At the end of 2015, the Service Desk Institute (SDI) and Freshservice jointly conducted research into life working on the IT service desk in 2016. This covered the key pain points for service desks and ITSM tools and vendors, as well as top service desk enhancements and priorities for 2016. The infographic highlights the key areas of the study.

1. THE GAPS
THE ROAD AHEAD
52%
of service desk
professionals
are struggling
with their
current service
desk tool
Inability to easily produce metrics and reports
38%Outdated or complicated service desk tool
Lack of integrated knowledge tools
Low self-service adoption
50%
50%
44%
42%
Fire-fighting due to heavy workload
38%Struggling with the current service desk tool
Speaking with customers and building
relationships
Struggling with self-service end-user
adoption
69%
38%
33%
32%
Pain areas in the service desk Most time spent in the service desk
A clear theme running through this research is that the ITSM tool must be both simple to use and easy to
modify, and this statement is again validated by 69% of respondents who spend most of their time
fire-fighting due to heavy workload and 50% of respondents who are stuck with an outdated or
complicated service desk tool.
Top influences for ITSM tool selection
For the majority of service desk professionals in 2015, there is a singular new demand for their ITSM toolset –
save us time and resources through automation.
There is a recognizable drive to increase the value of the service desk to the business. For many service desks,
this will be a marketing activity, a drive to change the perception of IT and the service desk and communicate
the value IT services bring to the business.
With the ITSM tool
Lacking automation in core processes,
limited self-service functions, and
unavailability of an integrated CMDB are the
top frustrations with service desk features.
These are also the top three key innovation
areas customers would want ITSM tools to
focus on.
Features Reporting Usability
13%29% 11%
Innovation
With the ITSM vendor
ITSM tool procurement is not just about
purchasing a software but the beginning of a
partnership between the vendor and the
service desk that is likely to last for many
years.
Support Relationship
30% 25% 23%
Freshservice, along with Service Desk Institute (SDI), conducted a joint research, “Life on the
Service Desk in 2016: View from the Frontline,” which provides valuable insights into the
current frustrations of service desk professionals, from lack of reliability to dearth of
innovation in the ITSM tool.
For insights into the service desk industry’s emerging needs, access the report at
TOP FRUSTRATIONS
WHAT MATTERS
62% 60% 57%
Self-service
capabilities
Ease of use
and UI
Product features
and functionality
Automation
capabilities
56%
Life on the
Service Desk
Top service desk priorities for 2016
74%
63% 47% 43%
Improving
service desk
performance
Increasing our
value to the
business
Using more
automation
Succeeding
with
self-service
Reducing
inbound calls/
emails
59%
www.freshservice.com/life-service-desk-report