Moving business practices to the cloud is a bid to increase the scalability, flexibility, and efficiency of their operations.

Using a cloud provider also lowers the cost of running a business. But although most of the IT responsibility shifts to the provider, IT managers are still responsible for their organisation’s cloud strategy.

Information service management (ITSM)

According to Logicalis, an IT solutions provider, a business can lose out on the benefits of using the cloud if an IT manager fails to manage its cloud strategy effectively.

This form of management is known as information service management (ITSM). Mike Alley, the director of ITSM at Logicalis, adds that the need for management increases in proportion to the speed of a business’s IT service delivery.

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Interestingly enough, it is possible to outsource ITSM services. Cloud providers like sysaid.com are a one-stop ITSM solution. These providers optimise performance by integrating many IT tools into one package.

They even have a help and service desk. That said, Logicalis has pinpointed five tools that are critical to every organisation’s cloud model.

1) IT efficiency

Businesses usually move their operations to different cloud providers to meet different needs. They also use different cloud strategies depending on their goals.

Although this diversification increases efficiency, it risks pulling the various components in different directions. If unchecked, such an IT strategy can result in catastrophic failure. To prevent this from happening is

the work of ITSM. It maintains efficiency and yet acts as the mortar that holds all the IT components together.

2) Business alignment

Most cloud service providers no longer make products which target the IT department. Instead, they focus on meeting the needs of individual business units.

The duty of IT managers is to assess whether these products align with an organisation’s overall strategy. They must then integrate them into the company’s IT model. But this is not as easy as it sounds.

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Company strategy and the products on offer both changes every day. Without ITSM, the link between the business units will be lost.

3) Managing automated services

The automation of a company’s primary processes impacts its service delivery. Failure to automate can result in chaos. Even harder for IT is trying to manage processes that it cannot automate, and yet it is possible. But in this case, having an ITSM strategy is the only way an IT manager can avert chaos.

4) Managing change

IT departments enjoy full control of an organisation’s information technology if it does not use cloud services.

Departments have a harder time remaining in control where cloud providers are involved. The IT pros must manage change and ensure that the providers are working smoothly.

Departments must also catch problems early before they affect service delivery. And only by using ITSM can they accomplish this difficult task effectively.

5) Self-service

A key advantage of using cloud-based services is the decision making power it places in the hands of the end user. With ITSM tools, IT managers can check cloud sprawl and reduce any spiralling costs more easily.

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Conclusion

Yes, migrating to the cloud offers businesses many benefits such as flexibility and affordability. But in its wake are many challenges that can only be dealt with through ITSM.

ITSM makes a company’s service delivery more efficient. It also aligns new products with the company’s business and IT strategy.

Automated services and change management are also easier. Finally, it makes it easier for the end user to interact with the IT system.