Today’s question: What would you recommend- ITIL or PMP certification? October 17, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: itil, management, PMP, project, service management
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This question arrived in my inbox this morning and this is what I answered:
There is quite a big difference between ITIL and PMP and I suppose it really depends on your other skills and preferred job type to be able to answer your question.
PMP is a Project Management Methodology, which is mostly used in an IT environment, but is specifically created for the management of projects. PMP is a product of the Project Management Institute in the USA.
ITIL is a framework specifically created for the management of IT Services across the entire lifecyle. Most activities in the framework are combined in processes and because of this the framework has a focus on continual improvement of process, product, people and partner relations.
There are touchpoints between the project organisation (which may use PMP) and the strategic & operational side of an IT department (which may use ITIL ) and the two methodologies complement each other to enable the IT organisation to produce its IT Services to the best of its capabilities.
I hope this helps you to make the decision on what would be the better study path for you. Follow this link to read more about our eLearning pathway for the ITIL framework certification.
The question most ITIL Experts dread at parties… September 18, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in business, itil, itsm.Tags: business, elearning, IT Service Management, management, technology, the art of service
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Have you ever been at a birthday party or a neighborhood barbeque and have people asking you: “So, what is it that you do for a living?”
I used to HATE that question! I have been working in the field of IT Service Management for the last 13 years … and every time I answered this question, I would be attacked by technical stuff about their PC or laptop at home. Heck, I don’t know! I am not a PC specialist.. I am an IT Service Management specialist.
So – what do you say to people at parties?
I struggled with this for years. Even stopped mentioning the ‘IT’ in ITSM… but then it turns into.. well, yes – not quite dinner party conversation.
But the IT industry has matured now – no longer do I have to feel embarrassed about the fact that I work in the IT industry in a role that does not require detailed technical skills.
I can now proudly announce: I run a company that helps the career driven IT Professional with Educational programs and tools for personal and professional development. For example:
•Certification Courses
•Exam Preparation
•Study Guides
•Toolkits
•Templates, cheat sheets
Want to know what this looks like? Check out our websites:
http://theartofservice.com for product info
http://theartofservice.org for eLearning programs
http://theartofservice.net for general company information
Be Part of the Crowdsourced ITIL Experience Book – in just 10 Minutes of your time! September 12, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: author, book, business, certification, elearning, experience, itil, itsm, management, unique
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To join this project, register yourself as one of the authors.
As ITIL users most of us have the following question going through our mind: “What do other people do with this ITIL Framework?”
We at The Art of Service see thousands of clients go through our eLearning programs, use our products and speak with most of you on an individual level.
These conversations got us thinking: Wouldn’t it be cool if we can bundle all these experiences together into a book to learn from and share it with others out there to help them grow?
We don’t need long case studies – but it would be great if you share some of your experiences with the training, the ITIL Framework and the difference it has made for you.
You can share whatever you want: text or images. Just make sure it is original content and you own the right to any photos or images you wish to use.
What’s in it for you?
Cool stuff:
- As a reward, we’ll include you as a co-author in the Book, which will be distributed globally on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many others.
- And…we’ll send you a copy of the book to show (off) to your Mum and Dad
!
Your input into the ITIL Experience Book:
1. The learning experience
I enrolled in a course because
I completed the following program…
Did you sit for the certification exam (and did you pass)?
2. The ITIL Framework
I choose to study/use the ITIL Framework because…
I have applied my knowledge of ITIL in my job since finishing the course in the following ways…
The ITIL Framework has made a difference in the following ways…
The biggest benefit I and my organization have seen from using the ITIL Framework is…
3. About Me
My name is…
I’m located in (City/Country)…
My job-title / role in the company is…
My background / experience is…
How to create your entry
Simply register yourself as an author and follow the prompts.
What happens Next
- When the book has over 30.000 words or more than 100 authors, we’ve got enough material to halt entries, and start the publishing process.
- Once the book is finished (in typically a few months) , we’ll contact you for your address details on where to send your copy.
Good luck and enjoy the process. I’m looking forward to read about your experiences.
To join this project, register yourself as one of the authors.
Kind Regards,
Ivanka Menken
ITIL, ITSM and ownership – the perfect trio for success August 11, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: call centre, change management, IT Service Management, ITIL V3, itsm, management, service, service management
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Last night I was watching the movie ‘outsourced‘ and apart from the fact that it is a really good movie (laughed so hard I was afraid I’d wake up my son… ) it made me think about accountability and ownership.
Every time I talk with clients and students about Roles and Responsibilities for the various activities in the ITIL Processes the discussion always turns to proven ways to make this approach successful. After all – we want these processes to work. We implement them for a business reason (and not just for the sake of them… it’s not a form of occupational therapy for ITIL consultants).
But the true success of an implementation like this lies in the ownership of the internal employees. You can’t expect them to just change overnight without at least involving them in the process and explaining why certain things are done in a certain way. That’s why it never works when you simply engage a group of ‘ITIL Experts’ to do the work for you… the same happened in the movie – the American guy was very good at his job, you could say he was an expert, but it didn’t make any difference. He didn’t have the buy in from the staff and as such all his good work was in vain.
Ownership is more than feeling responsible – you OWN the activity, and therefore make it your own. You take pride in the fact that this task is performed in a professional and effective manner. But you also take ownership of the things that do not go to plan. Acknowledge that you made a mistake, or that you forgot something. Ownership means that you keep looking for ways to do this task better, easier, faster, smarter, cheaper. It means keeping your eyes and ears open to be aware of the handover points, and formalise them so there are no grey lines – everybody knows what is expected. It also means that by doing this you will identify new communication channels that you didn’t know existed.
In the movie it became clear that until the callcentre team took ownership of their role, task and deliverables, nothing really went to plan. But after this point there was no turning back.. they took pride in doing things better and achieving their goals and targets! The group culture changed into a ‘we can do ANYTHING, just watch me!’ and isn’t that what we try to achieve with the implementation of IT Service Management?
IT Professionals… you can do ANYTHING and you only need to take ownership of your part in the ITIL Framework or IT Service Management methodology..
I’m watching!
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!
How ITIL Service Management can help the government February 26, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: customer, customer service, expectation, IT, IT Service Management, itil, itsm, management, service management, SLA, the art of service
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As a self-confessed IT Service Management advocate – I see the usability of IT Service Management and the ITIL framework in every single thing… in every day experiences I see how ITIL Service Management would be able to help. Pretty sad, don’t you think? There is just so much to improve, and so many areas in our life that can be improved on.. and most of the principles of ITIL Service Management are generic and universal enough to be applicable to many industries and processes.
For example:
Last Sunday I arrived in Indonesia to do meet with a client. The trip went as you would expect (and I consider myself a fairly experienced traveler by now…). Until the moment I got off the plane in Indonesia… Let me tell you what I expected, in comparison to what actually happened.
My expectations:
I usually have an electronic ticket and on this document it says whether you need a visa for the country or not. When I get off the plane in a country, I have my passport, entry document and baggage tag with me in my hand. I walk to the immigration desk, show my passport, they put a stamp in it and I continue my journey to pick up my bags. Most of the time I am pretty tired of the long plane trip (the joys of living in Australia!) and I am just glad to get to a taxi to take me to the hotel…
My reality:
In this case I didn’t have any indication that I needed a Visa and when I walked out of the plane I ignored the big yellow sign that says “visa on arrival” .. after all: nobody told me that I needed to have one, right?!
Wrong… when I got to the immigration booth, a very cranky immigration officer pointed out that I didn’t have a visa and that I needed to go upstairs to get one (why did I get the idea that this wasn’t the first time somebody had to be sent back?!).
So I went back… stood in line at the visa desk, only to be told by the person that I need to go to the BANK first to pay for the visa. Oh – OK… so I stood in line at the BANK to pay for the visa. When it was finally my turn, I gave them my credit card to pay for the visa… WRONG! The boy pointed at the sign that said “CASH ONLY”.. I mean, who has cash when you just arrive in a country? Lucky for me they accept Australian Dollars (and it was only twice as expensive) and I paid for my visa.
Back in the other line to get the sticker and back to the immigration person who now let me into the country.
By the time I had all this done, all the baggage was taken OFF the caroussel and placed in a separate area somewhere, which nearly gave me a heart attack as I thought that my bags had gone missing!
OK – how could ITIL Service Management help in this situation? Easy – by management of expectations! We all know that Service Level Management in particular aims at setting realistic expectations. Would the activities have changed by me knowing in advance what needed to be done? NO – but I would have known what to expect and it would probably have saved me some time and definitely aggravation! Same is true for our clients and end users. We have a Service Catalogue that is accurate and up to date, Customers can choose from the Business Service Catalogue and we negotiate an SLA that is realistic and only contains service levels that we can guarantee and measure. Mistakes are still made, IT systems still fail every now and then… but the customer’s expectations are at a realistic level. In addition to this we communicate with our clients about our expectations and actual achievements. We keep the finger on the pulse and our clients are never in the dark. They know what to expect, and receive what they anticipated… People are creatures of habit, and in general people want to know in advance what will happen, what they can expect and what impact it will have on them!
People behave the same whether they operation within the IT industry or outside of it… ITIL Service Management helps us to manage people’s expectations and create a positive service experience! If only the government of Indonesia had attended some of The Art of Service’s educational programs…. 
The secret of ITIL Service Level Management is… manipulation! February 25, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: business, capacity management, customer, Demand, IT, IT Service Management, itil, management, service management, SLA
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No, it’s not a bad thing to compare ITIL Service Level Management to manipulation! Basically, what I mean to say is that we as IT professionals know what we want to do and NEED to do to support the business goals and through Service Level Management we make sure we offer our clients and customers options in such a way that they choose what is best for the company and therefore exactly what we wanted!
In my books that is manipulation! Let me explain how I think it works:
- The Service Level Manager needs to figure out what the business needs in relation to IT Support and IT services. The information is collected through discussions with the customers, Business Relationship managers and Demand Manager. Based on this information an analysis is done on the future trends for the business and how IT can best support these needs and desires.
- Based on this analysis we develop a service offering, ideally with a number of options for the client. Through technical and financial restrictions we can make some choices more interesting than others. Because we as IT professionals know exactly how this service interacts with the other services and what the corporate consequences are of certain choices. We therefore design a service package that presents the options in such a way that the customer chooses the option which is best for the organization (and easiest and most cost effective for us to manage and support)
without an accurate and up-to-date Service Catalogue, supported by a Configuration Management Database and the strong interaction between Demand Management, Capacity Management and Service Level Management we wouldn’t be able to do this… But now we can!
And trust me… manipulation can be used for good causes as well! It is the secret weapon of ITIL Service Level Management, and it helps to have all our customers working together towards the overall corporate goal.
ITIL Service Strategy: Demand Management, and the top 4 resistance you can expect during implementation January 25, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: business, capacity, Demand, IT Service Management, itil, ITIL expert, ITIL V3, itsm, management, project, service management, SLA, the art of service
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Every process that you implement into the organization, will initiate some form of resistance. A large component of your project planning should revolve around communication, education and awareness. It is through these activities that people in the IT organization AND in the business units start to understand what Demand Management is trying to achieve.
It may take anywhere between 6 months and 2 years before people start to actively believe and evangelize about the benefits of Demand Management, keep that in mind!
Some potential reasons for resistance are listed below:
- Difficulty to produce a service before the demand materializes.
Developing products and keeping them in stock is easy: as long as you have a manufacturing process and the warehouse to store it. With services this might be more difficult. For services you not only need physical assets, but also the capabilities of Human assets. In order to prepare for the delivery of a service you need to train, up skill or employ people with the desired skillset. When the demand is not there yet, these people might feel frustrated because they can’t do the job that they were promised. - Aligning Capacity Production cycles to PBA (Patterns of Business Activity).
This is also a potential area for resistance as the Business processes might be fluctuating more than initially expected. With the help of Demand Management you spend a lot of effort in aligning the Production cycles to (what you think is) the PBA, but all of a sudden the business activities change. This also may lead to frustration of staff members and you will hear the catch phrase “I told you so… this new process doesn’t work!”
- Customer resistance to Demand restrictions
Potential resistance doesn’t only come from within the IT organization, but you can also expect some to come from the business side. Especially since most of the communication around demand and business activities has been between the Business Relationship Manager and the Customer…. Most end-users won’t necessarily have been involved in this process but they will be affected by the potential demand restrictions that are a result of these discussions. This form of resistance can be managed by strong communication messages to all stakeholders, including end-users. - Loss of business growth due to too many restrictions
One of the possible challenges that you may face is that the Demand Manager will be a bit ‘too enthusiastic’ about the way the process is implemented. The process and associated controls go from one extreme to the other (being from no formal demand restrictions at all to too many restrictions). The pendulum needs to swing to a happy medium where the business is supported in its growth strategies by appropriate demand restrictions and controls. This issue won’t happen as clearly when the Service Level Packages are clearly aligned with the desired business outcomes.
ITIL V3 Service Strategy Process Demand Management works with other processes January 24, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: business, capacity management, change management, customer, Demand, IT Service Management, itil, ITIL V3, management, service, SLM, value
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The ITIL V3 lifecycle phase of Service Strategy puts a strong focus on Demand Management and the role it plays in the strategy towards, and design of, IT services that meet the expected demands. However, this process can not work in isolation…
Demand management needs to work closely together with the processes in the other lifecycles to manage and control all aspects of demand for IT Services. Some examples follow…
Service Strategy:
- Financial Management is involved in costing and pricing issues, but also in preparing a value proposition and ROI calculations. It helps with preparing financial constraints measures.
- Portfolio Management is involved with the strategic planning decisions for this new service. How does it fit into the service pipeline and the current live service offerings? It keeps a high level overview of interactions and possible contra effects of this new service.
Service Design:
- Capacity Management is involved with the design of the service offering AND the supporting environment to deliver the appropriate level of capacity to deliver the service as agreed.
- Information Security Management plays an important role in the analysis of the PBA’s differentiation criteria. Different PBA’s have different security requirements, and the IT organization needs to respond with the correct level of security measures and associated policies.
Service Transition:
- Service Validation & Testing receives test criteria from demand management and the service design processes. These criteria will be based on the Service Package description and especially the Service Level Package descriptions. Based on these criteria, appropriate type and levels of testing are designed to ensure that we can predict the performance of the service and if it is in line with the demand requirements stated by the customers.
- Change Management plays an important role in the overall control of the IT organization. It has to ensure that changes in the infrastructure, processes or services do not negatively influence the service delivery performance. Change Management actively controls and coordinates changes made to Configuration Items, including critical documentation like service catalogues and descriptions of PBA’s.
Service Operation:
- Event Management enables the operations to perform a lot of the support monitoring tasks automatically. This is important in the context of demand management as the event management systems may pick up variations in the use of the IT Service that haven’t been noticed by the Business Relationship Manager or Customers. The reports coming from Event Management will help to identify variations and differentiations within the PBA’s.
- Problem Management, especially proactive problem management will be asked to provide input into Demand Management. Problem Management will analyze demand requirements and compare this to current known issues and hotspots in the IT environment, it also does trend analysis on incidents and feeds this information to Business Relationship Manager for discussion with the customers.
Continual Service Improvement:
- Service Level Management not only works within the Service Design phase where it is involved in negotiating and agreeing on Service Levels, it also plays an important role in the continual improvement lifecycle phase. As a result of ongoing performance monitoring we know where unexpected flaws are and can plan for improvements toward better ‘business outcome based delivery’.
- Measurement & Reporting works with all other processes but demand management specifically needs standards and guidance on measurement, metrics and reporting to ensure that the demand expectations based on the analysis of the Business processes is measured consistently and doesn’t differ from month to month due to inconsistent reporting processes.
There is more to ITIL Service Management implementation than most project Managers think… January 13, 2009
Posted by ivankamenken in itil, itsm.Tags: business, implementation, IT Service Management, itil, ITIL V3, itsm, management, Project management, success, the art of service, value
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This post is a little bit different because today is a special day for me… my latest book got published! (first on Mobipocket as an eBook, but it will show up on Amazon soon enough as a paperback).
Reason why I am writing here about it, is twofold:
- Of course I am proud about this book – and this one even has my face on the cover so the pressure was even higher than normally!!
- The subject is dear to me, and I will tell you why:
I have been in the IT Service Management industry for more than 12 years now (coming from an internal auditing and quality background) and it has always surprised and amazed me how many IT Managers, IT Directors, CIO’s and even Project Managers still view ITIL Service Management implementation on par with technology projects.
I don’t get it… ITIL is a framework! It is not a piece of software that you install, nor is it a technology that needs to be deployed. It is at its core organizational change – it is about changing the way people perform certain tasks so that you can improve (increase?) the level of control and management of the IT Service Delivery.
Students who have been in my classes have heard me say this over and over again: “defining the process is the easy bit: you can do that on a Friday afternoon while drinking a bottle of red”… It is the actual adoption of the processes in the real environment, and by real people which makes it challenging and interesting. And this is the reason why it takes a lot longer! The tangible deliverable of an ITIL implementation project will be a nice, pretty set of process documentation (with associated procedures and work instructions), and probably one or more new tools and applications to work with. But the intangible deliverables are new or updated processes with new activity steps that people really use, and that help to achieve the company’s goals.
It is the intangible part that takes a lot longer! And it is this intangible part that makes ITIL Service Management to valuable to the business! This is the bit that makes the IT organisation a more valued partner at the discussion table, a peer to the other departments in the organisation and a strategic asset to the company. Not the pretty documents or the tools that have been implemented along the way!…
Food for thought? Exactly! And that is why I wrote this book…
