Improving the Quality of Self-Service Portal in IT Service Organization
Summary
Self-service and self-service portals have become an essential component of IT service organizations and service management. While they offer significant benefits, including improved efficiency, reduced manual workloads, and enhanced service accessibility, their success depends on proper implementation. Many organizations underestimate the challenges of self-service adoption, which can result in poor usability, unclear processes, and low stakeholder engagement. To fully realize the value of self-service portals, organizations should prioritize quality factors such as usability, security, and availability while also investing in careful planning and user-centered development.
The role of self-service in everyday life and business
Self-service has become an integral part of everyday life and modern digital services. It is so widespread that we often engage with it unconsciously.
From ordering fast food at a restaurant to managing finances online or requesting work equipment through company portals, self-service is now deeply embedded in daily interactions. Its adoption has accelerated in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, making it an essential element of modern service delivery.
Gradually, self-service has evolved into the foundation of modern service experiences, transforming how we interact with businesses and organizations. It is not just a technological solution but a way to provide seamless, accessible, and efficient services.
The growing role of self-service portals in IT services
Self-service portals provide significant benefits for both customers and service providers. They offer round-the-clock access to services, reduce manual workloads, and free up resources for service development. Additionally, they help service providers collect essential information for service delivery and enhance the visibility of available services.
IT service providers use self-service portals for tasks such as service request management and user management. In the past, service requests were often handled via email or phone calls, leading to longer processing times and reduced transparency for users. By introducing self-service portals, organizations can streamline these processes, improve efficiency, and enhance the overall user experience.
The goal of a self-service portal is also to reduce manual work and accelerate service processes. For example, a university successfully reduced service requests by 63% in the first semester by implementing a self-service portal that allowed users to reset their passwords independently [1].
A university successfully reduced service requests by 63% in the first semester by implementing a self-service portal.
Although self-service portals improve efficiency, their implementation is not always straightforward. Users do not automatically adopt self-service, and a poorly designed portal can lead to frustration and a diminished user experience. Customers quickly forget the benefits of self-service if the portal is difficult to use or does not meet their needs.
Kokkinou [2] points out that designing and implementing self-service technologies can be costly and time-consuming. To ensure the success of a self-service portal, it is essential to understand customer needs and consider the perspectives of different stakeholders, such as end users, service providers, and support staff.
Purpose of this blog post
The purpose of this blog post is to present key findings related to the implementation of self-service portals. What aspects should an IT service provider consider when introducing self-service and a self-service portal? The insights presented here are based on the research article "Improving the Quality of Self-service in an IT Service Provider Organization: A Case Study,” published last year by Jäntti and Lindström in Springer.
How can an IT service provider's self-service portal be used
A self-service portal provides various capabilities for delivering, managing, and automating IT services. To maximize its value, it is crucial to define its key use cases in collaboration with customers and end users.
Our research found that IT service provider customers primarily used or wanted to use self-service portals for service request management, user management, and software and device management. Among these, service request management was the most common function, covering tasks such as ordering devices, requesting user access, and creating new user accounts.
Users used or wanted to use self-service portals for:
Submitting service requests and incidents
Users can report incidents and submit service requests without needing to contact directly the service desk, improving response times and streamlining support processes.
Performing self-service tasks
The portal enables users to reset passwords and complete other routine tasks independently, reducing the workload on support teams.
Device management
Customers can order new devices (e.g., workstations and mobile phones) and manage access rights and additional accessories.
User management and access rights
The portal allows for the creation of new users, granting of access rights, and multi-level approval processes.
Reporting and monitoring
Users can view ordered services, track request statuses, and check billing details in real time.
Additionally, our research identified the need for expanded portal capabilities, including software installation, license requests, and IT asset reviews. An important finding was that ordering additional devices such as SIM cards, wireless mice, privacy filters, webcams, and conference speakers should be seamlessly integrated into the portal's service catalog and designed for ease of use.
What quality aspects should be considered when implementing a self-service portal?
Implementing a self-service portal is a multi-phase process that requires careful attention to both technical and user-centered aspects. A well-designed portal should not only meet user needs but also enhance service processes and operational efficiency.
Based on our research, we identified five key quality factors that influence the success of a self-service portal:
✅ Efficiency
An effective portal should streamline service processes by automating routine tasks and simplifying service request management. A well-designed self-service portal reduces the need for email or phone-based requests and enables users to resolve common issues independently.
✅ Usability
The user interface should be intuitive and easy to navigate. Users should be able to find the necessary information quickly and efficiently, without unnecessary steps. Good usability reduces the need for training and encourages wider adoption of self-service.
✅ Understandability
Portal content and instructions must be clear and easy to follow. Overly technical or complex language can discourage adoption and prevent users from fully utilizing the portal. In addition to usability, understandability includes a structured service catalog and well-defined support materials that guide users through service processes.
✅ Security and privacy
Since self-service portals often handle sensitive user data and company IT resources, data security is a critical factor. Access management, authentication methods, and privacy policies must be carefully designed to protect user data and ensure compliance with regulations such as GDPR.
✅ Availability
The portal must be accessible whenever users need it. While 24/7 availability is a core benefit of self-service, it is equally important to ensure system reliability and to have a strategy in place for addressing any service disruptions promptly.
