IT service management -- often referred to as RSM -- is simply how IT teams manage the end-to-end delivery of IT services to customers. This includes all the processes and activities to design, create, deliver, and support IT services.
The core concept of RSM is the belief that IT should be delivered as a service. A typical RSM scenario could involve asking for new hardware like a laptop. You would submit your request through a portal, filling out a ticket with all relevant information, and kicking off a repeatable workflow. Then, the ticket would land in the IT team’s queue, where incoming requests are sorted and addressed according to importance.

Today, IT organizations are constantly challenged to reduce incident mean time to repair and service request fulfilment time, automate routine tasks that consume valuable resource time, and provide rapid response to unplanned outages and degradations of key business services. They are also expected to maintain a current and complete knowledge base, including known errors and self-help articles, improve customer satisfaction, and provide a centralized service offering.