Two Critical Success Factors in an ITIL Implementation

Any IT manager who wants to pursue the IT Service Management journey by implementing the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) needs to understand two very important factors well in advance.

? The first factor is to have dedicated, trained and committed process owners.

If you want to have a successful Incident Management process which is under continuous improvement, you will need somebody who is ultimately responsible for it's success and who can dedicate the time and focus to drive it and to make sure it actually happens. A lot of organizations makes one of the following mistakes:

? The process owner is non-existent which means there is nobody dedicated to drive a particular process.

There is a process owner, but he or she is bogged down in day to day reactive activities or other "more important" business-driven projects and thus have no time for unnecessary "red tape" like ITIL.

? There is more than one process owner for a particular process - a classic mistake. The idea of ITIL is to have a single consistent process throughout the organization and having two head cooks in this "process kitchen" is sure to mess up the cake. Who will ultimately be responsible if there is more than one owner? Major companies who have successfully implemented ITIL have only one process owner throughout the company, even if there are numerous divisions spread across the globe. This ensures that the process is consistent throughout all divisions and helps the break down barriers between departments and divisions.

The primary problem here, is that companies do not want to spend the money on dedicate resources for process owners. Obviously a process owner can have a split role, doing other work as well, especially in smaller companies. As long as that other role is not of a reactive firefighting nature. One person can also be made responsible for more than one process. Although these processes should be of similar focus. The Change, Configuration and Release roles can be shared by one person in small companies for example. I believe in a large corporate these roles should be fulfilled by dedicated people, and companies who does not fill these roles are not serious enough about ITIL and is most probably lacking the management commitment.

Which brings us to the second, but probably the most important critical success factor, namely management commitment?

If you are responsible for an ITIL implementation, make sure you have commitment from the top; otherwise ITIL might just become another failed IT project throwing time and money down the drain.

And management commitment does not mean, "the manager says his committed". The manager must walk and talk ITIL and continuously show his commitment. In practical terms this means empowering staff through professional training, tools etc., appointing the right people in the right roles and managing by means of ITIL, e.g. demanding the right reports and taking action...

Kotter's 8 steps to organizational change is actually a good guideline for top management to follow.

Management commitment is probably the most important success factor for ITIL, but in my experience, probably also the most difficult to find. That is why a lot of ITIL implementations just become a black hole sucking up money.

I think there are a lot of IT managers that is under this misconception, that ITIL is a silver bullet to fix all their problems. Just install ITIL (almost like installing a new technology) and everything will be OK. What they do not understand is that ITIL is a major organizational change, including a culture change. We used to focus only on technology, but now we have to focus on the customer.

Another reason for low management commitment is also that ITIL is usually an internal IT department endeavor and not a direct requirement from the business. ITIL is a methodology for improving IT and not as such the business.

To overcome this, an ITIL project should become a business requirement and commitment is needed from all the way to the top, from the CEO.

Arno Esterhuizen
arno@itil.co.za
http://itilblog.blogspot.com

---

Business Innovation ? the Value of Work Processes

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this... Read More

Micromanagement and Delegation

Micro-Management and Delegation Recently I had a long discussion with a friend of mine about Managers and managing. She... Read More

Innovation Management: The Power of Emotional Attachment

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem... Read More

Its All In The Systems

Have you ever noticed french fries taste the same at every McDonald's? The same can be said for Subway and its Italian BMT. How do these fast... Read More

Hiring and Retaining Good Employees

Hiring good employees is not only important to business, it's essential. Employees are the heart and soul of a business; they are the mechanism that makes a... Read More

The 10 Realities of Change

I've seen several articles that begin with lines like "the only constant today is change." I assert that change that is constant can't really be called change.... Read More

30 Ways to be a Butt-Head Boss

1. Trust no one. Not your superiors and not your employees. Especially not your employees. They're probably out to get you anyway.2. Believe that all of your... Read More

Leadership Style: What Makes A Good Boss?

In today's competitive environment, companies realize that a good boss is one who can identify and build on the talents of the staff and knows how to... Read More

Creating A Vision ? Bringing Your Dreams Into Reality

Do you have some goals you want to achieve or dreams you want to fulfill? A useful tool in reaching the outcomes you desire is the creation... Read More

Morale Boosters: Feed the Troops First

When economic conditions turn tough or when the heavy work load seems never-ending, leaders tend to forget the "basics"?building commitment beyond the paycheck. It's the small things... Read More

Goodwill is an Intangible Asset

'Goodwill' is regarded as an intangible asset in a business. Goodwill carries a value over and above the tangible assets of a business, and representing all benefits... Read More

How to Help Your Company Become a World Class Company

Most people think real change in an organization occurs as a result of top-level leadership. This isn't always the case.Oftentimes, it's someone within the rank and file... Read More

PR Still a Mystery to Some

Unfortunately, there are managers who define public relations by its applications. Which explains neither its underlying strengths nor what PR is all about.The casual observer is left... Read More

Outsourcing NOT Just for Big Business

Outsourcing has become a controversial issue and a hot topic among presidential candidates this year. But have you stopped to think how your business can benefit from... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management: Specialisation or Generalisation?

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this... Read More

Measure for Measure

Can you imagine playing hockey without a goal? Basketball without hoops and nets? Football without a goal line? Golfing without holes or greens?There may be leagues where... Read More

How Your Business Can Pick A Software Developer

Eventually, your business is going to need to have some software development. Your business is unique - you can't rely on a huge, faceless corporation to handle... Read More

Build Rapport Fast! - Eight Easy Steps

Building rapport is all about creating a relationship, in the moment. And this is vital in business, education, friendships and many other areas of life. We need... Read More

Innovation Management ? Selecting Good Ideas

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. There are distinct processes that enhance... Read More

Dont Hire Squirrels to be Your Top Dogs

Bad hiring decisions cost organizations, both in dollars and lost opportunities. But getting the right people in the right places doing the right thing is not easy.... Read More

Are You Using the Right Form of Energy?

As we near the end of summer, here is a question I have for you, "Are you using the right form of energy to grow your business?"... Read More

Creative Writing - business principles produce more quality work, faster

Maximization methodologies have long been used in business to produce quantities of quality ideas, faster. Creative writers who want to rapidly produce quantities of quality work should... Read More

Employee Motivation: Make Everyone A Cheerleader For Your Company

Do you manage by walking around? What do you see? People excited about their job or people just going through the motions? Here are seven ways, that... Read More

Having Your Phil

February 2nd, at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time on Gobbler's Knob in a small town in western Pennsylvania, 20,000 people and a national radio and television audience... Read More

Uncommon Common Sense ? Know What is the Most Important Thing in Your Business

Over 3 of my meetings with 3 business owners last week, what really shocked me was how uncommon common sense was. 2 out of 3 I spoke... Read More

Focus on Outcomes to Keep Your Business On-Course

Did you know that an airplane in flight is off course nearly 98% of the time? No flight is completed in a straight line from Point A... Read More