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Make multi-sourcing work across multiple ITSM platforms

Picture of Greg Rudakov By  Greg Rudakov  ·  4 minute read

Multi-sourcing gives enterprises flexibility, resilience and leverage. Instead of relying on a single outsourcing partner, you can choose specialists for different functions - networks, apps, end-user support - and scale them independently. It’s a more agile model for modern IT.

But it also introduces complexity. Each provider brings its own processes, platforms and reporting methods. Tickets multiply, SLAs become fragmented and visibility across the service chain weakens.

“We’ll likely keep multiple providers. The future state will be more fragmented than today.”
Group lead, Service Improvement, Global manufacturer

Support Fusion was built to make this model workable - connecting every supplier’s tool to your ITSM so your panel behaves like one operation.

The hidden cost of supplier panels

1. Duplicate effort

Tickets raised in your ITSM are re-entered into a provider’s system. Updates bounce around by email. Nothing closes cleanly.

2. Access sprawl

To check progress, staff are given logins to supplier tools. It creates onboarding overhead, audit risk and inconsistent visibility when people move.

3. Broken SLAs and unclear ownership

When different systems run different clocks, SLA breaches and ownership disputes appear. Review meetings become debates over whose timer was right.

4. Reporting blind spots

Leadership wants a complete service picture, but reporting is split across exports and screenshots.

“I don’t want to set up 100 supplier accounts so my team can see updates. I want updates in our system.”
Enterprise IT leader

Making multi-sourcing operationally sustainable

Enterprises are not moving away from panels - they’re finding ways to operate them better. Here’s what a practical model looks like:

  • Keep one home system
    Your ITSM remains the source of truth for demand, SLAs, change and reporting.

  • Let suppliers use their own tools
    Forcing them into your platform slows delivery. Their PSA or ITSM is tuned to their workflows.

  • Connect at the ticket layer
    Sync records, statuses, comments and attachments bi-directionally. Route by resolver group so the right supplier sees only their work.

  • Align SLAs at the connector
    Mirror priorities and due times across systems. Capture pause conditions and handoffs so metrics stay consistent.

  • Minimise standing access
    Exchange only the data required by contract. No extra logins, no security gaps.

This is where Support Fusion fits.

How Support Fusion helps enterprises run panels of suppliers

Ticket pairing, not portals

Support Fusion pairs your ITSM ticket with the matching record in each supplier’s system. Both sides stay in their native tool. Everything stays in sync.

Smart routing by resolver group

Define which assignment groups map to which suppliers. When your team assigns “Network Ops”, the correct provider receives the ticket automatically.

Field mapping for mismatched models

ServiceNow categories don’t exist in Jira or Zendesk the same way. Map once, preserve the meaning both sides understand, and keep context intact.

Bi-directional updates

Statuses, comments and attachments move between systems instantly. Analysts stay in their own workspace without losing visibility.

SLA alignment

Support Fusion carries priorities and due times across systems, records handoffs and pauses clocks correctly. Reviews stop debating data and start improving performance.

Access minimised by design

Your users never log into supplier tools, and suppliers never log into yours. It’s cleaner, faster and safer.

Vendor-agnostic and future-proof

Replace a supplier or add a new one without changing process. Update routing, not your platform. The panel stays connected throughout transitions.

“We’re bringing level 1 back in-house and keeping specialist providers for tier 2. We need it to work cleanly across systems.”
— Enterprise IT leader

What a connected panel looks like in practice

  1. An employee raises a ticket in your ITSM.

  2. It’s routed to “Network Ops” - mapped to Supplier A’s system.

  3. Support Fusion creates a paired ticket in Supplier A’s tool.

  4. Supplier A updates status and adds diagnostics; your ITSM mirrors those updates instantly.

  5. The issue shifts to “Identity”. Support Fusion closes the first supplier’s ticket and opens a new paired record with Supplier B, carrying handoff notes and SLA data forward.

  6. You run an SLA report in your ITSM. It shows the full journey - end to end, across every supplier.

Fitting your ITSM strategy

If you’re on ServiceNow

Keep ServiceNow as the enterprise system of record. Connect it to suppliers using Jira Service Management, HaloPSA, Autotask, ConnectWise, Freshservice, Zendesk and others. Maintain one process, one view.

If you’re using mid-market ITSM platforms

Freshservice or Halo ITSM are becoming popular for cost efficiency and agility. Support Fusion preserves those benefits when larger providers remain on ServiceNow.

If you’re still maturing ITIL processes

Start simple. Incident and request flows are enough to pilot. Support Fusion handles the cross-system work while your processes evolve.

How enterprises implement it

  • Zero-code setup – Authenticate, choose mappings and deploy with guided defaults.

  • Contract-aware configuration – Define queues, priorities and data boundaries per supplier.

  • Controlled rollout – Start with one resolver group and one supplier, then expand.

  • No process disruption – Everyone keeps working in their existing systems.

Measurable benefits

  • 60–90% less manual re-keying

  • SLA data that matches reality

  • Reduced login and access management

  • Faster supplier onboarding and offboarding

  • Clean, consolidated reporting

Quick checklist: is your panel ready?

  • We have one enterprise ITSM for requests and reporting

  • Suppliers can use their own tools if data stays in sync

  • Resolver groups and ownership are defined

  • SLAs are mirrored across systems

  • Supplier access is minimised

  • We can pilot with one supplier before scaling

Key questions to ask your suppliers

  • Which system do you use for incidents and change?

  • Can we integrate at the ticket level instead of sharing logins?

  • How do you map priorities and SLAs?

  • What data will you exchange with us?

  • How do you handle cross-supplier handoffs?

Bringing it all together

Support Fusion doesn’t replace your ITSM or your suppliers’ tools. It’s the connective layer that makes multi-sourcing work in practice.

You get the flexibility of panels without the rework, the visibility of one system without forcing standardisation, and the confidence that every provider stays aligned.

Next steps
If you’re planning to refresh contracts or move to a panel model, we can help map your flows and run a low-risk pilot. Start with one resolver group, one supplier, and see value within hours.