Beyond IT: Adapting GLPI for Cross-Departmental Service Management

GLPI (Gestionnaire Libre de Parc Informatique) has long been recognised as a robust, open-source ITSM (IT Service Management) platform, but its capabilities extend far beyond traditional IT departments. With its flexible architecture, custom forms, workflows, and powerful asset management, GLPI is perfectly positioned to support other business functions - from HR and facilities to procurement and customer service.

Expanding GLPI's Use Cases

GLPI's modular structure and customizable forms make it adaptable to various organisational needs. Here’s how non-IT teams can benefit:

1. Human Resources

Use GLPI to manage:

• Onboarding and offboarding workflows
• Employee requests for leave, benefits, or documentation
• HR asset tracking (e.g., laptops for new starters)

Custom ticket categories, SLA tracking, and form-based submissions help ensure timely responses and full audit trails.

2. Facilities Management

GLPI can streamline:

• Maintenance requests (plumbing, heating, etc.)
• Room and resource bookings
• Facility inspections and compliance workflows

Using GLPI's location and asset tracking, teams can manage facility-related tasks effectively, improving response times and tracking recurring issues.

3. Procurement

Procurement departments can use GLPI to:

• Handle purchase requests and approvals
• Track vendor contracts and delivery SLAs
• Maintain inventory and automate reorder processes

The platform's integrated inventory and supplier management modules bring visibility and control to procurement operations.

4. Customer Service or Helpdesk

Beyond internal support, GLPI can be used as a public-facing customer service desk:

• Create service portals for customer requests
• Route tickets to appropriate support teams
• Integrate knowledge bases to deflect common queries

Permissions and portal customization make it easy to tailor GLPI for external stakeholders.

5. Document Management

GLPI can centralize and manage documents such as:

• Contracts
• Policy manuals
• Standard operating procedures

This ensures secure, organized access to critical documentation across departments.

6. Project Management

While not a full project suite, GLPI can effectively:

• Track tasks and milestones
• Allocate resources to specific projects
• Monitor timelines, especially in maintenance or asset-focused initiatives

These are just a few examples of ways that GLPI can be adapted to meet your needs outside of IT departments. GLPI can also be used for inventory management, supplier management, license management, and so much more. Add to this their flexible deployment options - self-hosted on-prem, Cloud-hosted or as a managed service hosted by a GLPI partner (e.g. BDQ) - and GLPI becomes a viable option for almost any department, in any industry.

Why GLPI Works Well Across Teams

As well as being fully open-source (the complete package can be found on GitHub) and the flexibility of its deployment, GLPI also benefits from:

• Custom Workflows:
  Design workflows that suit departmental processes, whether it's a simple approval chain or a multi-step escalation.

• Self-Service Portals:
  Empower users with intuitive interfaces and searchable knowledge bases.

• Asset Management:
  Track any resource - IT or otherwise - assigned to users or teams.

• Open Source Flexibility:
  No vendor lock-in and extensive plugin availability to extend functionality.

How BDQ Can Help

As a GLPI Solution Partner, BDQ specialises in implementing service management solutions that deliver real business value. Whether you're looking to roll out GLPI across multiple departments or optimise an existing setup, our consulting, configuration, and training services ensure success. We’ve helped clients implement efficient, scalable service desks - fast.

With our agile approach, we’ll rapidly prototype your workflows, deliver tailored user portals, and support adoption with training and documentation, whether you’re in the UK or the United States.

Ready to extend GLPI beyond IT?

Let’s talk about how BDQ can help your organisation scale service management across departments with GLPI. Whether you need a simple setup, a custom solution, or managed hosting, we provide everything you need to optimise your IT services and asset management.

Book a free consultation or learn more about our implementation services.