The Service Desk Institute (SDI) has been connecting service professionals across the world since 1988 and is the leading global community for everyone working in the service and support industry. Our mission is to inspire service desks and support teams to be brilliant.

With a passion for providing industry best practice and sharing knowledge, SDI is dedicated to guiding, inspiring, and connecting ITSM, service desk and support communities. A respected, trusted and independent advisor to the industry, SDI has inspired thousands of organisations and professionals around the world to embark on journeys of service improvement and to be the best they can possibly be. For more information, visit www.servicedeskinsitute.com

The gap between AI hype and reality has left IT leaders grappling with whether to adopt AI or risk missing out on its potential. With the AI Workplace Report 2025 as a foundation, this session will explore how AI is expected to shape workforce attitudes and organisational strategies in 2025. We’ll discuss how to adopt and operationalise AI to drive real benefits, while navigating the complexities of cost, security, privacy, and impact. Recommendations will focus on how to prioritise AI investments, align them with business goals, and optimise strategies for long-term value.

Key Takeaways:
- Align AI initiatives with business goals to deliver measurable value and address key workforce needs in 2025.
- Measure AI success with both quantitative and qualitative metrics to track productivity and operational impact.
- Prioritise AI investments based on data-driven insights, cutting through the noise and confusion surrounding AI.
- Continuously optimise AI strategies based on performance data to ensure long-term growth and value.

Maximising Return on AI Investment: Aligning Strategy, Measuring Impact, and Driving Continuous Value in 2025

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) offers many opportunities to improve IT service management (ITSM) and IT service desk operations and outcomes. However, GenAI’s success requires more than implementing the new technology. Instead, as with many technology changes, there’s a need for organizational change management (OCM) tools and techniques to facilitate what’s ultimately a change to the traditional ways of working, i.e. it’s a people change. 
Please join this SDI webinar with Ikram Aslam of SymphonyAI and Stephen Mann of ITSM.tools to learn the what, why, and how of successful GenAI adoption:
• What GenAI offers to IT service desk operations, in particular
• Why OCM is needed to make new GenAI capabilities successful
• How the OCM guidance in ITIL 4 should be embedded within your organization’s GenAI adoption initiatives.

** In the spirit of holiday season, live attendees will (if they wish) receive a complimentary Krispy Kreme voucher to enjoy a doughnut. This is location dependant**

GenAI Capability Adoption – It’s Not Simply “Time to Make the Doughnuts”

Customer expectations are rapidly evolving, and service desks must rise to the challenge by embracing cutting-edge technologies. This webinar will delve into how AI and automation are revolutionising service desk operations, driving efficiency, and empowering teams. You'll discover how chatbots are transforming customer interactions, how workflow builders can streamline processes, and how seamless integrations can unlock unparalleled efficiency.

Join us to explore the strategies and tools that will position your service desk at the forefront of innovation.
• Learn how AI-powered chatbots enhance response times and improve user satisfaction.
• Discover how workflow builders enable your team to automate routine tasks, freeing them to focus on other priorities. 
• Understand how seamless integrations between systems can streamline your service desk operations and improve overall productivity.

Unlocking Service Desk Potential through AI and Automation

Service Desk teams face increasing pressure to manage complex, multi-SaaS environments with efficiency, security, and speed. Asking your Service Desk administrators to become proficient in the administration portals for each SaaS application your organization consumes is asking a lot.  Relying on manual processes for onboarding, offboarding, and day-to-day user administration for multi-SaaS environments not only slows down response times, but also introduces significant security risks. At Nuvolex, we understand the challenges the Service Desk faces when it comes to managing multi-SaaS environments. Our platform, ManageX, was built specifically for the IT Service Desk to solve these complex administrative challenges.  ManageX compliments ITSM solutions by fully automating and securing User Lifecycle Management across all major SaaS applications, empowering Service Desks to deliver more efficient and reliable IT services. 

Join us to discover how ManageX can help transform your Service Desk operations by eliminating manual processes and enabling zero-touch, multi-SaaS management.

ManageX Key Takeaways
• Complete Automation for Multi-SaaS Management: ManageX eliminates the need for manual processes by fully automating the entire user lifecycle - from user onboarding, to daily administration and also user offboarding - across all major SaaS applications, saving valuable time and greatly reducing human error.
• Enhanced Security and Compliance: Ensure least-privileged access at the Service Desk and adhere to compliance standards by enforcing uniform access management and role-based permissions across your organization’s SaaS landscape.
• Complimenting Existing ITSM Tools: ManageX complements your existing ITSM solution by adding a layer of intelligent automation and security, enabling the Service Desk to deliver faster, more secure and more consistent IT services.

Revolutionizing IT Service Desk Operations: Simplifying Multi-SaaS Management  with ManageX

Ori Eisen will describe the new threat that Gen AI presents to IT Helpdesk and showcase Trusona’s ATO Protect tool that can quickly and easily prevent such attacks

1. Understand the nature of Gen AI attacks on IT helpdesks
2. Know who is on the other end of the call, wherever in the world the call comes from
3. Detect sophisticated ATO attacks like Man-In-The-Middle and SIM Swap

How to  prevent GenAI attacks on your IT Helpdesk

ALVAO automates critical IT processes using AI and makes ITSM accessible to even smaller organisations. With natively integrated Asset Management, ALVAO provides detailed insight into IT assets and simplifies onboarding and offboarding.

The scalability of ALVAO makes it ideal for managing processes and streamlining operations across departments. The tool is designed for the Microsoft environment and offers intuitive usability and native integration with tools such as Teams, Outlook, Copilot, or Intune. 

ALVAO can be deployed rapidly, allowing businesses to quickly reap the benefits of improved IT service management. Coupled with its competitive pricing, ALVAO presents a compelling solution for SMBs seeking to enhance their IT operations without significant investment.

ALVAO: A Rapidly Deployable, Mature ITSM and ITAM Solution for SMBs, designed for Microsoft 365

• What is ESM
• UI/UX of ESM in Atlassian
• How to apply this to your teams

Utilizing the Atlassian Suite to Handle your Enterprise Service Management needs

Tailored Service Management: One of the most common complexities in implementing an ESM practice is allowing departments outside of IT to maintain control over their unique requirements, whilst still empowering cross-departmental collaboration. Federated administration allows these entities to customize their ITSM settings, workflows, and processes to better suit their operational needs, without affecting the central administration of the platform which can be under the gatekeeping of the IT System Admins.

Improved Responsiveness and Agility: By empowering department-specific sub administrators with the authority to manage their own services, federated administration reduces the delay in service adjustments or resolutions. Teams can respond quickly to their specific needs, leading to increased agility and faster service delivery.

Scalability: This functionality is crucial for organizations that are scaling rapidly or have diverse operations across multiple geographies. It supports growth without overburdening a single central administration team, allowing for more manageable scaling of ITSM practices.

Federated Administration in HaloITSM

Managing daily IT service delivery can become repetitive and time-consuming. But for some time now, AI has been seen as the solution, and over the past two years, its potential has started to become a reality. However, many organizations still struggle to leverage AI for their ITSM operations and showcase returns to their investments.
ServiceDesk Plus, an AI-driven unified service management platform, offers high-value AI for ITSM teams, enabling service delivery teams to leverage AI technologies without additional operational overheads or extra license costs. 

In this webinar, we’ll dive into the practical applications of AI using the AI features of ServiceDesk Plus to show you how they can bring real efficiency gains to your IT service delivery.
Key takeaways:
• Offer exceptional experiences with conversational workflows delivered through an AI-powered virtual agent.
• Increase operational efficiency by automating minute tasks such as ticket categorization through predictive actions.
• Generate responses, summaries, custom functions, and more through GenAI capabilities.

Leveraging AI to deliver maximum efficiency and delightful experiences with ServiceDesk Plus

Scaling from a five-member team to over 5,000 employees across 12 global offices while supporting 67,000+ customers, demands more than just a well-drafted IT strategy—it requires flawless execution. Discover how Freshworks successfully navigated this journey using Freshservice and operationalized enterprise-grade AI to enhance IT and employee service management. 

This session will explore key strategies that drove exceptional employee experiences and business outcomes, including:
- Modern, AI-powered employee experiences
- Optimized processes through robust automations
- Enterprise-grade application architecture

Freshworks on Freshservice: A blueprint for scaling AI & ITSM

Discover how PeopleCert's ITIL Accredited Tools Registry can help you make more informed decisions and reduce risks when selecting a new tooling option for your service.

1. Why do we accredit tool vendors?
2. What does this accreditation mean for tool buyers?
3. What is the value for tool buyers?
4. How can you benefit?

Learn more about ATV and discover the list of accredited tool vendors at https://atv.peoplecert.org/tool-vendor-accreditation/

Meet The Only Official ITIL Accreditation for ITSM Tools.

Learn how federated administration is transforming IT service desk management by delivering faster resolutions, enhanced flexibility, and improved scalability. In this podcast, we’ll explore how decentralised service desk operations empower teams to tailor IT services to their unique needs while maintaining central oversight for security, compliance, and consistency. Whether you're an IT leader, service desk professional, or business manager, discover how this approach can boost efficiency, improve user satisfaction, and help your organization adapt to the evolving demands of modern, distributed environments.

Ready to discover how federated administration is emerging as the next big trend in next-gen service desk management? Watch now!

[AUDIO PODCAST] Transforming  Service Desks  with Federated Administration

One successful Gen AI attack on your IT Service Desk could destroy your business. Frank Abagnale tells how you can avoid being the next victim. Learn how your service desk can defend against AI-powered attacks.

Frank Abagnale has been a fraud and cybersecurity advisor for the last 48 years, working closely with the FBI to train their agents, delivering thousands of seminars to corporations across the world and authoring several best-selling books. You may also recognise Frank as the inspiration for the 2002 Oscar nominated Spielberg movie ‘Catch Me If You Can’.

Don't Let Hackers Fool Your Service Desk

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, digital transformation is not just a choice but a necessity for sustainable growth. As 91% of businesses actively pursue digital initiatives and 87% of senior leaders prioritize digitalization, IT departments have emerged as pivotal in driving this organizational shift. They are tasked with achieving more with less, leveraging technology to streamline processes, elevating employee experiences, fostering innovation, and ultimately delivering tangible business value.

Join us for an insightful exploration of how reimagining Service Operations by leveraging IT Asset Management (ITAM) can accelerate digital transformation. Discover how unified IT Services and Operations (ServiceOps) can streamline processes, enhance visibility, and drive efficiency. Learn how Freshservice and Device42 can centralize asset data, automate lifecycle management, and maximize asset visibility to overcome operational challenges and enhance productivity.

Key highlights of our session include:
- Understanding current IT challenges amidst digital transformation
- Reimagining  Service Operations for enhanced efficiency
- Crucial role of ITAM in delivering efficient Service Operations 
- Strategies for leveraging ITAM to elevate your IT Service operations
- Interactive Q&A to address specific challenges and concerns related to IT asset management and digital transformation

Whether you're a CIO, IT manager, or a leader spearheading digital initiatives within your organization, this session promises invaluable insights and actionable strategies to propel your business forward. Don't miss this opportunity to discover how ITAM can redefine your approach to digital transformation and position your organization at the forefront of industry innovation.

Reimagining Service Operations - Leveraging ITAM for Accelerated Digital Transformation and IT Infrastructure Visibility

Join Dean Clayton as he showcases real-world examples of how organizations are using AI to enhance their support functions. Learn how AI can help you streamline your processes, reduce your costs, and be more productive, without sacrificing service quality.

Real Examples of How AI Can Help Your Organisation Do More With Less

Key Takeaways:

* Cross-team collaboration best practices: Operations teams are challenged due to limited visibility and collaboration with their counterparts in development and support. Learn ways to connect software development, IT operations, and IT support teams to reduce silos and improve teamwork.
* Change Enablement Practices: Teams are embracing innovative change enablement practices, such as automating risk models and integrating CI/CD pipelines. These practices help manage standard and high-risk changes more efficiently, reducing bottlenecks and saving time.
* Incident Management Innovations: Highlighting the importance of proactive incident management, including the use of playbooks, smart on-call scheduling, and team swarming. These innovations help reduce alert fatigue, improve incident response, and foster better coordination during major incidents.

Key Innovations in Modern Operations Management

We embarked on our journey towards achieving 5-star world-class accreditation with a vision to benchmark our operations against the industry’s best, thereby elevating our service to clients. This pursuit stemmed from a desire for self-improvement and a commitment to providing exceptional support aligned with Clifford Chance's strategic direction.
 
Our journey began with an in-depth analysis of our Service Desk, identifying areas for improvement and leveraging our existing strengths. We developed a strategy with clearly defined measurable goals focused on service quality. Implementing this strategy involved comprehensive staff training, upgraded technologies, and process reengineering to maximise operational efficiency and responsiveness. The benefits of this journey have been substantial: marked improvements in customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and team morale.
 
Benchmarking against industry best practices provided a clear roadmap, ensuring we stayed aligned with world class standards. Throughout this process, our focus always remained on the client by fostering a culture of feedback and continuous improvement, we exceeded client expectations.
 
Our approach to recruiting and retaining the right talent was crucial because it ensured we had a skilled and motivated team capable of driving our initiatives forward. This approach highlighted the importance of building a strong workforce to achieve operational excellence and sustained success.

A pivotal factor in our success has been our unique partnership with Microland who manage our service desk in Bangalore, India. This open and transparent relationship was decisive in driving our service desk transformation. Microland’s clear communication and genuine commitment to our goals have empowered us to effectively tackle challenges, continuously innovate, and achieve exceptional results.

The Journey to 5 Star Service

In this session, Smrity will explore various methods to measure user satisfaction, such as Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS). These metrics can be efficiently gathered using survey tools like ServiceNow, Happy Signals, and eSurvey. Smrity will also discuss the role of sentiment analysis, identifying the ‘what,’ ‘how,’ and ‘why’ of user sentiments.

Using two case studies from real-life customer interactions, Smrity will demonstrate how best practice can improve customer satisfaction, including prompt response times, effective communication, technical proficiency, and strong problem-solving skills. Smrity will emphasize the importance of focusing on the bottom quartile of service desk professionals to enhance overall service performance. By identifying their challenges and providing targeted support and training, organizations can significantly uplift the performance of the entire team.

Enhancing User Satisfaction in Service Desk Operations

Mark Smalley, The IT Paradigmologist, is lead editor and author of the ITIL 4 publications 'High-Velocity IT' and 'Elevating the IT Service Experience'. In this video, Mark shares some perspectives, research and tips with David Wright, Chief Value Innovation Officer at SDI, which will help IT service managers and practitioners improve how customers and users perceive their IT services.

Elevating The IT Service Experience

mark smalley

ITIL4

High velocity IT

IT Service Experience

IT Service Desk

ITSM

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IT Service Management

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Elevating The IT Service Experience

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