IT service management (ITSM) needs to undergo a cultural
change if it is to bring benefits to a business, market research
has shown.
Training company Parity said just 39.7% of IT managers are using
the IT Infrastructure Library
(ITIL) to measure the business value of ITSM, and only 27% of those
have measure its return on investment.
This means, Parity has said, that only 23% of IT managers think
costs and benefits are important.
ITIL provides a set of best practice approaches to ITSM, and is
designed to help businesses realise the maximum value of IT.
Parity managing director Rick Firth said, "Few organisations
have attained a true
business-led IT focus.
"This issue is one that requires a cultural change, with the
moving of mindsets from measuring transactions and processes to
that of measuring cultural contribution and value to the
business."
But CEO of the IT Service Management Forum Keith Aldis said the
lack of alignment between users of
ITIL and business performance was a problem the new ITIL V3,
released a month ago, is designed to address.
Aldis said, "Around 20,000 people a month are going through some
sort of ITIL course, which is pretty good going.
"The research is probably right about the fact that people doing
the qualifications are not yet closely aligned to business.
Hopefully the V3 will address the issue.
"IT service management ought to be done in such a way that it
means something to the business. We do recognise the fact that very
few people take ITIL and bring it into the business at the
moment.
"We have sold half a million pounds worth of the new version, so
it is going pretty well. It will not just be IT staff who can go on
the new course, but business managers as well."