For the past 20 years, IT has been attempting to align
itself with business. Yet how many companies still offer poor
service based upon reactive helpdesks, haphazard change management
and irrelevant service level agreements? And this is despite an
increased investment in helpdesk technology and the rise of the IT
Infrastructure Library (ITIL), which offers a framework for best
practice in providing IT services.
ITIL has a lot to offer. But to date the main beneficiaries of
this best practice methodology have been software suppliers. Too
many companies have undertaken a six-month review process to obtain
nothing more than a £60,000 bill. ITIL, as commonly approached, is
over-engineered for 95% of organisations. Despite worthy
intentions, companies are failing to match deliverables to the real
needs of the business.
If organisations are to bridge the chasm between business and
IT, certain ITIL myths need to be dispelled. There is no need for
complex, resource-intensive projects that address every one of the
11 service management disciplines covered by ITIL. Instead,
companies need to take a business-led approach that focuses on key
areas - such as service desk, incident, change, configuration and
service level management - to rapidly deliver a tailored, relevant
and cost-effective service across the business.
Over the past decade many UK organisations have invested in
helpdesk software, offering everything from an online knowledge
base to highly complex management reporting. And yet their users
are still receiving poor or inappropriate levels of support,
because most companies have bought software first and considered
processes afterwards.
If those delivering the service don't buy into the processes and
procedures, they will invent their own workarounds, undermining the
quality and completeness of information and the value of the
initial investment.
Any organisations that have been "ITILed" can attest that
out-of-the-box products are the antithesis to getting the right,
fit-for-purpose processes. For 20 years, software firms have
bombarded organisations without actually implementing the ITIL
processes and procedures needed for better service management.
Many businesses have also suffered as a result of taking an
inflexible approach, insisting upon addressing each of ITIL's 11
disciplines without paying attention either to the needs of the
business user or areas in which the organisation is already
succeeding. By doing this, they also assume a level of internal
resources that is not present in most organisations.
Not only can the process become cumbersome but, with no attempt
to embrace the unique requirements of the organisation, it lacks
relevance. Is it any wonder that so many companies, despite
suffering poor user satisfaction and escalating support costs,
continue to eschew the idea of ITIL?
As so many have discovered, implementing new software without
making process change delivers no long-term benefits - so how are
UK organisations going to transform their reputation for inadequate
service and support and deliver real value from their IT
investments?
The problem with trying to apply ITIL is that it is merely a
framework for best practice - it does not provide specific
instructions. For example, while stating that organisations need
quality call answering, quick response, a high fix rate and good
reporting, it does not actually indicate how these capabilities can
be achieved. These requirements need to be tackled in line with
real user expectations.
It is not always possible to combine quick call answering with a
high initial fix rate - unless an organisation can afford to have a
plethora of highly skilled personnel at the first-tier service
desk. It is only by discussing with users their requirements that
the staffing and expertise level can be correctly ascertained, and
effective ITIL processes implemented.
Correctly applied, ITIL processes can ensure the appropriate
level of service to support real, defined business requirements.
For example, by opting for fewer but more highly skilled helpdesk
personnel, a company can meet its users' stated requirement for
more first-call fixes, with the expectation that call answering may
take several minutes. This approach ensures fewer call backs,
simplifies incident tracking and boosts user satisfaction.
It is user-led discussion that determines the right processes:
for all its benefits, vanilla ITIL will not indicate which approach
is the best for any specific business.
There is no reason to address each of the 11 ITIL disciplines.
For most businesses, addressing four or five will deliver massive
benefits. Getting key areas right - such as service desk, incident
management, problem management, change management and service level
management - enables organisations to achieve a significant
improvement in efficiency, with increased customer satisfaction and
reduced costs.
And while ITIL may address each area separately, for many
organisations combining, say, incident management with problem
management into a single discipline is far more manageable and
relevant to the levels of IT resource available.
This can be achieved if organisations take a real-world approach
to the business applications of ITIL, to prioritise focus areas.
This avoids involved and expensive implementation projects and, by
delivering key improvements in an efficient and relevant manner,
ensures maximum impact for minimum outlay.
Focus and prioritisation also enables organisations to embrace
ITIL in phases, building upon the successes gained from the initial
four or five disciplines to attain further benefit. In time, this
can provide a platform for achieving BS 15000 certification for IT
service management, should that become a priority. Taking this
business-led approach ensures the emphasis is on achieving ROI as
early as possible, rather than waiting for the completion of a full
ITIL implementation.
ITIL is not a panacea. It is, however, an excellent framework
for improving the quality and relevance of IT services delivered to
a business. But good services can only be achieved if they reflect
the specific needs of an organisation and its users. And without
practical implementation of the ITIL guidelines, its value is
lost.
Although the goal may be to reduce costs and increase service
levels, it is an indictment on the IT industry that many
organisations do not even realise the lows to which service levels
have fallen.
From the company supporting 30,000 users with a spreadsheet, to
the one with a top-of-the-range helpdesk product, too few companies
have got this right. For many, it is a Catch 22 situation:
implementing new software is no use if processes are not changed,
yet ITIL is just too complex and expensive to consider.
By taking a focused approach to achieving ITIL-aligned processes
and procedures, organisations can target the key areas of service
desk, change, configuration, incident, problem and service level
management to transform service levels and, finally, match IT
deliverables with the real needs of the business.
CV: Paul Whitlock
Paul Whitlock is head of service management consultancy and
education at Plan-Net, where he leads a team of 10 consultants to
combine real-world experience with the methodologies of ITIL to
deliver a range of tailored services to clients such as Coca-Cola,
Amec and Allied Domecq.
Before joining Plan-Net, Whitlock worked at Vodafone, where he
was responsible for implementing ITIL best practice across the
business. He held several positions within Vodafone, including
configuration manager and business relationship manager for
Vodafone's mobile data products.
Prior to this, he was business relationship manager for
insurance services at Lloyds TSB, where he was responsible for all
service management related processes.