GLPI is not just for IT. Any department that handles internal requests can benefit from a structured service desk. Learn how to implement a Shared Services Center.
ESM: service management beyond IT
Enterprise Service Management (ESM) is the application of ITSM principles to all areas of an organization. If IT uses a service desk for tickets, why can't HR, Legal and Facilities do the same?
Departments that benefit
HR
- Vacation requests, medical certificates, benefits
- Onboarding of new employees
- Offboarding (termination)
- Payroll inquiries
Legal
- Contract review
- Internal legal consultations
- Management of powers of attorney and legal documents
Facilities
- Building maintenance (air conditioning, electrical, plumbing)
- Room reservations
- Cleaning or layout change requests
Finance
- Reimbursement requests
- Expense approval
- Invoice inquiries
Implementing in GLPI
Entity structure
Create an entity for each department. The hierarchy can be:
Company (root)
├── IT
├── HR
├── Legal
├── Facilities
└── FinanceCatalog per department
Each entity has its own forms (GLPI 11) with fields specific to the department. The employee accesses the portal and sees only the services available to them.
SLAs per department
Each department defines its own response and resolution times. Facilities can have a 4-hour SLA for "broken air conditioning", while Legal may have 5 business days for "contract review".
Advantages of an SSC
- Single point of contact: the employee doesn't need to know which email to send to
- Traceability: every request has a number, deadline and responsible party
- Metrics: each department knows how many requests it receives, average resolution time and satisfaction
- Zero additional cost: the same GLPI instance serves all departments
Next step
Start with IT (which is already familiar with service desks) and gradually expand to other departments. Use entities and locations to organize the structure.
