Service desk, incident and service request management | Axelos (2024)

The key concepts and messages of these practices show how the respective areas of management have evolved since the last ITIL update in 2007 to 2011. It also equips organizations to address modern challenges and opportunities. Below, the most important concepts and messages are discussed.

4.1 Incident Management

The incident management practice ensures that periods of unplanned service unavailability or degradation are minimized. Two main factors enable this: early incident detection and the quick restoration of normal operation.

Previously, the incident detection was mostly based on information from end users and IT specialists. Modern good practice suggests detecting and registering (and, ideally, resolving) incidents automatically, immediately after incidents occur and before they start affecting users. This approach has multiple benefits, including:

• decreased duration of service unavailability or degradation
• higher quality initial data supports the correct response and resolution of incidents, including automated resolution, otherwise known as self-healing
• some incidents remain invisible to users, improving user and customer satisfaction
• some incidents may be resolved before they affect the service quality agreed with customers, improving the perceived service and the formally reported service quality
• costs associated with incidents may decrease.

The detection of incidents is enabled by the monitoring and event management practice. This includes tools and processes for event categorization that distinguishes incidents from information events and warnings.

Categorization could be automatic, manual, or anything in-between. Detection and categorization is where automation comes in handy, and the practice may benefit from machine learning solutions, using the data available from past incidents, events, known errors, and other sources.

Although proactive incident detection is not always possible, the earlier an incident is reported and registered, the better.

Service interruptions and reductions usually demonstrate some patterns, based on which they can be typified. For typical incidents, service providers may define incident models, repeatable approaches to the management of a particular type of incident, to optimize the handling and resolution of repeating or similar incidents.

Use of the models help to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently, often with better results due to the application of proven and tested solutions. The creation and use of incident models are important activities in the incident management practice, described in the practice processes.

4.2 Service Request Management

Predictability is one of the main characteristics of service requests. Unlike incidents, service requests are the ‘business as usual’ part of the service delivery, so their “results and the timelines are well understood by the customer, users, and operation teams of the service provider, and are usually predictable².”

Predictability is achieved through detailed planning, testing, resource allocation, and optimization of the service request procedures. One of the practice success factors is “ensuring that the service request fulfilment procedures for all services are optimized.” The development of the service request procedures should be integrated early into the product and service lifecycle management. Well-planned service requests ensure easier automation and cost optimization.

Even more than incidents, there are multiple service requests that are similar in their nature and flow, which calls for the use of service request models. These describe the conditions and procedures for service request fulfilment, covering all four dimensions of service management:

• procedures and workflows, including possible options and decisions
• roles and teams responsible (usually as a RACI matrix)
• automation and tools used
• third parties involved in and supporting agreements.

Unlike the incident models, the service request models are usually produced during product and service design, with the service request management practice involved at all stages, and are tested and deployed to operations along with other components of the service.

The continual improvement of products and services may include the improvement of the related service request models.

To make service requests available to users in a convenient and actionable way, they are usually included in user-facing views of the organization’s service catalogue.

Usually, the request catalogue includes information about available service requests by service prerequisites/conditions, information required to initiate a request, approval workflow, target fulfilment time, and other information.

The service request catalogue view should to be tailored according to a user’s SLA, so that all of the information reflects the conditions and targets agreed for the user.

4.3 ServiceDesk

The service desk practice is all about providing and juggling a wide range of communication channels. The service desk practice aims to enable the right message through the right channel, while managing a heterogeneous communication toolset.

The practice also introduces the concept of omnichannel communications: unified communications across multiple channels based on sharing information across the channels and providing a seamless communication experience.

Automation and tools may increase the overall efficiency of service interactions, but it is service empathy that adds a human touch. Service empathy is usually fulfilled by human interactions and can be delivered through any channel.

Because service empathy is such an important factor of user satisfaction and service provider success, it should apply to all the service interactions ensured by service desk.

As a communication interface, the service desk practice significantly influences user satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and the overall success of service relationships. Key user satisfaction factors include the effectiveness and convenience of communication channels and interactions.

The service desk practice is also used for collecting information about user satisfaction through surveys or other satisfaction research tools. To collect this information effectively, the practice’s communication channels should be perceived as trusted, effective, and convenient by the users.