Pdf Version here.
This is a question we are often asked and seems to be on the minds of many large IT organizations. While there could be many ways to respond, it’s our opinion that this is the wrong question to ask. IT organizations looking to “implement” ITIL are forgetting the fundamental reason for any framework (ITIL, COBIT, Six Sigma, etc.).
The framework should not be the goal, but the means toward a “greater purpose.”
Consider the statement to the Board of Directors. “I am going to implement
ITIL.” Six months later you go back and say “we’re finished,” but can they
see the results? Not likely.
The focus is wrong – focusing on ITIL puts the emphasis on an approach,
not an objective.
ITIL is not the only game in town. Any structured approach to improve
IT Service Delivery will work, provided the people involved have the
discipline to follow through.
This is where most organizational change breaks down. Continuous
improvement is a long, hard road and there will be many times that staff will
question, reject and challenge a change in how they work. Successful organizations expect this resistance, plan for it, and have the discipline to push forward when it happens. Change is something that most of us will resist in one form or another – if you expect it, and even welcome resistance as a sign that you are getting people out of their comfort zone, it’s easier to overcome.
Instead of asking “How do we implement ITIL,” Anton Systems suggests
that you redefine the project. A project to implement ITIL is not the right approach; ITIL is a path to a destination, not the ultimate goal. Trying to achieve an approach simply imposes another management directive, without giving staff a reason to change.
Start with a measurable objective. What is your goal? A more appropriate question would be “how do we increase operational effectiveness of the IT department to increase user satisfaction ratings from 93% to 99%?”
Once you have defined a concrete, measurable objective, then the ITIL framework may provide a valuable roadmap toward your goal. You can compare ITIL best practices against your current processes, identify deficiencies, and change your processes and tools to help you achieve the goal.
Most important, by doing this, staff members understand the reason for change, and everyone has a metric to measure progress toward the goal. Without a purpose and measure, overcoming change resistance is difficult.
We would be happy to discuss your specific situation and how you can best utilize the ITIL framework to achieve your business objectives.