One of the more thought provoking presentaions at the recent Project Challenge Show in Birmingham was by Dot Tudor of TCC. She firmly believes that there is too often a disconnect between IT project managers and IT service managers.
The following diagram emphasises the degree of overlap and inter-relationship between PRINCE2, DSDM and ITIL. Her presentation (follow link below) works towards an integrated roadmap.
By the way, this subject matter is being picked up by OGC so keep an eye open for the official book in due course!
>> View Dot Tudor’s presentation
>> Find ITIL training courses
>> Find PRINCE2 courses
>> Find DSDM Atern courses
Blogalot - May 2010
There were two excellent presentations at the April Service Desk & IT Support show which concentrated on Problem Management. Ken Goff made a compelling case for making it the number one ITIL priority. Don Page told us how to go about it.
Why make it your number one priority?
Ken brings years of experience – and a case study where a major organisation slashed the number of major incidents per month from over 50 to about 5. This was through a relentless focus on root cause problem analysis. The mix of Incident Management to Problem management personnel switched from 9:1 to 1:9.
His case study organisation was excellent at Incident Management. They acted fast and got systems up and running quickly. However, it was only when attention was turned to the underlying issues that service outages began to fall – and business financial performance improved.
It required a major change in mind set with drive from the most senior management levels. Delivery was by hundreds of people within the IT support team. The role of the Problem Management specialists was to facilitate rather than to do all the work. A key observation was that many people simply do not know HOW to analyse problems.
Practical Problem Solving
Don emphasises the importance of people and process (rather than technology or system).
Problem solving is not a natural talent. A survey showed that only 1% have any formal training. The most common mistakes are:
- quick assumptions
- failure to collect facts
- inaccurate or incomplete information
- failure to evaluate or reproduce the condition
- undue pressure for an immediate answer
The best starting points to avoid problems are:
- implement change control
- train customers
- train support personnel
- identify current business priorities
- record and document all service requests
When driving to the fix:
- define the problem first
- specify the solved state
- ensure the right people are on the team
- choose from corrective actions in a logical manner
- reconcile restraints and constraints
- prepare and implement plan
- review and adjust as necessary
Problem Management used to be highlighted as one of the fundamental ITIL processes. In terms of training and certification under version 3 it is grouped within Operational Support & Analysis.
>> Find TIL Operational Support & Analysis Courses
>> Ken Goff - KGM
>> Don Page – Marval
Blogalot - May 2010
Have you ever tried to explain what ITIL could do for your business?
There’s an excellent video which has been produced by a US ITSM company, CompuCom.
It certainly ticks all my boxes:
- No jargon
- Light hearted
- Professional
- Under 4 minutes
- FREE!
ITIL in the restaurant
It will be appreciated as much by those embarking on ITIL training, as by senior executives considering ITIL investment.
>> Watch the Video “ITIL - A Simple Explanation”
If you need more information about Training & Certification:
>> Download ITIL Qualifications Explained
Blogalot - March 2010
If you want to take the ITIL Manager route to ITIL certification you need to act now!
The OGC has announced the phasing out of the version 2 ITIL qualifications during 2010. The timing was decided after consultation with itSMF International.
Withdrawal is phased by product:
- V2 Foundation to cease 30 June 2010
- V2 Manager to cease 31 August 2010
- V2 Practitioner to cease 31 Dec 2010
- Foundation Bridge to cease 31 Dec 2010
All of the above will be available for re-sits until 30 June 2011.
This basically means that to achieve ITIL Red Badge you need to be preparing for the final rounds of exams in April or July. Remember it requires just two courses (beyond Foundation) and you can then use the ITIL Manager’s Bridge to upgrade to the Version 3 ITIL Expert qualification at a later date.
>> ITIL Manager Training Courses
>> Download Guide “ITIL Qualifications Explained”
>> Buy the latest ITIL manuals
Blogalot - December 2010
The role of Senior Responsible Owner was first proposed for IT enabled projects in the McCartney Report in 2000. A recent “Lessons Learned” bulletin from the OGC highlights ways in which to make the SRO role more effective.
1. Better understanding of the role
2. Selection of the right people to act as SROs
3. Giving SROs real accountability
4. Giving SROs business authority to resolve issues
5. Ensuring SROs have relevant delivery skills & experience
6. Ensuring adequate commercial awareness
7. SROs dedicate sufficient time to the role
8. Improved continuity through the project lifecycle
9. Improved tools, guidance & development opportunities
10. Adequate supporting resources
Lessons Learned:
1: Incorporate performance in the SRO role in individual performance targets
2: Involve PPM Board Champions and CIOs in the selection of SROs�
3: Appoint SROs for a minimum period and link any changes to project milestones
4: Encourage inexperienced SROs to undertake a appropriate training
5: Encourage SROs to gain assurance experience by taking part in Gateway Reviews
6: Use mentors external to the project to provide advice and support
7: Support SROs in attending networking events for the wider SRO community
It all feels a bit like motherhood and apple pie - but we shouldn’t knock the concept of SRO. Recognition of the importance of accountability has been a major step forward for the public sector over the past decade, even if there is still a significant way to go. The growing breed of professional PPM and Service Management professionals with best practice qualifications such as MSP and ITIL should improve the pool of SROs available during the next decade.
>> OGC Lessons Learned Bulletin
>> SRO Purpose, Role and Characteristics
>> MSP Training
>> ITIL Training
Blogalot - December 2009
You may have noticed that the British Computer Society has re-launched itself as “BCS - The Chartered Institiute for IT”.
Nice words. There’s a lot of talk about “Enabling the Information Society”. There’s a push to give greater recognition to the high level Chartered IT Professional qualification. There are 2 branded taxis which you might notice in London! And there’s a much improved website.
For IT Professionals one of the key ways in which BCS makes a difference is their ISEB collection of vendor neutral IT training and certification. This includes exams and qualifications in areas such as Business Analysis, Systems Development, Software Testing and IT Service Management.
BCS has partnered with Focus to make it easier to find and buy convenient courses which lead towards ISEB qualifications.
>> See Video About ISEB
>> ISEB and Focus
>> ISEB qualifications - on the BCS website
>> ISEB certification tracks - on the Focus website
Blogalot - October 2009
The OGC which produces best practice guidelines such as PRINCE2 and ITIL has been sponsoring articles which demonstrate linkage between leading management methodologies. Two recent publications focus on Six Sigma.
They are thought provoking but there is a danger that too much time is spent trying to reconcile management processes, terminology and training which do not need to be reconciled.
Six Sigma’s strength as a quality management approach is the emphasis on process users, and the application of rigorous statistical methods to drive out waste and improve performance.
The DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) and DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyse, Design, Verify) Six Sigma cycles can be applied very appropriately to many IT Service Management activities. Indeed they offer the opportunity for significant rigour at the ITIL Design and the Continual Process Improvement stages. Six Sigma is at its most valuable when applied to high volume repetitive processes.
The fit between Six Sigma and PRINCE2 is a bit more tenuous. Six Sigma is about the efficiency of ongoing processes; PRINCE2 is about discrete management activities with a start, middle and end. However, many organisations will find PRINCE2 provides a rigorous framework for project implementation, and Six Sigma delivers measurable benefit from improving ongoing processes - so both are highly desirable. Moreover PRINCE2 would be no bad way to run a Six Sigma implementation, which can be complex and involve staff from many strands of a business.
You can find the OGC articles on the Best Management Practice website:
>> Integrating Six Sigma and PRINCE2 - Mike Ward
>> Integrating Six Sigma and ITIL - Jack Probst & Gary Case
What do you think? Is integration necessary or realistic?
>> PRINCE2 Training
>> ITIL Training
>> Six Sigma Training
Blogalot September 2009
This is the title of a recent paper by Shirley Lacey.
Perhaps not surprisingly her answer is YES for the following reasons….
1. ITIL helps you reshape and resize your IT services to meet changing business needs
2. It can help you make informed cost-benefit evaluation of IT services
3. Service Strategy & Service Design publications will help guide your approach to outsourcing and offshoring
4. Move into growth segments by changing and developing your services
5. Some organisations which have achieved ISO/IEC 20000 have reduced cycle time for change by 50%
6. Structured service management reduces risk as you move to new technologies such as cloud computing
7. When organisations merge or form alliances, ITIL provides common language and approaches
What do you think?
>> Download the article
>> Find information about ITIL training
Blogalot July 2008
Applying ITIL, ISO/IEC20000 and ISO/IEC27000
A new paper by Jim Clinch provides a useful overview of the best practices and standards relevant to those looking to improve standards of information security in their organisations.
It’s good on explaining where information security fits within ITIL and it explains what’s in the pipeline as regards the ISO/IEC 27000 family.
Jim argues for a business-based approach, and provides a checklist of 9 steps:
1. Produce, maintain, distribute and enforce an Information Security Policy
2. Understand the current business security policy and plans
3. Understand and agree current and future business security requirements
4. Implement security controls that support the Information Security Policy
5. Document all security controls and their operation, maintenance and associated risks
6. Manage suppliers and contracts in respect of access to systems and services
7. Manage all security breaches and incidents
8. Proactively improve security controls and security risk management
9. Ensure security aspects are integrated into all other ITSM processes
>> ITIL Training Courses
>> Information Security Training
>> Download Jim’s Paper - ITIL v3 and Information Security (PDF - 1.89Mb)
Blogalot June 2009
Oh dear.
“The Learning and Skills Council exists to make England better skilled and more competitive.” It’s England’s biggest quango with an annual budget of £12 billion. Unfortunately it seems that it can’t do is own sums.
New schemes are announced with a fanfare. Learners and providers react with enthusiasm. Then the plans are scaled back or aborted. First it was the capital building programme for many colleges; now its the adult apprentice scheme.
Fortunately, it seems that the highly targeted funding scheme to help small and medium sized businesses with Leadership and Management training is running smoothly - though qualification criteria are being applied more strictly than when first launched. Focus has been able to help clients with training such as Project Management (PRINCE2), IT Service Management (ITIL), and IT governance.
>> £1,000 grants for Leadership & Management training
>> Listen to BBC’s File on 4 investigate the LSC funding crisis
Blogalot June 2009
ITIL, PRINCE2 | admin, May 13, 2010 3:40 pm | 
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