IT Service Management (ITSM) refers to the process of designing, delivering, managing, and improving the way IT services are used within the university. It encompasses a set of practices and frameworks aimed at aligning IT services with the needs of the university, ensuring that technology supports university goals efficiently and effectively.

Key Concepts of ITSM:

1. Service: In ITSM, a "service" refers to any activity or function that provides value to the university by facilitating outcomes. Examples include email services, password services, and application support.
2. Processes: ITSM involves a series of structured processes that ensure IT services are delivered effectively. Some of the core processes include:
   1. Incident Management: Handling unexpected IT issues (incidents) to restore services as quickly as possible.
   2. Problem Management: Identifying and addressing the root causes of recurring incidents.
   3. Change Management: Ensuring changes to IT services are handled systematically to minimize disruption.
   4. Service Request Management: Managing requests for standard services (e.g., new user setups, password resets).
   5. Configuration Management: Keeping track of IT assets and their relationships within a Configuration Management Database (CMDB), such as a personal computer or mobile device.
   6. Service Level Management: Ensuring that IT services meet agreed-upon performance targets (Service Level Agreements, or SLAs).
3. Frameworks: ITSM is often implemented using standardized frameworks to ensure best practices. The most widely adopted framework is ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library), which provides a set of practices and guidelines for managing IT services effectively.
4. Service Desk: The service desk is a central component of ITSM, serving as the single point of contact for users to report issues, request services, and seek support. The service desk ensures smooth communication between users and IT and helps manage incidents, problems, and service requests.
5. ITSM Tools: ITSM tools, such as ServiceNow or Cherwell, are platforms used to automate and manage ITSM processes. These tools typically include functionality for ticketing, incident and problem tracking, change management, service catalogs, and more.

ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a framework of best practices for delivering IT services that align with business needs. It provides a structured approach to managing IT services, focusing on processes like Incident Management, Change Management, Problem Management, and Service Level Management. ITIL helps organizations improve efficiency, ensure consistent service delivery, and continually optimize IT operations. It is widely used to standardize and improve IT service management (ITSM) processes across industries.

A Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is a centralized repository that stores information about an organization's IT assets, known as configuration items (CIs), and the relationships between them. CIs can include hardware (PC, Mobile Device), software, networks, and other components critical to IT services. The CMDB helps track the attributes and history of these assets, supporting processes like Change Management, Incident Management, and Problem Management by showing how different components are connected. It helps organizations analyze the impact of changes, resolve issues faster, and maintain compliance by providing a clear view of the IT environment.

During the request for proposal evaluation, it became clear that the capabilities of the ServiceNow platform closely aligned with the needs and strategic goals of the UNM IT organization. ServiceNow offers flexibility and expansion opportunities that other vendors could not match.

ServiceNow recommended Beyond20 as one of their premier partners for assisting with Cherwell to ServiceNow implementations. Beyond20 provided excellent guidance on ServiceNow products and implementation strategy, helping tailor our UNM goals to achieve a roadmap for success.

Beyond20's commitment and attention to detail in helping us finalize a successful RFP demonstrate their support as a valuable vendor partner in driving this implementation to success.

The new ITSM solution will consolidate IT services from across these critical areas:

All UNM IT: 

• IT Academic Technology
• IT Applications
• IT Campus Outreach and Engagement
• IT Customer Service
• IT Networks
• IT Computing Platforms
• IT Security and Privacy

By implementing an updated ITSM solution, we aim to enhance the experience for UNM students, faculty, staff and community when dealing with essential information technology needs on campus. This updated system will offer improved incident management and problem resolution capabilities, ensuring smoother operations and quicker resolutions for issues. This enhancement not only adds value to the experience of students and staff but also fosters innovation across critical IT functions that facilitate learning and innovation within the campus environment.

Upgrading help.unm.edu to a new version using ServiceNow will bring multiple improvements to the user experience:

• Modern User Interface: ServiceNow offers a more modern, intuitive, and customizable user interface compared to our current version of help.unm.edu, improving ease of navigation and usability for both end-users and IT staff.
• Enhanced Self-Service: ServiceNow provides a more robust self-service portal, allowing users to submit requests, search knowledge bases, and track incidents more easily through a user-friendly interface.
• Automation and AI: ServiceNow integrates AI and machine learning to automate routine tasks (e.g., virtual agents for ticketing), improving service efficiency and user satisfaction.
• Better Integrations: ServiceNow offers more extensive out-of-the-box integrations with third-party tools and cloud platforms, making it easier to connect with other enterprise systems to help users navigate the system and receive assistance in a more robust way.
• Customizability: ServiceNow allows for more granular customization of workflows, reports, and dashboards, giving users a more tailored and efficient experience.