How Artificial Intelligence Will Change ITSM in 2018
Like it or not, AI is about to get integrated with every ITSM system known to mankind and that’s why ITSM training has become vital for the success of IT professionals. From corporate environments to government networks, all IT solutions are rapidly turning to emerging technologies and artificial intelligence to completely revolutionize the way services are bring delivered. This was bound to happen because humans can only deal with so many service management-related requests and incidents before they burn out. The involvement of AI promises sustainable growth for ITSMs.
The Future Is Already Here
Artificial Intelligence is one of the hottest topics for 2018. Pretty much all corporate websites now feature chatbots with AI capabilities, that are completely capable of handling IT support calls on the front line.
There’s no denying the fact that IT service management (ITSM) is changing: computers can now predict if something is about to go wrong before you even get a chance to submit a ticket for someone to come fix it. This is the reality of now.
We can see several instances like these, where AI is nicely handling low level, low complexity needs of ITSM, so it can work with more complex issues pertaining to governance and processes. But since technology is all about making lives easier, AI researchers are now looking to automate even these complex tasks. And ITSM is well-placed to help them understand the developments required.
ITSM training and certifications are helping analysts shift their focus from problem and change management, as these tasks are increasingly being taken over by AI. Instead, they are now learning to focus on business objections, as AI continues to master the requisite IT objectives of an organization.
The most amazing piece of news here is that despite the rapid development of AI in ITSM solutions, a human helping hand will perhaps always be needed to handle the service management aspect which will never go away, because IT will always exist. However, the implementation of AI technology will lead to some disruption in the way humans are involved in the service management process.
ITSM in 2018 – Imagine the Possibilities
AI in IT service management isn’t science fiction anymore. Lieutenant Commander Data from Star Trek is almost a reality!
From Alexa the smart home hub, to Tesla cars with their self-driving features, the advent of IT into our everyday lives has drastically increased the adaptation of technology. AI is fast infiltrating our homes and offices, and this means that IT Service Management is now not only responsible for keeping IT systems running, but it must also offer better customer service experience at every level of interaction.
AI for The Service Desk
Artificial Intelligence is making customer service desks more efficient and user-friendly. IT staff can delegate mundane tasks to the AI software, so they have time to invest in creating winning ITSM strategies. This means that IT personnel now have the power (and time) to emerge as decision makers and business enablers, a huge promotion in itself.
Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing will change the way IT departments respond to changes, incidents and requests. Virtual Support agents know just how to serve your customers while also staying true to your corporate interests. We are seeing AI being used in chatbots, so the IT staff no longer has to worry about desk dealing.
Knowledge Management Gets Smarter Too
AI will bring an infinite universe of knowledge to ITSM, improving the availability and quality of service available to the end-user. This will not only make it easier to answer IT-related questions, but also provide new avenues of training and expertise for analysts and end-users alike.
ITSM, when powered by AI can fetch answers from knowledge databases in real-time. And if the answers aren’t available there, the AI will lead them straight to knowledge sites on the cloud. That’s just the beginning. Knowledge management solutions powered by AI will be able to use deep learning techniques. However, until AI is perfected, ITSM knowledge solutions will still require human input for efficient applications.
Successful Implementation of AI
Anyone in ITSM should learn how to leverage the new technologies and emerging trends, if they are to remain relevant in the next few years. But that’s easier said than done. A recent ITSM Benchmarking Report shows that the ITSM industry is suffering from a lack of metrics as more than 60% of participants reported that they have no monitoring or evaluations systems in place.
On top of that, if the IT staff is resistant to new technologies, their fear is based on a lack of skills required to support the new tech and their unsustainable workloads.
A successfully AI-driven future of ITSM will require training solutions that let IT staff gain familiarity and build trust with modern AI solutions. Select common IT-related issues and leverage the capabilities of the AI system to guide and support the IT analysts and programmers etc. Remember, early adaption of AI will benefit those with unique human qualities the most. People with empathy, reasoning and rapport skills are set to gain the most in this fast-changing world of ITSM.
Building A Strong Foundation for the ITSM-AI Partnership
CPD, training and learning are imperative for ITSM professionals who want to be at the cutting-edge of AI, cloud computing and IoT. ITSM practitioners will need continue to leverage the variety of best practices i.e. Lean Six Sigma, DevOps, PMI etc., to ensure continued innovation. Remember, there is no ‘silver bullet’ to bite here, all avenues of learning are great, and all best practices must be integrated into the company lifecycle for maximum efficiency of the ITSM-AI relationship.
In April of 2017, an article titled ‘Workplace diversity will soon include AI’. The article quotes Michael Harré, saying, “Automation will change the workforce; and not just for repetitive tasks. AIs are being used in law and medicine, not only to read and evaluate documents but to make recommendations, while advances in robotics are allowing doctors to perform surgeries remotely. Soon simple surgeries may even be performed by AI. Despite the pervasive fear that technology will innovate whole careers out of existence, people who are flexible and open to learning will continue to be in demand.”
Over time, human involvement in ITIL processes will continue to decrease as AI gets smarter and faster. This future is at most a decade away, as humans are going through a technology revolution at the speed of light. Organizations will need ITSM experts who are certified at doing things the new way, with respect to AI, IoT and cloud computing. Developing a growth mindset as well as a proven skillset that complements the ITSM toolbox and related AI capabilities, are the only ways IT practitioners will be able to set themselves apart.