Why is ESM important?

Across different business departments, the definition of a “customer” varies greatly. Depending on the line of business, the people who are being served may be employees, partners, suppliers, accounts teams, citizens, or consumers. But the one thing they all have in common is questions, issues, and requests that must be resolved.

For decades, IT departments have relied on established IT service management (ITSM) practices and tools to enable the delivery of IT services and support to their organisations. ESM adopts the principles of service management and applies them to other departments such as HR, customer service, finance, or procurement to help streamline, harmonise, and digitalise their processes.

Addressing internal customer requests frequently involves complicated, cross-departmental workflows that often include manual processing steps—slowing down issue resolution and keeping people waiting for answers. However, by replacing unstructured, routine work with modern, automation-based alternatives, ESM breaks down organisational silos and supports an integrated and customer-focused approach to delivering efficient end-to-end services. In this way, organisations improve customer experiences, increase productivity, and reduce costs.

What does ESM entail?

ESM involves a range of tools and practices that help optimise service delivery and operational efficiency across the enterprise. Key components include:

• Service catalogues: A centralised repository of all available services that a department provides, the service catalogue includes detailed descriptions, service levels, and how to request the services.
• Service desks: A single point of contact for service request management, incident management, and general enquiries, the service desk acts as the primary interface between service providers and customers. Communication channels include email, chat, SMS, or telephone.
• Self-service portals: Enabling users to find answers and resolve issues independently without needing to contact the service desk, a self-service portal allows people to access services, submit requests, and find information or solutions.
• Service level agreements (SLAs): Specifying service levels, SLAs outline the expectations and responsibilities of both service providers and customers.
• Automated, AI-enabled workflows: Helping to ensure consistency and speed up response times, AI-enabled workflows streamline activities by automating repetitive tasks such as case routing.
• Knowledge base: Providing a single, centralised repository for the collection, organisation, and sharing of information to improve efficiency and service delivery.
• Reporting and analytics: A range of tools and processes help organisations track performance metrics, analyse service trends, and generate reports, providing insights for continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.

Use cases for ESM

ESM can be applied across various organisational functions to improve efficiency, streamline processes, and enhance service delivery. Common use cases for ESM include:

• Human resources: Payroll discrepancy management, family and medical leave support, and work permit processing are critical HR areas where ESM streamlines operations and enhances employee experiences. By automating ticket resolution and utilising self-service portals, ESM helps employees quickly address payroll issues, initiate leave requests, and track work permit applications without extensive HR intervention. Additionally, guided experiences help employees navigate induction processes efficiently, ensuring they have the necessary systems access and equipment from day one. This approach not only saves time for HR teams but also empowers employees to take control of their HR needs, creating a more responsive and effective service environment.
• Finance: ESM automates many manual processes, including payment requests, accrual requests, invoice enquiries, and many others. AI-driven case management and digital workflow capabilities also provide a platform for finance shared services organisations to manage internal enquiries, requests, and exceptions.
• Customer service: Within customer service management, ESM tools and principles are at play when companies manage customer enquiries, service requests, and complaints through a unified service desk. The creation of centralised knowledge bases provides service agents with easy access to in-depth product information and guidance on specific queries, while the use of SLAs helps ensure timely and high-quality service delivery to customers.
• Facilities management: Many organisations use a shared services approach to streamline facilities management processes. Key areas include the ability for employees to make self-service submissions regarding office equipment, building repairs, and other maintenance issues. ESM tools are also used to manage office space, including desk booking systems or meeting room reservations. In addition, automated workflows help businesses track and manage safety inspections, compliance requirements, and incident reporting.
• Procurement: Purchasing departments often use a shared services delivery model to manage purchase requisitions, with automated workflows for submitting, approving, and tracking purchase requisitions and orders. Centralised management of supplier information helps procurement staff track supplier performance, while easy access to stock information helps personnel ensure the timely availability of required materials and products.
• Field service management: ESM plays a key role in helping many organisations run effective field service management operations. From gathering relevant information on what needs to be addressed to arranging a visit from a suitably qualified engineer, a shared services approach helps ensure efficient workflows. ESM also plays a key role in reducing carbon emissions by identifying when an on-site visit is not necessary.

What are the benefits of ESM?

ESM adopts a holistic, integrated approach to service management that aligns service delivery with business objectives, brings benefits, and enhances overall business performance, contributing to long-term organisational success. Here are some of the main benefits of implementing ESM:

• Increased efficiency and productivity: By standardising processes across departments, ESM helps remove inefficient redundancies, while automated workflows reduce manual effort and free up employees to focus on more strategic tasks. In addition, self-service options enable employees to resolve issues and request services independently, reducing the burden on service teams and speeding up response times.
• Improved collaboration and communication: Promoting a unified approach to service management, enterprise-managed services break down departmental silos and foster better collaboration. Service management software provides a unified platform for communication and coordination across different business functions, helping to ensure the prompt and efficient resolution of service-related issues.
• Reliable service delivery: Centralised service catalogues outline all available services, making it easier for employees to find out what services are available and how to access them. Meanwhile, standardised procedures and automated workflows help ensure consistent service delivery across the organisation.
• Better user experiences: User-friendly interfaces in service management software make it easier for staff to request and track services. And with quicker resolution times and more efficient service delivery, the user experience is improved for both internal and external customers alike.
• Strategic insights: Advanced analytics provide strategic value by informing decision-making, enabling organisations to respond to changing market conditions in an agile manner, and supporting continuous service improvements.
• Cost savings: ESM helps organisations optimise resource allocation, with personnel, tools, and technologies deployed more effectively. In addition, streamlined processes and automation reduce manual work and lower the risk of human error, resulting in reduced operational costs.
• Scalability and flexibility: ESM frameworks are scalable, enabling organisations to adapt quickly to support organisational growth. Service management also assists organisations in meeting the changing demands of a dynamic business environment, with customisable platforms providing flexibility within a standardised service delivery model.
• Enhanced governance and compliance: Using a shared-service delivery model helps ensure that service management activities comply with internal policies and external regulations. And by standardising and automating processes, ESM reduces the risk of compliance breaches and operational errors.

How do you implement ESM successfully?

The road to ESM implementation can be complex and presents a number of challenges ranging from cultural resistance to technical complexities. The following steps help ensure a successful ESM deployment:

• Define objectives and goals: It is important to have a clear vision for your ESM project. Whether your goal is improved operational efficiency, enhanced service delivery, or better resource utilisation, understanding what you aim to achieve is crucial.
• Engage stakeholders: Having established the goals for your ESM project, ensure that all key stakeholders are aligned with these goals. Strong executive sponsorship is essential if you are to secure the necessary support and resources to drive your ESM initiative to a successful conclusion. Involving representatives from all relevant departments and developing a comprehensive communication strategy to keep stakeholders informed and engaged is also vital.
• Assess your current state: By carrying out a thorough assessment of existing processes and workflows across different departments, you can identify inefficiencies, redundancies, and areas for improvement. You can then carry out a gap analysis to compare current practices with the desired ESM framework and identify any necessary changes.
• Choose the right technology: When selecting ESM software that meets your organisation's needs, key factors to consider include scalability, user-friendliness, and customisation options. You should also ensure that your chosen platform integrates closely with existing systems and tools.
• Design processes: You need to develop standardised processes and workflows that can be applied across multiple departments. Where these processes exist, it is important to check that they align with industry best practices. You should also create a service catalogue that contains details of all available services and how employees can access them.
• Implement a change management programme: An organisation-wide change management plan can help ensure a smooth transition to your new ESM framework. Training programmes incorporating workshops, e-learning modules, and practical sessions play a vital role in addressing resistance and educating employees about the potential benefits of ESM processes, tools, and practices.
• Monitor and measure performance: Measuring the success of your ESM implementation is crucial if you are to continuously improve service provision. You can track KPIs to evaluate performance in areas such as service quality, response times, user satisfaction, and cost savings. It is also a good idea to conduct regular reviews to evaluate user experiences of the shared services delivery model and carry out business process optimisation to make changes that improve these experiences.

Key trends in ESM?

Advancing technologies, changing business environments, and increasing expectations for seamless service delivery mean that service management software is evolving rapidly. Here are some key trends that are shaping the future of ESM:

• Increased automation and AI integration: Integration of AI and machine learning is increasingly helping organisations automate routine tasks, use predictive analytics, and improve decision-making. AI-driven virtual assistants and chatbots are handling common service requests, resulting in quicker resolution times.
• Enhanced user experience: To help ensure a consistent user experience, future ESM solutions will offer support across multiple channels such as email, chat, telephone, or self-service portal. In addition, increased personalisation will see tailored service options based on individual user preferences and past behaviours.
• Mobile and remote access: ESM platforms will increasingly prioritise mobile-first designs, allowing employees to access and request services on the move and ensuring seamless service delivery—regardless of location.
• Data-driven decision-making: Future service management software will use advanced analytics to provide deeper insights into service performance, user behaviour, and process efficiency. These insights will help organisations make informed decisions and drive continuous improvement. Meanwhile, real-time monitoring and dashboards will help organisations respond quickly to emerging issues.
• Interconnectivity: Increasingly, ESM tools will use APIs and microservices to become more interconnected with other enterprise applications such as CRM, ERP, or HR systems. This will enable a more holistic approach to service management and better alignment with business objectives.
• Security and compliance: In future, more ESM solutions will incorporate advanced security features such as encryption and multi-factor authentication to protect sensitive data. In addition, service management software will increasingly focus on helping organisations comply with industry-specific regulations and standards.
• Modular architectures: Increasingly, ESM software will feature modular architecture. This will allow organisations to select functionalities based on their specific needs, enabling more flexible and customised implementations.

Getting started with ESM

Organisations that adopt a shared service delivery model will be well placed to achieve greater efficiency, improved service delivery, and sustained competitive advantage. But how do you get started?

Solutions such as SAP Enterprise Service Management provide comprehensive ESM capabilities to support shared services across multiple departments, from HR and finance to procurement and customer service. Unlike some suppliers that offer specialised tools for specific lines of business, SAP’s holistic approach reduces the complexity and costs associated with managing multiple disparate systems. Instead, SAP Enterprise Service Management supports a tightly integrated ESM architecture that drives efficiency, consistency, and innovation across your entire organisation.