Introduction
When choosing the best IT service solutions in the ever-changing field of information technology, businesses must make essential judgments. This decision-making process for Lakewood IT is motivated by the need to improve service capabilities and adjust to the ever-changing needs of the technologically advanced world. The management team at Lakewood IT determined two preferred solutions after carefully examining all available options: ServiceNow for non-SaaS purposes and Salesforce Service Cloud as the selected Software as a Service (SaaS). Salesforce Service Cloud, the recommended SaaS solution, offers scalability and collaboration features essential for the business’s development and agility, and it perfectly matches Lakewood IT’s strategic goals (Fatima, 2021). ServiceNow is the clear leader in the non-SaaS space since it offers a comprehensive IT Service Management (ITSM) platform that unifies many software platforms and promotes cohesiveness, efficiency, and easy collaboration across diverse service teams. This paper explores the features, functions, risks, and capital or operational costs of selected solutions for Lakewood IT. It aims to provide insights for informed decision-making and strategic positioning for future success in IT services.
Preferred SaaS Solution
Salesforce Service Cloud
Scalability
The critical feature of Salesforce Service Cloud is its inherent scalability, which makes it the best SaaS option for Lakewood IT. This innate capacity enables the company to easily handle the ever-evolving technological environment and satisfy the growing need for information technology services. Salesforce Service Cloud is a dynamic and flexible platform that ensures that the organization’s operations can scale with agility as Lakewood IT sees growth and an increased requirement for enhanced service capabilities (Shin et al., 2021). This scalability capability provides Lakewood IT with a solid basis for flexible and agile service delivery by meeting current needs and anticipating and accommodating future fluctuations in demand.
Risk and Solution
However, there are specific hazards connected with Salesforce Service Cloud’s beneficial scalability that Lakewood IT has to be aware of and carefully manage. Although the platform facilitates the smooth expansion of service capabilities, quick growth is likely to result in higher subscription fees. The company must use sound financial management practices and consider how this scalability will affect its budget (Fatima, 2021). Rapid expansion may result in unanticipated financial strains without a comparable assessment of the budgetary restrictions. As such, Lakewood IT needs to take deliberate steps to monitor and manage subscription fees so that scalability advantages mesh well with the company’s financial obligations. Expanding methodically and deliberately is necessary to fully utilize Salesforce Service Cloud features without jeopardizing financial stability.
Real-time Collaboration
Salesforce Service Cloud has an intrinsic feature for real-time collaboration that makes it an excellent tool for fostering communication in Lakewood IT teams. As a result, this attribute is part of the platform’s structure, making it a vibrant and interwoven working environment where members of an IT team can work together. The real-time collaboration features ensure timely coordination among team members while ensuring timely responses to challenges. Salesforce Service Cloud encourages a collaborative culture and transforms knowledge sharing and idea exchange into aspects of the society’s operational culture (Shin et al., 2021). This feature facilitates communication between IT teams and contributes to operational efficiency, creating a clear focus on collectivity and problem-solving.
Risk and Solution
The real-time collaboration function of Salesforce Service Cloud may pose a danger to Lakewood IT as it may obstruct vital communication during system failures or other technical difficulties (Shin et al., 2021). To lessen this risk, the company should have robust disaster recovery procedures, backup communication routes, and contingency plans.
Flexibility
The unique feature of Salesforce Service Cloud is flexibility. This characteristic allows Lakewood IT to adapt quickly to organizational changes and service demands. The platform’s adaptability enables the organization to adjust its IT service management following changing needs and the changing nature of its operational environments. Regardless of the alterations in business processes, service delivery models, or even technology requirements, the Salesforce Service Cloud is an adaptive structure that is flexible enough to be modified according to the needs of Lakewood IT. Such adaptability keeps the organization dynamic and responsive, able to innovate and change its service capabilities to respond to the dynamic nature of the IT environment.
Risk and Solution
The flexibility of Salesforce Service Cloud is suitable for Lakewood IT, but significant changes might need specialist knowledge, which might lengthen the deployment process and raise expenses (Fatima, 2021). To prevent over-reliance and guarantee alignment with objectives without going over budget, the company must strike a balance between customization demands and resources that are currently accessible.
Organizational Culture Support
A significant characteristic of the Salesforce Service Cloud is its congruence with Lakewood IT culture, where teamwork and knowledge-sharing are valued. The platform promotes a culture in which the sharing of knowledge and teamwork is possible. Introducing this feature improves communication between IT teams and supports the culture of collaboration and shared problem-solving (Marańda et al., 2022). Through various tools designed to promote teamwork, Salesforce Service Cloud aligns with the values that characterize the organizational culture of Lakewood IT. This focus on teamwork also creates a favorable work environment and bolsters the effectiveness of IT service delivery by leveraging the group’s skills.
Risk and Solution
The focus on collaboration in Salesforce Service Cloud aligns with the organizational culture of Lakewood IT, but excessive consideration for collaboration increases the risks. However, such a strong emphasis on teamwork and knowledge-sharing may create potential conflicts within the organization if not adequately managed. While a collaborative environment is beneficial, it may also lead to differences of opinion, conflicts of priorities, or challenges in decision-making (Shin et al., 2021). Lakewood IT should proactively address this risk by integrating good communication and conflict resolution strategies. Setting up clear policies and promoting open communication lines help to address potential conflicts and maintain the collaborative culture that Salesforce Service Cloud promotes as a beneficial aspect of the organizational culture. Maintaining a balance between collaboration and efficiency in conflict resolution is integral to preserving a positive and productive work culture.
Adaptive Service Delivery
Lakewood IT is an excellent fit for Salesforce Service Cloud due to its strengths in delivering agile and responsive service. With this attribute, the organization can promptly satisfy consumers’ dynamism and constantly changing needs. The platform’s support of agile methodologies enables IT teams to adjust swiftly to new requirements, guaranteeing responsive service delivery as new technology landscapes emerge (Marańda et al., 2022). Be it surges in service requests or changing consumer needs, the agility of Salesforce Service Cloud enables Lakewood IT to stay ahead of the curve, delivering prompt and proficient responses. This element supports the philosophy of innovation and responsiveness of the organization, intending to make it a core element in attaining operational effectiveness in IT services.
Risk and Solution
Although Salesforce Service Cloud’s ability to provide rapid service delivery is excellent, Lakewood IT may face some danger. Even with ongoing adaptation, rapid changes in customer demand might burden IT resources (Maraűda et al., 2022). Because Salesforce Service Cloud supports agile service delivery, Lakewood IT may be in danger from the frequent changes in consumer demand that might strain IT resources. To lessen this, the company needs to manage its resources efficiently, weigh the advantages of agile service delivery against its capacity, and avoid burnout and resource shortages.
Capital/Operational Costs
| Cost Type | Description | Amount |
| Capital Costs | Initial Subscription Costs | $50,000 |
| Operational Costs | Ongoing Subscription Fees (Annual) | $15,000 (per year) |
| Potential Customization Costs (One-time) | $10,000 | |
| Training Expenses (Initial Implementation) | $8,000 |
Preferred Non-SaaS Solution
ServiceNow
Integrated ITSM Suite
The main reason Lakewood IT prefers the non-SaaS solution, ServiceNow, is its standout feature, the Integrated ITSM Suite. This advanced feature provides a full range that includes service desk management, incident resolution, and IT asset management. The integrated nature of this suite offers Lakewood IT an opportunity to consolidate and simplify primary critical functions under a single platform (Kotha, 2017). ServiceNow’s dedication to single-source solutions further enables efficiency by supporting one system that is not fragmented. This aspect plays a crucial role in operational consistency in Lakewood IT, allowing for a smoothly integrated approach to handling service-related processes within the organization.
Risk and Solution
While offering a consolidated solution, the Integrated ITSM Suite in ServiceNow may require a learning curve for Lakewood IT’s IT teams. It could impact productivity during the initial implementation phases (Kario, 2018). A strategic training program should be implemented to mitigate this risk, ensuring a smooth transition and minimizing disruptions during the learning process.
High Level of Customization
The High Level of Customization is a key feature offered by ServiceNow, which Lakewood IT can utilize to enjoy many options to customize the platform according to its distinct operating environment. This feature allows the organization to mold workflows, processes, and functionalities within the ServiceNow platform based on its peculiar needs. The platform’s flexibility enables Lakewood IT to change and adjust ServiceNow to align with its distinct service management needs (Kotha, 2017). This relatively high level of customization allows the organization to configure the platform so that it is as efficient and responsive as possible, maximizing operational effectiveness and making ServiceNow a flexible and adaptable solution to Lakewood IT.
Risk and Solution
While the High Level of Customization in ServiceNow is a valuable feature for tailoring the platform to Lakewood IT’s specific needs, it introduces a potential risk. Extensive customization may lead to complexities in system maintenance and necessitate continuous support. ServiceNow’s High Level of Customization benefits Lakewood IT but can lead to system maintenance complexities and increased support costs. To mitigate this risk, the company should establish robust maintenance processes, invest in continuous training, and maintain clear documentation of customizations to ensure efficient system management.
Efficiency and Cohesion
The beneficial aspect of ServiceNow, with which Lakewood IT aims to improve efficiency and cohesion, is the ability to integrate multiple functions relying on service into one platform. This feature enables the organization to consolidate core functionalities such as service desk management, incident resolution, and IT asset management in a single system. Through this integration, ServiceNow works towards creating structured workflows, eliminating the need for multiple systems and contributing to better overall organizational efficiency (Kario, 2018). Lakewood IT also enjoys enhanced alignment among various service teams, which promotes an environment where information and processes across the integrated platform migrate smoothly. This feature conforms to the organization’s objective to facilitate an integrated and balanced information technology service management approach.
Risk and Solution
Although there are many advantages to ServiceNow’s consolidation function, a risk is involved in the first stages of adoption. If handled poorly, the company can face early challenges that could affect operations continuity. To prevent disruptions to operational continuity, Lakewood IT must oversee the early phase of ServiceNow’s consolidation feature installation (Oyekola & Xu, 2020). To reduce these risks, Lakewood needs to have effective change management techniques, enough training, and clear communication. It will guarantee a seamless transfer and maximize ServiceNow’s advantages.
Agile Support
One of the most outstanding features of ServiceNow is its ability to support agile methodologies, improving Lakewood IT’s agility, reactiveness, and efficiency in service provisioning. This feature enables IT teams to effortlessly integrate agile practices into their service delivery process, enabling more dynamic and iterative service delivery. Adopting agile methodologies, ServiceNow allows teams to act quickly in response to rapidly evolving needs in the business environment (Oyekola & Xu, 2020). This aspect upholds Lakewood IT’s resolve to innovation and flexibility. It creates a system that allows the organization to be an early adopter in an ever-changing landscape of information technology services. Adopting agile development methodologies guarantees that service provisioning is effective and responsive to changing business needs in the modern world.
Risk and Solution
IT teams may need more time for training and adaptation when switching to agile approaches. IT teams could take time to adjust to the mentality and operational procedures that agile approaches need. This learning curve may momentarily affect production during the early stages of implementing agile methods (Schaffer et al., 2021). To mitigate this danger, Lakewood IT has to invest in extensive training courses that concentrate on agile processes, guaranteeing that IT staff members are prepared to adopt the new techniques. Clear communication and change management techniques will be crucial to enable a seamless transition, minimize interruptions, and guarantee that the advantages of agile development can be realized gradually.
Broad Scope for Customization
The Broad Scope for Customization feature offered by ServiceNow is an excellent capability that Lakewood IT can use to customize the platform to match its unique workflow standards. This feature extends beyond customizations by providing numerous options for customizing the ServiceNow platform to suit the specific operational environment of Lakewood IT. Customization of workflows, processes, and functionalities guarantees that the platform suits the organization’s unique service management requirements (Kotha, 2017). This large margin for personalization allows Lakewood IT to create a unique and dynamic solution to information technology service management, providing effectiveness, adaptability, and overall
Risk and Solution
However, extended personalization can result in increased implementation costs and difficulties in modifying the system. The more personalized the platform, the more complex the system will be, which may necessitate more time and cost during the setup stage. Additionally, updating the base system can take time to merge the customizations appropriately, which may cause disruptions or delays in the updates. To avoid this risk, Lakewood IT should strive to balance the extent of customization with the additional costs to prevent complicating system updates in the future (Schaffer et al., 2021). Well-defined documentation of customizations, strategic planning, and a straightforward change management process will be necessary to meet challenges and maintain the sustainability of the customized ServiceNow platform.
Capital/Operational Costs
| Cost Type | Description | Amount |
| Capital Costs | Initial Investment for ServiceNow Implementation | $80,000 |
| (Including customization costs) | ||
| Operational Costs | Ongoing Maintenance (Annual) | $20,000 (per year) |
| Training Expenses (Annual) | $10,000 (per year) | |
| Potential Costs for System Updates and Support (Annual) | $15,000 (per year) |
Conclusion
As per Lakewood IT’s examination, ServiceNow is the recommended non-SaaS choice, while Salesforce Service Cloud is the recommended SaaS solution. In line with the objectives of scalability, collaboration, and flexibility set forward by Lakewood IT, Salesforce Service Cloud provides integrated scalability, real-time collaboration, and support for agile approaches. Costs associated with subscriptions and complicated customizations are possible hazards in any case. ServiceNow offers a high degree of customization, a wide range of customization options, and an integrated ITSM package. Risks include an initial learning curve, possible maintenance complications, and difficulties with the agile transition.
References
Fatima, Z. (2021). Salesforce control systems: a review of studies. International Journal of Business Excellence, 23(2), 188–225.
Kario, P. (2018). Service Design approach to understanding the user experiences on the ServiceNow cloud solution.
Kotha, V. (2017). Customer-Centric Service Management Using ServiceNow.
Marańda, W., Poniszewska-Marańda, A., & Szymczyńska, M. (2022). Data Processing in Cloud Computing Model on the Example of Salesforce Cloud. Information, 13(2), 85.
Oyekola, O., & Xu, L. (2020, June). Selecting SaaS CRM Solution for SMEs. In Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (pp. 1-9).
Schaffer, N., Ritzenhoff, M., Engert, M., & Krcmar, H. (2021). From Specialization to Platformization: Business Model Evolution in the Case of ServiceNow. In ECIS.
Shin, K. S., Amenuvor, F. E., Boateng, H., & Basilisco, R. (2021). Formal salesforce control mechanisms and behavioral outcomes. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 39(7), 924-943.
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