Digital Service Management - overcoming past mistakes

Many of you who read this will be leading or contributing to a re-brand of Service Management/IT Service Management and turning it from a `tick box` exercise with a limited scope into a set of best practices that span a digital enterprise.

Service Management is about appropriate levels of governance, visibility, and control. It’s the oil in the engine that makes everything tick. Without it, there is a lack of visibility, and an end-to-end view on the various lifecycles across Plan, Build and Run, which can lead to financial problems and reputational damage.

When creating a digitally friendly Service Management, or Service Integration & Management approach, here are some past mistakes to address that will help you move forward in a more positive manner.

Clash of cultures

The purpose of any company is to generate and retain customers, yet many IT Service Management/Service Delivery Management strategies have had the opposite effect. ITIL? aligned processes are in place that will stand up to any assessment or audit, but the end customer isn’t happy and lacks confidence in your services and offerings. Because `IT departments` are tasked with delivering multiple projects, it’s easy for the focus to turn from what the customer wants to getting things over the line and meeting key deadlines.

Re-focusing on relationships and the needs of the customer may seem like a basic thing to do, but it is also a very powerful starting point.

Finance versus IT

Finance and IT don’t always see eye to eye. IT is continually asking for further investment – in tooling & automation, staff training, extra storage, security, in hiring new personnel. Finance usually says no to IT requests, as they aren’t presented in a way that articulates business value, so are viewed as un-necessary expenditure.

This means talking to finance on their terms, cutting out the jargon, and articulating why the investment is important.

Jargon

Building from the point before, IT Service leaders can be guilty of delivering technical explanations and rationales for investment, which others can’t relate to or understand. Effective communication means understanding the needs of the corporate community and then demonstrating how new technology initiatives address those needs. Whereas discussing features and benefits isn’t always a bad thing, it doesn’t tell others what the outcome and impact of an investment is expected to be.

Past reputation

For anybody who watches football, you may notice that certain players seem to frequently receive yellow and red cards whereas others go un-punished for committing similar fouls. This is often because of past reputation.

A history of technology not working as promised, slow turnaround times, and a lack of effective communication often puts IT Service Management modernisation at a disadvantage.

You now have the chance to get back into the corporate `good books`, by demonstrating that you have considered and can articulate the business benefits and pay back of a new technology investment or transforming to a new way of working.

Over the line…..and relax

When a system or new service goes live, it can quickly become an after-thought.

Just as customer relationships need building and nurturing, and business strategy requires constant evaluation, companies now must recognize the need for IT processes that engage, evaluate, evolve, and improve outcomes.

Are mistakes that were made in the past, most likely not from your own doing standing in the way of you realising your Service Management goals? If so, I can help you undo any past mistakes that have been made, so that you can move boldly forward.

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