Blog C2 ITSM | Powerful and flexible IT Service Management

Sequential automated task management, an asset?

Written by The C2 team | Aug 29, 2013 4:10:00 PM

Yes, simplicity and speed are two terms used repeatedly. They are so that we can now speak of an automatic need, even evident in the business world. Yet in the daily management of information services, the reality may be very different, which obviously implies significant challenges. Indeed, this research of performance often results in the selection of highly specialized complex solutions that do not represent the real needs of organizations.

Simplicity and speed of execution

Finding ways to accelerate the pace of service management (internal and external) while ensuring stability is a challenge. The introduction of automated processes, “workflows,” and frameworks advocated by the majority certainly are a solid foundation, but the game is not won.

As an IT manager or IT project manager, customization and configuration of ITSM processes are crucial, and you can take the next steps without worrying about the stability of your previous implementations.  Task management is a key point in improving your IT processes; automating them is even more so.

Powerful task management makes it possible to optimize :

  • automated assignment of tasks to resources
  • timeliness of your internal resources
  • transparency of the process through a dual display
  • managing your requests for services and, thereby, improving the user experience/customer
  • the sequential operation of these tasks within different processes

Sequential tasks

A continuous improvement approach was favoured for the creation and management of tasks. Sequentiality is now a priority Based on best practices and through various ITSM frameworks. A priority that has a highly under-estimated value and that could forever change the way you manage your services and support processes. Using rules defined in terms of resources involved, we can now start operationalizing, monitoring, and ensuring completion of dependent tasks.

This sequentiality allows resources to meet business processes related to different service requests.

Documenting the service catalogue

However, the creation and automation of requests are not providing optimal rendering. The combination of tasks to service requests is also essential in the context in which the organization is committed to streamlining costs and resources, as well as agreement management and service levels.

These service requests are ideally parts of a service catalog, encyclopedia of your existing services. These applications can be broken down and attached to tasks themselves connected together, allowing better management of services.

Types of tasks

There are different types of tasks:

  • resources tasks: manually type tasks completed by a resource such as resetting a password, configuration of a workstation/phone, application installation, training, impact analysis, quality analysis
  • automated tasks/approval: tasks initiating automatic processes such as approvals for the acquisition of equipment, licenses or applications as well as demands changes or simply changing a field or sending an email

Resource-user interaction

In the best of worlds, jobs created and managed by the resources involved in a specific process should be visible to the customer. Through a web portal, an interface may be developed between the resource and the user to know how the tasks are progressing. The proposed transparency will increase customer appreciation and decrease the likelihood of engaging a second request or a call for an update, thereby reducing the workload of the department support.