IT service management professionals spend a significant proportion of their time on repetitive and disjointed tasks rather than on providing end users with the services they need to be most productive, according to a recent Unisys Corporation poll.
When asked what percentage of their time various tasks occupied, respondents cited the following four as most time-consuming:
■ Coordinating with others in the IT department: 23 percent of their time
■ Responding to fundamental or unnecessary questions from end users: 21 percent
■ Dealing with organizational "siloes": 19 percent
■ Reporting metrics to superiors: 18 percent
Given the percentages of time spent on administrative and non-critical tasks, it's not surprising that the respondents expressed concern about their organization's ability to deliver the services that end users need in the most efficient way. When queried about the biggest challenges they foresee for their organizations over the next year, 74 percent of respondents cited providing adequate IT support and resources, while 54 percent cited dealing with outdated or inefficient service management systems.
81 percent of the respondents said that they thought it would be helpful or very helpful if they and their clients had a single, integrated view of all the business and IT services critical to their jobs.
"Businesses and government today are increasingly connected and driven by digital technology," said Paul Gleeson, Global VP, Edge Services, Unisys. "Their workers need personalized, on-demand, 'always on' business and IT services to stay productive and keep their organizations competitive. IT organizations that give their support personnel innovative tools for consistently providing services that integrate delivery channels – from online portals to on-site concierge services – will be the big winners in the evolving digital economy."
The online poll, which Unisys conducted in February and March of 2015, drew 153 responses.