A Practical Guide to Enterprise Service Management (ESM)

Getting help from other departments at work shouldn’t be difficult. Whether you’re requesting a new laptop, asking about payroll, or trying to fix a leaky ceiling tile, it shouldn’t be an exercise in figuring out “who does this for us?”, it should be quick, easy, and consistent. That’s exactly where Enterprise Service Management (ESM) comes in.

What is ESM, Anyway?

Think of Enterprise Service Management as ITSM’s more social sibling. It takes the tried-and-true principles of IT Service Management (ITSM)—the frameworks IT teams use to deliver and manage services—and extends them across the entire business. So now HR, finance, legal, facilities, marketing, and more can deliver their services in the same organized, efficient way IT already does.

Imagine a single service desk or portal that every team uses to manage requests. Instead of emailing HR, pinging IT on Slack, or stopping by the facilities office, employees just go to one place. It’s all built on service management tools and automated workflows that improve the experience for both users and service providers.

Why Does ESM Matter?

Other departments have always provided services—HR answers benefits questions, facilities fixes broken chairs—but they haven’t always used structured processes like IT does. ESM helps these teams level up by bringing in the same frameworks, like ITIL and knowledge management, to manage their workloads and improve delivery.

In fact, industry analyst Forrester defines ESM as the extension of ITSM practices beyond IT, using a common service platform to manage service demand, streamline operations, and drive innovation through things like low-code automation.

ITSM vs. ESM

This isn’t an either/or situation. It’s not ITSM versus ESM—it’s ITSM plus ESM. ITSM lays the foundation with proven practices for incident management, change management, and more. ESM builds on that to standardize how services are offered across all teams.

The real value? Everyone in the company gets the same seamless experience, whether they’re talking to IT, HR, facilities, marketing, you name it. A unified portal, a shared language, and consistent workflows mean fewer bottlenecks and faster support from any department to any other department.

For example, knowledge management—a core ITSM capability—is incredibly powerful when rolled out organization-wide. When each department shares FAQs and helpful articles, employees can self-serve and resolve their own issues without flooding support teams. Other ways ESM helps move the company along include:

Clear Services, Clear Expectations

ESM makes it easy for departments to define what they offer. Instead of ad hoc Slack messages or hallway requests, teams publish their services in a digital catalog. Employees can browse, submit requests, and get help—just like they do with IT.

No More Silos

Take onboarding as an example. It’s not just an HR task—IT needs to set up accounts, facilities needs to prepare a desk, and security might need to issue an ID badge. With ESM, this can become a coordinated, cross-department workflow, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks and making for a great employee onboarding experience on day one.

Automation = Speed + Accuracy

With ESM, common processes get automated. Broken mouse? New software access? Too hot in the break room? These are things that can be handled instantly with workflow automation, no human needed. Plus, everything is tracked, logged, and auditable.

Governance Made Easy

Because everything runs through a centralized system, it’s easier to measure performance and spot issues. Facilities can track how many keycards haven’t been returned. HR can check how long it takes to respond to benefit requests. Visibility = control.

How to Get Started with ESM

Getting started isn’t about overhauling everything at once. Here’s a simple path forward:

Create a One-Stop Service Portal

Make it easy for employees to find help, submit requests, and check statuses. One login, one search bar, one consistent experience. Ask your IT department if they’re already using something like this. 

Focus on the User Experience

Build a customer-centric experience with clear, no-code request forms and helpful knowledge base articles. Tools like Jira Service Management (link) even suggest articles before a ticket is submitted—saving time for everyone.

Automate Repetitive Tasks

Don’t let teams waste time chasing approvals or tracking down missing info. Use workflow automation to shift ticket ownership, update statuses, and trigger notifications at the right time.

Looking Ahead: The Future of ESM

ESM isn’t some shiny new process—it’s an important shift in how businesses operate internally. It helps companies move faster, break down barriers, and create a better employee experience. Best of all, IT becomes a strategic partner, helping every team improve how they deliver services.

In short: ESM helps everyone work smarter, not harder. And if you’re already using ITSM practices, you’re halfway there. Now’s the time to bring the rest of the org along for the ride.

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