Saturday, October 31, 2009
5 Tips For Developing An ITSM Strategic Road Map
For our next interview on this blog, I’m talking to Pink Elephant’s AVP Product Strategy, Troy DuMoulin, who blogs regularly and – I think – with lots of insight. We don’t always agree (see my recent post) but anyone who themes his blog around the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has got to be worth reading, and the content rewards the effort.
One of Troy’s sessions at the Conference next year will be 5 Tips For Developing An ITSM Strategic Road Map. Many IT executives and senior managers are challenged with creating and communicating a “road map” that includes the key strategic ingredients to successfully execute an ITSM implementation project. While all organizations differ, there are some very important commonalities that should be considered in each case, and that could mean the difference between success and failure. Do you know what these are? Join Troy, who is a highly seasoned expert of many strategic consulting engagements, to learn 5 important tips from his Consultant’s Case Book.
Here, then, is a podcast of the two of us discussing these strategic tips. http://www.pinkelephant.com/ressource/Pinkcast/troy_dumoulin.mp3
And for those of you who, like me, prefer to hear the bus coming when I walk around - and get all tangled up in those little wires anyway - here are some initial questions we kicked around before the interview:
Skep: If asked a few months later, people often only remember one message from a presentation. What is the one thing you want them to recall from this one?
Troy: Process documentation and the underlying IT tools are simply a means to the end and not the end in and of themselves.
Skep: Why should I go to this session? What’s in it for me? Not my boss, not the universe, me. Can you explain a personal benefit?
Troy: In this session I describe 5 critical and strategic success factors that you need to be aware of to be successful at your ITSM projects so that they don’t leave a negative impact on your career. Self preservation by either achievement of success, risk avoidance or at least being the person who raised the red flag at the approaching danger are all strong personal motivators.
Skep: You refer to the need for ITSM projects to be integrated, to not create more silos. I find ITSM is a great tool for breaking down other existing silos too. Do you find that?
Troy: Yes the nature of enterprise goals and shared processes supports the recognition and re-discovery that it each technical silo is part of a bigger whole with a shared goal of service delivery and management. ITSM helps to reverse several hundred years of organizational design based on the principles of task specialization which artificially break down processes (both manufacturing and information processes) down into individual component tasks. However, left to our own devices we will adopt ITIL processes and create a new silo for each one with limited to no integration at either a process, tool or data layer.
Skep: How do you get a feel or measure for cultural readiness for ITSM?
Troy: The model I discuss in the presentation has key paradigm shifts which occur at each stage.
Technical: focus is on improving support processes
System / Service: A realization that it components and domains do not live in mythical isolation and that there is a need to manage and understand dependencies and how each component contributes to a larger context.
Customer Focused: The IT function has an enterprise mode of delivering services regardless of what internal or external functions contribute to the value chain
Partner Focused: The IT Function realizes that it is one of many service providers in the business context and is really no different than the Facilities group, the manufacturing plant, HR etc. The subtle change is that there is no longer a separation of IT and Business functions.
Value Chain Focused: The IT function and the business both fully realize that the information technology is as much a part of the primary business processes or “Line” as older business technologies.
Our experience shows that certain processes are not likely to be successful for adoption until a certain level has been achieved.
Skep: How much do tools really matter to ITSM?
Troy: The reality is that to even approximate the level of integration and process collaboration across groups tools are a necessary enabler. I have had personal experience using Excel and other rudimentary tools with some but very limited effect.
Skep: If an organization is still at zero on ITSM, do they need a roadmap right away? Do they know enough to plan well ahead? Don’t they need to get their feet wet first?
Troy: Based on experience there is a typical adoption pattern that is based on two inputs. 1) The logical sequencing of processes based on the fact that certain processes need to be at a level of maturity before another process can be successfully implemented. 2) The cultural readiness of an organization to adopt certain processes. eg: What is the business driver for a Service Catalog or CMDB if an organization does not know or care about services? Good luck with Service Portfolio Management if you don’t have an enterprise view of services.
So be careful if you step into the deep end with those feet. The footing may be too deep for success.
I hope you listened to the podcast too – Troy went into more depth about the strategy of ITSM and the great models in his presentation. And this is only a foretaste of the session at the Conference next year – be there!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Introduction to EHOBOK
In a recent blog post we introduced the idea of EHOBOK, The Exhibition Hall Optimizer Body of Knowledge: the framework for helping you make the most of your Exhibit Hall (EH) experience. [Note: in line with current industry practice, we use Exhibit Hall, Exhibition Hall and Exhibition Showcase for the same thing, depending on which book or glossary you look at]
After a worldwide search for authors, we have selected Rob England to write the EHOBOK. No, we will not be disclosing the selection process.
Contributors have provided additional input. Rob has canvassed submissions from readers of this blog, to which nobody responded; from the Pink Elephant consultants who are too busy doing real work; and from all available experts in his office. As a result of all this input, Astro the dog is credited as a contributor.
Building on our extensive research of all existing frameworks and standards for exhibition hall optimization, we have come up with these key domains for version 1 of EHOBOK:
Exhibit Strategy: planning your EH engagement to optimize the experience
Exhibit Engagement: executing on your strategy by engaging with the EH
Exhibit Utilization-with-a-z: realising the value of individual exhibits
Note: EHOBOK calls these “domains”. Nobody is quite sure what ITIL calls the larger groupings (other than “books”). They sure as eggs aren’t “processes”. (Even what ITIL calls processes mostly aren’t processes).
EHOBOK is a most peculiar (possibly unique) body of knowledge: it is written from the point of view of the consumer, the user. Have you ever noticed that IT gets ITIL books on Strategy, Design, Transition, Operation and Improvement but there are no books for the customer or the user? ITIL doesn’t even have words for their domains: Consumption, Usage, Commissioning, Engagement?... let alone describes them. And people say ITIL is customer-centric and business-aligned – bah!
Not so with EHOBOK. Strategy, Engagement and Utilization-wth-a-z are the user-oriented domains. I suppose EHOBOK could have provider (i.e. host) domains and customer (i.e. vendor) domains too – Design, Operation, Exploitation, Continual Exhibit Improvement - but we will leave them for later … or never.
Watch for posts on each of the EHOBOK domains as we get closer to the conference.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
More ITM10 Service Management Conference Exhibitors and Sponsors
Three new, first-time exhibitors and two new sponsors have signed up for Pink Elephant’s 14th Annual International IT Service Management Conference & Exhibition February 21 - 24, 2010 at the Bellagio, Las Vegas.
We welcome new exhibitors KACE Networks, Matrix42 USA, Inc and OTRS; Gold Sponsor Booz Allen; and, Silver Sponsor Monitor 24-7 to our illustrious vendor community list.
Platinum sponsor:
• Service-now.com.
Gold Sponsors:
• Booz Allen
• FrontRange
• Hornbill
• Oblicore
Silver Sponsors:
• APMG
• Cherwell
• CollegeNET Inc
• Computer Associates
• ComSci, LLC
• Consulting Portal
• Loyalist
• Monitor 24-7
New Exhibitors:
• KACE Networks
• Matrix42 USA, Inc
• OTRS
Pink Elephant’s 14th Annual International IT Service Management Conference & Exhibition promises to be another successful information and entertainment packed event. We would like to recognize the sponsor community for their important role in the success of this event and thank them for their support and participation in our conference.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about being a sponsor at the ITM10 Service Management Conference or one of our PinkPERSPECTIVES, please call Lisa Lyons, Client Relations Manager at 1 888 273-7465 ext 228
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The Project Management Scorecard
The next of our interviews with speakers at the upcoming Pink Elephant conference is with Graham Price, Principal Consultant at Pink Elephant. In our last interview, or our first interview – depending on your perspective, we talked to Gary Case about putting sufficient effort into the human aspects of an ITIL implementation by Developing Awareness & Education Strategies For ITIL Deployment. Continuing our theme of the importance of people in IT, one of Graham Price’s sessions is The Project Management Scorecard: Measuring The Success Of Project Management Solutions (Improving Human Performance).
Is your ITIL project a success? How do you know? Exactly what are you measuring to find out? Project Management continues to be a critical function in organizations. Almost any new product, service, system, or technology must be introduced and implemented through a formal project management process. Until now, there has been no book that focuses on how to measure the success of project management solutions. In this book, the authors provide the answers to critical questions about project management measurement. Using six types data, including the actual ROI, this book simplifies the measurement process and provides credible data needed for the senior management team. It should be a valuable reference for every project manager.
In this highly informative session, Graham, who is certified in project management, will provide an overview of the method discussed in the book for setting up and measuring the success of projects, and then he’ll provide specifics about how to apply the principles to ITIL projects.
Skep: Did you come from an ITSM background or a projects background?
Graham: I have been engaged in projects for over 25 years in various roles – project resource, project manager, steering committee member and project champion. For many years I was a customer of IT and as such developed a keen awareness of IT’s impacts – both positive and negative – on business outcomes. Some of the larger projects were part of an overall organizational business transformation to new operating models.
My ITSM background has its roots as a customer of IT. I first engaged in ITSM practices during the start up of an inbound / outbound technical services call center that required development and implementation of strong incident, change and release management processes. Since joining Pink almost 9 years ago I have been engaged in defining, scoping, managing and executing ITSM projects on global, regional and local scales for organizations of varied sizes and market sectors.
Skep: Where do I find a good project manager?
Graham: A good project manager can be found anywhere. There are a great many individuals who are well equipped to be project managers. Maybe a better question would be “what characteristics do successful project managers have that makes them successful?”
Aside from the knowledge of project management, which I will assume is a given or can be readily attained, the following list represents attributes one would look for in a good project manager:
1) leadership ability
2) ability to delegate responsibility
3) strong communicator
4) results oriented, comfortable working to well defined deadlines
5) mentor and coach
6) decisive
7) good influencer
8) has credibility and is well respected or is capable of commanding respect
9) good at recognizing and managing risks
10) highly organized with ability to multi-task
Some of these items are learnable skills others are attributes that an individual brings to the table.
Skep: I’ve not read the book that you presentation refers to, The Project Management Scorecard: Measuring the Success of Project Management Solutions (Improving Human Performance). Are the human aspects to do with the internal culture of the project team, or are they the human impact and changes the project seeks to achieve (or causes accidentally)?
Graham: One way to look at the human element is related to hard facts vs soft facts. Hard facts come from data and information gleaned from our service management tools and systems and monitoring tools. Soft facts come from people and are influenced by their requirements, knowledge, experiences, interests, perceptions and preferences. It is the soft facts that require as much attention as the hard facts. The book actually does not focus just on the people aspects but rather takes a holistic approach to creating a project management scorecard that will measure success of projects on the basis of both the hard facts AND the soft facts…In other words the book is identifying the stakeholders of any particular project as a valuable source of data to assess the projects success.
Skep: So those are external stakeholders? Some of the “soft facts” are about measuring the human impact, the degree of culture change?
Graham: The book identifies 7 specific measures that make up the Project Management Scorecard. Of these seven measures four have a focus on the human perspective and include how to measure people results such as Reaction and Satisfaction, Skill and Knowledge Changes and Employee Satisfaction. Additionally, the use of focus groups, observation of project teams in action and the use of action plans and follow-up assignments are all identified as means of measuring the success of a project. In the context of ITSM, these measures would then include all stakeholders to varying degrees, including Project team members, the steering committee, beneficiaries of the outcome of the ITSM project - this includes both business customer and the users of the project output - various IT staff that are identified as stakeholders by virtue of their responsibility to use new processes or support new processes as the result of the project deliverables and potentially any external suppliers or business partners that are impacted by changes brought about by the project.
ITIL repeatedly refers to the importance of people in any service management improvement initiative. One of the 4 Ps of Service Design is People. Eight asset types are defined as either a capability or a resource. “People” are identified as both a “capability” and a “resource” which emphasizes the importance of the ‘people’ element. And of course it is no different for project management.
Skep: Is it a bad habit to be calling them “ITIL” projects? (I beat myself up for doing it – regularly). Isn’t ITIL just a tool, not the objective for a project? Why do we use that label so much?
Graham: Yes! To say we are going to “implement ITIL” is like saying we are going to “implement the Encyclopædia Britannica”. ITIL is a framework that describes good practices for managing services across their entire lifecycle. ITIL provides guidance for improving services and the processes needed to deliver those services. So if ITIL is about implementation then it is more accurate to say that we are using the ITIL framework to become an IT Service Management organization with a focus on a continual cycle of improving services and processes that support them.
Skep: Phew! No wonder we just say “Implement ITIL” 
Graham: Indeed! Project deliverables are related to specific ITSM goals and objectives; these deliverables are typically described in terms of process development and implementation, tool selection and implementation and organizational change needed to accommodate the transformation to a service-oriented approach to how IT carries out its mandate. The use of the phrase “implement ITIL” may stem from the very nature of IT, where we are focused on implementation of new and improved technology components and systems, not on services. So it is perhaps a reflection of a technology-centric view of what we do rather than a service oriented view.
Skep: I’m on record as saying that a certain unmeasured proportion of ITIL projects (oop, there I go doing it again!) should never even see the light of day. What factors do you think should be showstoppers before some projects even kick off?
Graham: The major showstopper is a project plan with any of the following key deliverables missing:
1) Communication strategy and plan, with dedicated resources to execute the plan
2) A Release and Deployment plan defined for implementation of project deliverables
3) Measurement framework that includes Critical Success Factors and Key Performance Indicators so improvements can in fact be measured out of the gate
4) Deliverables that address organizational change issues necessitated by the ITSM initiative.
Management engagement is a critical success factor at ALL levels within the IT organization. “Buy in” is a buzz word that does not seem to address the critical nature of active support and involvement exhibited by the entire management team. The project plan should include deliverables from management such as review and sign off on policies and procedures, agreement on the measurement and reporting structures and the actual assignment of roles and responsibilities.
Some statements that reflect unrealistic expectations should be seen as red flags:
1) We are going to implement ITIL and we are going to do it by the book!
2) We are going to buy an ITSM tool that will give us best practice!
Skep: So what do good ITSM projects have in common?
Graham:
1) Clearly defined goals and objectives, scope and overall approach to implementation
2) Realistic timelines for deliverables
3) Active, visible and strong Leadership with a clear vision of the future for IT
4) A dedicated, experienced Project Manager with an understanding of the nature of the scope of change an ITSM project represents
5) Project Resource requirements clearly defined; Dedicated resources made available based on requirements;(competing projects not allowed to “borrow” the ITSM resources.)
Skep: Do you see many organisations doing ITIL for its own sake, without some other outcome in mind? Or have we got over that?
Graham: I think we are getting over the “ITIL for its own sake” trap. Organizations have learned from those that have previously gone down that path or from their own forays down that path in the past. Organizations are looking at the value proposition before committing resources to such an undertaking and asking the very important “what’s in it for me?” question. The benefits as well as the pitfalls of ITIL are more clearly understood than in the past.
Skep: What’s in it for me as an individual coming to your presentation? What will I get out of it?
Graham: My approach is one of common sense and pragmatic solutions based on experience gained over a lifetime of managing projects and the changes they bring to the organization. While I am certified and well-educated about ITSM and project management, the real value I bring to the table is the years of experience applying what the books tell you. So, if you want to know how to apply what the books tell you and you want to know more about what the books don’t tell you, then don’t miss my session!
Skep: If asked a few months later, people often only remember one message from a presentation. What is the one thing you want them to recall from this one? “That project scorecard presentation you went to: what was it about?”
Graham: The people element of measuring project success is as important - if not more so - as all other sources of information.
Skep: Graham, you are so right that that people are the most important element in project success. I suspect they are also the most neglected. Any session that recognizes their importance and puts them back where they belong has to be a good one. Readers! Come along and hear Graham present on the importance of a balanced project management scorecard.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Introducing Two New Sponsors to ITM 10 Service Management Conference
Two more vendors have signed up to be sponsors at the Pink Elephant’s 14th Annual International IT Service Management Conference & Exhibition February 21 - 24, 2010 at the Bellagio, Las Vegas.
Welcome to FrontRange – Gold Sponsor and to Cherwell – Silver Sponsor who are joining the illustrious sponsor community below.
Platinum sponsor:
• Service-now.com.
Gold Sponsors:
• FrontRange
• Hornbill
• Oblicore
Silver Sponsors:
• APMG
• Cherwell
• CollegeNET Inc
• Computer Associates
• ComSci, LLC
• Consulting Portal
• Loyalist
Pink Elephant’s 14th Annual International IT Service Management Conference & Exhibition promises to be another successful information and entertainment packed event. We would like to recognize the sponsor community for their important role in the success of this event and thank them for their support and participation in our conference.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about being a sponsor at the ITM10 Service Management Conference or one of our PinkPERSPECTIVES, please call Lisa Lyons, Client Relations Manager at 1 888 273-7465 ext 228
Monday, October 12, 2009
Shopping advice for the conference Exhibition Showcase
Those who work with me or read my stuff probably get sick of hearing the mantra “People Process Things” (“People Process Technology” is a bit limited in scope). Here’s a surprise: let’s forget how important it is to be driven by the human and process factors, and just talk about toys … I mean technology.
I think there are a few technologies that if you don’t already have them you should just go out and buy them. Of course, before you buy the first cool toy you see in the Exhibition Showcase at the conference, you still need to bear in mind bigger-picture considerations, especially (a) preferred vendors and (b) infrastructure technology architecture. You do have an infrastructure technology architecture, right? So before you come to conference, get to know what the tool-buying constraints are. You’ll have more fun in the Exhibition Hall if you are shopping.
In the run-up to the conference we’ll give you some shopping bulletins: what’s good to buy, and also what’s hot (not always the same thing of course). The views expressed will be those of the IT Skeptic, not Pink Elephant. I’d hate to lose them any sponsors.
Here’s one “quick win tool” to look for, a no-brainer get-one-now purchase: end-user experience monitoring.
It has always seemed to me that most IT monitoring and measuring tools are very self-serving. They look at the world from the internal IT silo perspective. In ITSM terms they are mildly interesting diagnostic tools for incident and problem resolution, but in terms of service level measurement the only really useful tools are the ones that measure the end user experience, the ones that measure response times from the desktop, that treat IT as a black box service provider.
They measure response time and availability. How do you define availability? I think the best definition is when response times are greater than some agreed value. This includes the case where response times are infinite which is too often the IT definition of a service not being available, but as far as a user is concerned very slow response is generally as useless as none at all. That is, a user doesn’t differentiate between server down and network glacier-slow - they both mean service unavailable. I think ITIL agrees with this. Much of Service Design talks of Availability measured in terms of “downtime” which in its common usage means a more binary up/down measure, but 4.4.5.1 says “At what level of service response is the service considered unavailable?”. Service Strategy‘s concept of Warranty certainly implies more than just “working”. It says a service must be fit for use, in sufficient capacity.
These at-the-desktop measurements are the only metrics that really map to what the user sees. All the network monitors and server probes and traffic agents and database monitors and storage consoles… they are toys for the geeks but they don’t tell us much about the service. It is almost always impossible to consolidate their information up into a true depiction of the service. There is a boundary problem: no matter how good your IT, there is usually something you can’t measure adequately somewhere in the chain delivering the service. Even when it is possible, it’s very hard.
True, the user experience tools aren’t perfect either. It generally is not practical to put an agent on every desktop and measure every single user’s experience. But a representative sampling is enough. Certainly, users think so. There is a sigh of relief when they finally see metrics that measure their world instead of the arcane insides of the IT beast.
And yet when you listen to IT staff and vendors, these experience monitors don’t seem to be seen as the most important IT monitoring tool there is. They talk as if these tools are ancillary. Accessories. Plug-ins. Add-ons.
They are not. If you take a service-centric approach to infrastructure technology architecture, end-user experience monitoring is your primary service measurement tool. All the others are the add-ons: the drill-down tools that let you work out why the user experience is outside the bounds of the SLA. The very first monitoring to put in is the end-user experience. Quick wins in service level reporting. And clear guidance in prioritising problems.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
EHOBOK: Making the most of the exhibition hall at the conference
Part of the fun I’ll be having at the 14th Annual Pink Elephant conference is I get to conduct an Exhibit Hall Optimizer (spelt grudgingly with a “z”).
Rob (aka The IT Skeptic) has been an outspoken industry critic who keeps a very close eye on trends, and is an ex-software vendor who can help you to make the most of your exhibit hall experience!
I must confess up front that my younger days in exhibit halls were mostly spent nursing a hangover and checking out the competitors and chicks (too many and too few respectively). Of course times have changed. Often in service management the women outnumber the men, the competition is even more diverse, and only the hangovers stay the same. My point though, if I had one, is that only in recent years have I developed any qualification for helping you work out the exhibit hall.
And there is a ways for me to go. I’m at Foundation level in exhibit hall optimization, and studying for my Practitioner. Sadly ITIL overlooks this essential process, and Pink do not offer a course in it – though it can only be a matter of time.
What we need of course is a framework, a body of knowledge. So I’m compiling the EHOBOK. I toyed with calling it Rational Exhibit Enhancement instead of Exhibit Hall Optimization, but lawyers have no sense of humour (spelt with a “u”, I’m not giving up all correct spelling for you guys).
Contributions are welcomed to help grow the EHOBOK. You can comment here or contact me via the IT Skeptic blog. Following standard industry practice, all contributions will be attributed the first three times I use them until I come to believe they are mine. Check back regularly as we develop the EHOBOK.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Best Practice Management and Academia
There is a major gap in the education provided by universities and colleges in regards to the integration and synergy between the Business and IT
There is a major gap in the education provided by frameworks and methodologies in regards to the integration and synergy between the Business and IT
Already some universities and colleges offer ITIL and project management courses as part of their IT (or IS or MIS) curriculum. However, this is not enough.
I am not the first person to think about this and I know there is a sub-committee within ITSMF to look into lTIL in academia. However, I don’t think they are comunicating about this enoiugh
In order to move best practices forward the business world should look at hiring people from universities and colleges with such courses as part of their diploma. The best practices should not be limited to ITIL but should include introductory and intermediate courses. The introductory and intermediate level courses should be similar to the ones for accounting, marketing, management, and so on. The frameworks and methodologies covered could include topics such as ITIL, COBIT, Project Management, Security Management, ISO, Six-Sigma, CMMI, and Risk Management.
The primary objectives should be to introduce the students to the framework or methodology and cover the relationship between the business and IT. The courses should be designed to help business people gain a better understanding of managing the relationship with IT. The target audience should be aimed at people in any business curriculum.
The same approach should be used for people pursuing an IT-based curriculum.
Actually it may make a significant difference if the students in an IT-based curriculum attended the same courses proposed above.
Business, Academia and Service Management professionals involved with best practice management should get together to discuss this further and make it a reality.