The Hitchhiker’s Guide to ITIL – EXAM Preparation Guide
Part I of too many ...
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, or the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to Change. This must be true, as indeed, we as human species do not seem to be most intelligent, and we do seem to change our minds roughly every 4.2 nanoseconds.
Charles Darwin (a very funny guy with a beard)
It Depends!
Okay, long awaited and finally here! Get yourself a comfortable chair, two bags of chips, a diet-coke, your reading glasses, and a truck filled with enthusiasm, motivation, good sense of humour (you’ll need it) and at least a reasonable amount of passion for IT Service Management. Sit back and immerse yourself in the 3rd and a wee-bit dimension – the dimension that is called ITIL (by some). Your sanity may depend on it, and you may just be in time to catch the 9:25 from London to Amsterdam. And no, most coffee shops in Amsterdam do not serve any coffee. They serve grass, and not to cows for that matter. The latter all became a bit mad.
This document can be used as a reference guide or study tool when preparing for the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation Exam. It can also be used as paperweight, wall-paper, ammunition, campfire fuel, nutrition, candy, drawing paper for the kiddies, table-leg anti-wobbling device, and I’m sure all the secrets of the Multiverse will be hidden in the text in some sort of alien language (Daleks and the Borg are extremely likely to be involved) – you just have to look long enough – I mean r e a l l y, r e a l l y, r e a l l y, l o n g ....
The ITIL Code
Surely someone on this crowded planet is currently writing “The ITIL Code” which will reveal the true location of the Holy Grail, alter Earth’s rotation, or beam us all to a small magical Chinese shop selling Gremlins and the like. This guide is fun, and I guess that’s why so many organisations are so desperately trying to copy it. Yes, especially you out there, so called public training providers – go and create your own courseware please, and start using your own brains.
Some organisations also refer to the ITIL Foundation Exam as ITIL Essentials Exam or ITIL Fundamentals Exam. We’ll stick to the first one: ITIL Foundation Exam. So, for those who didn’t immediately get the message: “It’s a Foundation Guide” and this means it doesn’t go into all those details you may well be looking for, although personally I have all intention to go a bit beyond the current ITIL exam syllabus, as it seems to be getting easier and easier all the time, which makes me wonder of the actual value of any ITIL v3 certification that’s out there. Any 12 year old kid should be able to pass the ITIL v3 Foundation exam that’s based on the exam syllabus v4.2. Fortunately they (I mean those 12 year old kids) have something better to do, like playing World of Warcraft (boys) or checking out the boys playing WoW (girls).
Babel-fish
Anyway you will not need to stick a Babel-fish in your ear to understand the ITIL language, although they are very nice creatures, just a wee bit temperament-full . This document will be clear (well - hopefully to some of you), concise and mainly in English. The author has a Swiss-Dutch-Polish-Australian background and hence, is totally and utterly confused. Translations in Martian, Arabic, Hebrew, and other more Earth like languages will be available on request. Translation time is exactly 42 years, 42 minutes and 42 seconds, and all requests for translation will need to be submitted in tenfold to Harry Potter himself, as he seems to receive quite a lot of mail delivered by those mutated corkscrew-head pigeons called owls. Yes, you’ve guessed it right: the answer is always 42 – the question itself is irrelevant. We so called IT Service Management consultants like to provide answers and solutions and rarely listen to the question anyway. Be aware of any organisation that starts with "we are a leading provider". If they were we would already know it, and hence they must be lying to you!
This document is not intended to cover the full ITIL Foundation course as provided by me or any of my partners, although it is getting pretty close and hopefully better each time it is revised (also a bit longer and maybe even a bit funnier). You will need to follow the online distance education course on SecondLife or with any respected university out there (e.g. Charles Sturt University), to reap the full benefits that such a, educational session has to offer.
Make sure you drink lots of coffee (and if possible something a lot stronger) before attending classes with any public training provider. Classroom based training provides you with the opportunity to punch the instructor on the nose in the event you don’t like him or her. Extensive research has proven that "the punching on the nose" may work quite well for those in stress. The punch is also considered the only advantage of classroom based training.
What the heck happened to the Information bit!
ITIL is all about People, Processes, Products, and since ITIL version 3 also about Partners (the Quad-P balance). I wonder what happened to the Information bit in ITIL! You won’t meet other people or hear the stories of their products by reading this document only. You’ve got to meet people in real, shake their hands, and kiss them on the cheeks (keep punching those trainers on the nose). If you’re in a public training course where you feel you’re slowly but surely falling asleep, then walk out and have a chat with me – I use shock enabled remote-electrocution chairs. It’s a lot of fun I can tell you – especially when you’re the one allowed to press the shock buttons.
The Surgeon
A more complete description of ITIL is provided within the latest version of the ITIL library; version 3 and a wee bit. This latest library consists of 5 core volumes, and an introductory volume, which seems quite pleasant reading material. The books are “owned” by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC - http://www.ogc.gov.uk), and published/printed by The Stationary Office (TSO – http://www.tso.co.uk). Both organisations are located in the United Kingdom, and secretly managed by a guy who calls himself simply the Surgeon and travels in a multi-dimensional time-travelling teapot on two spoons of sugar. Other ITIL volumes from the two previous versions are also available, but fall outside the scope of this document. Nevertheless - these older ITIL volumes - are still worthwhile reading, especially the Planning to Implement IT Service Management (ITIL v2) and ICT Infrastructure Management (ITIL v2) volumes. That is of course, if you’re extremely, extremely bored and have too much time on your hands. There’s nothing wrong with ITIL versions one or two, but people need to make money and hence keep rewriting common sense stuff and tell everyone how complex the Universe is. I honestly wonder why good practices have to change every so many years – that doesn’t make it good practice, or does it?
All empty promises!
In the not too distant future more comprehensive summaries of ITIL, ISO20K, ISO38K5, ISO27K1, MOF and CobiT will be provided for those self-masochists following more Service Lifecycle and/or more generic Service Management courses. These documents are due to be released mid/end 20009 (the extra zero is not a typo), although we keep all rights to delay this release date. Restaurants, lots of wine, beer, holidays, cruises, fantasy and science fictions books and fancy dinners are also mighty important (and donuts of course – the crispy creamy ones)!
Rusty coffee kettles
Please realise that "IsleBeeBach" is a relatively new blogger (time is after all relative), and consists solely of the author – that’s me – sitting behind this keyboard (that's this one), and only works 24 hours a day, but sleeps twice a day. Occasionally where unpredictable and unstable holes in the space-time continuum allow this may be extended to 24¼, but not a minute more! A request to clone the author has been submitted, but unfortunately was denied due to a prematurely discovered ITIL-insanity syndrome. That is what too much ITIL does to people nowadays!
ITIL and string theory
Ouch! Also crossbreeding ITIL with string theory (using 11¾ dimensions), general relativity and quantum mechanics hasn’t delivered many useful outputs as yet, not taking into account one rusty coffee kettle that refuses to whistle when it’s called upon, and the aforementioned teapot, but it’s recommended keeping an eye on the ITIL news pages, as one may never know what surprises the future may keep in stock.
This document - and all its brethren - contains tips (you’ll have to look hard for them though), tricks, resources and templates that can be studied in more detail at a place and time convenient to the reader – preferably on or near the beach. It can be used as a study-tool or future reference. I would probably not even read it, but since you're still here - what the heck - just keep going!
Did I mention "value" already?
At some stage this document, used together with my other online resources should become sufficient to pass the ITIL Foundation Exam (and likely all ITIL exams). More and more feedback proves this is already the case. As the author, I do not think there is enough online material available as yet, but with your support and feedback I am sure this will be possible to accomplish in the not too distant future (early 20009). This document is a “darticle” and as such a very dynamic article – it seems to grow continuously and sometimes even makes spontaneous genetic changes due to cosmic background radiation. Its future may be that of a hair dryer, electric toothbrush, or 8.4873 meters of dental floss. Your feedback is appreciated and I'll use it to fix up all my typos.
Applications to reuse, reproduce or republish any material in this publication should be addressed to God, Allah, or Om. I'm sure they won't approve it! Their wrath won't be as merciful as mine.
The Office of Government Commerce
Please also note that the ITIL-brand is owned by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). I have no intention to copy what has already been written in their manuals, but I would like to enable you to learn, understand and adopt ITIL in less than a 1750 pages (1+5 books), and using a less formal (sleep-inducing) and academic language (yes, ITIL v3 seems a lot more academic than its more pragmatic predecessors). Anyway, I still acknowledge OGC for their "incredible" effort to get the ITIL knowledge and experience together in a relatively small library of books. The library seems to get smaller in each revision (page-number wise), which means that in October 2029 there will be no more ITIL left! Maybe OGC should be considering adding a couple of pages every now and again, as a singularity (point in space without any size) seems to be its ultimate destiny.
The intention of this document - and its brethren - is to become an up-to-date resource for all those that are interested in the topic of ITIL or more generically in the topic (IT) Service Management with the main purpose of passing one or more ITIL exams. This document must not be used by any public training organisations, unless they have received written approval from IsleBeeBach. A deadly curse awaits those that do copy contents without approval! This excludes any extraterrestrial life forms, as they would be considered pretty cool. Are you listening E.T.?
H2I3
Please check this blog regularly for updated, even more surrealistic, versions of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to ITIL, dubbed H2I3 (your IT life-water). This document will be fully revised when ITIL v4 (nicknamed ITIL PBNR) becomes available. Oh sorry, ITIL PBNR that stands for “ITIL Point (read singularity) Beyond No Return”. That’s how good it will be – according to some, or maybe even better! You really, really don't want to know what I think of it all - honestly - you don't! Maybe my answer is e-ITIL (see one of the previous blogs).
For those without a life!
The following resources can, and maybe should, be used as additional literature when studying for the ITIL Foundation or other ITIL related exams:
Resource, ISBN, Price
Service Strategy, 0113310455, £85.00*
Service Design, 0113310471, £85.00*
Service Transition, 011331048X, £85.00*
Service Operation, 0113310463, £85.00*
Continual Service Improvement, 0113310498, £85.00*
The Official Introduction to the ITIL Service Lifecycle, 0113310617, £30.00*
(*These also make perfect paperweights!)
It’s unclear why the library wasn’t published as a "simple" single book, but a very bright student once made the remark: “Can you call one book a library?” I guess he answered this question in quite a remarkable and unexpected way.
itSMF
All books can be purchased directly from the itSMF (IT Service Management Forum) website with a nice discount if you are or become a member. You should become a member of the itSMF and join the ITIL Force. The itSMF seems to attract a lot of members with first name Luke and Leia, and some members wear black breathing masks and long black cloaks for a yet unexplained reason. You can also order copies of the full Hitchhiker’s Guide to ITIL via this author. And "no", I'm not a member anymore!
The “real” ITIL v3 books are available in printed format, but are also available in full electronic (hyperlinked) format. Nowadays they can be purchased from most large (academic) bookstores (e.g. Dymocks), or they can be ordered from the itSMF (it Service Management Forum) website. The itSMF is the IT Service Management user community and it is highly recommended to become a member of this organisation when working in Service Management space.
Also see http://www.itsmfi.net/index.htm
In the next section I'll introduce ITIL, but then again, maybe I won't. The remainder of the document will then discuss the individual examination areas into more detail, although not as detailed as the original ITIL books (or PDFs). This could be seen as a slight (understatement) advantage though.
Damn, more toothpaste on my keyboard
When the author, who is currently brushing his teeth, and dripping toothpaste all over his keyboard, finds some extra spare time, more paragraphs will be added on topics such as Costs, Inputs, Outputs, Vision, Mission, Cultural Change, Tools, ITIL Implementation, Leadership, Managing a Successful ITIL project, Maturity Assessments, and little green bugs that crawl under your bed at night. It’s amazing what ideas pop up in your head at 3am in the morning.
You may be asking yourself the question is this guide worthwhile reading, as the author seems to be a bit weird – well, no one forces you to, but I guess it’s less depressing than reading your average daily newspaper.
Little ants
I’m very grateful to the little ants that are crawling over my desk right now, although I’m not quite sure why and would also like to express my gratitude to all those bipeds involved in deciphering and quality assessing my cryptic sometimes even alien language and for adding their mega-trillions of years of IT Service Management knowledge, skills and attitude to this guide. No, I won't say what thoughts just popped up in my mind.
If you find any issues or typos in this document then please let me know and I may well add you to the list of endangered and/or highly dangerous species. After all ITIL v3 doesn't have "any" typos or mistakes in the books, and they were written and edited by hundreds of extremely well paid professionals.
Happy reading and don’t forget:
ITIL is VITIL (doh – I meant VITAL)!
You will be ITIL-ised , resistance is utterly and completely futile.
You will be infected with the highly contagious ITIL-itis virus.
ITIL is not a bible, but a collection of common sense good and best practices.
Life is too short as it is, so let’s make it a bit of fun whilst we can!
ITIL is common sense for sensible people!
Again many happy (or not so happy, as after all, this is management stuff) reading hours,
IsleBeeBach
Cybercatalyst, Animatrist and Virtualiser
Making a Difference!
To boldy use the infinity and beyond force on two teaspoons of yin 阴 and yang 阳.
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Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
ISO20K: Alice in Service Management Wonderland
Alice in Service Management Wonderland
Frameworks, methods and standards: complementing or competing each other?
‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
‘I don’t much care where—’ said Alice.
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.
‘—so long as I get somewhere,’ Alice added as an explanation.
‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.’
Brainteaser
We’re doing ITIL… we’re doing CobiT… we’re doing Balanced Scorecard… we’re doing CMMI… we’re doing MOF… we’re doing 6 Sigma… we’re doing T-MAP, we’re doing every single framework and method that’s available out there, but we’re still not sure whether or not we’re doing the right thing!
Introduction
As a Service Management trainer and consultant it’s amazing and sometimes almost eerie when you come across yet another organization that seems to do and have it all and still doesn’t seem to get it quite right.
Spending bucket loads of money and wearing out dozens of highly capable and initially motivated staff many organizations seem to be (or feel) totally lost in a maze of promising-the-world frameworks and we-know-it-all-better methods. What all these organizations, maybe even including your own organization, have in common is that they’re all desperately, and often with valid and good intentions, trying to:
Why?
Because most of us are facing or are already dealing with increased global competition, rapidly changing customer demands and expectations, shortening product and service lifecycles, ever increasing complexity of IT Infrastructures, and truckloads of data waiting to be translated into useful information and ultimately organizational wisdom.
As the author I probably feel as much confused as you do! What’s the optimal path (most efficient and most effective) forward? Is ITIL version 3 the answer, or should we stick with ITIL version 2? What about this MOF thing? Surely many of you are running a large percentage of their nodes on the wIntel platform, and the Microsoft Operations Framework may just be what you need, but then again there’s also ISACA’s CobiT. By the time I’ve finished this article someone in the world has probably come up with yet another framework or method.
I don’t claim having the ultimate answer, but I do think it’s time for a complete and total mind shift where organizations move from focusing on Service Management frameworks and methods to focusing on Service Management standards. ISO/IEC 20000 has been locked up in the cupboard for way too long and hasn’t as yet received the credit is deserves. Let’s have a tea party with ISO/IEC 20000 and ask Alice to come along.
This article’s intention is to give you an overview of where ISO/IEC 20000 positions itself and how it interacts with the various existing frameworks and methods, more specifically how it interacts with the ITIL framework. I could have chosen any other framework, but feel more comfortable with ITIL as I was spoon fed and grew up with ITIL from the day I could walk and talk.
In this article we’ll take a closer look at the current dilemma facing most, if not all, organizations. You’ll be provided with a succinct description of ISO/IEC 20000, and we’ll discuss training and literature as well as the certification and accreditation that are inherent to the standard. We’ll examine the costs, benefits and risks and also take a brave and daring step into the not too distant future. Where possible we’ll compare the standard with ITIL v3 and leave it up to you the reader to compare when applicable to other frameworks and methods.
Pain
Having a bit of a marketing background, I’ve been taught to show you pain and then give you pleasure. So where’s the pain? The pain lies in organizations investing enormous amounts of valuable dollars in a plethora of frameworks, methods and training, without achieving the reward that’s telling them: “you’re on track – for now”. Yes, I had to add “for now” as nothing is static in glamorous business world, and complacency often kicks in before you’ve even said your ABC.
So, you think you’re doing ITIL (it’s a bit like: “So, you think you can Dance”)? Far worse even; some organizations think they’re ITIL compliant. There’s no such thing as being ITIL compliant! You cannot be compliant with a highly flexible and dynamic framework – maybe in fairytales, but surely not in the real and highly complex world. ITIL doesn’t mandate anything. You can do with it whatever you want, and still call yourself an ITIL-ised or ITIL-based organization.
So, what’s the answer? Do you care where you’re going? Do you care whether or not you’re doing the right things and things right? If you care, then surely something should tell you exactly what to do! And that my dear reader is exactly what the ISO/IEC 20000 standard is all about. It doesn’t give you should/s, but is gives you shall/s. It provides you clear answers and to-the-point direction, whereas most (not all) frameworks and methods are wishy-washy, woolly, fluffy and directionless. Tell me what to do, and stop beating around the bush. Give me the standard, and give it to me now!
Description
The ISO/IEC 20000 standard has been around since December 2005, and has recently (February 2007) been adopted by Standards Australia as the Australian National Standard for IT Service Management. The ISO/IEC 20000 standard (by many referred to as ISO20K) is a result of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electro-technical Commission) working together in a joint technical committee (JTC). Leveraging of BS15000 as an existing British Standard ISO20K was fast tracked into an International Standard for IT Service Management.
The standard consists of the following two key parts:
Any organization, public, private, not-for-profit, can use ISO/IEC 20000 to design, develop, implement, maintain and improve a quality IT Service Management environment, and if it wishes to do so, pursue full accreditation as ultimate proof to its customers and own staff showing that the IT Service Management organization is on track, and is committed to stay on track.
ISO/IEC 20000 is not about accreditation, it’s about committing your organization and yourself to a mind-set and destiny called “managing quality”.
Training
When comparing ISO20K to some other ITSM frameworks and methods, it seems relatively young, nevertheless there’s strong evidence in the form of ever growing support, training and literature that it’s here to stay, and that one day it may even push ITIL from its favorite number-one spot.
As it currently stands training is (made) available on three levels:
Remember that ISO/20K is not necessarily about becoming accredited – it’s about committing to quality, in body and soul, when it comes to delivering IT Services.
Literature
As the ISO20K specification and code of practice outline to a large extend what needs to be done rather than how to do it, a purpose written set of publications, very similar to IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), is made available through the British Standards Institute. A number of these publications (see below) are also used as part of the above mentioned ISO/IEC 20000 training modules.
The following publications are part of the “Achieving ISO/IEC 20000” series:
Rest assured that any framework, any method, and any set of publications can be used, as long as the right bits and pieces are carefully selected that align with the ISO20K standard. The “Achieving ISO/IEC 20000” series makes this selection process just a wee bit easier.
Certification/accreditation
Although not necessarily 100% accurate - as always “It Depends” which dictionary you use - I would like to make a distinction between certification and accreditation.
Certification: To supply an individual with credentials or authority.
This means that as an individual level you can get certified against the various ISO/IEC 20000 training levels. The certification stays with you, wherever you decide to go. Your organization may not be ISO/IEC 20000 accredited as such, but you are still recognized as for example a certified ISO20K Service Delivery professional.
Accreditation: To supply an organization, or part thereof, with credentials or authority.
This means that the organization, or part thereof, can get accredited against the ISO/IEC 20000 standard. The accreditation is not bound to any individual, but the organization, or part thereof.
What part of the organization becomes accredited depends on the scope of the assessment exercise.
Having both certified ISO20K staff and your ISO20K certificate framed on the wall (being ISO/IEC 20000 accredited) means you’re recognized a champion in the arena of quality management leaving the other players (for many of you read “competition”) struggling and desperately trying to keep up.
Costs
There are few things that come for free in this world, and ISO/IEC 20000K surely isn’t one of them. Fortunately it’s not only about spending money, but often saving even more, sometimes even your very existence. What do you prefer? A well managed Change Management process with properly kept change records, or delivering services that don’t work and ending up with frustrated and turning-your-back-on-you customers? The choice is yours my friends.
So, what are the costs? Here’s a comprehensive overview of some of the cost items you’ll be facing:
For the purpose of this article it’s really difficult to put a hard dollar value against the above mentioned list, as many factors, such as scope of the assessment (e.g. business units/geography covered) will influence the overall price tag.
Value proposition/benefits
Okay, so you’ve just been presented a comprehensive list of some of the cost items you’ll be facing when jumping on the ISO20K band wagon. On purpose I didn’t paint a world that can be admired through pink glasses only, but hopefully a more realistic one. Investing in quality costs money, but the following benefits, directly derived from ISO20K, should outweigh the costs and the risks.
ISO/IEC 20000 is a true means, and at the time of writing this article probably the only means, of becoming completely frameworks and methods independent. Bygone are the days of proprietary process maturity assessments and to some degree also proprietary technology maturity assessments. Please realize that ISO20K can be used as a guideline to assess technology’s capabilities, but cannot be used to accredit the technology (read products). As such products cannot earn the status of being ISO20K compliant, but maybe some could be called ISO20K compatible.
Challenge/problems/risks
The single biggest challenge often experienced by organizations implementing ITIL (or other frameworks) is the culture, and I guess this will be the same for organizations embracing ISO/IEC 20000, but to a lesser extent. I can almost hear you think: “Why to a lesser extent?” Frequent and substantial audits, especially linked to the official ISO/IEC 20000 accreditation leave no escape gates open, and no pages unturned. It’s often the lack of clear visibility of what should happen and what does happen in reality that creates a vacuum where non-conformities are allowed to breed and multiply. ISO/IEC 20000 is BIG BROTHER and the ever-watchful eye of Sauron - like it or not – it’s something we all need at times.
Some other problems you may well have to face are:
Future
The Caterpillar was the first to speak.
‘What size do you want to be?” it asked.
‘Oh, I’m not particular as to size,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘only one doesn’t like changing too often, you know.’
‘I don’t know,’ said the Caterpillar.
The future is change and change is the future. Is there a time in the future where all frameworks, methods and standards converge in a grand unifying service management theory? I sincerely hope so, but it may take another couple of decades before we finally get there. Until then playing it safe and becoming compliant to the International IT Service Management standard ISO/IEC 20000 doesn’t seem an illogical or wasted step into a future that will most definitely be filled with increased pressure on governance, compliance and standards.
Pleasure
However, when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out ‘The race is over!’, and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking ‘But who has won?’
This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it stood for a long time with one finger pressed upon his forehead (the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in pictures of him), while the rest waited in silence. At last the Dodo said ‘Everybody has won and all must have prizes.’
It’s not about ITIL being better than ISO20K, or CobiT whacking MOF around the ears. The message is making practical and optimal use of common sense and proven good, better and best practices. Depending on whether you’re able to work with a highly flexible framework or you need answers right here and right now, one solution may suit your organization better than others. The standard gives you clarity (what to do); the frameworks and methods provide you with substance (how to do it).
Personally I believe that there’s a very bright future for the ISO/IEC 20000 international standard for IT Service Management, and ignoring it and not joining the Queen-of-Hearts race could well put you behind the eight ball and cause irreversible or long term damage.
Frameworks, methods and standards are not the divine destination; it’s all the experiences you encounter on your journey implementing and using them that shape and form you as an individual or organization. Look back – take a lessons learned – and move forward.
Live long and prosper
Nanoo... Nanoo...
IsleBeeBach
Frameworks, methods and standards: complementing or competing each other?
‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
‘I don’t much care where—’ said Alice.
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.
‘—so long as I get somewhere,’ Alice added as an explanation.
‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.’
Brainteaser
We’re doing ITIL… we’re doing CobiT… we’re doing Balanced Scorecard… we’re doing CMMI… we’re doing MOF… we’re doing 6 Sigma… we’re doing T-MAP, we’re doing every single framework and method that’s available out there, but we’re still not sure whether or not we’re doing the right thing!
Introduction
As a Service Management trainer and consultant it’s amazing and sometimes almost eerie when you come across yet another organization that seems to do and have it all and still doesn’t seem to get it quite right.
Spending bucket loads of money and wearing out dozens of highly capable and initially motivated staff many organizations seem to be (or feel) totally lost in a maze of promising-the-world frameworks and we-know-it-all-better methods. What all these organizations, maybe even including your own organization, have in common is that they’re all desperately, and often with valid and good intentions, trying to:
- increase the quality of their IT Services;
- decrease, or at least manage, the costs of providing their IT Services; and
- align their IT organization with the rapidly changing business requirements.
Why?
Because most of us are facing or are already dealing with increased global competition, rapidly changing customer demands and expectations, shortening product and service lifecycles, ever increasing complexity of IT Infrastructures, and truckloads of data waiting to be translated into useful information and ultimately organizational wisdom.
As the author I probably feel as much confused as you do! What’s the optimal path (most efficient and most effective) forward? Is ITIL version 3 the answer, or should we stick with ITIL version 2? What about this MOF thing? Surely many of you are running a large percentage of their nodes on the wIntel platform, and the Microsoft Operations Framework may just be what you need, but then again there’s also ISACA’s CobiT. By the time I’ve finished this article someone in the world has probably come up with yet another framework or method.
I don’t claim having the ultimate answer, but I do think it’s time for a complete and total mind shift where organizations move from focusing on Service Management frameworks and methods to focusing on Service Management standards. ISO/IEC 20000 has been locked up in the cupboard for way too long and hasn’t as yet received the credit is deserves. Let’s have a tea party with ISO/IEC 20000 and ask Alice to come along.
This article’s intention is to give you an overview of where ISO/IEC 20000 positions itself and how it interacts with the various existing frameworks and methods, more specifically how it interacts with the ITIL framework. I could have chosen any other framework, but feel more comfortable with ITIL as I was spoon fed and grew up with ITIL from the day I could walk and talk.
In this article we’ll take a closer look at the current dilemma facing most, if not all, organizations. You’ll be provided with a succinct description of ISO/IEC 20000, and we’ll discuss training and literature as well as the certification and accreditation that are inherent to the standard. We’ll examine the costs, benefits and risks and also take a brave and daring step into the not too distant future. Where possible we’ll compare the standard with ITIL v3 and leave it up to you the reader to compare when applicable to other frameworks and methods.
Pain
Having a bit of a marketing background, I’ve been taught to show you pain and then give you pleasure. So where’s the pain? The pain lies in organizations investing enormous amounts of valuable dollars in a plethora of frameworks, methods and training, without achieving the reward that’s telling them: “you’re on track – for now”. Yes, I had to add “for now” as nothing is static in glamorous business world, and complacency often kicks in before you’ve even said your ABC.
So, you think you’re doing ITIL (it’s a bit like: “So, you think you can Dance”)? Far worse even; some organizations think they’re ITIL compliant. There’s no such thing as being ITIL compliant! You cannot be compliant with a highly flexible and dynamic framework – maybe in fairytales, but surely not in the real and highly complex world. ITIL doesn’t mandate anything. You can do with it whatever you want, and still call yourself an ITIL-ised or ITIL-based organization.
So, what’s the answer? Do you care where you’re going? Do you care whether or not you’re doing the right things and things right? If you care, then surely something should tell you exactly what to do! And that my dear reader is exactly what the ISO/IEC 20000 standard is all about. It doesn’t give you should/s, but is gives you shall/s. It provides you clear answers and to-the-point direction, whereas most (not all) frameworks and methods are wishy-washy, woolly, fluffy and directionless. Tell me what to do, and stop beating around the bush. Give me the standard, and give it to me now!
Description
The ISO/IEC 20000 standard has been around since December 2005, and has recently (February 2007) been adopted by Standards Australia as the Australian National Standard for IT Service Management. The ISO/IEC 20000 standard (by many referred to as ISO20K) is a result of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electro-technical Commission) working together in a joint technical committee (JTC). Leveraging of BS15000 as an existing British Standard ISO20K was fast tracked into an International Standard for IT Service Management.
The standard consists of the following two key parts:
- Part 1 – Specification: The specification outlines those aspects of IT Service Management that an organization must comply with in order to withstand the all-seeing eye of the external auditors.
- Part 2 - Code of practice: The code of practice provides guidance and recommendations on how to meet the requirements as set by the specification.
Any organization, public, private, not-for-profit, can use ISO/IEC 20000 to design, develop, implement, maintain and improve a quality IT Service Management environment, and if it wishes to do so, pursue full accreditation as ultimate proof to its customers and own staff showing that the IT Service Management organization is on track, and is committed to stay on track.
ISO/IEC 20000 is not about accreditation, it’s about committing your organization and yourself to a mind-set and destiny called “managing quality”.
Training
When comparing ISO20K to some other ITSM frameworks and methods, it seems relatively young, nevertheless there’s strong evidence in the form of ever growing support, training and literature that it’s here to stay, and that one day it may even push ITIL from its favorite number-one spot.
As it currently stands training is (made) available on three levels:
- Foundation Level: This training is geared towards giving you the ISO/20K language, concepts and bare bones. Remember: “Stronger foundations carry heavier loads”.
- Professional Level: Training on this level focuses on (five) specific parts of the standard including support, delivery, management, alignment and control of IT Services. The professional training provides each specific team with the capabilities of making the organization ready to be ultimately assessed against the standard (if and when required).
- Consultant/Manager, Auditor Level: At the highest level there’s an opportunity to specialize as manager/consultant or auditor. It may be evident that there’s a bit of a conflict of interest between these two main streams, as consultants should not be auditing themselves, and auditors should not give advice but merely gauge the status quo against a set standard.
Remember that ISO/20K is not necessarily about becoming accredited – it’s about committing to quality, in body and soul, when it comes to delivering IT Services.
Literature
As the ISO20K specification and code of practice outline to a large extend what needs to be done rather than how to do it, a purpose written set of publications, very similar to IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), is made available through the British Standards Institute. A number of these publications (see below) are also used as part of the above mentioned ISO/IEC 20000 training modules.
The following publications are part of the “Achieving ISO/IEC 20000” series:
- Management, decisions and documentation (BIP 0030)
- Why People Matter (BIP 0031)
- Making Metrics Work (BIP 0032)
- Managing end-to-end service (BIP 0033)
- Finance for service managers (BIP 0034)
- Enabling Change (BIP 0035)
- Keeping the service going (BIP 0036)
- Capacity Management (BIP 0037)
- Integrated Service Management (BIP 0038)
- The differences between BS15K and ISO/IEC20K (BIP 0039)
Rest assured that any framework, any method, and any set of publications can be used, as long as the right bits and pieces are carefully selected that align with the ISO20K standard. The “Achieving ISO/IEC 20000” series makes this selection process just a wee bit easier.
Certification/accreditation
Although not necessarily 100% accurate - as always “It Depends” which dictionary you use - I would like to make a distinction between certification and accreditation.
Certification: To supply an individual with credentials or authority.
This means that as an individual level you can get certified against the various ISO/IEC 20000 training levels. The certification stays with you, wherever you decide to go. Your organization may not be ISO/IEC 20000 accredited as such, but you are still recognized as for example a certified ISO20K Service Delivery professional.
Accreditation: To supply an organization, or part thereof, with credentials or authority.
This means that the organization, or part thereof, can get accredited against the ISO/IEC 20000 standard. The accreditation is not bound to any individual, but the organization, or part thereof.
What part of the organization becomes accredited depends on the scope of the assessment exercise.
Having both certified ISO20K staff and your ISO20K certificate framed on the wall (being ISO/IEC 20000 accredited) means you’re recognized a champion in the arena of quality management leaving the other players (for many of you read “competition”) struggling and desperately trying to keep up.
Costs
There are few things that come for free in this world, and ISO/IEC 20000K surely isn’t one of them. Fortunately it’s not only about spending money, but often saving even more, sometimes even your very existence. What do you prefer? A well managed Change Management process with properly kept change records, or delivering services that don’t work and ending up with frustrated and turning-your-back-on-you customers? The choice is yours my friends.
So, what are the costs? Here’s a comprehensive overview of some of the cost items you’ll be facing:
- Consultants (could be done by internal staff):
- Pre self-assessment or assessment performed by a recognized consultancy organization (what gaps need fixing?)
- Changes (read improvements) to made based on identified gaps using ISO20K as benchmark
- Post self-assessment or assessment performed by a recognized consultancy organization (are the gaps fixed?)
- Auditors (cannot be done by internal staff, unless accreditation is not the aim of the game):
- Pre-assessment (scoping the assessment, team composition, etc.)
- Initial assessment (the official assessment by the auditors)
- Surveillance (initially 6-12 months after granting accreditation, hereafter annually)
- Re-assessment (six months before accreditation expires)
- Scope extension (if required)
- Miscellaneous:
- Publications and supporting tools
- Roles and staff needed
- Accommodation for new staff
- Training at the various levels
For the purpose of this article it’s really difficult to put a hard dollar value against the above mentioned list, as many factors, such as scope of the assessment (e.g. business units/geography covered) will influence the overall price tag.
Value proposition/benefits
Okay, so you’ve just been presented a comprehensive list of some of the cost items you’ll be facing when jumping on the ISO20K band wagon. On purpose I didn’t paint a world that can be admired through pink glasses only, but hopefully a more realistic one. Investing in quality costs money, but the following benefits, directly derived from ISO20K, should outweigh the costs and the risks.
- Competitive advantage
- Clear goals and targets to aim for
- Improved internal and external relationships
- Increased confidence by staff and customers
- Frequent feedback on the state of quality provided
- Instigates a change in mindset
- Professionalizes culture
- Consistency of service delivery
- Focus-shift from reactive to proactive
- Improved communication and reporting
- Improved knowledge management
- Independent assessment of your quality
- Marketing opportunities
- Reduced confusion on whether or not we’re doing the right thing
- Clear and concise training and career opportunities
- Focus-shift from technology to business drivers and enablers
- Clear view on IT’s maturity and ability to perform well
- Independence from other frameworks and methods
ISO/IEC 20000 is a true means, and at the time of writing this article probably the only means, of becoming completely frameworks and methods independent. Bygone are the days of proprietary process maturity assessments and to some degree also proprietary technology maturity assessments. Please realize that ISO20K can be used as a guideline to assess technology’s capabilities, but cannot be used to accredit the technology (read products). As such products cannot earn the status of being ISO20K compliant, but maybe some could be called ISO20K compatible.
Challenge/problems/risks
The single biggest challenge often experienced by organizations implementing ITIL (or other frameworks) is the culture, and I guess this will be the same for organizations embracing ISO/IEC 20000, but to a lesser extent. I can almost hear you think: “Why to a lesser extent?” Frequent and substantial audits, especially linked to the official ISO/IEC 20000 accreditation leave no escape gates open, and no pages unturned. It’s often the lack of clear visibility of what should happen and what does happen in reality that creates a vacuum where non-conformities are allowed to breed and multiply. ISO/IEC 20000 is BIG BROTHER and the ever-watchful eye of Sauron - like it or not – it’s something we all need at times.
Some other problems you may well have to face are:
- No sense nor urgency felt to jump on the ISO20K band wagon
- Scope too wide or too narrow
- Insufficient funding
- No long-term commitment or involvement from senior management
- No proper supporting products
- Unclear how other standards (e.g. ISO9000) complement ISO/IEC 20000
- Lack of vision, strategy and/or planning
- Lack of ISO20K skills, knowledge and champions
Future
The Caterpillar was the first to speak.
‘What size do you want to be?” it asked.
‘Oh, I’m not particular as to size,’ Alice hastily replied; ‘only one doesn’t like changing too often, you know.’
‘I don’t know,’ said the Caterpillar.
The future is change and change is the future. Is there a time in the future where all frameworks, methods and standards converge in a grand unifying service management theory? I sincerely hope so, but it may take another couple of decades before we finally get there. Until then playing it safe and becoming compliant to the International IT Service Management standard ISO/IEC 20000 doesn’t seem an illogical or wasted step into a future that will most definitely be filled with increased pressure on governance, compliance and standards.
Pleasure
However, when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out ‘The race is over!’, and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking ‘But who has won?’
This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it stood for a long time with one finger pressed upon his forehead (the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in pictures of him), while the rest waited in silence. At last the Dodo said ‘Everybody has won and all must have prizes.’
It’s not about ITIL being better than ISO20K, or CobiT whacking MOF around the ears. The message is making practical and optimal use of common sense and proven good, better and best practices. Depending on whether you’re able to work with a highly flexible framework or you need answers right here and right now, one solution may suit your organization better than others. The standard gives you clarity (what to do); the frameworks and methods provide you with substance (how to do it).
Personally I believe that there’s a very bright future for the ISO/IEC 20000 international standard for IT Service Management, and ignoring it and not joining the Queen-of-Hearts race could well put you behind the eight ball and cause irreversible or long term damage.
Frameworks, methods and standards are not the divine destination; it’s all the experiences you encounter on your journey implementing and using them that shape and form you as an individual or organization. Look back – take a lessons learned – and move forward.
Live long and prosper
Nanoo... Nanoo...
IsleBeeBach
Monday, August 10, 2009
ITIL: Rise and Fall of the ITILian Empire!
Rise and Fall of the ITILian Empire!
Prologue
As distance education lecturer I have strong opinions on and a passion for the current status and role of [IT] service management, and believe that [IT] service management is finally getting on the right track. Although I may seem a bit cynical and pessimistic at times – this is all done as part of the play and message that I’m trying to convey in this specific article. It’s not all rosebuds and sunshine, and balance needs to be maintained at all costs.
Aiming for something
Interesting title to start with huh! Hopefully it got some of your attention. I’ve never been much of a formal author, and my Dutch roots make me quite blunt, direct and to the point. This article has one objective and one objective only. It addresses the current status of the ITIL framework within the larger space I personally refer to as the [IT] service management domain, where even IT has – over the last couple of years – become an increasingly more optional parameter.
ITSM evangelism
For those who happen to know me as an [IT]SM trainer, instructor or lecturer, courseware developer, innovator, or even animator – whatever title you may want to throw at me – you may also know me as a bit of an [IT] service management evangelist. Yes, I do preach [IT] service management (please note the consistent placement of IT between square brackets), but lately have stopped preaching ITIL as the answer and/or solution to all your problems (yeah – I know – I should say challenges nowadays), as I have come to realise, ITIL was never intended to be a solution for any problem be it large or small. I admit – even I (it hurts saying this) was to some degree a bit brainwashed by a number of my previous employers – who in the end were making a lot of hard cash out of this ITIL thing that in reality no-one really ever got a full grip on.
Changing times
I guess we’ve all moved on – times change – practices change, but has ITIL itself really changed that much? Well, my honest answer is yes and no. I’ve never been a star in making up my own mind – I enjoy the surreal, mystery, suspense, and open-endings way too much. I can almost see your face, hear your thoughts and feel your frustration: “That’s another crappy consultancy answer!” Okay, so now I feel obliged to give you a creative and of course mostly dualistic answer.
ITIL v1
Sure, ITIL has evolved. We’ve seen the birth of ITIL v1 – where we were literally suffocating under an ever increasing mountain of loosely connected ‘booklets’ describing some loosely connected [IT] service management related processes in a for the time being (late 80s) somewhat “structured chaotic” way. It’s a painful process trying to memorise even the outlines of what that ITIL thing actually looked, smelled and felt like. I just want to erase it from those grey and scarce memory cells, but at the same time still miss its many very useful – though not so colourful – templates. Surely you must have to admit that those SLA and DR-plan templates took the world by surprise, and I didn’t even mention the variety of, for example, availability management related formulas. Whatever happened to those?
ITIL v2
ITIL v1’s long overdue ‘somewhat mentally instable’ sibling was given a rather painful and long birth some 10 years down the track (late 90s) and somehow received the not so creative title of ITIL v2. This version basically “seemingly randomly” clustered some processes together at an operational, tactical, strategic, implementation and infrastructural level. Terminology and definitions – as used within v2 - were mostly clear, transparent and comprehensible for even those with an IQ of below super-extravagant-more-than-intelligent-genius. The ITIL Creators known as OGC (please observe the subtle use of the capital C) somehow managed to reduce the ITI Library (sorry, you really can’t say ITIL Library) from a whopping 42 books (surely 42 must be the only true-and-right answer as it also happens to be the answer to life, the Universe and everything else) to a meagre 9 (bye-bye good old templates). Unfortunately 99.9% of the training organisations out there really only focused on 2 of the 9 volumes, which quickly became known as the blue and red books.
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
By the time the spirit (mindset) of ITIL v2 had become ‘finally really’ popular, adopted, embedded, and seriously being considered and implemented – although I most definitely don’t believe there’s such a thing as “implementing ITIL” – by many small, medium and large enterprises – who had astronomical buckets with money being thrown at these so called ITIL implementations – some [not so] bright spirit went like: “let’s ‘improve’ ITIL v2!” I sincerely still believe that person was enjoying his/her life in a coffee-shop in Amsterdam watching pink elephants dance on the Beatle’s tune of “Lucy in the sky with Diamonds.”
ITIL v3
Anyway – ITIL v3 came out screaming and kicking at a weight of approximately 10 pounds bare somewhere in July 2007 (late 00s). In a nutshell OGC had managed to shred another 4 books, but somehow managed to create 5 ‘new’ tightly glued and integrated “service lifecycle” volumes. These volumes are so deeply interwoven and intertwined that probably only the big person in the sky knows the answer to the question: “Why weren’t these five volumes published as a single fully consistent, error-free and properly edited volume?” Surely OGC could and should have learned some lessons from publications like PMBOK (4th edition has 42 processes), CobiT and other academic – more consistently and better structured – publications. The amount of redundancy in ITIL v3 is still shocking, unnecessary, confusing, and a waste of CO2 absorbing and O2 producing (most likely Amazon growing) trees.
Curiouser and curiouser!
Please don’t get me wrong here - the ITIL v3 service lifecycle model is a fantastic – I repeat absolutely fantastic concept. However, we as an eagerly anticipating audience – with extremely high expectations set – are following a silent “dubbed” movie that describes an IT service from cradle to grave in a whopping 5 cinematographic colours. No seriously – I do like ITIL v3 – but I don’t understand why these volumes had to steer away from explaining good (or best) practices in a language we all speak and understand. Surely a process “is the related stuff we do to achieve things”, and not “a closed-loop system that provides change and transformation towards a goal and utilises feedback for self-reinforcing and self-corrective action.” Get a life, and start to speak a normal language! The authors didn’t even bother to keep the definitions as used in the text the same as the definitions as provided in the glossary. As Alice would say: “Curiouser and curiouser!”
ITIL e
So, has ITIL changed? Yes, but not everything has improved as much as it could have, and some things have even moved slightly backwards. It’s the latter that I personally dislike about ITIL v3, as they should not have happened and could have been avoided. In my opinion the optimal useful ITIL framework is version e (approximately 2.71828) – that floats in the twilight zone (teedee-deedee-teedeedeedee) between versions 2 and 3, complemented with all those templates and skeletons as provided in version 1.
The missing jig-saw pieces
All that said, even ITIL e (or call it eITIL) won’t be able to give you a full solution to your IT service management problem(s). ITIL roughly explains IT processes and their activities and how they can be implemented. It’s in my humble opinion still not very strong in covering the why, the what, and the who, or how to measure and be compliant with today’s standards like ISO/IEC 20000 and ISO/IEC 38500. Furthermore it only touches upon programme management, project management and most importantly the people aspect of it all – including potential cultural and structural changes that are typically unavoidable when moving into full process-based space, which may end up having even more dimensions than string theory itself – I guess 11¾ dimensions will do just fine. Furthermore the chapters on how to actually implement [IT] service management good practices have typically been reduced to a couple of pages, and aren’t most organisations really deeply interested in this specific topic?
Filling the gaps
It seems that more and more predominantly academic institutions are jumping on the much wider [IT] service management wagon, and are finally starting to fill the educational gaps that the public training organisations have not, either due to a lack of resources or capabilities, or due to pure financial reasons. Observing the job market there’s a clear trend identifiable of an increasing number of organisations searching for [IT] service management (ITSM) related capabilities, and a steadily declining number of them looking for specifically ITIL related resources and capabilities. To me this makes perfect sense, as we’re talking providing optimal services with minimal resources here. It’s not about ITIL, it’s never been about ITIL – it’s about managing services and providing optimal value to our dearly beloved customers! ITIL is “set of practical and proven practices” that are meant to support achieving an organisation’s objectives. It’s a means to an end, but somehow was elevated to something of deity-like scale and proportions.
Creative intelligence
We can use ITIL (v1/)/v2/v3 to put some process structure in place (so at least we know what we’re doing and can repeat it as well), and we can use ISO/IEC 20000 to make sure we’ve got the right processes in place and we’re sticking to them. We can also use IT Governance (CobiT) to get some proper control objectives in place, so we can actually measure some (the most critical elements) of our process performance, and we use ISO/IEC 38500 as the standard to do it right! We can use a bit of Prince2 and PMBOK to get some highly needed project management structure in place, and surround them with a bit of a programme management envelope. We can use 6-Sigma to make sense of our measurements to determine whether or not deviations are really deviations, or “naturally occurring exceptions” within defined boundaries. We can also use the balanced scorecard to map our performance against logically divided business domains, and ensure we actually get proper supporting functions like QA, HR, marketing, and finance in place. We can do lots of things, but in the end we can’t really ignore any of the domains described above, and that includes the service management domain. We need to use our creative minds and decide which pieces we’re going to use and how they will optimally connect with each other.
One ring to rule them all
Having said all of the above – there’s no such thing as one solution, one framework, or for that matters, one ring to rule them all. A highly dynamic balance needs to be carefully, intelligently and creatively planned, then constructed, maintained, continuously monitored and adapted. It needs to consists of many of the elements of the above mentioned standards, frameworks, methods, principles, mindsets, and approaches, and it all needs to be supported by a highly energetic cultural change programme where people are always first priority.
A never-ending story
So, ITIL is not the bible, it’s a single chapter of a dynamic volume that’s still being written as we speak, and unfortunately will never ever be finished. Only continuous well targeted and focused education – I’m not talking computer based training here – may give you and your organisation a head start and some knowledge of the chapters yet to be written, or rewritten.
CANESMEAC
I believe the answer is continuous and never ending service management education and commitment – that roughly translates into something like CANESMEAC. I like CANESMEAC as it sounds like a not too distant alien inhabited planet from a Star Trek original-series episode, hence live long and prosper (Star Trek).... nanoo nanoo.... (Mork and Mindy) and IsleBeeBach (Terminator).
Epilogue
If you’re like me, and you’ve been reading mostly between the lines trying to pick up the subliminal message, then hopefully you’ve come to the following conclusion. ITIL is still incredibly important and its empire is as solid as ever. However many new civilisations from far and distant countries and cultures are expanding the empire at an exponential rate. The empire has grown too big to explore without a map, and many unexplored bridges and tunnels still are demanding to be charted. It’s continuous education that allows you to peek over the shoulders of those creating the maps, and who knows – maybe one day – you may decide to become a map creator yourself and go where no one has gone before.
Finally, empires are known throughout history to be overthrown by friendly guests and neighbors without any signs of warning. Frameworks like CobiT, MOF, USMBOK and many others are lurking in dark corners waiting for their chance to take a seat on the [IT]SM throne, because in the end there can only be one dominating best practices framework, otherwise it wouldn't be the best anymore.
Live long and prosper
Nanoo... Nanoo...
IsleBeeBach
Prologue
As distance education lecturer I have strong opinions on and a passion for the current status and role of [IT] service management, and believe that [IT] service management is finally getting on the right track. Although I may seem a bit cynical and pessimistic at times – this is all done as part of the play and message that I’m trying to convey in this specific article. It’s not all rosebuds and sunshine, and balance needs to be maintained at all costs.
Aiming for something
Interesting title to start with huh! Hopefully it got some of your attention. I’ve never been much of a formal author, and my Dutch roots make me quite blunt, direct and to the point. This article has one objective and one objective only. It addresses the current status of the ITIL framework within the larger space I personally refer to as the [IT] service management domain, where even IT has – over the last couple of years – become an increasingly more optional parameter.
ITSM evangelism
For those who happen to know me as an [IT]SM trainer, instructor or lecturer, courseware developer, innovator, or even animator – whatever title you may want to throw at me – you may also know me as a bit of an [IT] service management evangelist. Yes, I do preach [IT] service management (please note the consistent placement of IT between square brackets), but lately have stopped preaching ITIL as the answer and/or solution to all your problems (yeah – I know – I should say challenges nowadays), as I have come to realise, ITIL was never intended to be a solution for any problem be it large or small. I admit – even I (it hurts saying this) was to some degree a bit brainwashed by a number of my previous employers – who in the end were making a lot of hard cash out of this ITIL thing that in reality no-one really ever got a full grip on.
Changing times
I guess we’ve all moved on – times change – practices change, but has ITIL itself really changed that much? Well, my honest answer is yes and no. I’ve never been a star in making up my own mind – I enjoy the surreal, mystery, suspense, and open-endings way too much. I can almost see your face, hear your thoughts and feel your frustration: “That’s another crappy consultancy answer!” Okay, so now I feel obliged to give you a creative and of course mostly dualistic answer.
ITIL v1
Sure, ITIL has evolved. We’ve seen the birth of ITIL v1 – where we were literally suffocating under an ever increasing mountain of loosely connected ‘booklets’ describing some loosely connected [IT] service management related processes in a for the time being (late 80s) somewhat “structured chaotic” way. It’s a painful process trying to memorise even the outlines of what that ITIL thing actually looked, smelled and felt like. I just want to erase it from those grey and scarce memory cells, but at the same time still miss its many very useful – though not so colourful – templates. Surely you must have to admit that those SLA and DR-plan templates took the world by surprise, and I didn’t even mention the variety of, for example, availability management related formulas. Whatever happened to those?
ITIL v2
ITIL v1’s long overdue ‘somewhat mentally instable’ sibling was given a rather painful and long birth some 10 years down the track (late 90s) and somehow received the not so creative title of ITIL v2. This version basically “seemingly randomly” clustered some processes together at an operational, tactical, strategic, implementation and infrastructural level. Terminology and definitions – as used within v2 - were mostly clear, transparent and comprehensible for even those with an IQ of below super-extravagant-more-than-intelligent-genius. The ITIL Creators known as OGC (please observe the subtle use of the capital C) somehow managed to reduce the ITI Library (sorry, you really can’t say ITIL Library) from a whopping 42 books (surely 42 must be the only true-and-right answer as it also happens to be the answer to life, the Universe and everything else) to a meagre 9 (bye-bye good old templates). Unfortunately 99.9% of the training organisations out there really only focused on 2 of the 9 volumes, which quickly became known as the blue and red books.
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
By the time the spirit (mindset) of ITIL v2 had become ‘finally really’ popular, adopted, embedded, and seriously being considered and implemented – although I most definitely don’t believe there’s such a thing as “implementing ITIL” – by many small, medium and large enterprises – who had astronomical buckets with money being thrown at these so called ITIL implementations – some [not so] bright spirit went like: “let’s ‘improve’ ITIL v2!” I sincerely still believe that person was enjoying his/her life in a coffee-shop in Amsterdam watching pink elephants dance on the Beatle’s tune of “Lucy in the sky with Diamonds.”
ITIL v3
Anyway – ITIL v3 came out screaming and kicking at a weight of approximately 10 pounds bare somewhere in July 2007 (late 00s). In a nutshell OGC had managed to shred another 4 books, but somehow managed to create 5 ‘new’ tightly glued and integrated “service lifecycle” volumes. These volumes are so deeply interwoven and intertwined that probably only the big person in the sky knows the answer to the question: “Why weren’t these five volumes published as a single fully consistent, error-free and properly edited volume?” Surely OGC could and should have learned some lessons from publications like PMBOK (4th edition has 42 processes), CobiT and other academic – more consistently and better structured – publications. The amount of redundancy in ITIL v3 is still shocking, unnecessary, confusing, and a waste of CO2 absorbing and O2 producing (most likely Amazon growing) trees.
Curiouser and curiouser!
Please don’t get me wrong here - the ITIL v3 service lifecycle model is a fantastic – I repeat absolutely fantastic concept. However, we as an eagerly anticipating audience – with extremely high expectations set – are following a silent “dubbed” movie that describes an IT service from cradle to grave in a whopping 5 cinematographic colours. No seriously – I do like ITIL v3 – but I don’t understand why these volumes had to steer away from explaining good (or best) practices in a language we all speak and understand. Surely a process “is the related stuff we do to achieve things”, and not “a closed-loop system that provides change and transformation towards a goal and utilises feedback for self-reinforcing and self-corrective action.” Get a life, and start to speak a normal language! The authors didn’t even bother to keep the definitions as used in the text the same as the definitions as provided in the glossary. As Alice would say: “Curiouser and curiouser!”
ITIL e
So, has ITIL changed? Yes, but not everything has improved as much as it could have, and some things have even moved slightly backwards. It’s the latter that I personally dislike about ITIL v3, as they should not have happened and could have been avoided. In my opinion the optimal useful ITIL framework is version e (approximately 2.71828) – that floats in the twilight zone (teedee-deedee-teedeedeedee) between versions 2 and 3, complemented with all those templates and skeletons as provided in version 1.
The missing jig-saw pieces
All that said, even ITIL e (or call it eITIL) won’t be able to give you a full solution to your IT service management problem(s). ITIL roughly explains IT processes and their activities and how they can be implemented. It’s in my humble opinion still not very strong in covering the why, the what, and the who, or how to measure and be compliant with today’s standards like ISO/IEC 20000 and ISO/IEC 38500. Furthermore it only touches upon programme management, project management and most importantly the people aspect of it all – including potential cultural and structural changes that are typically unavoidable when moving into full process-based space, which may end up having even more dimensions than string theory itself – I guess 11¾ dimensions will do just fine. Furthermore the chapters on how to actually implement [IT] service management good practices have typically been reduced to a couple of pages, and aren’t most organisations really deeply interested in this specific topic?
Filling the gaps
It seems that more and more predominantly academic institutions are jumping on the much wider [IT] service management wagon, and are finally starting to fill the educational gaps that the public training organisations have not, either due to a lack of resources or capabilities, or due to pure financial reasons. Observing the job market there’s a clear trend identifiable of an increasing number of organisations searching for [IT] service management (ITSM) related capabilities, and a steadily declining number of them looking for specifically ITIL related resources and capabilities. To me this makes perfect sense, as we’re talking providing optimal services with minimal resources here. It’s not about ITIL, it’s never been about ITIL – it’s about managing services and providing optimal value to our dearly beloved customers! ITIL is “set of practical and proven practices” that are meant to support achieving an organisation’s objectives. It’s a means to an end, but somehow was elevated to something of deity-like scale and proportions.
Creative intelligence
We can use ITIL (v1/)/v2/v3 to put some process structure in place (so at least we know what we’re doing and can repeat it as well), and we can use ISO/IEC 20000 to make sure we’ve got the right processes in place and we’re sticking to them. We can also use IT Governance (CobiT) to get some proper control objectives in place, so we can actually measure some (the most critical elements) of our process performance, and we use ISO/IEC 38500 as the standard to do it right! We can use a bit of Prince2 and PMBOK to get some highly needed project management structure in place, and surround them with a bit of a programme management envelope. We can use 6-Sigma to make sense of our measurements to determine whether or not deviations are really deviations, or “naturally occurring exceptions” within defined boundaries. We can also use the balanced scorecard to map our performance against logically divided business domains, and ensure we actually get proper supporting functions like QA, HR, marketing, and finance in place. We can do lots of things, but in the end we can’t really ignore any of the domains described above, and that includes the service management domain. We need to use our creative minds and decide which pieces we’re going to use and how they will optimally connect with each other.
One ring to rule them all
Having said all of the above – there’s no such thing as one solution, one framework, or for that matters, one ring to rule them all. A highly dynamic balance needs to be carefully, intelligently and creatively planned, then constructed, maintained, continuously monitored and adapted. It needs to consists of many of the elements of the above mentioned standards, frameworks, methods, principles, mindsets, and approaches, and it all needs to be supported by a highly energetic cultural change programme where people are always first priority.
A never-ending story
So, ITIL is not the bible, it’s a single chapter of a dynamic volume that’s still being written as we speak, and unfortunately will never ever be finished. Only continuous well targeted and focused education – I’m not talking computer based training here – may give you and your organisation a head start and some knowledge of the chapters yet to be written, or rewritten.
CANESMEAC
I believe the answer is continuous and never ending service management education and commitment – that roughly translates into something like CANESMEAC. I like CANESMEAC as it sounds like a not too distant alien inhabited planet from a Star Trek original-series episode, hence live long and prosper (Star Trek).... nanoo nanoo.... (Mork and Mindy) and IsleBeeBach (Terminator).
Epilogue
If you’re like me, and you’ve been reading mostly between the lines trying to pick up the subliminal message, then hopefully you’ve come to the following conclusion. ITIL is still incredibly important and its empire is as solid as ever. However many new civilisations from far and distant countries and cultures are expanding the empire at an exponential rate. The empire has grown too big to explore without a map, and many unexplored bridges and tunnels still are demanding to be charted. It’s continuous education that allows you to peek over the shoulders of those creating the maps, and who knows – maybe one day – you may decide to become a map creator yourself and go where no one has gone before.
Finally, empires are known throughout history to be overthrown by friendly guests and neighbors without any signs of warning. Frameworks like CobiT, MOF, USMBOK and many others are lurking in dark corners waiting for their chance to take a seat on the [IT]SM throne, because in the end there can only be one dominating best practices framework, otherwise it wouldn't be the best anymore.
Live long and prosper
Nanoo... Nanoo...
IsleBeeBach
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