IT service management to improve processes
Typical client and project profile - you will have several of these characteristics:
• An oganisational turnover or budget exceeding £50m
• Multiple departments, divisions and/or sites
• A need for systems that integrate different business functions
• Full-time staff working on a help or service desk
• An existing reliance on technology, meaning that system availability is important
• A need for fewer breakdowns, smaller mistakes and lower risks
• A desire to improve 'the system' rather than just individual performances
• A desire to adopt proven, standard management processes and best practice
Formal methods for managing the people who manage the infrastructure
IT service management processes mean applying a comprehensive and consistent set of best practices to the management of people and technology. Such process improvements reduce dependence on key staff, they are not capital-intensive and they improve the reliability, availability and security of existing networks, hardware and software.
IT service management as a discipline has recently come of age in the IT industry. The best-practice body of knowledge 'IT Infrastructure Library' (ITIL) was developed in the late 1980s but its use has only become widespread in the last 3-5 years. It is now heavily supported by hardware and software suppliers, consultancies, training courses and qualifications. There is extensive documentation on the body of knowledge, much of it on CD.
What difference does it make to use IT management processes?
The benefits below are adapted from standard ITIL material - since not reinventing the wheel is part of external best practices.
1. Safety
Formal management processes decrease over-reliance on key staff.
• Of course, committed and professional individuals working in an uncontrolled environment can produce great results. However, you end up relying on a few key staff to hold things together. With a standard management framework, it is easier to swap people around, recruit people who are already qualified and engage temporary staff who share a common vocabulary.
2. Savings
ITIL allows a make/buy decision on the management processes themselves.
• Rather than develop your own management infrastructure, you can adopt best practice that is supported by books, CDs, training courses, qualifications and software. Like packaged software, the development cost of the management framework is spread across many customers.
3. Comprehensive cover
You are adopting a set of integrated processes. The best practices are mature, meticulously thought-out and tested in real-life situations. They direct effort towards improvements in security, accuracy, speed and availability as required for the service level agreement (SLA).
• Details fit together and there is a road map showing how the parts support each other.
4. Reliability and flexibility combined with speed
You gain an improved quality of IT service, with more reliable business support.
• You have a clearer view of current IT capability, better information on current services and greater flexibility for the business through improved understanding of IT support. There is less waste in a controlled environment, so the cycle time for changes improves and the success rate is higher.
5. Better human relations
IT and business staff are more motivated.
• You improve job satisfaction through better understanding of your IT capability and better management of expectations. Customer satisfaction improves because internal and external IT service providers know and deliver what is expected of them.
You are welcome to discuss any of these examples with contacts within our clients.
How we can help you
There are so many resources out there, and you could spend years finding them. We act as your guide, and have created some unique resource maps. We make recommendations of resources and providers, without commercial interests in your decision.
The body of knowledge is excellent, but you cannot change people by having them read a book. We help make it happen by relating the knowledge to your specific economic and human environment.
As experienced self-starters, we can work quickly even with vague terms of reference and minimal supervision. We recognise the pressures you face and ensure you can manage by exception.
We are especially strong with high-profile projects involving complex organisational politics and possibly a degree of cynicism.
We can help you integrate IT service management with IT procurement.
Our complementary experience in IT system selection means we can help you choose the right service desk package.