ITSM Uncovered

Implementing IT Service Management is like baking a cake. There is a basic recipe, but can be whipped up in any manner the pastry chef decides. Like a recipe, baking up a good batch of ITSM cupcakes requires a list of ingredients which is where frameworks like ITIL come into play.

I'm getting hungry so enough with the cupcakes... To deliver effective Service Management requires many things, but there are two that most people I have run across forget about: People and Process. The two are, to me, the fundamental basis for which any framework is based. ITIL is no exception.

The problem with ITIL is that as a framework, there are so many individual focus areas, that it becomes too easy to lose sight of the big picture or how these 'pieces' fit together in such a way that the value begins to emerge. Like a jigsaw, you don't really see this picture until the pieces begin to fall into place.

What you will find in this journey are organizations who have reached a level of self-proclaimed "ITSM nirvana" are always preaching about how great it is to be efficient and operating at a level that allows true streamlined IT Operations. Don't believe the hype. No organization that has a relatively effective ITSM instance arrived there as effortlessly as many make it sound. That is part of the problem. Like snake oil, or the miracle diet, successful implementations of ITIL components are always verbally sold as the elixir that cures whatever ails you instantly. In reality, there is much in the way of pain that needs to be endured before you find that light and enter into it.

There are no silver bullets or road maps highlighting shortcuts; just a view of what life could be like with the right process, people and tools in place. How you get there is controlled by factors that you may never have considered prior to starting your journey to enlightenment. You should never forget that there will be pain, there will be work, there will be a level of commitment that is required to make the inevitable leap of faith that is required as you begin to move in a direction that will eventually begin to add value to your organization.

Many technology departments are under fiscal pressure never seen in the industry before. This is driving the need to focus on doing more with less while sustaining a level of service to the business. HA! GOTCHA! I wanted to throw that in to raise a bit of a panic. The way to look at the whole "More with Less" phrase should not be viewed in the historical sense, meaning people are expendable. I present it as people providing MORE value with LESS noise or distractions.

Again, at the root of everything is the IT professional who is often under-utilized and under-valued because they are burdened with inefficient processes, time consuming tasks or trying to keep their heads above the water, all in an effort just to keep the plant running. This is where the true financial loss to business occurs. Why hire top tier computer science graduate, just to have them spend their days updating spreadsheets, sending email and running scripts? It is time to look to become more efficient, work smarter, not harder and challenge our technologists to drive initiative and opportunities to present to the business.

The concept of IT Service Management accompanied with the ITIL Framework elicits many different responses from all levels of the organization. From the Management side, the general focus question is "What will it cost me?" From Middle Management it is; "How will I allocate resources?" and to the man or woman on the front lines it is "What are you thinking!?" The latter is always the voice that is often missed in communicating the benefits to the organization.

There is plenty of talk targeting the implementation of ITSM or ITIL revolving around defining business requirement to drive IT Services. Processes and steps to providing these services in the most efficient and cost effective manner is not always addressed. Even with the best intention of proactive management of IT environments to predict and support future business growth or potential weak points, communicating that is often an uphill battle day one.

These are all very valid points in delivering a true Service Management environment to any business. In order to achieve this, one area is consistently overlooked; the role of the individual. This can be attributed to the fact that unlike processes or tools, it is extremely difficult to discover, identify and document. It is the intangible element.

Processes can be defined, people can't. Many implementers, whether internal to an organization or brought in from the outside to consult on what needs to occur to improve IT Service to the Business are very versed in the tactics needed to implement any of the areas of IT Service Management. The challenge is convincing the individual that what is being proposed can inevitably make their lives easier.

Communication needs to be tailored to the hands-on audience, much in the same light as you would with Management or even Middle-Management. There is a benefit that needs to be explained to gain buy-in. Explaining the monetary benefits and ROI to senior Management is only one piece of the puzzle. Determining the most effective methods of resource management and reporting to Middle Management is also part of the critical path. Understanding and communicating the true benefit to the individuals who are tied up with daily projects, firefighting or disgruntled users must not be approached as an afterthought.
The term "Grass-Roots" is often thrown around in various seminars and case studies but there are living, breathing people who comprise this Grass-Roots element that are vital to the success in moving forward with any attempt to become a high performance organization. True leaders realize this; successful programs are ones that focus on all levels of the organization.

So what is the key? Some believe that a complete buy-in and enforcement from Senior Management by default, forces the organization to comply. This is not to say that Senior Management buy-in and commitment is not important, but to get to the goal faster, having a motivated, mobilized workforce behind the effort will accomplish tasks and milestones more effectively if the troops are made to feel as if they are part of the solution on delivering the end product.

The truth of the matter is, everyone has their processes. Some good, some bad and some definitely ugly. Nevertheless, they are processes that people put time and effort into developing to make their own contribution to the organization better. Discounting these efforts by pushing new unfamiliar process framework from the top down is not necessarily the right approach. The fact is, that people take pride in their work and are resistant to anything new or mis-branded to make their job seem inefficient.

Then there is the concern about Job security. Many only see a program on Process Improvement, standardization and enhancements, coupled with terms like improved resource management as buzz words to cut head-count. If you are in the position of deploying an IT Service Management Agenda across your organization you have to take into account the human side of the deployment and recognize what is not always being spoken.

It is critical that you provide comfort in the new processes as much as you do selling the need to enhance them. Ignoring the on-the-ground concerns in any implementation of process improvement will only result delays and push back as walls are put up in sub-conscious efforts to protect the domain of the individual. Then you have a nasty mutiny to deal with.

When defining the roles of those charged with driving these new process initiatives, give some thought to the soft-skills side of the communication process. Simply being good at translating the ITIL Framework or Service Management process in general terms is not good enough.
Being able to "dumb-down" ITIL-Speak in a way that can convey benefit and value to be digested by the organization is critical. It takes time and understanding of who you are dealing with, but this is time well spent in terms of moving the program ahead. It is always easier to form an alliance up front than to tear down walls later.

Technology is evolving. By its very nature, technology is an industry that is full of processes that are dependent on other processes. Whether you are writing code where sub-routines are dependent on other sub-routines or setting up a network where IP Addresses are depending on Routing Tables there is always a need for order and process. This is no different in the world of IT Service.

The shift towards viewing IT as a business service has introduced the concept of IT Service Management. This is a time when Technologists at all levels are exploring various methods of operating as a process driven organization. Frameworks or methodologies such as Service Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) are becoming all the rage. What is also occurring in the environment is that individuals who for years have performed the fire-fighting roles of IT Service are now being recruited to fill structured roles within a process driven environment.

For the most part this is a great career opportunity for the individual who thrives on providing quality service to their clients, however not all members of the Service community are in it for the sake of providing quality service. These individuals who were not suited for Service as a career to begin with, will more than likely not be suited for operating in a more structured environment designed to align technology with business goals.