At the end of 2015, the Service Desk Institute (SDI) and Freshservice jointly conducted research into life working on the IT service desk in 2016. This covered the key pain points for service desks and ITSM tools and vendors, as well as top service desk enhancements and priorities for 2016. Watch this slide deck to know:  the survey results,  the root causes of service desk concern and friction, and  practical ways in which to tackle the most common obstacles and issues. Find out how “normal” your service desk is and what you can do to improve things.

1. Life on the
service desk in 2016
and how to improve it
Stephen Mann
Independent ITSM Blogger,
Writer & Presenter
@stephenmann
@freshserviceapp
Brought to you by

2. Coverage
Survey background
When? Who? How?
ITSM tools
ITSM tools, tool vendors
& tool selection
Pain points & tips
Operational pain areas &
life on the service desk
The future
What the future holds for
service desks

3. Survey background
• SDI members responded to a Q4 2015 survey.
• Report written by Ollie O’Donoghue, SDI Industry Analyst.
• Report looks ahead to 2016, and also refers back to 2012 survey data.
• Sponsored by Freshservice.
Report: http://bit.ly/sdi-report

4. Tool and vendor-related frustrations
Innovation, or lack of
Tool selection influences
ITSM tools, tool vendors,
& tool selection

5. • Respondents were asked to list 5 frustrations with their
current ITSM tool.
• These were then placed into 11 categories to allow
comparison with the 2012 research.
What are your top 5 frustrations with
your current ITSM tool?

6. 2015
2012
What are your top 5 frustrations
with your current ITSM tool?

7. • Respondents were asked to list 3 innovations that they
would like to see in a future ITSM tool.
• These were then placed into 9 categories to allow
comparison with the 2012 research.
List 3 key innovations/improvements that you
would like to see in your ITSM tool in the next 12
months?

8. 2015
2012
List 3 key innovations/improvements
that you would like to see in your ITSM
tool in the next 12 months?

9. What are your top 5 frustrations with
your current ITSM tool?
List 3 key innovations/improvements
that you would like to see in your ITSM
tool in the next 12 months?
2015
2012

10. What are your top 5 frustrations with
your current ITSM tool?
List 3 key innovations/improvements
that you would like to see in your ITSM
tool in the next 12 months?
A similar story?
2015
2012

11. Key innovations/improvements
Features
• Predictive knowledge management
• Ability to run problem analysis within the tool
• Improved chat capability
• Translations made easy
• Request fulfilment tracking module
• Better workflow functionality
• Better search functionality
• Release management interface
Top frustrations
Features
• Lacking automation in core processes
• Lack of mobile interface
• Limited browser support
• Limited self-service functions
• No integrated CMDB
• No separation between incident and service
request

12. Key innovations/improvements
Features
• Predictive knowledge management
• Ability to run problem analysis within the tool
• Improved chat capability
• Translations made easy
• Request fulfilment tracking module
• Better workflow functionality
• Better search functionality
• Release management interface
Top frustrations
Features
• Lacking automation in core processes
• Lack of mobile interface
• Limited browser support
• Limited self-service functions
• No integrated CMDB
• No separation between incident and service
request
Different perspectives?

13. Key innovations/improvements
Features
• Predictive knowledge management
• Ability to run problem analysis within the tool
• Improved chat capability
• Translations made easy
• Request fulfilment tracking module
• Better workflow functionality
• Better search functionality
• Release management interface
Top frustrations
Features
• Lacking automation in core processes
• Lack of mobile interface
• Limited browser support
• Limited self-service functions
• No integrated CMDB
• No separation between incident and service
request
Old tool?
Wrong tool?

14. 5 things you can do
• Admit that things aren’t right with your ITSM tool
• Don’t sink with a “capsizing” service desk or ITSM tool
• Recognize that sticking with the “cheap” option might be costing you
more than it saves
• Recognize the importance of getting your business requirements right
• Consider some of the freely available tool selection best practice tips

15. Quick tips for ITSM tool selection
• Remember that “If you ask the wrong questions then you’ll get the wrong
answer”
• Understand what you need to accomplish – from the perspective of
business outcomes, not IT operations
• Don’t be distracted by the available technologies
• Focus on what your company needs, not on what the market says you need
• Be crystal clear about which high-level requirements are “must-haves”
versus merely “nice-to-haves”

16. Quick tips for ITSM tool selection
• Try to remain impartial
• Leave the vendor enough room to explain how they can help rather than limiting
them to saying that they have features x and y
• Don’t forget to scope in any planned future improvements to operations
• Don’t always take vendor responses at face value – if it’s important then seek out
greater detail and perhaps even proof
• Consider how a dollar saved in tool licensing might cost you ten dollars in its day-
to-day operation

17. • Respondents were asked to list 5 frustrations with their
current ITSM tool vendor.
• These were then placed into 6 categories to allow
comparison with the 2012 research.
What are your top 5 frustrations with
your current ITSM tool vendor?

18. 2015
2012
What are your top 5 frustrations
with your current ITSM tool vendor?

19. 5 things you can do
• Realize that an ITSM tool purchase is so much more than just the acquisition of software
(or a SaaS subscription)
• Rise above the usual non-functional selection criteria to understand what you really
need and expect
• Look beyond RFP responses to get market feedback on supplier performance across
support, relationships, and innovation
• “Hijack” the sales guy by asking “What are the top 3 product innovations in the last 12
months?”
• Track down and speak with more than just the offered customer references

20. • Respondents were asked to select their top
5 influences from a list.
What would influence your selection
of a new ITSM tool?

21. 2015
2012
-

22. Biggest pain points
Is service desk life getting better?
Operational pain areas and
life on the service desk

23. • Respondents were asked to select 5 pain-causing options
from a list.
• Note – in 2012 respondents were given 3 selections
In your daily service desk life, what
causes you the most pain?

24. 2015
2012

25. 2015
2012

26. 5 ways to up self-service adoption
• Invest in better knowledge management
• Offer choice (of access channel)
• Support mobile access to self-service
• Recognize the difference between UI and UX
• Use fit-for-purpose technology

27. • Respondents were asked to select 1 of 3
options.
During the past year, has life on your
service desk...

28. 2015
2012

29. Last year
Future priorities
Expectations for change
What the future holds for
service desks

30. During the last 12 months, where has your
service desk spent most of its time?
• Respondents were asked to select all the
options that applied from a list.

31. Rank
Response
1
Fire-fighting
2
Implementing new process
3
Helping customers with their own devices (BYOD)
4
Other
5
Implementing ITIL best practice and training
6
Justifying its existence
7
Speaking with customers and building relationships
2012 responses

32. 5 things you can do
• Question whether implementing new processes is making enough of a difference
• Focus operational improvements on “working smarter, not harder” – automation,
self-service, and knowledge management
• Quantify the cost of staying with a service desk or ITSM tool that impedes
operational performance
• Propose change based on better outcomes rather than just changing inputs
(across people, process, and technology)
• See the previous self-service adoption tips

33. What are your top service desk
priorities for 2016?
• Respondents were asked to select all the
options that applied from a list.

34. Rank
Response
1
Increasing our value to the business
2
Improving what we have
3
Increasing first time fix rates
4
Managing changes within business
5
Reducing inbound calls/emails
6
Supporting more devices(i.e. BYOD)
7
Cost reduction
8
Consolidating services
9
Investing in a new ITSM tool
10
Other
2015 responses
NEW
NEW-ish
NEW-ish
2012 responses

35. • Respondents were asked to select all the
options that applied from a list.
During 2016, which of the following do
you expect to see?

36. Rank
Response
1
Provide support/more support for mobile devices (BYOD)
2
More use of self-service
3
An increase in business service promotion
4
Increased demand for business metrics and reporting
5
Service desks using social media more
6
Use more self-help
7
No big changes/things will stay the same
2015 responses
NEW-ish
NEW
NEW
2012 responses

37. 5 things you can do
• Determine what’s actually needed by your organization rather than following the
herd
• Understand what customer experience is (and isn’t)
• Look to better outcomes rather than the blind adoption of new processes or
additional technology
• Distinguish between the things that have been proven to make a difference and
those that are “good ideas”
• Remember what your service desk capability is needed for

39. 10,000
Customers
Series D
$31M
1000 Customers
Launched
30,000
Customers
Launched
SF HQ
Seed
Funding
Series B
$5M
Series C
$7M
2014201320122011 20152010
Freshdesk
Founded
UK, AU offices added
Series E
$50M
60,000
Customers
2016
~600 employees - Germany
office added
Launched
Freshdesk - Growth Timeline

40. Enable IT organisation of all sizes to provide
exceptional IT service delivery and support

41. Freshservice customers

42. • Intuitive UI, Easy to use
• Easy to setup & configure workflow automation
• Strong Self-Service Capabilities
• Gamified IT Service Desk
Why Freshservice

43. Freshservice capabilities
Incident
Management
Knowledge
Management
Self service
Management
Service Request
Problem
Management
Change
Management
Release
Management
Asset
Management
CMDB
Contract
Management
HW and SW
Discovery
Reporting
SLA
Management
Workflow
Management
Intuitive UI
Anytime, anywhere access
Extensibility with API and integrations
Gamification

44. Ticket view

45. Service catalog

46. Auto suggest

47. Gamification

48. Gamification

49. Admin dashboard

50. Mobile service desk

51. Summary
• Add automation where it adds value
• Get self-service and knowledge management right
• Question the suitability of existing service desk or ITSM technology
• Look at how customer experience will impact the demands on your service desk
and wider IT organization
• Ensure that metrics and reporting do the efforts of the service desk team justice

52. QA

53. Thank you
Try Freshservice for a free trial.
Freshservice.com/signup
Life on the service desk – Report
Report: http://bit.ly/sdi-report