CSM Summit, 27-29 January 2026
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Customer Service Management (CSM)

What is CSM and how can I benefit from using it?  

  • ServiceNow® defines Customer Service Management (CSM) as the orchestration of tasks between customers, customer service agents, and other teams to quickly resolve issues and requests. DLA uses case management in CSM to synchronize the Customer Interaction Center (CIC) (L1), Customer Operations (L2) and Supplier Operations (L3) with the end state of improving the customer and agent experience. .  

  • CSM allows DLA Customer Service Agents (CSAs) to capture interactions, create and manage cases and gather continuous feedback from customers. It is the tool that holds us accountable to our customers as directed in the DLA Strategic Plan.

  • The primary goal of the CSM process is to resolve the customers’ issues / requests as quickly and accurately as possible, providing a positive customer experience.  

  • The objectives of the CSM process are to: 

  • Ensure that standard methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt case response, analysis, documentation, ongoing management, resolution, and reporting. 

  • Increase visibility and communication of cases to management and support staff. 

  • Provide as much flexibility in allowing customers to interact with DLA through their choice of channels. 

  • Provide management with the insight into the proper metrics to drive work force management, resource scheduling and case prioritization. 

  • Shorten case closure time by providing effective processes with the current technologies to provide effective and efficient collaboration.

FAQs

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Expand List item 5529Collapse List item 5529  What is the difference between CSM and CRM?

  • CSM is one of several applications on the ServiceNow® Enterprise Platform  

  • CSM has a direct linkage to DLA’s Strategic Plan Objective 3.3 “Next generation customer service” and C1.4 “CRM Modernization”  

  • CRM is the legacy application on the Enterprise Business System (EBS). CRM on EBS is the “source of truth” and CSM on the Platform has pulled data from it – one-way.  

  • CRM on EBS and CSM on the Enterprise Platform are tools that enable DLA customer-facing personnel to work customer inquiries through collaboration with the DLA Supply Chains and DLA Distribution and Disposition Services  

Expand List item 5531Collapse List item 5531  Who should use the CSM Customer Support Portal and Service Catalog?  

Any CSM customer; internal (within DLA with CAC), military members with a .mil email, and external customers (vendors with .com email).

Expand List item 5532Collapse List item 5532  Who uses the CSM application? 

  • Currently, only DLA employees with CACs are CSM users  

  • A few CSM users are in the Military Services such as Army, with Army.mil e-mail address   

  • The Customer Support Division desires for customers, who are external to DLA and lack CACs to access the Customer Service Portal to perform self-service functions, such as find out the status of an existing case or create an interaction with a new requirement.  

Expand List item 5533Collapse List item 5533  What is a case? What is the benefit for an external customer to create interaction self-service?  

  • A case is a record of customer support actions. It contains the inquiry and resolution.  

  • External customers would create an Interaction. The CSM Agent would create the case.  

  • This self-service action allows external customers to create an interaction any time without needing to make a phone call or e-mail.  

Expand List item 5537Collapse List item 5537  Will CSM users need training?  Will CSM customers need training?  

Some training will be necessary.