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Expanding the role of the Service Management Organization

by David Mainville on

Having an effective Service Management Organization is critical to successfully implementing ITSM processes and tools. Did you know it can also be a valuable asset to your company’s Digital Transformation initiatives?

The Service Management Organization provides the subject matter expertise, governance, and, most importantly, the focus required to implement and manage IT Service Management processes and tools. Why not leverage these specialized skills to support Digital Transformation across the organization.

Service Management Office

We have worked with numerous service management organizations over the years. The most successful have implemented a Service Management Office (SMO).  

The SMO becomes the focal point for all service management efforts.

This focus drives agility, productivity, cost-effectiveness, and reliability improvements.   

The Service Management Office Organizational Structure provides the ITSM program with the following capabilities;

  • Executive sponsorship and management oversight
  • Business process management skills to help design or improve processes
  • Technical expertise in the selection and implementation of business process automation tools
  • Data & analytics for continuous improvement
  • Process governance and oversight to keep the program on track
  • Organizational change expertise to drive adoption and engagement


Learn more about the Service Management Office

ITSM programs have benefited tremendously from the Service Management Office, so what if I tell you that the SMO’s skills are 100% transferable to other initiatives such as Digital Transformation.

That’s right! The same skills that made your ITSM program a huge success can benefit the entire enterprise.

Why is that important?

“Eighty-two percent of CEOs responding to our annual CEO Survey said they have a Digital Transformation program underway to make their companies more digital,” said Mark Raskino, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner.

While it’s clear that Digital Transformation is a priority for companies striving to become a Digital Enterprise, there are challenges. 

According to an article in Forbes, a staggering 70% of digital transformations fail, Sept 2019.

Digital transformation takes existing business operating models, typically manual or legacy ones and improves them through digital technology and workflows.

Isn’t that right up the alley of the Service Management Office?

The SMO are proven experts at improving IT processes and driving organizational change. They are also very adept at employing business process automation technologies.

These are the same skills needed to ensure a Successful Digitial Transformation initiative.

If you head up an Enterprise Service Management Office, I encourage you to promote the capabilities of your team and become a Digital Transformation change agent for the enterprise.

Video Navvias software and Service Management OfficeLearn how the Navvia Process Designer can support the Service Management Office.

Originally published Jan 20, 2020, 2018 14:59 PM, updated May 25, 2022

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