Enterprise Service Management (ESM) Beyond IT

This case study concerns a project that took over a year.

CASE STUDY • 2024

Enterprise Service
Management (ESM) Beyond IT

This case study concerns a project that took over a year.

CASE STUDY • 2024

Enterprise Service Management (ESM) Beyond IT

This case study concerns a project that took over a year.

CASE STUDY • 2024

Enterprise Service
Management (ESM) Beyond IT

This case study concerns a project that took over a year.

CASE STUDY • 2024

Background & Motivation

We positioned and sold the SolarWinds Service Desk (SWSD) platform as a solution for managing IT services. IT services benefit all employees, including access to the network and data, access to and support equipment, and help troubleshoot IT-related issues.

Every employee is both a service provider and a service requester/consumer. Employees often consume services from service providers such as Facilities, Security, Legal, and HR. Every department in the Organization offers services to some or all the other departments and/or employees. IT System Management (ITSM) has many customers who have already gone "beyond IT" and have extended the platform to support their needs with other departments, most prominently HR and Facilities.

Expanding SWSD to natively support non-IT departments will provide significant advantages:

Close Competitive Gaps

Many competitors already offer broad Enterprise Service Management (ESM) capabilities. Enhancing SWSD in this direction ensures we remain competitive

Close Competitive Gaps

Many competitors already offer broad Enterprise Service Management (ESM) capabilities. Enhancing SWSD in this direction ensures we remain competitive

Close Competitive Gaps

Many competitors already offer broad Enterprise Service Management (ESM) capabilities. Enhancing SWSD in this direction ensures we remain competitive

Drive Expansion Opportunities

A broader platform increases adoption across departments, unlocking cross-functional use cases and driving deeper integration within organizations.

Drive Expansion Opportunities

A broader platform increases adoption across departments, unlocking cross-functional use cases and driving deeper integration within organizations.

Drive Expansion Opportunities

A broader platform increases adoption across departments, unlocking cross-functional use cases and driving deeper integration within organizations

Drive Expansion Opportunities

A broader platform increases adoption across departments, unlocking cross-functional use cases and driving deeper integration within organizations

Increase Platform Value & ARR

A more integrated solution enhances customer retention, boosts platform stickiness, and directly impacts Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) by increasing per-customer investment

Increase Platform Value & ARR

A more integrated solution enhances customer retention, boosts platform stickiness, and directly impacts Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) by increasing per-customer investment

Increase Platform Value & ARR

A more integrated solution enhances customer retention, boosts platform stickiness, and directly impacts Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) by increasing per-customer investment

Increase Platform Value & ARR

A more integrated solution enhances customer retention, boosts platform stickiness, and directly impacts Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) by increasing per-customer investment

Enterprise Service Management

Improve the management, efficiency, interactions and experience across every department

Problem

Today, our customers are splitting into two groups:

Separate Tenants per Department

Some users create a distinct tenant (account) for each department (e.g., HR).

Multiple Departments in a Single Tenant

Some users support multiple departments within the same tenant.

Using separate tenants complicates things, as configuration and policy changes must be done multiple times and kept in sync.

Using multiple departments in the same tenant doesn't solve a number of the challenges outlined below.

Using separate tenants complicates things, as configuration and policy changes must be done multiple times and kept in sync.

Using multiple departments in the same tenant doesn't solve a number of the challenges outlined below.

Key Challenges

Data Privacy

As HR service items might include PII (privately identifiable information), there is an expectation that HR data within the service desk will need to be accessed and controlled differently than IT-related data.

Terminology/Context

The use of the IT term incidents is incompatible with departments such as HR since the word incident is perceived to have a different meaning. Another area is categories - HR and IT usually have very different categories for classifying tickets and who should handle them.

Data Segregation

Ensure data relevance to individuals; for example, CMDB data is inaccessible to facilities personnel.

Portals

The current portal needs to support offering services or opening tickets with multiple service providers.

Flexibility

Goal

Support ESM (Boyond IT) and thereby:

Satisfy Customers

Expanding ESM will meet customer needs across all departments

Expand ESM beyond IT to meet customer needs

Drive Growth

Expanding ESM can optimize resources to boost business growth

Enable Innovation

Expanding ESM can make service evolution

Engage New Customers

Expanding ESM service can attract and retain new customers

Engage New Customers

Expanding ESM service can attract and retain new customers

Enable Innovation

Expanding ESM can make service evolution

Initial Requirements

SWSD configuration is performed once and done at the IT level. The account’s master (often the initial user, usually coming from IT) can create and manage new service providers at the IT level and configure their unique service setups.

Service Providers

Add a Service Providers area to ITSM where a list of service providers can be defined. The minimum specifications for each provider should include the name, owner, default email alias, and ticket name (e.g., Tickets vs. Incidents).

Permissions

When a service provider is created, an owner must be identified. The owner becomes the only user accessing the new service provider space and can assign roles and permissions to additional users.

Users & Groups Management

Users and Groups can only be created and managed at the ITSM level. Once created, users can be viewed and edited at the Service Provider level. Allow users to be assigned to more than one role.

After reviewing and discussing the requirements with the VP of Product, we decided to create a high-level shaping based on my research of competitors.

Research

Solarwinds ITSM has sharp competitors in the market, such as FreshService, Asana, ServiceNow, Manage Engine, etc.

Also, many large platforms, like Jira, Clickup, and Monday.com, have the concept of different workspaces that can be switched between.

Jira, for example, was an excellent example of several project templates based on the type of project the user wants to create. Choose the template, set relevant details, and configure various aspects in the settings.

Shaping

The creation of the service provider is from IT. For each, the minimum specification should include name, owner, default email, and Service Provider template.

Each service provider will created with a specific service portal.

Only the IT Owner can create a service provider and select the Administrator for each provider. The Administrators can select users from IT, choose their roles, and add them to the Service Provider.

All ESM users can have multiple roles and switch between providers.

The creation of the service provider is from IT. For each, the minimum specification should include name, owner, default email, and Service Provider template.

Each service provider will created with a specific service portal.

Only the IT Owner can create a service provider and select the Administrator for each provider. The Administrators can select users from IT, choose their roles, and add them to the Service Provider.

All ESM users can have multiple roles and switch between providers.

Challenges

I presented some ideas based on shaping to the VP of Product. From there, we decided to proceed with the first drafts and show them to the CTO and engineering leads.

The discussion and decision-making between the Product, Design (me and my manager), and Engineering teams took a long time due to technical issues.

The discussion and decision-making between the Product, Design (me and my manager), and Engineering teams took a long time due to technical issues.
The key challenges were as follows:

We need to change the code related to this model, which immediately affects all current customer data, automation, and testing. Every change we make to the system can impact current customers. We must maintain customer data and migrate it to the new data model for each model.

Current URLs will all need to be changed. Additionally, current reports must be updated, and tests should be adapted for every piece of code in our system.
Support for multiple roles requires changes to the architecture of Roles and permissions, which alone might take a long time to estimate.

Impact on Existing Customer Data

URL and Reporting Updates

Current URLs will all need to be changed. Additionally, current reports must be updated, and tests should be adapted for every piece of code in our system.

Roles and Permissions Estimation

Support for multiple roles requires changes to the architecture of Roles and Permissions, which alone might take a long time to estimate.

New Requirements/Restructure

SWSD configuration is performed once and is done at the organizational level. Customers will automatically have one service provider called an IT Service Provider. The IT Service Provider will configure and manage ITSM for your Organization. The Organization can create other service providers to configure their unique service setups.

SWSD configuration is performed once and is done at the organizational level. Customers will automatically have one service provider called an IT Service Provider. The IT Service Provider will configure and manage ITSM for your Organization. The Organization can create other service providers to configure their unique service setups.

Service Providers

On the organizational level, administrators can create multiple service providers as needed for the Organization's structure.

Roles Management

Each service provider defines a Role as the default Requester role. A service provider administrator can change the default role if needed. Anyone with a Requester role at the Organization level can access any service provider's portal.

Users & Groups Management

Users & Groups can only be created and managed at the Organization level. After creating users, they can be viewed and edited at the Service Provider level.
Allow users to be assigned to more than one role.

Re-shaping

Using this approach, we consider the current accounts service providers who will be a part of the Organization. The IT Provider stays as a default account with minimal changes.
Each Service Provider has the best workspace for managing access, services, and maintenance requests.

Using this approach, we consider the current accounts service providers who will be a part of the Organization. The IT Provider stays as a default account with minimal changes.
Each Service Provider has the best workspace for managing access, services, and maintenance requests.

The discussion and decision-making between the Product, Design (me and my manager), and Engineering teams took a long time due to technical issues.

The code changes were as follows:

Due to technical issues, the discussion and decision-making between the Product, Design (me and my manager), and Engineering teams took a long time.
The key challenges were as follows:

Impact on Existing Customer Data

No change to existing accounts that are not using Service Providers.

Code Refactoring for Organization & Service Providers

Some code is moved and arranged between the Organization and Service Provider classes to enable the functionality of the Organization and Service Providers.

Enhanced Role & Common Entity Management

Some changes are required related to Roles (multiple per user) and common entities (like users, groups, sites, departments, etc.).

Solution

Given the comparative analysis, the Organizational Approach was better for us because of its reduced complexity, lower risk of disruption, and more straightforward integration with existing systems. It offers a more manageable and user-friendly solution while minimizing the impact on current functionalities and ensuring a smoother implementation process.

Given the comparative analysis, the Organizational Approach was better for us because of its reduced complexity, lower risk of disruption, and more straightforward integration with existing systems. It offers a more manageable and user-friendly solution while minimizing the impact on current functionalities and ensuring a smoother implementation process.

Planning

This project involves creating a new system, which has been divided into smaller tasks and phases to manage its complexity. Each task includes detailed product requirements.

I mentioned above that before finalizing our approach, I conducted thorough research on competitors to understand industry standards and best practices. This research provided valuable insights and informed our decision-making process. With this knowledge, the next step was shaping the service provider creation process to align with our strategic goals and the needs identified during the competitive analysis.

This project involves creating a new system, which has been divided into smaller tasks and phases to manage its complexity. Each task includes detailed product requirements.

ESM Step by Step

I began the service provider creation process by focusing on the organizational approach. This initial step involved mapping how service providers would be integrated into the existing organizational framework, laying the foundation for detailed design and development.

Only the organization administrator can create service providers in the new system. In the first step, we enable the creation of an unlimited number of providers using templates that depend on the ticket name. The URL structure is predefined, requiring the admin to only enter the subdomain prefix. For example, if the provider name is Human Resources, the prefix can be set as hr.

By default, the organization account owner is designated as the service provider owner. However, the admin can reassign the service provider owner to another user from the list of administrators.

I began the service provider creation process by focusing on the organizational approach. This initial step involved mapping how service providers would be integrated into the existing organizational framework, laying the foundation for detailed design and development.

Only the organization administrator can create service providers in the new system. In the first step, we enable the creation of an unlimited number of providers using templates that depend on the ticket name. The URL structure is predefined, requiring the admin to only enter the subdomain prefix. For example, if the provider name is Human Resources, the prefix can be set as hr.

By default, the organization account owner is designated as the service provider owner. However, the admin can reassign the service provider owner to another user from the list of administrators.

In the second step, we introduced the option to create service providers from templates (Blank, Sample, HR, Facilities, etc.)

In the second step, we introduced the option to create service providers from templates (Blank, Sample, HR, Facilities, etc.)

Blank

Includes default settings used in all new account setups. This template does not include samples for categories, custom fields, catalog items, or solutions.

Sample

Includes default settings used in all new account setups, along with general samples for incidents and service catalog items that can apply to any service provider. Samples include categories, custom fields, catalog items, and solutions.

Includes HR-specific settings and samples, such as HR-specific categories, custom fields, catalog items, solutions, and more.

Additionally, Organization administrators can duplicate existing configurations and settings from enabled or disabled service providers, thereby reducing the time needed for setup.

Each template, Blank, IT, HR, and Facilities, includes a dedicated portal for requesters. At the organization level, there is a central landing page portal that, thanks to its customization, allows users to switch between these various provider-specific portals easily.

Each template, Blank, IT, HR, and Facilities, includes a dedicated portal for requesters. At the organization level, there is a central landing page portal that, thanks to its customization, allows users to switch between these various provider-specific portals easily.

By default, all users are placed at the organization level as requesters. Administrators from each service provider can change users' roles within their specific provider, granting the appropriate access and permissions as needed.

By default, all users are placed at the organization level as requesters. Administrators from each service provider can change users' roles within their specific provider, granting the appropriate access and permissions as needed.

A user can easily switch between multiple service providers within the service desk if they are an administrator or agent.

The user's personal account area has been restructured to remain relevant regardless of the Service Provider, except for the "Provider Preferences" tab. The "Provider Preferences" tab displays data and settings configured separately for each provider.

The user's personal account area has been restructured to remain relevant regardless of the Service Provider, except for the "Provider Preferences" tab. The "Provider Preferences" tab displays data and settings configured separately for each provider.

Visual Design

The visual design was intentionally based on our existing design framework to ensure consistency and familiarity. As a result, our existing customers should not experience any significant visual changes, allowing them to migrate to ESM without a steep learning curve and stress.

We maintained the existing setup at the organization level to ensure familiarity for our users. For the creation of service providers, we introduced an additional page with an index, making it easy for administrators to manage them.

I introduced a side panel for creating and editing service providers, representing a significant departure from the existing creation behavior. This new side panel offers numerous advantages, including improved workflow efficiency, a more focused user interface, and editing without leaving the current context.

Switching functionality has been temporarily implemented in the header while we address and resolve existing navigation issues.

The visual design was intentionally based on our existing design framework to ensure consistency and familiarity. As a result, our existing customers should not experience any significant visual changes, allowing them to migrate to ESM without a steep learning curve and stress.

We maintained the existing setup at the organization level to ensure familiarity for our users. For the creation of service providers, we introduced an additional page with an index, making it easy for administrators to manage them.

I introduced a side panel for creating and editing service providers, representing a significant departure from the existing creation behavior. This new side panel offers numerous advantages, including improved workflow efficiency, a more focused user interface, and editing without leaving the current context.

Switching functionality has been temporarily implemented in the header while we address and resolve existing navigation issues.

Outcome

The project took over a year to develop and was successfully released. We continue to support and enhance the ESM system by adding new features. The migration from ITSM to ESM is an ongoing process; while some features are still in development, we have successfully migrated nearly 15% of our customers to ESM, who have provided valuable feedback on their experiences.

The project took over a year to develop and was successfully released. We continue to support and enhance the ESM system by adding new features. The migration from ITSM to ESM is an ongoing process; while some features are still in development, we have successfully migrated nearly 15% of our customers to ESM, who have provided valuable feedback on their experiences.

* This screenshot is from the email announcement introducing ESM's first launch.
The names blurred from the reasons for Respect for Privacy and Compliance with Data Protection Laws.

Conclusion

Each area mentioned above deserves further attention, and I could write a separate case study. The entire development process took over a year before our first release, with contributions from various stakeholders carefully integrated piece by piece. Addressing all these areas within the same case study provides a comprehensive understanding of the overall structure.

Each area mentioned above deserves further attention, and I could write a separate case study. The entire development process took over a year before our first release, with contributions from various stakeholders carefully integrated piece by piece. Addressing all these areas within the same case study provides a comprehensive understanding of the overall structure.

Future Plan

We aim to transition all our customers to the Enterprise Service Management (ESM) system. We are committed to supporting our customers throughout this process and continuing to develop and refine the ESM platform based on their feedback and evolving needs.

We aim to transition all our customers to the Enterprise Service Management (ESM) system. We are committed to supporting our customers throughout this process and continuing to develop and refine the ESM platform based on their feedback and evolving needs.

On the organizational level, administrators can create multiple service providers as needed for the Organization's structure.

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