The Office of Information Technology (OIT) announces the selection of a new IT Service Management (ITSM) tool to replace HP Service Center, ServiceNow. The selection is the result of rigorous planning, investigation, testing, and negotiation in collaboration with the University of Minnesota IT community.

Like HP Service Center, ServiceNow enables ticketing, however its capabilities are expanded as it more thoroughly supports Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) processes. ITIL is the most widely adopted approach for IT Service Management in the world. OIT is adopting ITIL methodologies to create efficiencies and improve service. OIT intends to leverage ServiceNow to support key ITIL processes described below.

• Service Level Management (Monitor and review of the arrangements set with internal IT support providers and vendors)


• Catalog and Request Management (Provide consistent and current information about available services including their operational status, interfaces, and dependencies)


• Change Management (Add, modify, or remove anything with impact on IT)


• Knowledge Management (Ensure the right information is delivered to the right people)


• Incident Management (Be accountable for Incidents, or unplanned interruptions to service, from beginning to end)


• Problem Management (Diagnose the root cause of Incidents)


• Configuration Management (Discover University IT assets and how they support business processes)

These processes will be represented in ServiceNow's customizable interface as workflows that define what tasks need to performed when and by whom, with triggers for manager review and approval.

Rationale

The ITSM project positions OIT to increase efficiencies and reduce the costs of operating IT services. Historically, OIT had a highly distributed operational model, with dozens of tools and various processes, resulting in some inefficiencies and reduced service quality to University customers. Consolidation of these tools and the implementation of key ITIL processes will significantly improve the efficiency of the organization and the services it provides. The purchase of ServiceNow supports that objective.

Roll-out

We intend to begin the roll out of ServiceNow for OIT and existing HP Service Center users this summer. We anticipate that the next phase--in which we will be able to offer ServiceNow to units outside of OIT--will begin in December. Offering this service system-wide further enables the University's "One IT" initiative by utilizing one tool, consistent processes, increased efficiencies, knowledge-sharing, and common terminology for IT Service Management.