As we consult with organizations on IT improvement and on IT cost reduction, we see their biggest challenge often lays in getting large IT teams and groups of users to share a common vision.
Often we hear organizations object to potential IT service management (ITSM) success, making comments such as:
- We can't roll out a process across our whole organization- we are global.
- Groups within our company would never support IT improvement initiatives.They don't even understand what we do!
- We can't standardize activites, as we have multiple cultures in our company.
- The various languages of our international company prevent us from building a formalized approach to reports.
Whatever.
These people at Playing for Change figured out how to create a timeless version of a classic song, "Stand by Me," using snipped recordings of various street performers across the world. It's incredible the work that must have gone into building the common vision for this final product across cultural, language and geographic barriers.
If they can do this so beautifully, certainly you can:
- Implement an Incident Management process
- Teach our IT staff enough common language to communicate (ITIL)
- Build a service catalog listing business services, not technical services.
Enjoy! They have many other songs on their blog to inspire you.
by Guest Blogger, Linda King
I read Julie’s earlier blog entry on ‘Will online ITIL training widen the gap?’ with interest. Inspired by a tweet from Stephen Mann at Forrester, Julie wrote a compelling piece on how the current rise of online ITIL training could even further separate real world from the
theoretical.
Personally, I have very strong feelings about this. Whilst it is fantastic news that ITIL training is on the rise, and I have no doubt that online availability of this training is a key factor in this increase, there remains a stark fact.
Much of the ITIL online training available in the market lacks creativity and fails to use the best current technology to create a “2012” training experience.
Many online training providers, in their rush to bring an offering to market, have created ‘experiences’ that are nothing more than automated powerpoint presentations with copious notes. I am frankly amazed that anyone manages to pass certification examinations in this way, as the theoretical has been delivered with little or no context to the bigger picture of the business.
The even more annoying fact... there is no reason why ITIL online training should be boring! Just look at the world around us... immersive tools and technologies surround us. Augmented reality, mobility, gaming platforms, iPad apps.. the list is endless. As a community we have been handed the tools and technologies to create learning experiences that could fully immerse and engage the learner, helping them learn their theory in absolute context.... and perhaps even have (dare I say it), some fun in the process!
So, when searching for an online provider, look for maximum interactivity combined with a strong overall vendor innovation profile. It's that interaction that will drive better learning outcomes and stronger overall information retention.
It’s time we used the technology we have at our fingertips to create some positive deviance in this industry. And until then... mind the gap.
Linda King works for G2G3, the IT readiness and simulations provider. As well driving the marketing and communications function for G2G3, Linda also heads up the G2G3 client delivery function around IT communications programs. Follow Linda on Twitter at @g2g3, or find out more at www.g2g3.com.
Still not sure? Try our free online demo.
Photo: takomabibelot
I recieved a throught-provoking tweet from our friend, Stephen Mann at Forrester on Friday!
Stephen asked if I thought that "online training could make the #ITIL theoretical/real-world divide even bigger." 
In the ITIL training world (well, probably in ALL training), there's a notion that in the world there are "trainers" and there are "people who do the work." The stereotype alludes that trainers don't really have real-world experience and strictly teach you how to pass the tests, but aren't really armed with actual war stories that make your learning more fruitful. So does the insertion of "online training," that has NO instructor, really, widen this gap?
So, I cruised my halls and talked to my colleagues about this.
The answer is complex and speaks more to the relative value of online training versus instructor-led. The reality is, you will get more out of an instructor-led training than you will ever get from an online course, but that doesn’t mean that online is a bad choice. There is a market for cheaper training, some people don’t have the money for instructor training, some companies don’t have the ability to devote large contiguous amounts of time for the employees training, etc.
But could the gap widen? Most certainly. TV church, Facebook, frozen meals, Internet gaming, Atari and the University of Phoenix each COULD widen gaps of some sort or another. Heck, drone warfare could desensitize us from the reality of war. Quiet cars widen the gap in reality that you are driving at 120 mph relative to the car 6 feet away from you going the other direction.
All these things require mitigation and maturity to ensure that the intended outcome is reached. The gap may have to be managed in some way, such as mentoring, internships, forums or even social media. There is also a risk of being on the wrong side of the gap if you DON’T leverage innovation and relying on instructor-led only will most certainly create a gap, as well.
At the end of the day, training does not take the place of experience, no matter what the training vehicle. And the good news is that as a result of availability of online ITIL courses, foundation certifications are on the rise, so at least people are learning a common vocabulary. So a common vocabulary MUST help make the gap smaller, right?
Want to give online training a free try?
Photo: Annie Mole
Recent numbers from the ITIL accreditor show that the number of people sitting for ITIL certifications has greatly increased in the last year. Why are there more people sitting for various ITIL certifications?
I interviewed some of our consultants to get their thoughts on what is behind this. Here's what I learned. 
No-Travel ITIL Training Courses
The biggest influence on this increase? Electronic availability.
Jay Long eplained, "Today more than ever, you can receive the training in a fashion that fits your needs, and by far the easiest and probably the fastest growing segment is the ITIL online training." One can even work on the ITIL Expert certification virtually.
ITIL certifications are finally available in virtual classrooms and online. No longer do people have to get approved the travel costs of training, only the cost of the course. This has helped keep costs manageable and has made training more available. Some courses require that a live person instruct, but allows the course to be held in a virtual setting utilizing tools like GoToMeeting, Skype and other electronic collaboration tools.
Steve Janssen noted, "Before, you had to set aside 3-4 days per certification, with at least another day if you traveled. Now you can do it in 10-12 hours of facilitated learning, and the rest on your own and then take the exam anywhere that has internet…I had a student take it at Starbucks."
Virtual refers to the classroom being led by an instructor who is hosting a virtual event.
Online refers to a computer-led learning event.
It would be interesting if we could see the online and virtual courses broken out to see if that, alone, compensates for the increase.
Orgs Finally "Getting It"
Maybe we're optimists, but our consultants couldn't help but also believe that many organizations are realizing that IT service management is critical to effective and efficient business management.
Increased Visibility
Over time, certain evolution brings the idea of IT improvement to the forefront. Recently, we've had the 2011 version of ITIL released and previous versions of ITIL certifications were retired. All of this raises awareness and gets those organizations or individuals who were thinking, "I need to get that certification," to finally take the class.
This, combined with the natural growth of this popular management approach, has made ITIL a highly accepted IT framework. Shops who had not previous adopted an IT service management mentality are finally realizing they are going to miss the train and get outsourced if they don't get on the bandwagon.
Download the reports from the accreditor.
Photo: Yogendra174
The importance of a strong request management process coupled with a well thought out service catalog is worth its weight in gold. Consider this story.
It's Saturday and you've just had a great gym workout. You're going to meet family or friends at your favorite burger joint.
The server you see every
time enthusiastically greets you, takes your drink order and bounces off. Cherry Coke. You love that stuff. You only will indulge in it on Saturdays after a power workout. This continues every Saturday for an entire spring.
Unbeknownst to you, your favorite server has been creating your Cherry Coke using maraschino cherry juice poured into your coke.
One day, much to your dismay, your favorite server is not there. In her place, is a new guy. Ok.
You request your Cherry Coke. "Sir, I'm sorry, but we don't have Cherry Coke." To which you reply, "Mr. Newbie, I've had Cherry Coke here every Saturday for about 4 months. Don't tell me you don't have Cherry Coke."
The guy looks a little embarrassed and walks off saying, "I'll check." Within a few minutes, up walks a guy with spectacles and a pencil behind his hear, wearing khakis and a plaid button down shirt. "Howdy! I understand you are looking for a Cherry Coke!"
"Yes," I reply, "That's me."
"Well, we have never served Cherry Coke. I'm the owner, and I can assure you that you must be confusing us with another restaurant." Suddenly you're annoyed, the owner is annoyed and bad karma is happening all the way around.
What does any of this have to do with managing IT services (ITSM)? A lot!
- Request Management (ITIL)- Taking a rogue approach to making the Cherry Coke cost the restaurant more than their projected cost to make that drink. If the restaurant had a request management process via which staff could provide input as to products that had been requested by customer, but not available, the restaurant could have seen that there was a solid demand for Cherry Coke. They could assess this request and order it, deliver it and price it properly.
- Service Analyst Training - The human factor is always the toughest part of any of this, isn't it? Training those interfacing with the customer to take a request and document it, rather than doing "anything" to make a customer happy, will create a better pay off for all in the long run. But you really have to train your team to understand this. Otherwise, the human nature of people in a service role is to take care of the customer. At any cost.
- Service Catalog- It all comes down to the service catalog, in this case, the menu, doesn't it? If the server had kept to the menu, but taken the request to the manager, the manager would probably still have made the Cherry Coke in the rogue fashion, but would be able to note the request.
Remember, a solid service catalog (menu) is one of the most critical assets that you can create in ITSM. Teach your team to stick to it, but also give them an outlet to record other requests. Your customers will love you for it.
Trying to get started? Download our paper today to help you get a nudge.
Interested in how the ITIL updates changes affect your ITIL certification path?
A vodcast with the ITIL Chief Examiner Sharon Taylor, which was recorded during the itSMF UK conference in November 2011 to answer ITIL Update queries raised by the ATOs and their candidates, is now available for viewing below.
A PDF of the ITIL update questions and responses are also available to download.
Chief Examiner for ITIL, Sharon Taylor, answers ATO questions on the ITIL Qualification Scheme following the update of ITIL 2011.
- When will MALC syllabus be ready?
The revisions to the MALC syllabus are running according to schedule. We had always planned to release it in Quarter 2 of 2012. The reason for that is with the other activities going on around the ITIL 2011 update with respect to changes to all of the qualifications, we tried to allow the community of the training providers ample time to prepare for all of the new releases. So beginning in January 2012 the Intermediate and Foundation modules will have undergone their final redevelopment, and MALC will follow shortly thereafter.
- Will the MALC release have impact on students preparing for the exams?
In terms of changes to preparation we are advising candidates not to make any changes to their current plans. We will continue to offer both versions of MALC in tandem for a period of time to allow candidates to continue to take the line of study that they have been taking if they are involved in the 2007 version, or in 2011 version when it becomes available. So the MALC qualification is on target and has always been scheduled to be released in Q2 of 2012.
- How will the release of the 2011 edition affect students who started on their ITIL Expert path with the 2007 books?
With respect to the changes between 2011 and 2007 versions of qualifications, a candidate who is currently studying along the 2007 path can continue to do that until end December 2011. The examinations have been designed so that students taking either version can take an exam without being affected negatively. Once the full revision cycle has completed by 2012, all lines of study will be geared towards the 2011 version. So candidates now in the path can continue along that path, and there shouldn’t be any effect to them, until 2007 has been withdrawn. There will be ample overlap time given to the candidates to complete that work, so there should be no impact one way or the other, depending upon which version the candidates are now studying under, they should be able to continue along that path without any impact.
- When will students need to change over to the 2011 version?
Once the 2011 version of core qualifications has been released in their final version in 2012, all candidates will need to be studying in a 2011 version of courseware. Anyone who is currently studying in the 2007 version should make preparations to sit their exams as soon as possible, because once that changeover happens the course curriculum and exams will all be geared to 2011 content which is different.
- Are there new processes in ITIL 2011?
There are a few new processes which have been added to ITIL 2011, all of which become examinable under the 2011 qualification scheme. There has been one added to Service Design which is called ‘design coordination’, and one added to Service Strategy which is ‘strategy management’. However it is important for candidates to realise that those new processes are not actually new content. They are the restructuring of existing content that was in place in 2007, which has been reorganised into being a formal process structure for the books. The content has been present from 2007 onwards, so the processes are newly named as processes, but the content is not actually all new.
- What is the new 2011 syllabus structure?
The syllabus structure is similar to what it has been in the past in terms of format, and anyone who is familiar with how the learning units are documented will know that core guidance book reference sections are provided which deal with the content that will be examined within that learning unit. When a particular book reference is e.g. 1.0, that means the coverage is any of the content within that full section. Where specific references to a more finite part of a section are required, the tertiary level will be added to the core guidance reference. In other words, if the focus is on something within 1.1.2, the syllabus will state 1.1.2. In terms of guidance for training providers and covering content within courseware, when a section has a single level, like 1.0, that means any content within that section can be examined. So course content should also cover all of the material within that section. Only where special provisions have been made for tertiary level like 1.1.2 as an example, then there would be a specific focus on that content only.
PDF format: ITIL Qualification Scheme Updates Following ITIL 2011
See the video: ITIL Qualification Scheme Updates with Sharon Taylor
ITIL® (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a framework and
set of best practicesthat enable Information Technology Service Management (ITSM), based on practical history and experience, not theoretical ideas. It is important to differentiate that ITIL is a framework, not a methodology. It is not a set of rules or procedures.
Originally created in the United Kingdom in the late 1980's, the framework was built in response to the growing dependency that businesses have on information technology. It provides businesses with a customizable framework of best practices to achieve quality service delivery.
ITIL provides a process lifecycle model and associated reference books are available. In addition to texts, which can be purchased online, ITIL services and products include training, software tools, and professional organizations such as the IT Service Management Forum (itSMF).
Individuals may achieve ITIL certifications. Organizations looking to show that their services are built in accordance with these best practices may achieve an ISO/IEC 20000 certification of a service. ISO/IEC 20000 is the international standard for IT service management. Any organization wishing to be formally certified against the scheme gets assessed by a Registered Certification Body (RCB). Once the requirements of ISO/IEC 20000 have been satisfied, the RCB will issue a certificate of conformance and the organization will be eligible to use the itSMF ISO/IEC 20000 logo as a sign of their achievement and may also request a listing on this website, enabling instant verification by visitors.
ITIL provides a common language and approach to implementing best practices within an organization and has permeated to thousands of organizations around the world.
This “best practices framework” is based on the collective experiences of various commercial and government practitioners around the world. These experiences have been meshed together to create one common set of best practices.
ITIL defines “what” your organization should be doing and leaves much of the “how” up to you. ITIL provides objectives, activities, roles, inputs and outputs of all of the common processes present in an IT organization. However, it recognizes that each IT organization has a need to implement ITIL processes to meet its own needs and, therefore, does not provide any specific guidelines for implementing these processes.
Framework comparison:
ITIL: The IT Infrastructure Library is a customizable framework of best practices that promote quality computing services in the IT sector. Built on a process-model view of controlling and managing IT services, ITIL addresses the structure and skill requirements for an IT organization by presenting a comprehensive set of management procedures.
ISO/IEC 20000: This is the international industry standard for IT service management. Organizations may achieve certify a service, using a
COBIT: Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology is a framework for information security that provides managers, auditors and IT users with a set of generally accepted IT control objectives to assist them in developing appropriate IT governance and control in a company.
CMM: The Capability Maturity Model is a method for evaluating and measuring the maturity of the software development process of organizations on a scale of 1 to 5. A revised version, the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), provides guidance for improving an organization's processes and a way to manage the development, acquisition and maintenance of products or services.
Six Sigma: Six Sigma is a data-driven quality-management program to control variation and thereby achieve extremely high levels of quality. "Six sigma" refers to six standard deviations in statistical measurement, which in the methodology corresponds to a maximum of 3.4 failures per million units.
Plexent owns and holds a license for the use of ITIL copyrighted material with HMSO the administrator of Crown copyright information. ITIL® is a registered trademark, and a registered community trademark of the Office of Government Commerce, and is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. IT Infrastructure Library® is a registered trademark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.
ITIL 2011 Foundation Course & Exam: The ITIL 2007 exam expired d on Dec. 31, 2011. Learners who have completed the 2007 course but did not take your examp prior to Dec. 31, 2011 will have to take the new exam. If you would like additional material to prep for this exam you can request an upgrade to the 2011 course at no charge. Just send an email to training@plexent.comrequesting the upgrade. You will have the full 90 course duration and can schedule your exam whenever you are ready to do so.
New Webcam Proctoring process: As of January 1, 2012, the exam instit
utes will make the following change in exam processes for individual learners, in order to comply with APMG’s mandate: All individual learners who wish to take their exam online without going to a testing center will be required to take it via a webcam proctor.
The exam agency will provide the proctor, and the exam can now be taken at any time, 24/7. The candidate can take the exam anywhere with a good internet connection and a web cam, EVEN FROM HOME!
Group exams will still continue to operate as they always have, whether paper or web-based. This applies to ITIL exams only.
ITIL Intermediate Courses: Due to increased demand for the RCV and OSA virtual courses we have added these to our calendar for the week of Jan. 23rd. Both are guaranteed to run.
Photo: MShades
CIOs are nesting into a
new normal.
Pressure from the economy, external vendors and the demand to offer shared services leaves CIOs looking for ways find more places for IT cost-cutting, yet all of the low hanging fruit is already gone.
It is time to buckle down and take a new look at some old things. 
- Blow up your service catalog. Often, at customers, we don't see a true business service catalog. Normally, organizations have gone to great extent to build a technical service catalog that is meaningless to the business.
These technical components are important and should be tracked, but make sure that your technical services are based on a business services catalog, filled with services which the business actually wants!
If the business doesn't value an application's uptime enough to pay for it, then you don't need to be paying for all of the supporting technical services, right? So rip apart your business service catalog and make sure you're only offering what the business needs and wants.
- Consolidate metrics. Going to one place to get one metric and 24 other places to get each of your other metrics? Quit doing that. Create a monthly scorecard for the business, one for IT and one for the CIO.
Many applications do a great job of reporting on the data associated with that application. However, we see that what most IT organizations should be watching are KPIs that are products of many of these various data sources. (iRunIT is an easy solution for this, of course!)
The power of focus is a great thing. Well-structured KPIs and appropriate measurements will get you focused on the right things.
- IT Service Management (ITSM) versus IT. The world has talked a long time about IT performance, which typically measures technology performance. Quit doing that. Nobody cares.
This would be the equivalent of measuring RPMs of your motor versus measuring whether or not your car can actually drive. Get focused on IT services. Make IT Service Management somebody's job and have that person report to the CIO.
This will not save money at first. This one will take longer to pay off, but it will.
- Be a Learning Organization- There is a difference between training and learning. Hire people with a track record of learning. On their own. Creatively. Put in place some learning vehicles, such as the ongoing Performance Camps offered in our iRunIT software. This gives your team opportunity to learn as much as possible, on your team's own schedule. Celebrate failure (as long as the same mistakes are not repeated). Reward those who keep learning by promoting from within.
Don't forget to value soft skills, as well as the technical skills. How to get things done is as important as what gets done. Efficient and motivated people can make a HUGE difference in your processes.
Photo: Wonderlane