Generative AI adoption cuts IT incident times by nearly a third
New research indicates generative AI adoption is reducing incident resolution times for IT service management teams by nearly a third.
SolarWinds published findings from its 2025 State of ITSM Report, which analysed over 2,000 IT service management systems and more than 60,000 customer data points. The results revealed that teams using generative AI (GenAI) can resolve incidents 4.9 hours faster on average, contributing to a collective saving of more than 323,000 work hours over the past year.
Operational impact
The report examined how ITSM functions have evolved, with IT teams increasingly embedding GenAI solutions into daily operations. The study highlights a trend in moving beyond pilot automation efforts, as AI becomes part of regular diagnostic procedures, incident resolution, and service delivery for IT departments.
Key AI-driven capabilities considered in the analysis included automated ticket responses, recommendations for relevant knowledge articles, and the use of AI to summarise incidents.
The comparison of incident resolution times demonstrated measurable improvements. Prior to the use of GenAI, the average incident took 27.42 hours to resolve. After integrating GenAI, this fell to 22.55 hours-an average time saving of 4.87 hours per incident, representing a 17.8 percent reduction.
The differences became even more pronounced when comparing organisations that have not adopted GenAI at all. The report found that non-GenAI users recorded an average incident resolution time of 32.46 hours, which was nearly 10 hours slower than the 22.55 hours seen by GenAI adopters. This translates to a 30.5 percent improvement for organisations that have adopted GenAI.
Changing role of IT
The adoption of GenAI is reshaping ITSM not only in terms of efficiency but also regarding team structure and culture. The report identifies GenAI adopters as organisations with more mature, innovation-driven operations, highlighting their readiness to embrace broader transformation initiatives that go beyond efficiency improvements alone.
Reallocation of reclaimed time is viewed as a significant benefit. By reducing the hours spent on routine or manual tasks, IT teams are reportedly able to focus more on projects that deliver direct value to businesses.
"By leveraging GenAI, ITSM teams can reclaim time and resources once spent on routine tasks, enabling them to focus on strategic initiatives that drive real business value. Looking ahead, embracing technologies like GenAI isn't just about efficiency-it's a strategic imperative for organisations aiming to innovate, stay ahead of change, and transform IT from a support function into a proactive driver of growth," said Lauren Okruch, Senior Manager for ITSM, at SolarWinds.
Quantifying time savings
According to the report, between August 2024 and July 2025, organisations using GenAI collectively saved 323,343 work hours through quicker resolution of incidents. The time savings are seen as enabling a shift in IT's role from a traditional support function to a department capable of driving innovation and improving return on investment for organisations.
Product capabilities
SolarWinds highlighted that its Service Desk Premier Plan provides ITSM teams with a range of automation and AI-enabled tools. These include automation workflows, runbooks, AI-powered response suggestions, enhanced reporting and customisation, and integration with virtual agent platforms such as Slack and Microsoft Teams.
The results signal a broader industry movement as IT departments adopt GenAI not only for short-term operational gains but also as a foundation for organisational transformation and greater overall efficiency.
