your final choice.

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Bring in an objective view
With your criteria checklists from step 2 in
hand, look at trusted and objective review
platforms, such as Gartner, TrustRadius or
Forrester, to begin collecting information
on potential vendors that match your
criteria and needs. It’s always a good idea
to bring in a second, or even third, view on
what could be your new ITSM solution.
Make a shortlist and dive in
Once you’ve gathered the useful
information you need, it’s time to make
a shortlist of candidates. The best way to
approach your list of potential vendors
is to get in touch directly and ask for a
personal demonstration. Remember the
questions based on your business case?
Now is the time to ask them. Let potential
vendors know which current issues you’re
facing are and get them to show you how
they could solve those with their ITSM
solution. While it might be tempting to
already delve into the technical aspects
of the vendor’s tool, we advise you to
focus on whether their solution is able to
successfully improve your service desk.
Time for technicalities
Based on the first live demonstrations,
it’s quite possible that you already have
a couple of vendors crossed off your list.
This is the right moment to approach the
vendors you like best with more specific
questions about the technicalities of their
solution. For reference, review step 2
once again to freshen up your memory
on which elements play a key role in an
ITSM tool selection process. For example:
how quickly can you get your new
solution up and running? Can the system
integrate easily with 3rd party software?
Is the system flexible?
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And don’t hesitate to already inquire
about the more vendor-focused
questions we outlined in step 3. Those
may include topics such as support, local
offices, webinars, trainings, and so on.

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Let's talk money
Now that you’ve narrowed down your
list, it’s time to talk money. No doubt—
tool features and vendor qualities are
of utmost importance in the selection
process. But if the price just isn’t right
or doable for your circumstance and
expectations, then there’s no going
forward. Our tip is to not only look
at the difference in pricing between
vendors, but to also pay attention
to the pricing breakdown options
provided by each vendor.
- Most ITSM vendor quotes feature an x number of aspects:
license or software costs and services.
- Pay close attention to what's included in the features. For
instance, a standard solution with an open API will cost less
than a package that requires a lot of customization.
- Some vendors charge for creating assets, so keep an eye
on this.
- Ask the vendor for a clear and complete pricing overview.
Include the above-mentioned points, but also the hidden,
or less evident, costs. Those may range from 24/5 support
and accessing additional learning materials to the time it
will take to implement the tool and the effort to make the
changes you’re looking for.
- Last, but not least, keep flexibility in mind, and see how
scalable the solution is. What do you have to pay extra for
once your organization grows?
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Have you found the one?
We’d like to assume that, by this point, you feel confident about finding your perfect match. If this is not
the case, consider looking back over the Buyer’s Guide and re-evaluating some steps of your process. But
if our assumption is correct, then we wish you all the best with your new ITSM solution and hope you’ll be
elevating your service desk to entirely new heights!

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Is TOPdesk a good match for you?
If you’re looking for a new ITSM solution, you could consider
TOPdesk. We’re not ones to boast, but our software is
modern, user-friendly and flexible, and we have some really
great people who’ll do whatever it takes to help you.

Getting to know us is easy. You can sign up for the switching

service management tools webinar to learn more about our
software and services. Or you can request a personal demo,
so you can see exactly how we can solve your problems.

Request a personal demo:

www.topdesk.com/en/demo