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ITSM and external integrations: the invisible obstacles slowing down the IT team

Why automating ITSM integrations is the key to a more productive team

The integration between ITSM and external systems is essential, but managing it manually involves complexity, high costs, and maintenance challenges. This article explores the issues with traditional integrations and how automated solutions can optimize processes, reduce manual workload, and improve the quality of IT services.

TheITSM platforms (IT Service Management)are the core of IT operations for many companies, as they manageassets, configurations, and support processes. However, to function effectively, they cannot operate in isolation: they must exchange datawith a range of external business tools, such as monitoring platforms, ERP, CRM, security tools, or other external ticketing systems.  

The integration between ITSM and these systems is essential to ensuresmooth processes and efficient IT service management. However, when managed manually, these integration process demands a high expenditure of time and resources, as it requires handling every aspect of development, from security to maintenance. 

Let’s take a closer look at why manual integrationsintegrations increase operational complexity, reduce scalability, and make maintenance more difficult over time. 

The main issues with manual integrations 

  • Difficulty in integrating systems with different APIs and formats 
    Each system usesAPIs with different authentication methods, data structures, and protocols(e.g., REST vs. SOAP, JSON vs. XML), making their integration complex. When this process is managed manually, custom code mustbe written to convert and adapt dataso that it can be understood by both systems. 
    Moreover, if the integration needs to be bidirectional, any change made in one system must betranslated and synchronizedin the other. This requires the creation ofin the other. This requires the creation of, one for each system, with the two teams needing to coordinate to ensure the data is correctly sent and received. 
  • Maintenance and adaptation to external APIs 
    The APIs of integrated systems are periodically updated, changingdata formats, access methods, and security protocols. Each update may requiremanual intervention, and in some cases,rewriting parts of the codeto maintain compatibility. Without a flexible system, the IT team must constantly monitor changes to avoid service disruptions.
  • Error management 
    A well-designed integration should be able todetect, isolate, and report any issueswithout blocking the entire workflow. However, with a manual integration, errormanagement mechanisms must be designed, developed, and tested from scratch, with a high impact in terms of time and resources. Without the proper infrastructure, the risk is creating a fragile system that is difficult to maintain over time.
  • Security and access management 
    Integrations must ensuresecure access to data, managingauthentication, authorizations, and permissionsin a structured manner. However, security protocols (e.g., OAuth, SAML, OpenID Connect) are frequently updated, and vendors may change their authentication methods.Manually aligning the integration, with these changes requires constant monitoring, with the risk of vulnerabilities or malfunctions if updates are not applied promptly. 

Automation is the solution, but it must meet certain requirements 

To overcome these difficulties, the only way forward is toautomate integrations. AniPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service)enables thecentralized and scalable managementof connections between systems, eliminating much of the operational complexity.  

Adopting an iPaaS reduces the need for manual intervention becauseit automatically manages the communication between systems, error handling, and adaptation to API changes. This means that, instead of having to develop each new integration from scratch, you can take advantage ofpre-configured connectorsand tools that simplify the setup, ensuring greaterscalability and speed of implementation. 

However, to be truly effective, the choice of an iPaaS must consider several key aspects: 

  • Direct integration with the ITSM platform 
    An iPaaS is an additional platform compared to those already in use; therefore, it is crucial that it is natively integrated with ITSM andmanageable directly from its interface. This,simplifies the administration of systems, reduces the number of platforms to monitor, and ensures a smoother flow in managing integrations.
  • A vast library of native connectors 
    Each system usesdifferent APIs, protocols, and data structures, so the availability ofpre-configured connectorsis crucial. A large library reducesimplementation times, the risk of incompatibility, and the need for custom development. Additionally, a scalable platform should allow you togo beyond ITSM, supporting,Enterprise Service Management (ESM), and integrating with most business tools and other enterprise services. 
  • Direct integration with the ITSM platform 
    Integrations can encounter errors, such as service unavailability, incorrect data formats, or sudden changes in APIs. Anadvanced iPaaSdoes not limit itself to simple automatic retries but includes aself-healing toolset capable of predicting and managing critical scenarios.  
    In addition to detecting the problem, it can automatically adopt the most suitable solution, adjusting retries based on the service's criticality and activatingfallback flowsto ensure operational continuity. Furthermore, it offerssmart notificationsand resolution suggestions, reducing manual interventions.Advanced monitoringand predictive analytics help identify and prevent recurring errors, improving the overall stability of integrations.
  • Simple configuration 
    If configuring integrations requires advanced development skills or complex manual interventions, the advantage of automation is nullified. A good iPaaS should offeran intuitive interface and low-code/no-code tools, allowingeven non-technical users to create and modify workflowswithout having to write code. 

Our choice: Ivanti iPaaS for an integrated and automated ITSM 

AtWEGG , we have supported companies for years inmanaging IT services on ITSM systems, helping them tointegrate external systemsand develop automations to optimize workflows. Based on our experience, we have identifiedIvanti's iPaaSas the most effective solution for these reasons:  

  • si basa su Workato, piattaforma leader di mercato secondo il Quadrante Magico di Gartner per gli iPaaS, con il vantaggio di essere già integrato a livello di interfacce e gestione in Ivanti Neurons per ITSM. Questo consente di ridurre il numero di piattaforme da gestire, semplificando il monitoraggio e l’amministrazione delle integrazioni. 
  • offre una vasta gamma di connettori e recipe predefiniti, che permettono di automatizzare i processi tra diversi sistemi senza necessità di sviluppi complessi, anche grazie a configurazioni low-code/no code.  
  • è scalabile oltre l’ITSM, con recipe che integrano strumenti di altri servizi aziendali, supportando una gestione IT e business completamente connessa a livello enterprise. 
 

I recipe in Ivanti iPaaS sono flussi di integrazione preconfigurati, cioè pacchetti di automazione già pronti all’uso. Ognuno di questi definisce trigger, azioni e logiche di trasformazione dei dati. Un esempio concreto riguarda un nostro cliente che necessitava di integrare Jira con Neurons per ITSM per sincronizzare i ticket. Se non avesse avuto a disposizione Ivanti iPaaS con i suoi recipe predefiniti, avrebbe dovuto: 

  • coinvolgere i team di sviluppo di entrambi i sistemi per definire i requisiti tecnici 
  • be written to convert and adapt data per garantire la compatibilità tra le piattaforme 
  • eseguire test e coordinare le attività per assicurare il corretto trasferimento dei dati 
 

Questo approccio avrebbe richiesto settimane o mesi di lavoro, con costi elevati e un elevato rischio di errori durante lo sviluppo. 

Con Ivanti iPaaS, invece, il recipe preconfigurato per Jira ha permesso di completare l’integrazione in pochi giorni, riducendo drasticamente il tempo e le risorse necessarie per il progetto. Oltre a semplificare la connessione tra i sistemi, il pacchetto include anche la gestione automatizzata degli errori e il monitoraggio continuo, garantendo retry intelligenti, flussi di fallback e una supervisione costante delle integrazioni.  

Per vederlo in azione, consigliamo di iscriversi al webinar in programma il 19 febbraio. 

Conclusion 

Oggi la tecnologia rappresenta la chiave per liberarsi da inefficienze e sprechi di tempo. Automatizzare le integrazioni ITSM con tecnologie come Ivanti iPaaS significa non solo ridurre il carico di lavoro manuale, ma anche garantire dati accurati e sempre aggiornati, fondamentali per prendere decisioni informate e migliorare le operazioni IT. 

Anteam IT più produttivo può finalmente concentrarsi su attività strategiche, anziché gestire problemi tecnici e riconciliazioni manuali. Questo si traduce in una maggiore qualità dei servizi erogati, un’azienda più agile e un IT che diventa motore di innovazione e crescita.  

*Articolo di Yari Formaggio, DSE Manager 

Post Linkedin 

Quante ore perde il tuo team IT a gestire integrazioni manuali con la piattaforma ITSM?  

Ogni giorno, i team IT combattono con API incompatibili, errori di sincronizzazione e aggiornamenti improvvisi che rompono i flussi di lavoro. Il risultato? Un IT sommerso da attività ripetitive, invece di concentrarsi su innovazione e crescita aziendale. 

Noi di @WEGG (menzione) abbiamo trovato la soluzione nell’automazione intelligente delle integrazioni ITSM. Nel mio ultimo articolo esploro come eliminare il peso delle integrazioni manuali, ridurre i costi operativi e migliorare l’efficienza grazie a tecnologie iPaaS. 

È un tema che ho discusso con diversi clienti e ora mi piacerebbe sentire la tua esperienza: il tuo IT è ancora bloccato in logiche manuali? Forse il momento di cambiare! Ti invito a leggere l’articolo e a farmi sapere nei commenti come state affrontando in azienda queste sfide.  

#ITSM #Automazione #iPaaS #Integrazioni #DigitalTransformation 

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