How do you use IT Operations Frameworks to manage changes and incidents?

Every operation no matter the field requires definition, IT is no different, using an operating framework will define how the service is delivered and provided. ITIL does an excellent job at defining at the service operation, incident management, problem identification an handling and a lot more, it truly makes sense to use the framework to stablish consistency and delivery an above expected experience.

IT Operations Frameworks are used to provide structure and guidelines for managing IT operations, including changes and incidents. Two widely adopted frameworks in this regard are ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) and DevOps. Both frameworks emphasize documentation, communication, and continuous improvement. It's important to tailor the use of these frameworks to your organization's specific needs, size, and the nature of your IT operations. Additionally, some organizations might use a combination of ITIL and DevOps practices to strike a balance between structured processes and agility.

Over the past twenty years, I can attest to the fact that IT operations frameworks play a crucial role in managing an organization’s IT infrastructure effectively. These frameworks provide a structured approach to improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and ensure the smooth operation of IT systems. I am very passionate about two reasons why organizations should use IT operations frameworks: 1. Standardization: By adhering to well-established guidelines that are documented & democratized, organizations can maintain consistency in IT practices, leading to better outcomes. 2. Alignment with Business Goals: IT frameworks ensure that technology aligns with overall business objectives, industry best practices, and government regulations.

Adopting IT Operations Frameworks ensures that IT processes align with industry best practices, enabling scalability as you grow. These frameworks bolster risk management and enhance team communication using a unified language. By adhering to such frameworks, you can improve internal efficiencies and strengthen stakeholder trust and regulatory compliance.

From the technical perspective, start the game from CMDB and Asset Management. For most of the service providers (also for IT Dept.) challenges start with scoping. 1. Understand the business process and scope of operation 2. Prepare Inventories (CMDB, Asset etc.) 3. Establish RACI/RAM 4. (CM) From CMDB filter the actual CM scope 5. (CM) Define pre and post CAB process 6. (IM) prepare severity table based on Impact and urgency and finally align ITSM documentation and detection tool with ITSM catalog. Note, no matter what the framework is, the goal is to ensure a steady environment with stable configuration.

Leveraging an IT Operations framework for change and incident management involves structured methodologies. Change management encompasses identifying, assessing, and planning changes, obtaining approvals, executing them with clear procedures, and post-implementation evaluation. Incident management involves swift identification, categorization, immediate response, resolution, documentation, and post-incident analysis for prevention. Frameworks like ITIL or DevOps provide standardized practices, aligning IT with business goals, fostering collaboration, and automating processes for efficiency. Regular evaluation ensures adaptability to evolving landscapes, fostering continual improvement and reduced disruptions in IT operations.

We fully understand that every change carries with it a degree of vulnerability. With ITIL, we ensured that even during these vulnerable phases, we remain steadfast and efficient while avoiding building a bureaucratic maze. When creating such a guideline, we thought of two fundamental vectors: ITIL Best practice: In this case, Change control is trying to ensure maximizing the success rate of the changes being executed in a service environment through the proper assessment, analysis and authorization of all the changes. The company structure: Employees are the ones who will execute, maintain, and potentially improve upon these processes. You need to understand their behaviour, adaptability, culture, skillset, etc.

The most learning from ITIL and other framework like COBIT, Lean or DevOps is the detailed and fully understanding of the delivery of IT services as a product, from the point of design, handling changes, transition and continual improvement plus working with different levels and roles in the organization, the Full ITSM cycle

ITIL gives you the opportunity to start from your current state and offers room for continual improvement. Don't shy away from your immature processes but expose them for audit and exercise continual improvement. ITIL success requires collaboration, interconnection, clear input and output for every process. Defined KPIs must be achievable and measurable should be well defined. The environment may differ, but the standards within the framework remain unchanged. Change and incidents must be allowed to mature along with other processes and their respective owners. Don't limit the requirements within a process to audit; make them available to be seen. A process is as mature as it can support the objectives of the business or organization.

COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies) can be used in an organized manner to manage changes and issues. COBIT offers a framework for identifying and analyzing the impact of proposed changes, designing the relevant controls and processes, and monitoring the changes' implementation and effectiveness. COBIT assists businesses in establishing incident management processes, which include recognizing and categorizing problems, deciding suitable response and resolution methods, and continually monitoring and improving incident management skills. Organizations may efficiently manage changes and incidents by adopting COBIT, assuring the stability and resilience of their information systems.

Continuous Improvement, COBIT emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement. Regularly assess and enhance your change and incident management processes based on feedback and lessons learned. Risk Management: Integrate risk management practices into both change and incident management to identify and mitigate potential risks associated with IT activities. Performance Metrics: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the performance and effectiveness of change and incident management processes. Training and Awareness: Provide training to staff involved in change and incident management and create awareness about the importance of adhering to COBIT principles.

1. Governance: Utilize COBIT's governance framework to establish policies, processes, and controls for managing changes 2. Alignment: Ensure changes and incidents are aligned with business objectives and IT strategy by following COBIT's guidance on aligning IT with business goals 3.Risk Management: Apply COBIT's risk management approach to identify assess and mitigate risks associated with changes and incidents 4. Controls: Implement COBIT's control objectives and practices to manage changes and incidents effectively ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards 5. Monitoring and Evaluation :Monitor and evaluate changes and incidents using COBIT's monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure continuous improvement

In order to manage changes and incidents in software development more efficiently, development and operations teams work together in a collaborative approach known as DevOps. Through the use of automation, continuous integration and delivery, and effective communication, DevOps enables organizations to react quickly to changes and incidents. This includes fostering a collaborative culture, putting version control and automated testing tools into place, and implementing monitoring and alerting systems to proactively detect and address incidents. By adopting DevOps principles, organizations can increase their agility, decrease downtime, and guarantee a seamless and efficient software development lifecycle.

To use DevOps for changes and incidents: 1-Automation: Implement automation for change deployment and incident response processes to increase speed and reliability. 2-Collaboration: Foster collaboration between development and operations teams to ensure seamless integration of changes and effective incident resolution. 3-Continuous Improvement: Continuously monitor and analyze changes and incidents to identify areas for improvement and refine processes iteratively. 4-Feedback Loops: Establish feedback loops to gather insights from changes and incidents, enabling teams to learn and adapt quickly. 5-Culture: Cultivate a culture of shared responsibility, accountability, and learning to support DevOps principles and practices effectively.

ISO/IEC 20000 is an international standard for IT Service Management (ITSM) that provides a framework for delivering high-quality IT services. It can be used to manage various aspects of IT service delivery, including changes and incidents. With ISO/IEC 20000, you can enhance the quality of your IT services and better meet the needs of your organization and its customers.

Priorities for business, clients, auditors are different but we looking for resolutions and build framework: - Change management : acceptable level - Incident management : handling incident - Problem management: eliminate - Service Fulfillment: SLAs and agreements - Roles/Responsibilities : elevating and assignments.

IT operations frameworks streamline change and incident management, minimizing disruptions and enhancing IT service delivery. For change management, frameworks guide planning, approval, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and review, ensuring controlled and effective change execution. For incident management, frameworks facilitate prompt identification, prioritization, investigation, resolution, and communication, enabling rapid issue mitigation. ITIL, COBIT, and DevOps frameworks provide comprehensive guidance for managing changes and incidents, fostering a stable and resilient IT environment.

ISO/IEC 20000 establishes a systematic strategy for managing changes and incidents. To utilize it successfully, businesses should first identify and analyze possible changes or occurrences, and then establish suitable controls. This involves documenting protocols, ensuring communication routes are in place, and performing frequent evaluations. Organizations may improve their change and incident management procedures by complying with ISO/IEC 20000, resulting in higher service quality and customer satisfaction.

To use ISO/IEC 20000 for changes and incidents: 1-Process Implementation: Implement ISO/IEC 20000 processes for change management and incident management, following the standard's guidelines and requirements. 2-Documentation: Maintain documentation of change and incident management procedures in accordance with ISO/IEC 20000 documentation requirements. 3-Continuous Improvement: Continuously monitor and review change and incident management processes to identify areas for improvement and ensure compliance with ISO/IEC 20000 standards. 4-Compliance: Ensure that change and incident management processes adhere to ISO/IEC 20000 requirements to achieve certification and demonstrate conformity to the standard.

Uma das principais aplica??es do AIOps é a orienta??o de Machine Learning para correla??o dos dados de Mudan?as, principalmente quando est?o automatizadas e externalizam o resultado da sua execu??o em metricas, logging e traces, com eventos de monitoramento, permitindo um vis?o de causa e consequência suportando a transi??o Shift-Left para Produ??o. Adicionalmente podem ser agregados dados de Reclama??es em Redes Sociais, Centrais de Atendimento e Campanhas de Marketing, buscando antecipar os impactos (positivos ou negativos) de Mudan?as e idealmente evitando Incidentes.