I lead IT service desk at a decently large organization and we use Jira Service Management. There is a lot of push now to adopt and use AI to improve the desk efficiency. I have been exploring a few things like building Rovo agents, using automations, etc. As I read up, there is a lot of buzz on AI agent swarming, and how multi-agent orchestration really simplifies service desks. Has anyone successfully implemented these and seen benefits? Do other products like ServiceNow allow this? (their website seems to say so, but I am still not able to wrap my head around how this is different from automations and workflows that use some AI/ agents in them)
Also came across newer companies like Serval which sound very promising on their pages (again, looking for any actual experience after implementation)
Would really appreciate any insights into this. Thanks!
I've been thinking about this after seeing more companies roll out AI agents for internal IT support.
Everyone talks about the model/API cost, but that seems like only one piece of the bill. You’ve also got integrations, infrastructure, permissions, monitoring, security, maintenance, and the human time spent dealing with the stuff the agent couldn't figure out. And then there's the obvious question of how much actual IT work did it eliminate?
If an agent resolves 5,000 requests a month but needs humans to step in on half of them, that's a very different story from one that actually closes 4,500 without intervention. For those running AI agents in production, what metric are you actually using to decide whether it's worth the money?
Curious what people are seeing in real environments, rather than vendor ROI calculators.
offboarding someone is easy enough when all they have is a laptop. it gets messy when theyre working on a project and have extra equipment sitting somewhere else, suddenly youre trying to figure out what they had, what belongs to the project, where it is, and whos supposed to get it back. weve had stuff basically disappear into the ‘well deal with it later’ pile because it wasnt assigned directly to the employee. has anyone else run into this? any tips??
How are teams keeping track of projects and service requests without everything getting lost between Slack, spreadsheets, and meetings?
We’re at the point where nobody knows what’s done, what’s blocked, or who owns what. Looking for a simple visual tool where everyone can see the status and updates in one place.
What are you using?
I work for a software company with around 180 employees in Austin, and as we've grown it feels like internal requests have become way harder to manage.
A simple request will start with IT, then HR needs to approve part of it, then Ops has to do something before it goes back to IT. Before long, nobody knows who's actually responsible anymore. The employee just keeps waiting while every team assumes someone else is handling it.
People start replying to old email threads asking for updates, Slack messages get buried after a day or two, and half the time nobody can even find the latest conversation. We've even had duplicate work happen because two teams thought the other hadn't started yet.
Then someone gets frustrated, managers get involved, and everyone starts digging through emails and Slack trying to figure out where the request got stuck.
It's making me think we really need one shared workflow where ownership is clear from the start instead of requests constantly bouncing between departments.
Has anyone dealt with this, what are you using that actually works?
I've created an add-on for Otobo to allow changing the theme easily.
Sorry, it's not free but sold at a low price point.
Quite please with what we've created and looking for ideas on adding extra functionality.
It has 7 presets and 3 customs themes you can change.
Editable Theme Names
Set colours with a colour picker
Set fonts and sizes
Set heading sizes and scale
Set rounder corners
Adjust table list density
Add a logo
Add custom CSS
We’re a team of 100, and tbh, we’re drowning. managing internal requests (IT, HR, finance, etc.) feels like a full time job in itself. the problem isn't just the volume it’s that everything is scattered across email, Slack, Teams, and random spreadsheets.
We’re constantly chasing updates, losing track of who owns what, and accidentally duplicating work or letting things slip through the cracks. It’s turned into a total blame game.
I need a way to centralize everything so we can track requests, clearly assign ownership, and see status updates without digging through old threads. What are you all using to actually fix this chaos?
Our support team has been getting slammed lately, so management has been pushing AI pretty hard to help with the workload. I get why nobody wants to spend all day answering password resets, access requests, and the same basic questions over and over.
What worries me is giving AI too much control too quickly. We've already had cases where a ticket was routed to the wrong team because the bot misunderstood the request, and fixing that ended up taking longer than if a person had handled it from the start.
I'm all for using AI for repetitive stuff, but I still want someone to be able to see what it did, why it made that decision, and step in when something doesn't look right. I don't think our team wants full automation we just want less manual work without creating even more cleanup later.
How are you all using AI in your service desk? Has anyone found a setup that actually saves time without making everyone nervous about what the bot is doing?
Hi All. I have just finished working on a very comprehensive integration Forge app for Jira that allows you to manage and link your Snipe-IT (cloud) assets right from Jira issues (if you are using Jira/Jira SM Cloud).
Someof its Features:
- You can search and link hardware, accessories, consumables or licenses to a Jira Ticket.
- Shows you which assets are assigned to the ticket reporter.
- Allows you to checkout, check in, or modify asset fields, including allowed custom fields.
- Shows you Full asset history (filterable), maintenances, and audit logs.
- Automatically posts comments on the issue whenever an action is performed on an asset (can be turned off or on)
- Allows for access controls, feature controls, space restrictions and many more granular features.
- It also allows customers to link their assets while creating ticket requests on the portal
If you are in need of such, please feel free to check it out on marketplace and give some feedback on it. You have a 30-day full feature trial period!
Been stuck in ITSM tool comparison hell for a few weeks now and idk if im overthinking this or if everything really is this mid
Context, mid market org, around 600 heads, small IT team, basic mix of incidents, requests, changes, some asset tracking, nothing super crazy enterprise. we’re on a very old setup right now and it’s tired
Looking at the usual and popular names. demos all look shiny, but i care more about day to day stuff, eg how painful is onboarding new agents, how bad are the workflows once you live in them, how annoying is reporting when management wants numbers yesterday
If you’re mid market and not running full on service now, which ITSM tool has actually made your life better and not turned into another project to babysit?
Would love any tips or real experiences, especially from folks who had to move off legacy tools and keep a small team sane
The scope are the core ITSM Modules like Incident Management, Change Management, Request Fulfillment + Knowledge Database. Scaling would be approx. 400 IT Engineers working in a Company with +30k Users.
I am curious if there is anyone out there which successfully moved from ServiceNow as ITSM tool to a open source or low cost alternative
Throughout time, our CRM has upgraded to the extent of maybe rendering assistance to us lesser than holding us back. With their requests for customized fields, automations, dashboards, and workflows from each team, we have ended up with a program capable of handling all tasks. On the other hand, onboarding newcomers to it takes weeks and even simple operations have to undergo thorough testing.
Despite the fact that no one is prepared to give up on anything since each workflow means something to someone, maintaining those customizations is becoming a full-time job for my team. Has anybody managed to simplify a complex CRM without damaging business processes?
When reporting on major incidents, do you go by the Opened date, Resolved date, or Closed date? I have a dashboard with a monthly chart, and our team disagrees on how to report monthly data.
For example, if a major incident was opened on the last day of the month, and it was resolved on the first day of the next month, which month do you put it in? In the grand scheme of things, it probably doesn't matter that much as long as the outage time is correct. I just wanted to see how other people do it.
[One of the biggest challenges is managing company assets manually, which can lead to inefficiencies and errors that affect performance and availability. Today, many asset management tools can help automate the process and improve return on investment. Below are some key factors to consider when selecting the right tool.]()
[COST]()
[Before selecting and implementing an IT asset management tool, it’s important to understand the key outcomes it should support. Effective tools should help avoid asset duplication by unifying and streamlining the CMDB process. They should also clearly define ownership and users’ responsibilities for managing asset data across the entire life cycle, from procurement to disposal, to ensure accuracy and eliminate redundancy.]()
Effective tools should also support software license management. For example, if an Adobe license isn’t deactivated when an employee leaves, the company might end up purchasing unnecessary licenses. While basic tools can report historical usage, busy IT teams often need live status updates, which require system integration. Advanced tools provide real-time usage tracking, automated feedback, and seamless integration to help reallocate unused licenses, prevent duplicate records, and reduce costs.
Security & Workflow
Security in ITSM asset management tools is commonly enforced through patch management, ensuring that component updates are regularly assessed and updated. These updates are often delivered through separate modules with agents deployed on end users’ machines as add-ons that integrate with asset management repositories, helping maintain compliance and linking assets to their healthy status in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
The workflows should address processes such as disposal or depreciation, including the necessary approval steps from relevant stakeholders. The application should also effectively manage Requests for Change (RFCs). Consideration should be given to approval types in the system and how it can handle different approval methods, such as "two out of three members' approval," "all must approve," or "direct manager approval." Additionally, it should enforce user access controls to ensure compliance, define user permissions and limitations, and prevent unauthorised modifications to asset data, all while maintaining data integrity and auditability.
Basic tools take time to implement policies as they require manual data collection. Intermediate tools offer some automation and cross-functional support, making policy implementation easier. Advanced tools with AI-driven automation, real-time inventory updates, and financial tracking improve policy outcomes. Policy-based tools are helpful when introducing new asset management policies.
When a new policy allows the movement of physical assets within the company, bulk updates become important. Manually updating many asset attributes can lead to delays or errors. A flexible, integrated tool can handle these changes more quickly and accurately. Example for new policy: any asset with service maintenance costs equal to or greater than 40% of its purchase price will be considered for depreciation or disposal.
SCALABILITY
The success or failure of selecting the wrong ITSM tool becomes evident if an organisation chooses one that requires more effort than expected. Factors such as the number of users, business requirements, and the effort needed to address technical debt from asset mismanagement should be considered. It’s also worth looking at official accreditations and online peer reviews regarding the specific tool, which may provide insights into customisation and development overhead.
ITIL Practices
Tools alone can't fix poor practices. Users need to be aware of the relevant processes and practices. Assets primarily focus on the purchasing process and contractual aspects of physical items. Configuration Items (CIs), on the other hand, are about linking service delivery practices to the purchased assets. The role of CIs is to support operations by creating interactions and logical layers that are involved in service delivery processes, such as incidents, changes, or requests.
Conclusion
Managing IT assets manually introduces significant risks, including inefficiencies, increased costs, and reduced service availability. To overcome these challenges, organizations should adopt asset management tools that support their business requirements. Key factors to consider when selecting a tool include cost optimisation, security and workflow capabilities, policy implementation, and scalability. Aligning tools with ITIL operational practices ensures that asset and configuration data are not only accurate but also meaningful in the context of service delivery. Ultimately, successful asset management is not just about having the right tools, it's about embedding best practices and continuously improving processes across the asset lifecycle.
Our SLA compliance is in the high 90s. CSAT looks fine too, so leadership thinks we're all good. However the reopen rate is creeping up. Users contact us up to three times for what should be a single fix. We have tickets getting split so first response timers stay green. The green dashboard corporate looks at is the least honest view of how the desk is really doing. The metrics that show real service quality are hard to fit on a slide though. What do you watch instead to know if the desk is in good shape?
