Build Versus Buy Automation with ITSM Versus ETM

In the article ETM and ITSM/CMDB: Better Together , I emphasized that ETM and ITSM/CMDB solutions, while fundamentally designed to address distinct challenges, complement each other quite well:

• ITSM is tailored to manage people-centric workflows, such as help desk services, incident resolution, and customer support, heavily relying on service tickets.
• ETM is specifically developed to orchestrate and automate technology-centric workflows using pre-packaged applications, aiming to enhance technology data accuracy and streamline IT processes across disparate tools and systems.

That said, the decision to utilize one solution over the other for automating IT processes often boils down to a classic build versus buy decision:

• Build: Do you prefer to embark on a custom development project to create a bespoke solution? (ITSM approach)
• Buy: Do you prefer to automate by configuring pre-packaged workflow applications, without the need to run a custom development project? (ETM Approach)

Let's take a closer look at this comparison.

Vastly different time-to-value

ITSM Automation = 12-24+ month waterfall development

Deploying an ITSM approach to IT process automation typically requires a lengthy timeline, often extending beyond 12-24 months, utilizing a structured waterfall model. This model relies on professional services to manage software development projects dedicated to building custom automation solutions deployed on the ITSM platform. Such projects consume considerable resources and come with the risk that given varying levels of complexity the custom solution may never make it into production.

Once in place, the IT department becomes responsible for the custom solution's support and maintenance, including the ongoing updates and upgrades of the associated technologies. This responsibility can lead to perpetual release cycles, particularly when an abundance of configuration changes is required.

Moreover, since the CMDB wasn't designed to oversee a company's full spectrum of technology assets, additional professional services are frequently needed. These services are vital for customizing the CMDB, involving the addition and revision of fields to provide the technological data necessary for supporting the automated processes.

ETM Automation = 2 to 3 month configuration sprints

In contrast, deploying an ETM solution typically involves 2–3-month sprints focused on achieving IT process automation outcomes. This agile methodology also ensures the accuracy of data across a company's entire technology portfolio, data which is vital for the automation of dependent processes.

An ETM customer's journey usually commences with sprints designed to improve hardware visibility. This is accomplished by utilizing ETM vendor-built and supported integrations that connect the customer's existing Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools—such as Jamf and Intune—along with directory services like Active Directory, endpoint protection platforms including Crowdstrike, and ITSM platforms such as ServiceNow, with the ETM Technology Database (TDB) . The TDB is tasked with discovering, aggregating, normalizing, and enriching technology data, thereby creating an exceptionally precise, unified source of truth for the company’s hardware technologies.

In these initial phases, customers also implement vendor-provided pre-packaged workflows, which help maintain the accuracy of hardware technology data without the need for custom software development.

As the ETM journey advances, later sprints often involve adding more connectors to manage software technologies and cloud technologies. This step leads to the formation of a complete and accurate digital representation of the entire technology environment, offering more accuracy and completeness than what traditional CMDBs provide. Such thorough tracking and documentation are critical for sustaining inventory controls, which bolster IT audit readiness and compliance requirements.

ETM clients then often turn to configuring vendor-supplied, pre-packaged Workflow Applications. These applications are designed to automate cross-technology management processes, such as employee onboarding/offboarding, SaaS license management, and procurement forecasting.

Automation through tickets

Contrasting the automation of IT processes through ITSM and ETM can also be viewed in terms of tickets:

ITSM Automation = 15% automation + 85% tickets

Automation via an ITSM platform typically involves initiating a ticket to progress to the subsequent phase in a process runbook. Roughly speaking, this implies that 85% of the workflow might still be ticket-driven and manually executed, with the remaining 15% of the process being automated.

ETM Automation = 85% automation + 15% tickets

In contrast, automation using an ETM solution centers on employing configured automated workflows communicating with the Technology Database to carry out the next action in the runbook. By approximation, this implies that 85% of the workflow could be automated, while the remaining 15% might still necessitate manual interventions for tickets and to address any automation exceptions.

To illustrate this point, automating the offboarding process of an employee with an ITSM platform typically requires the generation of over 20 tickets. On the other hand, executing the same process through ETM would likely reduce the need to just a handful of tickets.

Choosing Between ITSM and ETM

In choosing between ITSM and ETM for IT process automation, organizations must weigh the strategic benefits of custom development (build) against the speed, agility and efficiency of pre-configured solutions (buy).

ITSM approaches, with their ticket-centric, custom-built automations, may benefit from leveraging an already deployed ITSM platform but often at the cost of extended deployment times and a heavier maintenance burden.

ETM solutions, however, harness the power of agility and vendor-supported integrations to deliver rapid, broad-spectrum automation with a significantly shorter time to value. By predominantly automating workflows and reducing reliance on manual ticketing, ETM provides a compelling alternative for companies seeking to optimize their technology management and accelerate their journey towards operational excellence and compliance adherence. Thus, while ITSM and ETM can complement each other, the latter's approach presents a clear advantage for businesses aiming for accelerated and comprehensive IT process automation benefits.

Curious to learn more? Contact Vince to get an ETM demo.

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