Enterprise service management. ESM is the framework used to manage service requests, incidents, and other processes across multiple internal departments. An example of mature ESM in action is when an employee sends an email to payroll, asking why her paycheck seems inaccurate. An ESM system would automatically open a ticket and assign to a payroll department employee to investigate. The payroll team may realize this is actually an HR issue, and assign to an HR person who then takes over the ticket and works with the employee to completion. Having a single source of truth for tickets, metrics, and so on is where an ESM solution becomes highly effective and efficient.