Transcript Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools

Webcast
Requirements
Title
to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Requirements to Consider When Looking at
ITSM Tools
November 13, 2006
2:00pm EST, 11:00am PST
Speaker:
George Spafford, Principal Consultant, Pepperweed
Consulting
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Main Presentation
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Agenda
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A general approach to requirements definition
What features are beneficial to look for in tools
How to evaluate vendors relative to requirements
Looking past the initial purchase –
implementation, upgrades and ongoing support
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Webcast
Requirements
Title
to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
So, what’s our objective?
Why are we doing this?
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
This Is Our Goal
Accounting
Manufacturing
Maximize
Sustainable
Profits
Payroll
Sales
Customer Service
In an organization, IT either adds value by enabling functional area objectives or by
assisting in the mitigation of enterprise risks.
Productivity is movement towards the goal.
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
ITIL Processes and Functions Must be Coordinated
IT Security
Mgt
Problem
Mgt
Incident
Mgt
Service Desk Configuration
Function
Mgt
Change
Mgt
Customer
Requirements
Service
Development
IT Service
Continuity Mgt
IT Financial
Mgt
Availability
Mgt
Capacity
Mgt
Service Level
Mgt
To achieve the goal requires proper management. The real question
about any tool is how it improves productivity relative to functional
area objectives and the organization’s goal.
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Diminishing Returns
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a point of diminishing returns
Each successive unit of input will
yield less and less output
Over-optimizing any single area can
unbalance the system
Efficient and effective productivity
gains come from recognizing and
addressing the system – not
individual areas
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Results
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100
Any single process along will reach %
Level of Investment
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
The Power Lies in Integration
Change
Management
Service Level
Management
Availability
Management
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Incident
Management
Problem
Management
Configuration
Management
IT Financial
Management
IT Service
Continuity
Management
Service Desk
Function
Capacity
Management
IT Security
Management
Webcast
Requirements
Title
to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
But where do we start?
We start with the business
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Business Needs are Paramount
With ITSM we want to create
services that meet the requirements
of the business. Hence, we must
understand those requirements and
drill down.
Business Services
IT Services
This is why “IT Depends” is a valid
answer!
Process
Requirements
Automation
Requirements
People
Requirements
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Automation
• New tools need to support process requirements
– ITIL recommends that a selected tool deliver 80% of
mandatory requirements
• Process updates leveraging existing tooling need
to take automation capabilities into account
– Need realistic designs
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Beware Technology Push
• Buying a tool to “force” processes
• Tool specific processes may not meet
organization specific requirements!!!
• Direction of the tool may not be appropriate
• Management may not be very understanding why
a new tool is needed
• Buying a tool does not outsource responsibility /
accountability
– Due diligence must be done
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
A Comprehensive Solution
• Will recognize three
dimensions
– People are the foundations
– Processes tie tasks together
– Technology is an enabler
• The proper blending
generates desired results
Results
People
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Webcast
Requirements
Title
to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Features for Consideration
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
ITIL Core Books
• Service Support
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Change Management
Configuration Management
Service Desk
Incident Management
Problem Management
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• Service Delivery
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Service Level Management
Capacity Management
Availability Management
IT Financial Management
IT Service Continuity
Management
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
High-Level
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Extensible data model
Extensible Workflow
– Adaptable to your requirements
– Automation of related transactions
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Open Platform / Integration to Other Systems
– Within the enterprise
– Moving into the value chain
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Enterprise Class
– Database
– Security
– Ability to support remote sites (very important)
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Flexible Reporting
– Information vs. Content Overload
– What is needed vs. generating content just because you can
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Change Management
• Ability to track changes from request through to
implementation
• Able to leverage data from CMDB for business
impact assessment and to know who to talk to in
IT and the business
• Able to relate Incidents and Problems to changes
• Detect all relevant changes in pertinent CIs
• Enable Incident and Problem Management to
always be able to answer the question “what
changed?”
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Configuration Management
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This is the logical model of the IT
world
Understand Relationships
– Parent, child, depends on, etc.
Configuration Items (akin to data
tables)
– Hardware
– Software
– Processes
– People
– Documentation
– Facilities
– Data
Attributes (akin to data fields)
CMDB can be
– Single instance
– Federated
An effective security model
Chant “Meaningful and Manageable”
over and over and over
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Release Management
• Ability to define standards around releases and
enforce workflow
• Project Management
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Requirements Definition
Tasks
Testing
Oversight
• Portfolio Management
– How do all the projects, services, RFCs, etc. relate?
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Service Desk
• Use of scripts
• The SD model
– Local
– Central
– Virtual
London
Customer 1
• Users
– Vendors / Outsourcers
– Customers
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Coordination between sites
Sharing of data
Multi-lingual
Speed
Integrity
Security
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Internet
Shanghai
Customer 2
Melbourne
Outsource Vendor A
Headquarters
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Incident Management
• Use of scripts
• Workflow with escalation
• Incident Matching
– Incidents
– Problems
– Known Errors
• Knowledge Management
– Ability to post solutions with appropriate security vs. just
reading old tickets
• Input from automated monitoring systems
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Problem Management
• Able to relate Incidents but managed separate
from Incidents
• Root cause analysis
• Able to generate and manage
– Problem Records
– Known Error Records
• Escalation based on thresholds
• Able to relate change tickets
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Service Level Management
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Identification of requirements
Tracking of performance relative to targets
Alerting
Service Catalog
Operational Level Agreements (OLAs)
Underpinning Contracts (UCs)
Integration of Service Levels to other areas
Continuous Service Improvement Programs (CSIPs)
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Capacity Management
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Capacity Database (CDB) integration
Input from monitoring systems
Alerting
Trending / Forecasting
Performance relative to plan
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Availability Management
• Support availability targets
• Monitoring of performance relative to targets
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
IT Service Continuity Management
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Documentation
Training plans
Test plans
Test schedules
Test results
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
IT Financial Management
• Budgeting
– Performance relative to this years
– Planning for the future
• Costing
– Ability to track costs relative to services
• Charge Backs
– Real
– Notional
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Reporting
• Flexible and extensible reporting with security
• Generate information – not just content
• Understand what stakeholders need and tailor
reports/web pages accordingly
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Webcast
Requirements
Title
to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Vendor Selection
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Vendor Selection Is Critical
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Automation fundamentally affects the quality of IT services rendered – take the
time to do it right
Formalize the product/vendor review process!!!
Involve the correct stakeholders
Select a vendor based on experience
Total Solution & Total Costs
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Beware the low bidders who know scope is wrong
TCO = Purchase Price + Implementation Costs + (Expected life in years * (Annual Operating
Costs Including Support & Licensing))
Pre-sales and Post-Sales Support
Upgrade Paths
Vision – Where are they going?
Controls – What controls do they have in place to help manage risks
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In their solution?
In their organization?
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Additional Vendor Factors
• Quality Management Philosophy
• Implementation Capabilities
– Do they have a scalable methodology?
– Can they facilitate organizational change?
• Training
– Tools
– Processes
• Documentation
• References and Developed References
• What are the risks to the organization associated with each
vendor?
– Stability – where will they be in six months, a year, two years, etc.?
– What is happening in the industry?
• Vendor consolidation, excessive competition, …?
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Webcast
Requirements
Title
to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Looking to the Future
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Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Strategy
• The needs of the business
are going to change
• Risks are going to change
• Resources are going to
change
• How are you going to
change?
• How will your automation
requirements evolve?
• Work with the business and
not around the business
Accounting
Maximize
Sustainable
Profits
Payroll
IT Security
Mgt
Sales
Problem
Mgt
Incident
Mgt
Customer Service
Service Desk Configuration
Function
Mgt
Change
Mgt
Customer
Requirements
Service
Development
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Manufacturing
IT Service
Continuity Mgt
IT Financial
Mgt
Availability
Mgt
Capacity
Mgt
Service Level
Mgt
Webcast
Requirements
Title
to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Thank you for the privilege of facilitating this webcast
George Spafford
[email protected]
http://www.pepperweed.com
Daily News Archive and Subscription Instructions
http://www.spaffordconsulting.com/dailynews.html
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Questions?
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation
Requirements to Consider When Looking at ITSM Tools
Thank you for attending
If you have any further questions, e-mail
[email protected]
© 2006 Jupitermedia Corporation