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" Manage network traffic flow with deployment scheduling,
bandwidth throttling, and multi-cast deployment.
" Execute automatic deployment reversal in the case of an error.
" Leverage pre-defined policies to reduce configuration time.
" Update computers without site visits.
" Track the entire software deployment process and measure
progress in real-time.
CHALLENGE #8: We don t have a centralized place for
IT staff and users to easily find the information and
answers they need.
Recommended ITIL Bite: Knowledge Management
The goal of Knowledge Management is pretty straightforward: to
gather, analyze, store and share knowledge and information within
an organization, so there isn t a need to rediscover knowledge.
There are many technology options to build a centralized source of
knowledge, but the key is to tightly integrate it with the other service
processes, such as Incident, Problem and Request Fulfillment. This
will allow service desk agents and users to quickly apply lessons
learned from previous issues and speed up resolution times.
In addition to integration, be sure your Knowledge Management
solution allows agents to quickly create reusable information, such
as solutions, questions, answers, patches and procedures; let s
you categorize items so they re easier to find; and allows you to
implement knowledge authoring approval policies.
Service Strategy includes a framework for defining best practices
for developing a long-term service strategy, while Service Design
represents the design of IT Services conforming to those best practices.
Sometimes considered future or mature ITIL phases, these
processes often don t produce the same quick results or have the
same immediate ROI as Service Operations or Service Transition
processes. That can be discouraging, slowing momentum and stalling
implementation, so look for ways to break implementation into phases
where you can make some traction. For example, your initial service
catalog may not initially include every single service for every single
user. If you can get the ball rolling and show results with a sub-set,
you ll easily get the support you need to implement your full vision.
CHALLENGE #9: We need better control over IT service
spend and to clearly demonstrate IT s value to the
business.
Recommended ITIL Bite: Service Catalog Management
At a basic level, a Service Catalog is a list of services that an IT
organization provides for its employees or customers. Each service
within the catalog typically includes:
" A description of the service.
" Timeframes or SLA for fulfilling the service.
" Who is entitled to request/view the service.
" Costs of the service.
" How to fulfill the service.
Service Catalogs are becoming more and more popular as IT
tries to rein in spend and better demonstrate value back to the
business. The Service Catalog is a great way to do this, and is
often the first step in transforming an IT organization into a service-
oriented model.
You should start by identifying a list of baseline services, making
sure each item is self-contained, and that you can measure its
consumption. You ll need to work with the business to set SLA s
for each service, and ensure measurement tools are in place to
monitor and report performance. Once the catalog is published, it s
important that you monitor and refine your services and SLA s based
on customer feedback and usage patterns.
Again, there are many technology options for building a Service
Catalog, so it s important to select one that fits with your organization
and easily integrates with the rest of your ITSM infrastructure. In
particular, your Service Catalog should:
" Be an easy-to-configure, one-stop shop for all of your services.
" Allow you to create, publish and offer customized menus of
services to internal and external customers based on their role.
" Allow customers to select the right fit and flavor of service that
meets their unique business needs and submit requests 24/7
through various channels.
" Automate workflows from the point of request or purchase
through the approval process, and track activities and trends
with comprehensive reporting.
" Gather business intelligence on which services are actually
being requested and used.
" Provide transparency of service costs to your customers by
integrating with your Financial Management system.
" Be flexible enough to handle non-IT service requests, such as
human resources or marketing, so you can maximize ROI.
By enabling your customers to easily view and understand IT
services, you ll be able to more clearly set expectations with the
business and reduce costs without reducing service quality.
CHALLENGE #10: We re unable to set reasonable
service expectations with the business and prove we
are meeting those expectations.
Recommended ITIL Bite: Service Level Management
The objective of the Service Level Management process is to
manage, maintain and improve the quality of IT services delivered
to customers. This can only be achieved through a systematic cycle
of agreeing to, monitoring and reporting on service performance.
