Pragmatic ITSM

PRIORITIZE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT OR REQUEST FULFILMENT?

pinto4itsm — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:27:34 +0000

Which process should your really prioritise? It feels like a question placed under taboo. At first glanze the obvious answer should be Incident Mangement. Specially for persons newly introduced to IT Service Management and the best practice ITIL. I would like to take a different stand. Depending on the maturity of the organisation, both on the business side and the IT side, and depending on the quality of the service delivered. If the organisation are fairly mature and the quality are good enough, i would say that the users would benefit more from a implementation of Request fulfilment.

CLARITY VS. EXPECTATION

pinto4itsm — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:36:35 +0000

If you ask your organisation about such a simple thing as opening hours of Service Desk, or even widen the scope to invoke what users can expect of Service Desk you will get as many different views of expectation as people in your organisation. This is terrible information but it has it´s simple and logically explanation.

One of the secrets of having an aligned business and IT is that IT handles the business expectations. This is often not the case and has it´s origin in one of two reasons, or both.

#1; the services or conditions around the service, is not defined and there by not clear and plain. The business doesn’t understand what they get when they request or consume a specific service. This is in my opinion the most common reason for deficient clarity of services.

#2; and if the service is defined, clarified its not probably communicated to the users. In best case communicated to customers, i.e. managers in the business, but not after that communicated to the end users.

Sow no wonder it’s tough to be an IT provider having all this expectations to live up to. Best way to come out on top of that situation is to be clear in our Service Catalogue and Service descriptions and let people know about it, communicate. Initially it will be painful and time consuming to reach concordance but the alternative is to spend your time explain and correct dissatisfaction amongst our customers.

GATHERING OF CMS CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS

pinto4itsm — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:34:16 +0000

For the moment the project is focused on collection of requirements of the customer of CMS, Configuration Management System. In workshop #2 we produced a list of possible users/customers of the information that we have in CMS scope. After translating roles and functions into name of people in the organisation we have scheduled lots of interviews. These customers are of course to find in both business and IT/IS department. During these interviews we try to create some kind of awareness around Configuration Management and CMS. We also collect “what”, “when” and “how” the users would like the CMS information.

If I should visualize our tactic and pedagogic I one picture it will be this one. The picture is shaded to hide the parts that normally are jumped into first. I.e. data sources, technical possibilities and obstacle, quality of information etc.

So far it´s going according to plan and I am satisfied with the collection of requirements.

STEPS TOWARDS EFFECTIVNESS & EFFICIENCY

pinto4itsm — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:57:59 +0000

#2 Control

Control is something all of us, people as well as organisations try to achieve, all the time. We somehow think that control is the ultimate solution to everything, and perhaps it is, it´s for sure a big part of the solution. To define what to control is a fine piece of work that often is overlooked. The work to define this actually needs to come earlier in the process, when it will be input to the set up of visibility.

But in this context I mean Control in two perspectives. One is the quality in decision basis. Degree of quality in decision basis is in relation to the degree of visibility of your IS/ IT environment/landscape. The other one is of course the result of the decision. The result itself will be more accurate than a best guess.

Accurate and correct decisions will give or organisation possibility to govern, to achieve desired positions, goals etc. The drawback of that is of course that you have to define your desired position and goals and so on. Surprisingly many organisations have a hard time to do this. Either because it’s scary to state an opinion or just lack of competens.

So to sum up; the degree of control is in direct relation to the degree of visibility; see #1 Visibility on this blog. The clearer view of the fact you and your organisation have the better decision you will take. This gives per definition better control and you are one step closer towards effectivness and efficiency.

PARADIGM 2 SERVICES

pinto4itsm — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:51:40 +0000

Introduction of Services in an organization is a true paradigm. Suddenly there is a way to create clarity regarding the delivery. Clarity in perspective of what to deliver, when it shall be available, to whom and to what cost etc. Not to mention the possibility to follow up. This will probably be the first time that dialogues and presentations around measures and KPI: s will be useful. IT and business will now have the possibility to speak with each other about business requirement and IT capabilities, and out of that create effective and efficient Services. The road to being a mature service provider is not a walk in the park. Presenting the delivery in a clear way, probably don´t match all different expectations, of course. On the other hand you now have the opportunity to start a dialogue with the business. The end of that dialogue is hopefully a delivery that matches the customer’s needs and a signed agreement. When an organisation has reached this level the Service has been “baselined”. By baseline i mean defined andf agreed. The baseline make it possible to adress the the 3rd paradigm, Change control.

STEPS TOWARDS EFFECTIVNESS & EFFICIENCY

pinto4itsm — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:44:37 +0000

All initiative of development and implementation is to bring effectiveness and efficiency. No matter the area addressed processes, new applications, better capacity, new product etc. To reach to the point of better/higher effectiveness and efficiency, you need to pass and master some important levels.

#1 Visibility

Full visibility of the IT environment/landscape is something we all want to have. We would like to have all information at our desk, on demand, gladly in real time. That is, of course, if not impossible so a bad way spending your money. I relay like to see the Business Case with ROI on that.

So, what information do we want? What do we want to see? After putting this question on the table we immediately dive in to the solution. Where do we collect the information I.e. what to observe, in other words which sources of data/information do we have, and lack.

I think we really should start in the other end. What do we want to see? What do I want to see in my role? By “see” I mean “How do I want the information presented to me?” “What information do I need presented to me?” “When do I need information presented to me?”

The classic questions; what? When? And How? Is a good enabler for getting this work going.

When you have solved these questions you are getting closer the area of control.

COEXISTENCE OF PROCESSES & PROJECTS

pinto4itsm — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:38:33 +0000

I recently visited a customer to discuss a possible assignment addressing improvement of their Change Management process. Rather early in the meeting I understood that the problem wasn’t the Change process itself. The problem was derivable to the coexistence to, and the alignment to ongoing projects in the organisation. It’s not the first time I experience organisations with the same problem. The funny thing is that no matter of general maturity, maturity regarding working with processes or project there is a gap between this to work models. I find this odd due to the fact that there are well known, and good, Best Practises that gives support in this area.

Can anyone give a good explanation to this complex relation?

Configuration Management Workshop #2

pinto4itsm — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:29:44 +0000

If the 1^st Configuration Management workshop aimed at create awareness regarding the topic and during brainstorming find a foundation of scope. The purpose with 2^nd workshop was to create some kind of order, that we could continue our work with. For instance refining CI types, to the next level, we came up with this main category. We will let it rest for a couple of weeks before we test if it will meet our criterions and demands.

Main Category
- Hardware
- Software
- Configuration
- Documents
- Integration
- Services
- Competence
- People
- Accounts

PARADIGM 1 SPOC

pinto4itsm — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:12:06 +0000

The concept of SPOK, and all related Best Practices, such as function and processes, truly brings big benefits for the business and its users. My main reason for emphasising this as a paradigm is that the effort of work, comparatively gives so much structure, order and business benefits. This in turn gives visibility, the 1^st step towards effectiveness and efficiency.

More of the journey towards effectiveness and efficiency, and more paradigms later on.

Pragmatism

pinto4itsm — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:36:04 +0000

“Pragmatism is the perspective that claims that an ideology or proposition is true if it works satisfactorily, that the meaning of a proposition is to be found in the practical consequences of accepting it, and that unpractical ideas are to be rejected.” Source Wikipedia

In the world of ITSM and Best practices this means that you have to valuate any Best Practices recommendations against the benefit for Business and/or IT department before you adopt any processes or procedures to support your way of work.

Pragmatism is my guiding-star during development and implementation of ITSM Best Practices processes.