Business

What is Service Management Software?

Platforms used to manage the provision of service to customers, whether internal or external, are referred to as service management software. For example, in-house service management can encompass requests related to service approvals, marketing compliance reviews, onboarding independent contractors and facilities requests. The responsiveness of general and administrative (G&A) functions such as HR, IT, and finance can sometimes lag behind the wider organization. This can result in repeated service requests. Service management software can be configured to serve as a ticketing system for these functions, making them easier to track and provide. 

The Evolution of Service Management Software

Service management, as a concept, has been around since the 1970s. Along with the implementation of personal computing came the development of software, which was initially only employed only as a scheduling tool. It has since evolved into platforms capable of service design, development, and deployment.

The best contemporary service management software facilitates the easy configuration of intake forms, automatic assignment of tickets, and the tracking of related communications and data in a central repository. Users can get request channels operative in far less time and approvals can be provided by email. 

Further, records of those approvals can be time stamped and saved to the pertinent ticket—automatically.  Improved collaboration among stakeholders is also facilitated through @ mentions and email notifications.

Service Management Software Types & Features

A wide variety of service management software types exist, enabling functions such as compliance with legal regulations, asset management, and decision-making. The best of these platforms include support for multiple sites, scheduling, request presentation and report production.

Service management functions can also include overseeing inventory, enabling fulfillment operations as well as managing returns processes. Keeping track of repairs and warranty claims, managing orders and other types of communications are also among the capabilities of service management software. 

Choosing The Best Platform For Your Needs

The first consideration to make when choosing service management software is the identification of bottlenecks and pain points in your current workflow. You have to go beyond, “We just need to get better about —.” Instead, make a list of the issues you need to resolve and estimate the costs associated with these issues—monetary and otherwise. This will help you assign a value to the platform’s adoption. 

Determine your “must haves,” which should include ease of integration with existing platforms. For example, if you’re running an accounting department, you’ll want to be certain scheduling and purchase order functions mesh. Take note of the workarounds you’ve implemented to compensate for shortcomings in your current system and look for software that can rectify them. 

Ease of implementation and use must also be considered. You can acquire the most capable platform ever coded, but it will languish unused if operating it entails too many complexities. That expense will be wasted and your chances of getting another shot at it will be slim to none. User-friendliness and an attractive interface are prime considerations. Toward that end, you’ll also need to be certain the vendor provides excellent training and ongoing support. 

In Summary

Service management software holds the potential to increase your operational efficiency and effectiveness, which in turn can lead to increased income for your firm. The key is getting clear on the problems you need to fix and identifying the features you need to resolve them. It is also critically important to make sure the platform you select is easy to learn and use and comes with effective ongoing support. 

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