In 2022, our organization embarked on its first-ever ITSM system implementation with Cherwell—a rollout that quickly became a pivotal learning experience. Despite the promise of improved service management, we launched a system that was already at its end-of-life (EOL) and soon faced over 100 bugs. Customer and technician complaints surged, trust eroded, and we recognized the need for a comprehensive change management strategy to recover. Two years later, in 2024, we approached our next ITSM implementation with Ivanti, determined to avoid past mistakes. By adopting a structured, feedback-driven ITIL approach and emphasizing change management, we achieved a remarkably smooth rollout: with only ten total bugs reported six months post-launch and buy-in that surpassed our goals. This turnaround was driven by a more rigorous methodology, including active stakeholder engagement, requirements gathering, and trust-building strategies that aligned the system with user needs and expectations.

Takeaway

In this session, attendees will gain insights into key practices we implemented to transform our ITSM process:

Learning from Our First ITSM Implementation: We applied insights from the 2022 rollout to avoid common pitfalls, streamline requirements gathering, and engage stakeholders proactively.

Building Trust through Transparency and Involvement: Engaging users early, holding regular feedback sessions, and providing transparent updates restored trust and improved buy-in.

Comprehensive Change Management and Stakeholder Engagement: Targeted change management initiatives, including training and change champions, minimized resistance and drove adoption across departments.

Enhanced Change Control and Testing Protocols: A robust change control process and rigorous testing reduced post-launch issues, ensuring greater stability and a smoother user experience.

Post-Launch Engagement and Continuous Improvement: In our approach, post-launch is not the end but a transition into sustained excellence. We host regular internal user group meetings to maintain open communication, gather ongoing feedback, and address feature requests. Post-launch best practices include continuous improvement and active engagement with users to ensure the system evolves alongside organizational needs, keeping it stable, efficient, and responsive to future requirements.

This case study-based session offers attendees a roadmap for successful ITSM implementations, emphasizing the importance of trust, effective change management, and ongoing improvement. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for navigating ITSM challenges, fostering system adoption, and sustaining long-term succ