Itil service operations management pdf

The qualitative responses were in free text and the first step involved identifying each unique response and recording it into a column on the spreadsheet. Additional columns on the spreadsheet were used to classify each metric used, measuring challenges and reporting challenges into the BSC perspectives. The BSC was used as it provides a method with which managers are familiar and was the most commonly used performance measurement framework in the survey Gacenga et al.

The metrics were allocated into the BSC perspectives. Data display involved creating frequency tables and charts summarising the BSC perspective classification of each metric used, measuring and reporting challenge. The data display was reviewed by the researchers and used as a basis for drawing conclusions. The sampling frame used was the database of itSMFA members in This sample was selected because the membership list was accessible to the researchers, provided a clearly defined membership and itSMF is the only internationally recognised and independent organisation dedicated to ITSM.

The sample represents a subgroup of a population of IT management practitioners. The survey questionnaire was designed and developed then evaluated by a panel of ten ITSM academic and industry experts. A pilot test was conducted on a sample of five ITSM practitioners and three academics before the survey was improved then administered.

The testing helped to establish the reliability and validity of the questionnaire Creswell The survey had 25 questions that could be completed in 20 minutes.

A link to the online questionnaire was emailed to all 2, members in November To increase the response rate a prize draw of a netbook computer was offered and a reminder emailed. The modest return rate may have been due to timing of follow-up, confidentiality concerns, or mistaking the email invitation as Spam Sills and Song From the returned responses, were considered complete.

Two preliminary steps were undertaken prior to data analysis. Analysis of the email addresses provided by respondents revealed that in 35 cases, multiple questionnaires were received from some large organisations.

As the respondents worked in different ITSM roles and different locations it was decided to include these questionnaires as benefits derived and metrics used were essentially unique for each respondent. The responses also serve the purpose of verifying the information provided on the organisation and ITIL implementation. Characteristics of sample For this paper, data analysis is performed only on the responses from organisations implementing ITIL.

The respondents were drawn from an even spread of organisation sizes. Organisations in both the public and private sectors in Australia were represented. Practitioners reported a wide cross section of organisation positions with more than half of the respondents holding managerial roles. A total of responses for ITIL roles were reported. The most commonly implemented ITIL processes were change management, incident management, problem management, service level management and the service desk function.

Specific performance metrics used to measure ITSM benefits The analysis of performance metrics was performed for the top three implemented ITIL processes: change, incident, and problem management. Classification into the BSC perspectives was done by one researcher then reviewed by another.

None of the reported metrics for change management, incident management and problem management related to the BSC financial perspective. Challenges in measuring benefits In response to the question on the single biggest challenge in measuring ITSM benefits, responses in total were provided. The customer perspective and innovation and learning perspective each had 10 percent of the responses.

A single response was mapped to the BSC financial perspective. RQ1 There is an evident gap in metrics along the financial perspective. It was considered odd that there was a total lack of metrics identified at the process level along the BSC financial perspective.

An explanation may be that the majority of respondents had ITIL implementations that were four years or less and they may still be in the early stages of ITSM adoption. Incident management was the first implemented process for the majority of respondents and it also scored the highest number of metrics and benefits. It appears that the longer the processes had been used the higher the frequency of benefits and metrics reported.

Reporting benefits for change, incident and problem management was occurring mainly at the operational level of management. Much less reporting was occurring to the tactical and strategic levels of management. What are the challenges of measuring and reporting ITSM benefits? RQ2 From the comments provided by the respondents, it is clear that the major measuring and reporting challenges stem from three sources: lack of measurement expertise, limited resources and poor engagement within the business.

A consistent theme in the comments regarding measurement was the admission that the practitioners lack measurement expertise e.

A related issue was concerns about the data quality of the measures undertaken e. Most of the benefits that accrue from ITSM efforts are intangible and non-financial. Many of the benefits are qualitative, however, and not as easy to measure. The challenge of intangible benefits confirms Seddon et al. Benefits may not be realised in the short term but over time, e. This time delay or lag is identified by Schryen and Bodenstein as a key issue in their classification of IS business value research.

Fulfillment of request: The purpose is to comply with all requests as small as they might be, as the request to change a password or request for any information. Access management: Approved users only have access to a service, while unapproved users do not have the liberty to use the service. Rights management or identity management is also similar to access management.

Problem management: The motive here is to see that the process continues unhindered, and if any problem does occur, the team ensures that minimum damage is done. All the previous data collected is used to foresee any sort of problem that might arise. It is also used to foresee trends.

The job here is to solve the problem as soon as possible if it does occur. Control of IT Operations: It is the work of the team to constantly oversee and audit the IT services and their necessary infrastructure. The IT Operations control administers daily tasks connected to infrastructure and application. Tasks such as job planning, backup and reinstating activities, and overall maintenance.

The reputation of the Service Provider is likely to be damaged. A Major Incident is also likely to be categorized as a critical or high priority incident. Incident Logging and Categorization - To record and prioritize the Incident with appropriate diligence, in order to facilitate a swift and effective resolution. Immediate Incident Resolution by 1st Level Support - To solve an Incident service interruption within the agreed time schedule.

The aim is the fast recovery of the IT service, where necessary with the aid of a Workaround. As soon as it becomes clear that 1st Level Support is not able to resolve the Incident itself or when target times for 1st level resolution are exceeded, the Incident is transferred to a suitable group within 2nd Level Support. Incident Resolution by 2nd Level Support - To solve an Incident service interruption within the agreed time schedule.

The aim is the fast recovery of the service, where necessary by means of a Workaround. If required, specialist support groups or third-party suppliers 3rd Level Support are involved. If the correction of the root cause is not possible, a Problem Record is created and the errorcorrection transferred to Problem Management. Major Incidents cause serious interruptions of business activities and must be resolved with greater urgency.

If the correction of the root cause is not possible, a Problem Record is created and the error-correction transferred to Problem Management. Incident Monitoring and Escalation- To continuously monitor the processing status of outstanding Incidents, so that countermeasures may be introduced as soon as possible if service levels are likely to be breached.

Incident Closure and Evaluation Process : To submit the Incident Record to a final quality control before it is closed. The aim is to make sure that the Incident is actually resolved and that all information required to describe the Incident's life-cycle is supplied in sufficient detail.

In addition to this, findings from the resolution of the Incident are to be recorded for future use. Pro-Active User Information Process : To inform users of service failures as soon as these are known to the Service Desk, so that users are in a position to adjust themselves to interruptions.

Proactive user information also aims to reduce the number of inquiries by users. This process is also responsible for distributing other information to users, e.

Incident Escalation Rules -A set of rules defining a hierarchy for escalating Incidents, and triggers which lead to escalations. Triggers are usually based on Incident severity and resolution times. Incident Model -An Incident Model contains the pre-defined steps that should be taken for dealing with a particular type of Incident. This is a way to ensure that routinely occurring Incidents are handled efficiently and effectively. Incident Prioritization Guideline -The Incident Prioritization Guideline describes the rules for assigning priorities to Incidents, including the definition of what constitutes a Major Incident.

Since Incident Management escalation rules are usually based on priorities, assigning the correct priority to an Incident is essential for triggering appropriate escalations. See also: Checklist Incident Prioritization Guideline Incident Record -A set of data with all details of an Incident, documenting the history of the Incident from registration to closure. An Incident is defined as an unplanned interruption or reduction in quality of an IT service. Every event that could potentially impair an IT service in the future is also an Incident e.

Status information is typically provided to users at various points during an Incident's lifecycle. Major Incident - Major Incidents cause serious interruptions of business activities and must be solved with greater urgency. The review documents the Incident's underlying causes if known and the complete resolution history, and identifies opportunities for improving the handling of future Major Incidents.

Notification of Service FailureThe reporting of a service failure to the Service Desk, for example by a user via telephone or e-mail, or by a system monitoring tool. Pro-Active User Information - A notification to users of existing or imminent service failures even if the users are not yet aware of the interruptions, so that users are in a position to prepare themselves for a period of service unavailability.

Status Inquiry - An inquiry regarding the present status of an Incident or Service Request, usually from a user who earlier reported an Incident or submitted a request. Support Request - A request to support the resolution of an Incident or Problem, usually issued from the Incident or Problem Management processes when further assistance is needed from technical experts. User Escalation -Escalation regarding the processing of an Incident or Service Request, initiated by a user experiencing delays or a failure to restore their services.

Manufacturer Hardware error Software error Checklist Initial Analysis of an Incident Using the assignment of the Incident to CIs and to Product and Incident categories, the Support Knowledge Base is searched for: Known Solutions Known Workarounds Known Errors If it becomes apparent during the initial analysis that the attributions originally assigned were not applicable, these are corrected: Relationships to CIs Product category, usually selected from a category-tree according to the following example Client PC Standard configuration Documentation of applied Workarounds Documentation of the root cause of the Service interruption Documentation of the applied resolution to eliminate the root cause Date of the Incident resolution Date of the Incident closure.

Type of event Causes Counter-measures for the elimination of the Incident Measures for the future avoidance of similar occurrences In the future e. Roles Responsibilities Incident Manager - Process Owner - The Incident Manager is responsible for the effective implementation of the Incident Management process and carries out the corresponding reporting.

He represents the first stage of escalation for Incidents, should these not be resolvable within the agreed Service Levels. If no ad-hoc solution can be achieved, 1st Level Support will transfer the Incident to expert technical support groups 2nd Level Support. If necessary, it will request external support, e.

The aim is to restore a failed IT service as quickly as possible. Its services are requested by 2nd Level Support if required for solving an Incident. The aim is to restore a failed IT Service as quickly as possible. Major Incident Team - A dynamically established team of IT managers and technical experts, usually under the leadership of the Incident Manager, formulated to concentrate on the resolution of a Major Incident. To reflect the latest guidance Request Fulfilment now consists of five sub-processes, to provide a detailed description of all activities and decision points.

Request Fulfilment now contains interfaces with Incident Management - if a Service Request turns out to be an Incident and with Service Transition if fulfilling a Service Request requires the involvement of Change Management.

A clearer explanation of the information that describes a Service Request and its life cycle has been added. The concept of Service Request Models is explained in more detail. Sub Processes Request Fulfilment Support Process Objective: To provide and maintain the tools, processes, skills and rules for an effective and efficient handling of Service Requests.

Request Logging and CategorizationProcess Objective: To record and categorize the Service Request with appropriate diligence and check the requester's authorization to submit the request, in order to facilitate a swift and effective processing.

Request Monitoring and EscalationProcess Objective: To continuously monitor the processing status of outstanding Service Requests, so that counter-measures may be introduced as soon as possible if service levels are likely to be breached. The aim is to make sure that the Service Request is actually processed and that all information required to describe the request's life-cycle is supplied in sufficient detail.

In addition to this, findings from the processing of the request are to be recorded for future use. Definitions Request for Service - A formal request from a user for something to be provided for example, a request for information or advice; to reset a password; or to install a workstation for a new user. Service Request Model - A Service Request Model defines specific agreed steps that will be followed for a Service Request of a particular type or category.

Service Requests are formal requests from a user for something to be provided for example, a request for information or advice; to reset a password; or to install a workstation for a new user. Service Request Status Information - A message containing the present status of a Service Request sent to a user who earlier reported requested a service. Status information is typically provided to users at various points during a Service Request's lifecycle.

Roles Responsibilities Incident Manager Process Owner - The Incident Manager is responsible for the effective implementation of the Incident Management process and carries out the respective reporting. Typically, 1st Level Support will process simpler requests, while others are forwarded to the specialized Fulfilment Groups. Access Management Objective: ITIL Access Management aims to grant authorized users the right to use a service, while preventing access to non-authorized users.

The Access Management processes essentially execute policies defined in Information Security Management. Service Operations is where the value is delivered and judged.

The first principle of Service Operation is concerned with finding the right balance between : - - the Internal IT view versus the external business view - Ongoing stability versus responsiveness - Quality Improvements versus Cost to deliver the Service - Reactive working versus proactive working The themes of 'Reactivity', 'proactivity' and 'control' are all important.

What is the Scope of Service Operation? Service Operation scope: - - Processes and working practices - The physical organisation of Service Operation - Execution of all ongoing activities required to deliver and support service - Service Management processes - Technology and supporting toolsets - Management of the infrastructure used to deliver services - The people who manage the technology, processes and services.

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