The Biggest ITSM Trends and Most Talked-About IT Topics in the Year to Come

With 2018 drawing to a close, it can be tempting to look back on the year that was and reflect on all that has happened, both in your organization and in the world of Itsm as a whole. But, as they say, looking backward is so… last year.

Instead, let’s take a look at the Itsm Trends that will shape the year to come. As far as predictions are concerned, watch out for these five IT trends – they should end up driving the year ahead, and shaping the ongoing conversation that we will have in ITSM.

1. Automation

Automation was a hot topic in 2018 and continues to gain momentum as we move into the New Year. The quest to automate as much of service and processes as possible will continue to be a focus as AI gets better and people get better at interfacing with it. For further information, check out these great blog posts:

• 6 Advantages of Service Automation
• Five Smart Service Desk Features to Implement
• 12 Red Flags That Your IT Help Desk Solution is Behind the Times
• Samanage, Salesforce, and the Town of Cary

2. Self Service

The proliferation of self-service options as much of what the help desk does will continue to be a key focus in 2019, driven by ongoing Digital Transformation and the consumerization of technology, as well as the rise of the Millennial Generation in the workplace. Self-services aims to empower the end user and can help to free up resources and reduce ticket volume on your end as well. To learn more about how self-service will shape ITSM trends 2019, check out this blog post:

• How to Build a Successful IT Self-Service System

3. The Role of AI

Though the industry’s near-obsession with AI and what it could do for ITSM will wane a bit in the coming year, it will still be a major area of focus. How could it not be, given where we are and how rapidly artificial intelligence is evolving? AI is predicted to make your ticketing process more efficient by not only telling you how many tickets are in queue, but also providing you insights on how to resolve the easiest tickets faster. If you’d like to know more about how AI will affect IT trends in the year to come, follow the links below.

• It Doesn’t Have to Stay in Vegas…3 Things We Brought Home from HDI 2018
• Things That Merit Consideration During Service Desk Implementation
• Artificial Intelligence Conversation Often Misses the Point
• Four Ways AI Can Actually Make Your IT Team MORE Human
• Understanding Artificial Intelligence and How it Can Help

4. Digital Transformation

Digital transformation, along with advancements in AI, self-service, and the consumerization of technology and its impact on the workplace will continue to be major topics and trends in 2019. Learn how service desk integrations are paving the way in automation. Want to learn more about digital transformation in 2019? Check out these great posts on the Samanage blog:

• ITSM: The Perfect Place to Begin Your Digital Transformation
• The End of the End User in ITSM
• How Digital Transformation is Changing IT Service Management Solutions
• ITSM And Digital Transformation – Understanding Digital Transformation

5. ITSM Tools

ITSM tools will continue to evolve throughout the year to come, driven by their necessity and their popularity. This, in turn, will make it increasingly important for the IT professional to be able to evaluate and select the best possible tools from among the many, at times frustratingly similar, options. For information about ITSM tools and how to go about evaluating and selecting the best ones for your organization, be sure to check out:

• A Buyer’s Guide to Selecting the Best ITSM Tool
• 6 Priorities for Evaluating New Technology

A Roundup of the Top ITSM Trends That Will Shape the Year Ahead

Well, there you have it: a look ahead to the biggest trends and topics that will likely shape the conversation over the next twelve months to come. 2019 will bring us a deepening of the role of automation, self-service, and AI in ITSM, along with ongoing digital transformation and more ITSM tools to help you keep your organization moving forward. Have a great new year, and check back to continue the conversation with us in 2019!