The IT service management market will grow by as much as 12% by 2027. IT systems used to have a reputation as the troublesome part of many businesses, but that’s no longer the case.
Businesses know they need to invest money directly to make their technology fit their purpose if they want to stay competitive.
But what does this mean in the real business world?
Where should businesses prioritize their budget to get excellent technical support? This article will help answer that question with a look at IT service management vs. service delivery.
Table of Contents
What Is IT Service Management?
IT service management is a broad set of services and functions that help smooth a business’s IT functions from the strategic level downwards. Service management includes:
- Supporting end-users and their IT needs
- Managing software
- Rolling out, running, and supporting applications
- Managing hardware and infrastructure
- Overseeing the IT network
- Governing the quality of the IT
- Improving efficiencies and reducing IT costs
- Handling the business’s strategic IT goals
IT service management can either be an in-house function or something provided by an external IT consulting.
What Is IT Service Delivery?
Service delivery is all about getting a smooth-running IT department daily. It’s there for the ongoing business support and to monitor the security and health of the IT. It keeps systems running. That will, in turn, help you avoid costly problems.
IT service delivery includes:
- First-line support for new users, such as device and account setup
- Provisioning hardware for employees (e.g., laptops and phones)
- Managing day-to-day security issues such as new passwords
- Updates and patches to critical systems, infrastructure, or software
- Backup or storage tasks
- The release of new software or applications to staff
Individually, each of these IT service tasks may seem minor. But taken together, they form the backbone of the technology for a business and keep everything ticking along as it should.
It provides a business with reliable technology that gives your operational teams stability. It helps avoid IT interruptions that can cost a business time, money, and potential customers.
Examining the Differences
As you can see from this outline of IT service management and service delivery, one is more strategic and high-level (service management), and the other is more operational (service delivery).
A business needs both to function effectively.
You need strategic direction for your IT. Clear guidance will help your business get the right software, the most cost-effective infrastructure, and a secure setup. All these aspects should be fundamental technical priorities for any forward-facing business.
At the same time, you’ll have many daily tasks you’ll need to complete so that work can continue uninterrupted.
That’s where service delivery comes in. It provides a business with a go-to team to help your staff with technical support. Your staff can connect with an expert who can sort the issue out promptly. That will ultimately save your company money.
IT Service Management Vs. Service Delivery
Perhaps you are thinking about your investment as a choice between IT service management vs. service delivery for your organization. But as you can see, your business needs both.
You’ll need to invest in technical strategy and operational support to keep your business running properly. Head to our tech section to continue researching your business’s technical solutions.