The Power of Horizontal Enablement in IT Service Management
Jason Hope, ITSM Consultant and member of the Definia Associate Community, shares insights on how horizontal enablement can transform IT service management (ITSM) and offers practical advice for getting started.
What is horizontal enablement?
Horizontal enablement encourages collaboration across departments, breaking down silos to promote shared goals, knowledge and best practices. It fosters cross-functional alignment and helps build a more cohesive and efficient organisation.
For me, it’s more than a buzzword — it’s how I’ve naturally worked throughout my career and it now defines my professional ethos.
ITSM: Beyond technical services
ITSM covers all aspects of communication and service exchange between IT teams and business users — from casual requests to major incident responses. It’s not just about tech support; it’s about delivering value through consistent, user-focused services.
Horizontal enablement in ITSM
In the context of ITSM, horizontal enablement is a strategic approach that integrates service delivery into daily operations, enhancing collaboration, consistency and user experience. By aligning IT with business goals, it drives productivity and improves service outcomes.
Why it matters
Adopting horizontal enablement delivers key organisational benefits:
- Efficiency gains: Removes silos and streamlines processes.
- Stronger relationships: Improves communication between IT and business users.
- Better service delivery: Ensures consistency and a customer-first approach.
To succeed, ITSM must be underpinned by these core values:
- One team, one dream: Unified collaboration across functions.
- Customer-centric thinking: The customer’s voice should guide every decision.
- Empowered ownership: Encourage innovation and knowledge sharing to reduce support reliance and drive continuous improvement.
My mission in ITSM delivery
Over time, I’ve crafted a personal mission for service delivery — one rooted in ownership, excellence, and teamwork. This philosophy guides how I support clients and colleagues alike.
How to embrace horizontal enablement
Much of my thinking is shaped by my background in competitive basketball — a sport that, like ITSM, thrives on collaboration and strategy.
- Synergy over silos: Like in basketball, success in ITSM comes from team play, not solo efforts.
- Clear communication: Roles, responsibilities and goals must be well-defined and shared across teams.
- Adaptability is key: Just as players pivot on court, IT teams must adjust to change quickly and strategically.
- Pressure performance: Being reliable under pressure is essential, as it means staying focused, adaptable and outcome-driven.
The values that define great basketball — teamwork, communication, commitment and excellence — are the same ones that drive effective ITSM. With horizontal enablement at the core, IT can become a true partner to the business — and when everyone plays their part, success follows.
How Definia can help
In a constantly evolving digital environment, you need to stay ahead of the curve — because that’s where opportunity awaits. If your organisation needs support with managing a complex technology transformation, get in touch with us today.
