Real world ITIL experience, not from the theory books.. but from the front line September 26, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: IT Service Management, itil, ITIL expert, itsm, the art of service
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At the time of writing, there are 115 authors registered for the ITIL Experience Crowdsourcing Project, and 40 of those have written a page on their experiences with ITIL already.
This is what Vinoth Sivasubramanian wrote:
1. I choose to study the ITIL Framework because…
I have spend over 7 years of my life in the IT environment, started as a customer support engineer, going through regulations compliance and process and reaching a middle management level where I am currently on. I have also spent the last two years of my career researching on Internal Controls and process excellence with some research papers to credit. I was really looking for a program/ framework which would drive quality coupled with legal regulations and deliver excellence to business operations using technology a perfect answer for that was ITIL which focuses on business as well as IT.
Another ITIL or ITSM based Linkedin Group… why should I join? September 24, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: experience, IT Service Management, itil, ITIL expert, itsm, Linkedin, service management, sharing, success
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Today we created a new group on Linkedin, called:
SERVICE TALK – the true ITIL & ITSM experience
I say ‘we’ as this is not an Art of Service initiative – this is an idea that Chris Dancy (@serviceSphere on twitter) and I came up with last week. The trigger was the fact that we started discussing our experiences around centuries of ITIL and ITSM implementations, consultancy and education via twitter and email. (yes – both of our experiences started with ITIL and ITSM started in the last century.)
Then it dawned on us… we never even considered sharing these experiences on any of the current Linkedin groups because they are filled with commercial messages. Most Linkedin groups that I am a member of seemed to have turned into those “networking” functions we all hate: the ones where sweaty sales reps approach you with the business card sticking out way in front of them. They are not interested in connecting with YOU.. they have a target: “must get rid of 100 business cards today”.
This Linkedin Group is different – this one is policed. When a member adds unsolicited commercial notifications in the group, the message will be deleted and the second time it happens, the member will be blocked from participating in the group. It’s as simple as that!
Be part of the Service Talk Group on Linkedin
Hope you enjoy being part of this group and sharing true experiences from the daily struggles and victories in implementing ITIL and ITSM.
Do you get PDU credits when you enrol in ITIL V3 eLearning Programs? September 17, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: the art of service, itil, value, IT Service Management, itsm, exam, ITIL expert, ITIL V3, EXIN
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Many of our students are registered with PMI and because of this, they are interested in the PDU values.
After you complete your eLearning Program you receive a certificate of completion. This certificate has our company name on it and the contact hour equivalent of the program.
For example:
ITIL Foundation eLearning is equivalent to 18 contact hours
ITIL Intermediate Lifecycle eLearning is equivalent to 21 contact hours
What most students do is forward a copy of the certificate to PMI to get the PDU’s approved.
There is curently also a discussion going on about this exact question in a Linkedin Group:
“I heard on the AOS Foundations forum that PMPs can get 17 PDUs for the v3 Foundations cert.
Did any PMP’s here get this credit? Can you confirm the number of PDUs and which Category Code was used?”
-Manish Gupta: I applied for 16 PDUs against the ITIL V3 e-learning program under category 4. And, it was accepted.
- Christopher Little: I have since passed my exam and received 18 PDU’s for the ITIL v3 Foundation cert under Category 4. TAOS does indeed put them on their certificates.
So go ahead – enrol in an eLearning class.. it has the same end result as the classroom programs, at a fraction of the cost!
ITIL V3 Certification Passrates close to 100% August 26, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: certification, exam, IT Service Management, ITIL expert, ITIL V3, success, the art of service
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Many people ask for passrates of our students, and to be quite honest there is no complete answer to this question. Reason being that most of our ITIL V3 Foundation students organise their exams independently via Prometric test centres. We don’t get the feedback on how they performed (apart from a select few who send us happy emails, flowers and boxes of chocolate to say thank you!)
But you ask, and we aim to please, so we provide the most up to date information we have in the form of a graph etc.
We are extremly happy and proud of the results (and feedback) with regards to all our programs – in particular the Intermediate programs which have been a resounding success, most course achieving close to 100% pass rates.
Managing Across the Lifecycle is quite a different exam from the rest of the Intermediate exams – there is a lot more practical work experience required to be successful in this exam! (don’t think lightly about this exam – even an 8 question exam can be very tricky and difficult!). Our trainers passed the exam in their first sitting, but that is only due to the fact that they have a lot of experience in this field, know the ITIL methodology inside out and listen to the examples from students every day of the week.
So when you’re getting ready for this exam: make sure you’re prepared!
Continual Improvement – what ITIL Service Management can learn from HR Management August 1, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in business, itil, itsm.Tags: business, conference, IT Service Management, itil, ITIL expert, itsm, management
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As I was invited to speak at a Learning and Development conference in Sydney yesterday, I had the opportunity to listen to a number of the speakers.
Maybe my biggest learning is that I have been too much blinded / tunnel visioned around my area of expertise. In the past 15 years I only attended IT Service Management and IT Standard / IT governance related seminars….
SILLY!!!
Attending a seminar outside of your comfort zone and direct area of expertise really opens your eyes to innovative ways of improving your service delivery.
The little gem I picked up from the HR conference was from a presentation by Brad Markham who is the Manager Learning and Development of the Australian Institute of Management in New South Wales. His talk was around case studies to show the value add of Learning and Development Programs. One of his findings was that often they start a program to address a ‘performance deficit’ only to find that the individual staff members and teams actually perform really well. What they suffer from is ‘reporting deficit’ … and the improvement project are relatively simple: document and report on all the brilliant things that are being done in the organisation to make it more visible to all levels in the organisation.
Now ponder on that in an ITIL Service Management context… It will add value to the success of your ITIL implementation projects- I am sure of that!
ITIL V3 Intermediate programs – so many choices… what is best? June 23, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: certification, IT Service Management, itil, ITIL expert, ITIL V3, itsm
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In generic terms we’ve always said that there is no right or wrong pathway – it all depends. (such a consultancy statement, isn’t it??)
But in reality there are some choices that are better then others:
1. Both the capability Modules and the Lifecycle modules cover the same theory, but from a different point of view and to various levels of detail. As a result of this, you want to check which book is covered in the Capability program. As an example: RCV (Release, Control and Validation) covers a large component of the Service Transition book, so it is best NOT to do the Service Transition Lifecycle program at the same time due to the extend of overlap between the two programs.
2. For ‘ action based’ people, or IT Professionals who want to know HOW the theory would work in a practical situation, the Capability modules would be more suitable. These programs are aimed at the process team member, the people in the field who get their hands dirty and now need to work out how their practical work fits in with the ITIL framework.
3. The umbrella program before reaching ‘ ITIL Expert’ status is the Managing Across the Lifecycle or MALC for short. This course and associated exam are quite theory based and of a more strategic level. A good preparation for this program would be to either attend the Service Strategy Lifecycle Module or the SOA (Service, Offerings and Agreements) Capability Module.
For more information on the ITIL V3 Intermediate programs, check this out… or get us to contact you to answer all your questions.
ITIL V3 Certification – are you confused?? You are NOT alone… June 17, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: the art of service, itil, IT Service Management, itsm, exam, certification, ITIL expert, ITIL V3, EXIN, capability, lifecycle
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For a scheme that has been around for approx. 2 years now, it is pretty sad that there is no increased clarity around the ITIL V3 certification scheme. Where a few years ago most clients would be confused because of the scheme it self, now it seems that training providers are able to do their own thing..
OK – so what are the confusions:
1. First confusion: From the start there was the confusion on naming of the toplevel program. Initially the top level was called ITIL Diploma but later on this was changed to ITIL Expert. Try do a google search on ITIL diploma though… I am sure you’ll come up with approx. 103,000 hits.
For the record – the top level is called ITIL Expert. the ITIL V3 Expert certificate is NOT achieved by attending the ITIL Expert course, as there is no such thing. The ITIL Expert certificate is earned by achieving a minimum of 22 credits though either the ITIL V2 + Manager Bridge programs or the ITIL V3 programs. I wrote about the different pathways in this post.
2. The second confusion developed around the 1st of May 2009. From this day onwards, APMG released their new ITIL V3 Foundation and ITIL V3 Foundation bridge syllabus and exams. This means that from this day onwards ALL training providers have to adhere to the new syllabus with the amended timelines for Foundation and Foundation Bridge. The biggest change is in the ITIL V3 Foundation Bridge program, as the number of contact hours has increased to 9.5 hours.
This means that the Foundation Bridge program is now a 2-day classroom program (as I can’t imagine people wanting to do this in 1 day… just imagine: 9.5 contact hours + 30 minutes for coffee break in the morning + 30 minuted for coffee break in the afternoon + 1 hour for lunch + 30 minutes for the exam + some setup time for the exam… a minimum of 12 hours are required for this course! As an educator, teacher and trainer I know from experience that after 8 hours in the classroom people simply don’t absorb any more information…. your guess is as good as mine when you try to think about the effects on the passrates for the ITIL V3 Foundation Bridge exam.)
3. Third confusion is on naming conventions again. The courses that follow the ITIL V3 Foundation program are called “the Intermediate Programs”. Within the Intermediate programs there are 2 type of modules: Capability Modules and Lifecycle Modules. This is the naming convention that APMG described in their certification scheme and the associated documentation and illustrations. However, there are a number of course providers who have created their own petnames for these programs. Probably seemed a good idea when the marketing department came up with it… but what it does is completely confuse and frustrate the clients out there.
Example – earlier this week we received an enquiry to do the ITIL Expert pathway and this person was convinced that this was a 4 day bootcamp. When we viewed the link with the course information we could see where the confusion came from.
“ITIL Expert Certificate: Service Operation”- 4 day bootcamp….
This is NOT the ITIL Expert certificate.. this is a 4 day classroom program around Service Operation which will gain you 3 points towards the 22 needed for ITIL Expert certificate.
4. Fourth confusion is on the difference between ITIL V2 qualification and ITIL V3 qualification. This comes down to naming convention again:
ITIL V2 qualification is build up as follows: Foundation certificate, Practitioner certificates (x4), Manager Certificate
ITIL V3 qualification is build up as follows: Foundation certificate, Intermediate certificate (x9), Managing Across the Lifecycle certificate, ITIL Expert.
As both these qualification pathways co-exist, we as training providers have an obligation to separate to two pathways as much as possible to make it easy for our clients to know which type of program they have signed up for.
The whole certification and qualification thing is confusing enough as it is… let’s work together as training providers to shine a clear light so our clients don’t trip along the way.
Can I do ITIL V3 Intermediate as self study, or do I have to attend a class? May 5, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: itil, IT Service Management, itsm, exam, certification, ITIL expert, ITIL V3, EXIN, elearning
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Can I prepare for my ITIL V3 Intermediate exam through self study?
I receive this question in my inbox a lot of the time and it seems that there might be some confusion on the exam requirements. The short answer is NO, you can not prepare for your ITIL V3 Intermediate exam by doing self study. The exam requirement is that you have been part of an accredited course, delivered by an accredited ATO.
Does this mean I have to attend a classroom program?
Again, the answer is NO – it is not compulsory to attend a classroom / instructor led program. The Art of Service offers all ITIL V3 Intermediate programs as accredited eLearning courses. The eLearning is still instructor facilitated, but as you can imagine – the instructor is at a distance and facilitation is via email, voice and video conferencing. The difference between classroom and eLearning is that you have your instructor all to yourself! You can ask all questions directly and are guaranteed an answer within 24 hours (but usually much quicker)
But what if my training provider says that I can’t attend eLearning courses, that this is not possible?
I don’t want to talk on behalf of other training providers, but what they probably mean is that they don’t offer elearning courses. Most organisations will have the ITIL V3 Intermediate programs as classroom option only. The Art of Service has chosen for a dual approach: we offer all ITIL programs as classroom option as well as eLearning program. The only exception to this is the ITIL V2 Service Manager program, as this program can not be delivered online and must be delivered as a classroom course.
If I choose to do eLearning, what is my chance of passing the exam?
In the past 5 years of offering ITIL education programs as eLearning as well as classroom option, we have learnt that the passrate for both delivery methods is comparable. If anything, we noticed that due to the highly personalized nature of elearning and the fact that you have the opportunity to restudy the same material when the subject is not quite clear, our online students might actually perform slightly better during exams.
Also, we have developed a number of additional educational tools and instructional material to help you make the best of your exams. These are the exam preparation programs; specialised elearning programs that focus on exam preparation. It’s like you do the last day of the course again and again until you’re confident and ready to sit your exam!
I just passed my ITIL V3 Foundation exam – which ITIL V3 Intermediate path to I choose now? May 4, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: certification, education, IT Service Management, itil, ITIL expert, ITIL V2, ITIL V3, itsm, the art of service, training
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This question was asked in the Linkedin Group for The Art of Service’s ITIL training.
Following is my answer:
Hmmmm… you mean the $64,000 question? Which path you choose depends entirely on your goals and objectives:
PATH 1:
ITIL V2 Foundation – ITIL V2 Manager – ITIL V2-3 Bridge
This path is used by many people who already have their ITIL V2 Manager certificate as they only have to do an eLearning bridge program to achieve ITIL Expert certification. The other reason to do this path is when you really want to master the art of selling the benefits of ITSM, as well as applying various ITIL opportunities to a variety of scenarios (businesses). I would recommend this path to people who already have a solid understanding of the ITIL V2 framework. The V2 Manager program is only available as a Classroom delivery due to the incourse assessments and nature of the program.
PATH 2:
ITIL V2 Foundation – ITIL V2 Practitioners (x4) – ITIL V2-3 Bridge – ITIL V3 Managing across Lifecycle (MALC).
This path is for people who really don’t want to sit the 2 three-hour open question exam that is part of the ITIL V2 Service Manager exam but still want a solid grounding in the ITIL V2 framework. The practitioner courses are more practical in nature with compulsory assignments and specific focus on HOW to design the processes and/or create the documents and communication plans.
Remember that you must do ALL ITIL V2 Practitioner programs (IPRC, IPSR, IPPI, IPAD), however the entire pathway can be done via eLearning or – if you wish to do so – via a combination of classroom and eLearning programs.
PATH 3:
ITIL V2 Foundation – ITIL V2-3 Foundation Bridge – ITIL V3 Intermediate – ITIL V3 MALC
When you have your V2 Foundation certificate you will need to sit the Foundation bridge exam prior to enrolling in the ITIL V3 Intermediate courses. Just like Path 2, it can all be done via eLearning programs but because you don’t have your V3 Foundation certificate you will need to do the bridging program first. Again, you will need to figure out the best balance – what works for you… When you have RCV for instance you don’t want to do Service Transition as it pretty much covers the same processes.
PATH 4:
ITIL V3 Foundation – ITIL V3 Intermediate – ITIL V3 MALC
This is the path followed by those who don’t have any prior certification in the ITIL Framework. The entire expert pathway can be done via eLearning, or alternatively through classroom programs.
Most of our students so far choose to attend the Capability Programs: OSA, RCV, SOA and PPO. At 4 points per program this will give you 16 points and enough to go to the MALC course.
Having said that – the Service Strategy course is also very popular (and I must admit that I thought this would be the least popular option!! see? Even after almost 15 year in the business you still can’t predict what people really like…)
I hope this covers all your questions about the Intermediate pathways, but please don’t hesitate to contact me directly for additional questions. I’ll be more than happy to answer them!
Also – for more information on The Art of Service’s accredited eLearning programs, visit our eLearning portal on http://theartofservice.org
Ivanka
The Benefits of ITIL V3 Intermediate eLearning courses April 18, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in Uncategorized.Tags: the art of service, itil, IT Service Management, itsm, exam, certification, ITIL expert, ITIL V3, EXIN, Green IT, ITIL V2, elearning
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Our students choose to enroll in our eLearning programs for ITIL V3 Intermediate for a number of reasons:
- The ability to study in the evening, nights and weekends (if you so desire); this way you can still attend your day job or complete your project, or maximise your billable hours while you gain new knowledge and prepare for the exam.
- No need for travel; eLearning can be done everywhere, including -but not limited to- your desk at the office or at home on the couch. Additional benefits include: no cost for petrol and parking, no extra demand on the environment because you don’t have to fly to a training venue. This is true for the students, but also for the instructor/trainer. This is offering Green IT in a practical way!
- One on One interaction with your instructor. During classroom programs you always have to share with your fellow students. And sometimes the instructor doesn’t have the time to answer your specific question due to the time pressure of going through the curriculum in 3, 4 or 5 days. With eLearning you have your instructor all to yourself and you can ask as many questions as you want.
- The ability to work in your tempo; In classroom programs you are at the mercy of the instructor and this is usually not in the best interest of the individual. From a tempo point of view – most instructors will work according to the average, or sometimes even slowest, student within the constraints set by the curriculum. As you have access to the eLearning for 3 months you can study at your own convenient tempo. Do you need to finish this program quickly? Go through it in 3 really really long days… need more time to go over the materials again? Just do it. You have 3 months to finish the materials.
- Lower course fee; of course this is a benefit to the student! Because eLearning has a lot less overhead (no need for course venue, catering, etc.) the ‘admission price’ to attend a program is lower than for classroom courses.
The Art of Service has been offering web-based elearning for ITIL V2 and ITIL V3 certification since February 25th, 2002. What started off as an extra service to our classroom students, has grown into a valuable offering to customers and students globally. We have individual students studying for their ITIL certification, but we also offer the complete Learning Management System with a site license to corporations who need company based coaching to complement the online content.
Passrate for ITIL V2 (Foundation and all 4 Practitioner) and ITIL V3 (Foundation and all Intermediate) certification has been equal, if not better than classroom students! We currently have a number of students who are going through the entire ITIL Expert certification stream online. All our ITIL certification courses are EXIN accredited.
For more information on our eLearning and to see a demo of our eLearning programs, go to http://theartofservice.org
