ITOM processes & Virima: Smarter automation for IT teams

Table of Contents

• Understanding IT operations management and ITOM processes
• Key ITOM processes
• Advantages of strong IT operations management functions
• Challenges in traditional ITOM processes
• How Virima streamlines ITOM processes with automation
  • Automated IT asset management for complete visibility
  • Configuration management with a true visual CMDB
  • Near real-time service mapping for faster issue resolution
  • Proactive event monitoring and accelerated incident response
• Take control of ITOM processes: The automation advantage with Virima

Seamless IT services start behind the scenes. Well-managed ITOM processes ensure systems run smoothly, further keeping users productive. IT operations management (ITOM) plays a key role by equipping technical teams with the right tools, structured workflows, and a clear view of infrastructure connections. Without it, IT services become unpredictable, often leading to inefficiencies and disruptions.

Meanwhile, today’s IT environments are more complex than ever, spanning physical locations, digital platforms, and cloud networks. Managing these systems effectively requires a strong IT operations management framework. When done right, it also enhances efficiency, minimizes downtime, and aligns IT with business goals.

Let’s explore why ITOM processes are essential and how to refine your approach for better service delivery.

Understanding IT operations management and ITOM processes

IT operations management ensures the seamless functioning of an organization’s IT infrastructure. It involves managing hardware, software, networks, and also cloud resources to support business operations. A well-structured IT operations management framework helps organizations maintain system availability, optimize performance, and resolve issues proactively.

ITOM processes include IT asset management, event management, performance monitoring, and automated remediation. Moreover, these processes work together to ensure IT environments remain secure, efficient, and scalable. By implementing ITOM best practices, businesses can minimize downtime, reduce operational costs, and also improve overall service quality.

Key ITOM processes

Successful IT operations management functions rely on several processes that keep IT services stable and efficient. These include:

• Event management: Effectively manage, detect and address IT events to prevent disruptions.
• Incident management: Resolving IT service issues quickly to maintain business operations.
• Problem management: Identifying recurring issues, finding root causes, and further preventing future incidents.
• Change management: Implementing IT changes smoothly without affecting service quality.
• Configuration management: Keeping an accurate inventory of IT assets and their relationships.
• Capacity and performance management: Monitoring IT resources to ensure they meet business needs.
• IT asset management: Managing IT assets throughout their lifecycle to control costs and also maximize value.
• Request fulfillment: Handling user requests efficiently, such as access permissions, software installations, or service enhancements.
• Access management: Ensuring that only authorized users can access IT services and resources while maintaining security and compliance.
• IT operations control: Monitoring and managing routine IT activities, such as job scheduling, backups, and system health checks.
• Facilities management: Overseeing the physical infrastructure that supports IT operations. It includes data centers, power supply, and cooling systems.
• Application management: Managing applications throughout their lifecycle. Altogether, it ensures optimal performance, updates, and alignment with business requirements.
• Technical management: Providing expertise in IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, and databases, to support overall IT operations.

Advantages of strong IT operations management functions

Here are the key advantages of implementing strong ITOM processes in your environment. 

• Increased service reliability: Proactive monitoring and automation prevent outages and minimize downtime, thus, keeping systems stable.
• Greater IT efficiency: Automation and AI-driven insights streamline workflows and improve resource management, also boosting productivity.
• Lower operational costs: Optimizing IT assets and resolving incidents faster further helps reduce expenses.
• Stronger security management and compliance: Proper configuration and change management lower security risks and support regulatory compliance.
• Seamless scalability: ITOM allows businesses to scale IT operations smoothly as they grow.

Challenges in traditional ITOM processes

Traditional ITOM processes often struggle with inefficiencies that impact performance.

• Manual ITOM processes: Many ITOM processes rely on manual efforts, thus, increasing the risk of errors and delays.
• Siloed systems: Disconnected IT tools and teams create communication gaps, often making issue resolution slower.
• Limited visibility: Without real-time monitoring, IT teams also find it difficult to track system performance effectively.
• Unstructured change management: Poorly handled changes can cause service disruptions and security risks.
• Increasing IT complexity: Managing hybrid and multi-cloud environments further adds more challenges to ITOM operations.

Why automation in ITOM processes plays a vital role

Modern ITOM processes address these issues by integrating IT automation, AI-driven analytics, and unified service management tools. Businesses that adopt these technologies can streamline IT processes, boost service reliability, and also enhance overall efficiency. Virima offers an advanced ITOM solution that combines automation, visualization, and analytics to overcome these challenges effectively.

How Virima streamlines ITOM processes with automation

Automation powers efficient IT operations management functions. Virima automates IT discovery, asset management, configuration tracking, service mapping, and incident resolution. This further reduces manual effort and also eliminates human errors.

Virima’s features, including ViVID™ (Virima Visual Impact Display) and Autonomic Social Discovery™, provide deeper infrastructure insights. These tools also streamline ITOM workflows and improve operational efficiency. Moreover, this allows organizations to significantly enhance ITOM without replacing existing systems or adding unnecessary complexity.

Here’s how Virima streamlines ITOM processes with its automation capabilities:

Automated IT asset management for complete visibility

Manual asset management takes time and often leads to errors. Virima automates the IT asset management process, ensuring near real-time asset discovery, tracking, and management.

• Agent-based and agentless discovery continuously scans networks for devices, operating systems, and software. Subsequently, this prevents asset blind spots, even in large IT environments.
• Virima ITAM automates warranty status lookup by serial number for HP, Dell, and Lenovo. It also supports linking support and warranty documentation to individual assets and bulk purchases. Altogether, you can stay informed about out-of-warranty, out-of-support, and renewal-due assets effortlessly.
• Software license metering tracks software installations, usage, and expirations. It also updates licensing data in near real-time, ensuring compliance and preventing unnecessary costs.
• Scheduled cloud asset discovery monitors cloud resources, such as AWS and Azure, and updates the CMDB automatically. Consequently, this keeps IT teams informed as cloud instances change.

Configuration management with a true visual CMDB

An accurate Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is essential for tracking IT relationships and dependencies. Virima automates configuration management from discovery to validation.

• Automated dependency mapping links CIs to the infrastructure they rely on. Moreover, this creates precise service maps and reveals potential risks before changes occur.
• Near-real-time synchronization with ITSM platforms like ServiceNow, Cherwell, and HaloITSM keeps data consistent. Subsequently, it prevents discrepancies between connected databases.
• Automated audits and version control log for every configuration change. As a result, IT teams can review history, ensure compliance, and simplify audits.
• Automated alerts detect configuration drift. Teams receive instant notifications about unauthorized or unexpected changes. This further helps maintain system integrity and compliance.

Near real-time service mapping for faster issue resolution

Understanding IT service relationships is crucial for resolving incidents quickly. Virima automates service mapping, offering near real-time insights into dependencies.

• Virima service mapping constantly scans and maps the network to identify dependencies between servers, applications, and network components. This also creates a near real-time, continuously updated infrastructure map.
• Service maps update automatically when new components are added or removed. Additionally, this ensures accuracy without manual reconfiguration.
• ViVID generates dynamic service maps that visually display dependencies. IT teams can further quickly identify root causes during outages.
• Automated impact analysis predicts how infrastructure changes affect systems and business services. This often helps teams make informed decisions before making changes.

Proactive event monitoring and accelerated incident response

Proactive event monitoring helps IT teams detect issues before they become major incidents. Virima automates monitoring and incident resolution by integrating with alerting systems.

• Virima captures and analyzes alerts from various tools, linking them to configuration items and service maps. This correlation further provides valuable context for faster issue resolution.
• Automated ticket generation creates ITSM tickets when events exceed thresholds. Moreover, these tickets link directly to affected CIs, streamlining tracking and resolution.
• Near real-time service maps help trace incidents to their root cause. This also reduces investigation time and accelerates issue resolution.
• Historical analysis examines past incidents to identify patterns. IT teams can also anticipate and prevent recurring issues.
• Seamless integration with third-party monitoring tools enables data ingestion from multiple sources. Furthermore, a unified dashboard simplifies event management and response.

Take control of ITOM processes: The automation advantage with Virima

Effective ITOM processes keep IT service operations running smoothly, but managing them manually can be overwhelming. Automation of ITOM processes simplifies this by reducing errors, improving efficiency, and providing real-time visibility. That’s where Virima makes a difference. 

Its automated IT operations management functions streamline discovery, monitoring, and incident response. Subsequently, it allows IT teams to focus on innovation rather than routine tasks. 

With Virima, you gain better control over IT operations, ensuring reliability and security without the complexity. Ready to experience the power of automation in ITOM?

Explore how Virima can transform your IT operations management framework today!