The Reality of Modern ITSM Integration

This article was written by Ugochukwu Ezenduka

Here is a common scenario: A software development company goes into a partnership with a customer service MSP.

However, since the interconnected teams on both sides use Jira Service Management and Zendesk, respectively, they have to request and share information manually.

The fix? Both sides have to adopt an ITSM integration solution to get both systems to share authorized information back and forth.

Tag along as I explore ITSM integration as well as the benefits and practical applications of this concept.

What is IT Service Management (ITSM) Integration??

ITSM integration is the process of unifying the systems used by teams to design, manage, and organize IT service delivery to customers and external partners.?

The systems to be integrated usually cover services like incident management, change management, etc.?

So an integration tool will consolidate data from these applications or platforms by interacting with their respective APIs.

For instance, if your organization uses Jira Service Management , the ITSM integration solution can connect with your other company’s Zendesk instance to exchange the required information.?

Depending on the configuration and the needs of both sides, the ITSM integration framework can have the following characteristics:?

?

• Unidirectional or bidirectional,?
• Real-time or near real-time,?
• Batch processing or single unit processing,?
• Automatic or manual,
• Synchronous or asynchronous.?

The applications and permutations are endless, but you (and your integration partner) need to determine how you want the information flow to occur.

ITSM Integration Use Cases

The first use case for ITSM integration is between internal teams within a single company, also called intra-company integration.?

Here are examples of intra-company integrations:

• Connecting IT and front-end/back-end teams.
• Connecting IT services with HR.
• Unifying customer support and DevOps.

Another use case is for cross-company collaborations or partnerships, where one team in a company connects with another organization.?

Cross-company ITSM integrations are more stringent because they require protecting sensitive data and plugging all potential loopholes and vulnerabilities.?

Here are examples of cross-company integrations:

• Mergers and acquisitions between companies
• Connecting service providers with vendors

In either scenario, you need to work with a solid integration plan to make sure the right entities, fields, and objects are synced. Otherwise, the ITSM integration will fail and lead to massive data loss.

Types of ITSM Integration

Whatever your information flow requirements, ITSM integrations adhere to these patterns and principles:?

• System Integration: This involves ITSM systems with other tools and applications, external service providers, or third-party vendors. For instance, integrating Jira with ServiceNow to improve collaborations between customer support and call centers.
• Data Integration: This type of integration focuses on sharing data between both sides of the connection. Businesses use deep ticket integration to access better data in cross-company collaborations.
• Process Integration: This involves connecting ITSM processes across different tools to improve process management and reduce manual effort. For instance, integrating incident and project management processes to streamline root cause analysis and resolution.?
• UI Integration: This involves connecting ITSM systems with other user-facing tools, such as collaboration tools or self-service portals, in order to improve user experience.?

Benefits of ITSM integration

By using an ITSM integration solution to consolidate your technology stack, your business will enjoy the following benefits:

Break Down Information Silos

Integrating ITSM systems helps prevent the formation of data silos between teams, departments, and partners. Since both sides are connected, they can share necessary information seamlessly to prevent the duplication of efforts.

Lower the Cost of New Systems

Integrating two ITSM systems with a third-party solution means you only have to pay for the system you’re currently working on.

For instance, you can obtain customer contact information from Zendesk even though you only have ServiceNow. In essence, you only get to pay for your Zendesk instance instead of ServiceNow.

Automate Data Exchange

When you integrate systems, you no longer need to manually request data from the other side manually. Triggers and automated events can help you set up actions whenever specific actions are fulfilled—a user creates a new incident.

A common example is when a company connects with another one, admins can use automation to make updates from incidents reflect on their Jira dashboard.

Increase the accuracy of data transfer

One thing automation does is take away the integrity of data transfers from human incompetence. And with human error becoming a non-factor, the accuracy of the data coming into the system increases.

Make data easily accessible

Consolidating data with the help of ITM integration makes all necessary information available to stakeholders on demand. This further expounds on breaking down silos.

In addition, this unbridled access to data helps organizations to generate useful insights and improve their decision-making processes.

Improve the customer experience

Having access to real-time data from multiple sources can help you improve incident resolution time and clear your backlogs.

The result? IT service providers will be able to satisfy customers by addressing their pain points directly and quickly.

Why Does ITSM Integration Fail?

Here are some of the challenges that hinder successful integration.

1. Going into the integration without proper planning and consultation with stakeholders,
2. Not assembling a qualified team of developers and solutions experts,
3. Cutting corners on integration security and compliance,
4. Lacking the flexibility to adjust to expanding workloads,
5. Mapping the wrong objects, entities, and fields,
6. Choosing the wrong integration solution.

One or all of these factors can disrupt ITSM integration. However, the human factor is also important here. If your team doesn’t know how to configure, debug, or unclog the system, the integration will break down frequently.

How to Choose the Right ITSM Integration Solution

The first thing to consider when choosing an ITSM integration is compatibility with both systems. To bridge the compatibility gap, the application should be able to interact with the APIs of both systems seamlessly.

Also, the solution should contain templates and connectors that are configurable to meet your specific needs. This configurator could be a scripting console or a visual editor.

The most important thing is to maintain context when editing scripts for your connector. One mistake can send everything into a tailspin.

— Syed Majid Hassan , Head of Solution Engineering at Exalate

Since your integration will change over time, it has to be scalable enough to accommodate increasing data volumes and customer tickets.?

Data security should also top the list in order to ensure the solution complies with relevant regulations and offers robust security features like data encryption and access control.

Choose a solution within your budget and preferred pricing model: pay-per-user, pay-as-you-go, pay-per-syncs, or flat rate.?

Most importantly, the ITSM solution should have a user-friendly and intuitive interface. This will reduce your team's learning curve and ensure the integration runs smoothly without requiring constant interference.?

Exalate as an ITSM Integration Solution

Exalate is an ITSM solution that offers a robust and highly customizable integration platform for connecting multiple ITSM tools and synchronizing data between them.?

Its unique decentralized approach to integration ensures secure, reliable, and scalable connectivity for ITSM systems like Jira , Salesforce , ServiceNow , Zendesk , and more.?

Apart from the factors mentioned above, Exalate also decentralizes integration, giving both sides ultimate control over incomings and outgoings.

Exalate allows both teams to work in systems they prefer—and share the data across when it is needed. Also, both systems are loosely coupled, and that gives you an element of control.

— George Smith , Solutions Consultant at Exalate.

With Exalate, you can automate your ITSM workflows in order to ensure seamless collaboration between teams wherever they are located.?

The Exalate for Service Providers package helps you set up and deploy the Exalate network and consolidate your service providers and customers.?

Doing so ensures that you wouldn’t have to worry about the complexities of the integration and its maintenance. The integration experts at Exalate will address these concerns.

Note: Watch the ITSM integration webinar to find out how to implement it for your organization.

If you need custom connectors for any system, book a free session with an integration engineer to discuss your specific integration scenario.