From managing tickets and helpdesks to monitoring infrastructure and coordinating development work, IT departments are the invisible engine rooms of modern businesses. Tools like Jira, ServiceNow, Freshservice, and ManageEngine are widely adopted to support these functions—but are they truly aligned with how your organisation operates?
Out-of-the-box IT management tools are powerful, but they often come with trade-offs: rigid workflows, excess complexity, or poor integration with the wider business. When the tools meant to streamline your IT efforts become obstacles themselves, it’s time to consider a more tailored approach.
Jira – Development Task Tracking and Agile Workflows
Jira, from Atlassian, is the industry-standard tool for Agile software teams. It allows for issue tracking, sprint planning, backlog grooming, and team collaboration.
Key features:
- Scrum and Kanban boards
- Custom workflows for issue lifecycle management
- Integration with Bitbucket, Confluence, and third-party dev tools
- Reporting and burndown charts
- Advanced automation for repetitive tasks
Limitations:
Jira can become overly complex for teams not strictly following Agile methodologies. As your team grows or custom processes evolve, configuring Jira to behave exactly as you want can require significant admin overhead. It also doesn’t always play well with systems outside the Atlassian ecosystem without integration work.
ServiceNow – Enterprise-Grade ITSM Platform
ServiceNow is a comprehensive platform designed for IT service management (ITSM), offering everything from incident tracking to change management, asset discovery and employee self-service portals.
Key features:
- ITIL-compliant service desk
- Custom workflows and business rules
- Asset lifecycle tracking
- Service catalogue and knowledge base
- Automation and AI assistance
Limitations:
ServiceNow is a powerful enterprise platform, but it can be overkill for SMEs or organisations with specific, non-standard workflows. It typically requires heavy configuration, and customisation often involves specialised knowledge. Its licensing model can also be a financial challenge for growing teams.
Freshservice – Intuitive IT Helpdesk and Asset Management
Freshservice by Freshworks is a cloud-based IT service desk solution suited to mid-sized organisations. It’s known for its ease of use and quick setup.
Key features:
- Incident, problem, and change management
- CMDB (configuration management database)
- Asset discovery and tracking
- Workflow automation
- User-friendly self-service portal
Limitations:
While Freshservice is great for getting started, it can lack the depth and flexibility needed by more mature IT operations. Custom integrations, advanced analytics, and niche workflows may not be fully supported without workarounds or external plugins.
ManageEngine – IT Operations and Infrastructure Monitoring
ManageEngine, from Zoho, offers a wide suite of tools covering IT service management, endpoint protection, and infrastructure monitoring.
Key features:
- Network and server monitoring
- Helpdesk and ticket management
- Patch management and remote control
- Log analysis and audit trails
- Custom dashboards and alerts
Limitations:
With so many modules, ManageEngine can feel fragmented unless carefully configured. Some tools overlap in functionality, and the learning curve for full adoption across departments can be steep. Custom reporting and integration with broader business tools often require additional development.
Why Standard IT Tools Aren’t Always Enough
If your IT team feels stuck in tools that “almost” do what you need—or if you’re constantly adapting your workflow to match what your software allows—that’s a clear sign the tool is driving the process, not the other way around.
Common pain points include:
- Workflow rigidity that stifles innovation
- Poor integration with finance, HR, or customer service systems
- Inconsistent user experiences between platforms
- Compromises on security, compliance, or reporting
- Inefficiencies from overlapping or underused features
Shoothill: Bespoke IT Management Solutions Built Around Your Business
At Shoothill, we understand that every IT department has a different set of priorities—whether it’s development velocity, system uptime, internal support efficiency or compliance. That’s why we build custom IT software solutions tailored specifically to your organisation’s goals and challenges.
We can help you create:
- Custom helpdesk or ticketing systems
- Tailored CMDBs and asset tracking portals
- Internal dashboards for live infrastructure and system health
- Unified platforms that consolidate siloed tools
- Workflow engines that automate your unique support processes
And because it’s custom-built, your software grows with your business—not against it.
Stop Fighting Your Tools. Start Owning Them.
Whether you’re supporting a fast-moving start-up or running a large enterprise IT team, your systems should empower you—not restrict you. A bespoke solution gives you full control, seamless integration, and the freedom to operate how you want, not how a third-party vendor says you should.
🔹 Talk to Shoothill today about building a custom IT management platform that works exactly the way your business does.