Every CIO faces it: the vendor pitch that promises transformation if you just buy their ITSM platform. The glossy decks, the “Gartner top right” positioning, the promise of instant maturity. But let’s cut through the noise—because here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Buying a Ferrari  ITSM tool doesn’t turn your capabilities from a Ford Fiesta into a Formula 1 team.

Without maturity, governance, and adoption, you’re paying Ferrari prices to drive in first gear. And the ITSM tool graveyard is full of expensive platforms that delivered nothing because the organisation wasn’t ready.

This blog isn’t about tools. It’s about maturity. Tools amplify maturity, but they won’t create it.

---

The Tooling Trap: Why CIOs Waste Millions

Time and again, organisations fall into the same traps:

• Vendor seduction: “Everyone’s moving to ServiceNow. You should too.”

• Top-right bias: If Gartner rates it highest, it must be right—ignoring context.

• Tech-first thinking: Buy the tool, then scramble to retrofit process.

• Underestimating adoption: Users still log tickets on email and spreadsheets.

• Forgetting ROI: Multi-million-pound licenses with dashboards nobody trusts.

The result? IT leaders who bought a Ferrari but are still running their service desk like a Ford Fiesta. Worse—many could have achieved more by sticking with a simpler platform and investing in maturing their practices.

---

Maturity Before Tools: The Foundation

Before any ITSM tool decision, you need to ask: how mature are we, really?

Key maturity questions:

• Do we have disciplined capabilities? incident, problem, and change management? and the others too!

• Is our CMDB reliable, or is it a dumping ground of bad data?

• Do we actively manage service assets and configurations?

• Is knowledge management embedded in the culture?

• Is self-service trusted, or do users bypass it?

• Do we have governance that enforces process, or is it optional?

If these answers aren’t strong, then buying one of the biggest tools on the market will just magnify the chaos.

---

Tooling Landscape: Options That Fit Different Shapes

Let’s get real about the options—because “best” depends on you and not the Gartner opinion.

• Enterprise Leaders (ServiceNow, BMC Helix):
  Ideal for large, complex enterprises with mature practices, big budgets, and a need for integration across multiple business functions. Powerful, but expensive—and dangerous if your maturity can’t match the complexity.

• Mid-Market Strength (Halo ITSM, Marval MSM):
  Highly capable, cost-effective, easier to adopt. Perfect for organisations that want structure and depth without drowning in over-engineering. These often outperform the giants in real-world ROI.

• Lightweight Tools (Jira Service Management, Freshservice):
  Agile, fast to deploy, good for smaller organisations or those just starting their maturity journey. They won’t give you enterprise integration out of the box, but they’ll get you moving quickly.

• Curveballs (Open Source like OTRS, or “shadow IT” solutions):
  Sometimes the right move for niche teams, low-to-no budgets, or specific use cases. Riskier in governance, but worth considering if your needs are tight and defined.

This isn’t about which quadrant you fall into—it’s about what fits your size, shape, and maturity.

---

Buying Better, First Time

CIOs rarely regret not buying a tool. They regret buying the wrong one.

How to avoid it:

• Requirements before RFP: Define your maturity goals first, baseline where you are and mandate your project for the journey – Remember the maturity journey is people, process & tools. Invite only vendors who can serve your needs, not theirs.

• Context over hype: Just because Gartner says it’s “best” doesn’t mean it’s best for you.

• Right-size the spend: Could you buy a mid-market tool and reinvest the savings in maturity, training, governance, and adoption? Often, that delivers 10x more ROI.

• Think total cost: Implementation partners, integrations, ongoing maintenance—all often dwarf the license costs.

---

Implementation Realities: People, Process, Tool

An ITSM tool is just a shell. The value comes from how you implement it.

What it takes to succeed:

• People: CIO sponsorship, ITSM leads, practice owners, service desk SMEs, business stakeholders.

• Process: Phased rollout—capability design/move/integrate before chasing AI dashboards. Governance baked in.

• Adoption: Train, coach, and embed. If your people don’t use it properly, the investment dies.

• Continuous improvement: Don’t stop at go-live. Review, tune, optimise. Maturity is a journey.

Without this, your shiny new platform is just an expensive ticket-logging system.

---

When Not to Buy New

Sometimes the smartest move is not to buy at all.

Ask yourself:

• Could we get more from our existing tool with better process discipline?

• Are gaps really due to tooling—or because adoption, governance, and data are weak?

• Do we have the maturity to handle the complexity of a bigger tool yet?

• Would optimising our current tool for 12–18 months deliver better ROI than starting again?

Too often, CIOs swap tools when they should be fixing culture or even their Operating Model.

---

The Provocations CIOs Must Face

If you’re about to sign a contract, stop and ask:

• Are we buying a tool, or enabling a practice?

• Do we really need a Ferrari, or would a Ford Fiesta with better drivers outperform?

• Could process maturity + governance deliver more ROI than any tool swap?

• Who owns adoption, governance, and continuous improvement?

• Are people, process, and tools aligned—or are we still tech-first?

Because in ITSM, the wrong tool doesn’t just waste money. It amplifies immaturity.

Whether you’re just starting your ITSM journey or already mid-flight, the toughest challenge isn’t picking a tool—it’s knowing if you’re using it in the right way. Sometimes the smartest decision isn’t to buy new, but to pause, validate, and mature what you already have.

If you want a reality check before you spend millions—or a partner to help validate your current direction—we’re here to help.

👉 Get in touch with us today: https://harrisonjamesit.com/contact/