How can you scale and flex your IT service management standards?

1.Have the target defined and baseline understood - in order to plan the next steps 2.Understand the value add activities needed to achieve the progress and focus on improvement of those 3.Understand the gaps by gathering feedbacks and understanding the perceived gaps The above can be good starting points for scaling the standards.

You cannot appreciate where you have reached until you know where you come from. So it is key to assess current state and while it is a big program, the never to miss list includes Stakeholder interviews, Service Management Tool assessment, Process Analysis, Performance Metrics Verification & CSAT interviews.

ITIL V4 replaced its phases with value streams and one of the intent was this. Draw a value chain and map components. Start with the high value deliverables and low hanging fruits. You'd see the magic of the entire program taking shape around the principles you put together.

Services are in place such that Business can run. Business's success does provide everyone's bread and butter :) Processes should be in place for making things easier for business to achieve its goals. The ITSM processes and standards in principle are set to make processes simpler. It needs to be aligned with the perspective of smooth operations and to meet the critical success factors.

In my experience, I have always seen examples that process is for the business and not the other way around. Ensure business alignment at all fronts starting at the layer of vision and culture until stakeholder agreement.

ITSM principles have been in place since ages and there are improvements - with the advent of new age technologies, ITSM in an organization is becoming more cross functional than ever before. There is a need to see how the new technologies can bring in improvements in its implementations and smooth operation. Automating repetitive tasks, removing of manual interventions, fastest possible TTL in case of downtime, and many such examples, show that the ITSM processes can be made even more simpler and leaner - the need is to constantly think of ways to do so - bring in the needed innovations at the right pace.

It's important to learn that innovation is not trying new-fangled technology or tools. It is about having a revolutionary thought and embrace it coupled with a grand plan. So ensure that you come up with such thoughts and implementations are constantly measured. Don't stop people from trying new things - allow that, but keep on measuring success and change approach on initiatives which are not working.

A value stream-based approach is the best solution here. There are many dimensions to be addressed to scale and flex the ITSM standards. However, it would be a large bite to swallow because it includes so many varieties of areas like technology upgrades, agile methodology and vendor collaboration - the list will grow multifold. Instead establish the value stream and start focusing on delivering value and eliminate waste. Start measuring all the KPIs and this would be best start.

In ITSM for an organization, bringing in Process Cycle Efficiency (Lean's 5S view) gives a view of of the value added work, and non-value added work in any process. the non-value added work can then be understood as essential non-value added work (which needs to be done) and the non-value adds - which can be removed. Just an example of how the different methods can increase efficiency of work and increase the applicability and ease of ITSM standard adoption.