- Management Reference Guide
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Strategic Management
- Establishing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies
- Aligning IT Goals with Corporate Business Goals
- Utilizing Effective Planning Techniques
- Developing Worthwhile Mission Statements
- Developing Worthwhile Vision Statements
- Instituting Practical Corporate Values
- Budgeting Considerations in an IT Environment
- Introduction to Conducting an Effective SWOT Analysis
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part One
- IT Governance and Disaster Recovery, Part Two
- Customer Management
- Identifying Key External Customers
- Identifying Key Internal Customers
- Negotiating with Customers and Suppliers—Part 1: An Introduction
- Negotiating With Customers and Suppliers—Part 2: Reaching Agreement
- Negotiating and Managing Realistic Customer Expectations
- Service Management
- Identifying Key Services for Business Users
- Service-Level Agreements That Really Work
- How IT Evolved into a Service Organization
- FAQs About Systems Management (SM)
- FAQs About Availability (AV)
- FAQs About Performance and Tuning (PT)
- FAQs About Service Desk (SD)
- FAQs About Change Management (CM)
- FAQs About Configuration Management (CF)
- FAQs About Capacity Planning (CP)
- FAQs About Network Management
- FAQs About Storage Management (SM)
- FAQs About Production Acceptance (PA)
- FAQs About Release Management (RM)
- FAQs About Disaster Recovery (DR)
- FAQs About Business Continuity (BC)
- FAQs About Security (SE)
- FAQs About Service Level Management (SL)
- FAQs About Financial Management (FN)
- FAQs About Problem Management (PM)
- FAQs About Facilities Management (FM)
- Process Management
- Developing Robust Processes
- Establishing Mutually Beneficial Process Metrics
- Change Management—Part 1
- Change Management—Part 2
- Change Management—Part 3
- Audit Reconnaissance: Releasing Resources Through the IT Audit
- Problem Management
- Problem Management–Part 2: Process Design
- Problem Management–Part 3: Process Implementation
- Business Continuity Emergency Communications Plan
- Capacity Planning – Part One: Why It is Seldom Done Well
- Capacity Planning – Part Two: Developing a Capacity Planning Process
- Capacity Planning — Part Three: Benefits and Helpful Tips
- Capacity Planning – Part Four: Hidden Upgrade Costs and
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 1
- Improving Business Process Management, Part 2
- 20 Major Elements of Facilities Management
- Major Physical Exposures Common to a Data Center
- Evaluating the Physical Environment
- Nightmare Incidents with Disaster Recovery Plans
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process
- Developing a Robust Configuration Management Process – Part Two
- Automating a Robust Infrastructure Process
- Improving High Availability — Part One: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Two: Definitions and Terms
- Improving High Availability — Part Three: The Seven R's of High Availability
- Improving High Availability — Part Four: Assessing an Availability Process
- Methods for Brainstorming and Prioritizing Requirements
- Introduction to Disk Storage Management — Part One
- Storage Management—Part Two: Performance
- Storage Management—Part Three: Reliability
- Storage Management—Part Four: Recoverability
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part One
- Twelve Traits of World-Class Infrastructures — Part Two
- Meeting Today's Cooling Challenges of Data Centers
- Strategic Security, Part One: Assessment
- Strategic Security, Part Two: Development
- Strategic Security, Part Three: Implementation
- Strategic Security, Part Four: ITIL Implications
- Production Acceptance Part One – Definition and Benefits
- Production Acceptance Part Two – Initial Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Three – Middle Steps
- Production Acceptance Part Four – Ongoing Steps
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part One – Objectives
- Case Study: Planning a Service Desk Part Two – SWOT
- Case Study: Implementing an ITIL Service Desk – Part One
- Case Study: Implementing a Service Desk Part Two – Tool Selection
- Ethics, Scandals and Legislation
- Outsourcing in Response to Legislation
- Supplier Management
- Identifying Key External Suppliers
- Identifying Key Internal Suppliers
- Integrating the Four Key Elements of Good Customer Service
- Enhancing the Customer/Supplier Matrix
- Voice Over IP, Part One — What VoIP Is, and Is Not
- Voice Over IP, Part Two — Benefits, Cost Savings and Features of VoIP
- Application Management
- Production Acceptance
- Distinguishing New Applications from New Versions of Existing Applications
- Assessing a Production Acceptance Process
- Effective Use of a Software Development Life Cycle
- The Role of Project Management in SDLC— Part 2
- Communication in Project Management – Part One: Barriers to Effective Communication
- Communication in Project Management – Part Two: Examples of Effective Communication
- Safeguarding Personal Information in the Workplace: A Case Study
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 1: Building a Manageable Schedule
- Combating the Year-end Budget Blitz—Part 2: Tracking and Reporting Availability
- References
- Developing an ITIL Feasibility Analysis
- Organization and Personnel Management
- Optimizing IT Organizational Structures
- Factors That Influence Restructuring Decisions
- Alternative Locations for the Help Desk
- Alternative Locations for Database Administration
- Alternative Locations for Network Operations
- Alternative Locations for Web Design
- Alternative Locations for Risk Management
- Alternative Locations for Systems Management
- Practical Tips To Retaining Key Personnel
- Benefits and Drawbacks of Using IT Consultants and Contractors
- Deciding Between the Use of Contractors versus Consultants
- Managing Employee Skill Sets and Skill Levels
- Assessing Skill Levels of Current Onboard Staff
- Recruiting Infrastructure Staff from the Outside
- Selecting the Most Qualified Candidate
- 7 Tips for Managing the Use of Mobile Devices
- Useful Websites for IT Managers
- References
- Automating Robust Processes
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part One: Quality and Value
- Evaluating Process Documentation — Part Two: Benefits and Use of a Quality-Value Matrix
- When Should You Integrate or Segregate Service Desks?
- Five Instructive Ideas for Interviewing
- Eight Surefire Tips to Use When Being Interviewed
- 12 Helpful Hints To Make Meetings More Productive
- Eight Uncommon Tips To Improve Your Writing
- Ten Helpful Tips To Improve Fire Drills
- Sorting Out Today’s Various Training Options
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 1
- Business Ethics and Corporate Scandals – Part 2
- 12 Tips for More Effective Emails
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part One
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Two
- Management Communication: Back to the Basics, Part Three
- Asset Management
- Managing Hardware Inventories
- Introduction to Hardware Inventories
- Processes To Manage Hardware Inventories
- Use of a Hardware Inventory Database
- References
- Managing Software Inventories
- Business Continuity Management
- Ten Lessons Learned from Real-Life Disasters
- Ten Lessons Learned From Real-Life Disasters, Part 2
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 1
- Differences Between Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity , Part 2
- 15 Common Terms and Definitions of Business Continuity
- The Federal Government’s Role in Disaster Recovery
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 1
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 2
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 3
- The 12 Common Mistakes That Cause BIAs To Fail—Part 4
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 1
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 2
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 3
- Conducting an Effective Table Top Exercise (TTE) — Part 4
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part One
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Two
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Three
- The 13 Cardinal Steps for Implementing a Business Continuity Program — Part Four
- The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
- The Origins of ITIL
- The Foundation of ITIL: Service Management
- Five Reasons for Revising ITIL
- The Relationship of Service Delivery and Service Support to All of ITIL
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part One
- Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL, Part Two
- Characteristics of ITIL Version 3
- Ten Benefits of itSMF and its IIL Pocket Guide
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Delivery Processes
- Translating the Goals of the ITIL Service Support Processes
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part One: Service Delivery Processes
- Case Study: Recovery Reactions to a Renegade Rodent
- Elements of ITIL Least Understood, Part Two: Service Support
- Case Studies
- Case Study — Preparing for Hurricane Charley
- Case Study — The Linux Decision
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at an Aerospace Firm
- Case Study — Production Acceptance at a Defense Contractor
- Case Study — Evaluating Mainframe Processes
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part One: Quantitative Comparisons/Natural Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Two: Quantitative Comparisons/Man-made Disasters
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Three: Qualitative Comparisons
- Case Study — Evaluating Recovery Sites, Part Four: Take-Aways
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part One: Planning
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Two: Planning and Walk-Through
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Three: Execution
- Disaster Recovery Test Case Study Part Four: Follow-Up
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part One: Qualitative Measures
- Assessing the Robustness of a Vendor’s Data Center, Part Two: Quantitative Measures
- Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part One: What Did the Team Do Well
- (d) Case Study: Lessons Learned from a World-Wide Disaster Recovery Exercise, Part Two
This is the first of a two-part case study on implementing an ITIL service desk. ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a set of books on infrastructure management developed and evolved by the British government over the past 18 years. A major portion of ITIL provides a framework of best practices for managing IT infrastructure processes such as incident management, problem management and the service desk function.
At the end of 2006 I concluded an engagement with a client who asked me to assist them with upgrading their existing help desk to make it more compliant with the ITIL framework of best practices. The company in question was a large law firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California with offices around the world. In this first segment I provide a short background on ITIL and then describe the objectives, policies and scope of their service desk initiative.
Background on ITIL Service Desks
IT Service Management (ITSM) bridges the gap between the business goals of a company and the technology used to accomplish those goals. It sets up formalized and regular communications channels to allow requirements, requests and difficulties to be expressed and dealt with. This serves the very important function of ensuring IT aims are correctly aligned to the business.
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is based in large part on the concept of ITSM. ITIL applies best practices to ten infrastructure processes with the intent of focusing them all toward a service management approach. ITIL designates five of these processes (plus Security Management) as Service Delivery because they are oriented toward IT customers and focus on the long-term (weeks and months) consistent delivery of IT services. ITIL refers to the other five processes (plus the Service Desk function) as Service Support because they involve the shorter-term (hours or days) issues that directly support end-users. Table 1 lists these processes.
Table 1 Infrastructure Processes Associated with Service Delivery and Service Support
Service Delivery Processes |
Service Support Processes |
1. Service Level Management |
1. Incident Management |
2. Financial Management |
2. Problem Management |
3. Availability Management |
3. Configuration Management |
4. Capacity Management |
4. Change Management |
5. Service Continuity Management |
5. Release Management |
Security Management* |
Service Desk** |
* Security Management is part of the Security Book.
** Service Desk is a function, not a process.
A Service Desk is a function within an organization. It occupies a box within an org chart, it is staffed with people who are trained, developed and usually reviewed for performance. This is how the Service Desk function differs from a Service Support process. But the function of a Service Desk is so integral to the processes of Service Support that the two are closely entwined. The client in this case study would focus on the service desk, incident management, problem management and service level management and asked me to train nearly 20 of their staff on these elements of ITIL. This then set the stage for us to finalize the objectives, policies and scope of the project.
Objectives
One of the first things my client and I did in implementing an improved service desk was to establish and clarify it objectives. We drew on part of the ITIL framework in doing so. In ITIL terms the objective of a service desk is to act as a single point of contact for all IT users, and the objective of its associated incident management process is to restore service as quickly as possible.
We used both of these ITIL goals as objectives for the new service desk along with the following additional ones:
- establish service metrics to gauge the effectiveness of the service desk;
- improve the alignment and quality of IT services to business objectives
- measure and increase customer satisfaction with IT service
- continuing improve the availability and consistency of IT services
These objectives served as a helpful guide through the various phases of implementation including policy-making, scope, integration and tool selection.
Policies
The executive sponsors helped generate, and more importantly enforce, a number of policies in support of this service desk initiative. The following summarizes the most significant of these.
- all references to the previous called named desk will be changed to service desk
- all IT call, incidents and service requests will be directed to and centralized at the service desk
- incident resolution will adhere to the escalation procedures described in the appropriate service level agreement (SLA)
- operating level agreements (OLAs) will be established between the service desk and the various support groups that contribute to incident resolution
- management reports will be produced weekly and used to measure the adherence of service desk performance to agreed upon service levels
There were several aspects of these policies that are noteworthy. First and foremost was the fact that the executives were so involved in the development of the policies. This demonstrates the commitment and buy-in of the senior-level sponsors and sends a strong message to the staff. Second, the policies bring in other infrastructure processes such service level management and incident management. Finally, the weekly management reports ensure ongoing management involvement and improvement.
Scope
The scope of this service desk improvement project had two elements to it. One was geographic and the other was technical. The client law firm has major IT centers in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, and two others in Europe and Asia. The sponsors determined that the geographic scope for this initiative would include all three data centers in the United States but not the two international ones.
On the technical side, the scope of calls that would be handled by the service desk included all incidents involving desktop, network and data center hardware; those involving application, operating system, desktop and network software; Internet, Intranet or email incidents; voice and data center environmental issues; service requests of all kinds; and any other miscellaneous IT incidents not covered in the previous categories.
Summary of Production Acceptance Part One — Definition and Benefits
In this initial segment of a two-part case study at a law firm, I discussed the objectives, policies and scope of this client's initiative to upgrade its service desk with the intent of making it more ITIL-compliant. I also presented a brief background on ITIL and how IT service management serves as its foundation. In part two I show how this company integrated several important ITIL processes into their new version of their service desk. I also discuss the criteria, methods and products they considered when evaluating and selecting a new service desk tool.