ITSM Assessment and CSI

Continual Improvement Introduction

IT must continually align and re-align IT services to changing business needs by identifying and implementing improvements to IT services and processes that support the business. Continual Improvement focuses on the activities and processes to improve the quality of services.

The purpose of introducing the processes, roles, and responsibilities of Continual Improvement is to maximize the business value and focus of the IT services your organization provides, with a focus on the overall effectiveness of IT service management, the alignment of IT services with the business requirements, and the development of mature IT processes. Continual Improvement should be an ongoing activity in your IT organization, with the goal of constantly measuring, analyzing, and enhancing both IT services and underlying IT processes.

Continual Improvement is an iterative process that serves as a “wrapper” for all other phases of the ITIL lifecycle and should be used as an ongoing (i.e. Continual) activity to ensure that your ITIL®/ITSM processes are aligned with the requirements of the organization.

TechnoLava utilizes the following tools and methodologies to ensure that the organization’s processes continue to mature and remain aligned with the organization’s objectives: 

• Performance Measurement Framework / Performance Analytics
• Structured, Standards based, Process Assessments
• Continual Improvement Management

ITSM Structured Process Assessment (ISO/IEC 33000)

TechnoLava utilizes a comprehensive IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL®) Assessment and Roadmap engagement that may be applied to ITSM Readiness, Maturity or Improvement Programs or may be used as a pre-Audit for ISO 20000 Certification. The program not only provides an understanding of current ITIL® maturity, it gives clients the details needed to actually begin re-engineering critical processes.

TechnoLava has adopted a standards-based Assessment Methodology that is based on ITIL Best Practices and the ISO/IEC 33000 Assessment Methodology.

The most important success factor for an assessment is to introduce the goals and objectives of the assessment, adding on top of that the expected deliverables and the timeframe.  Anyone involved in the assessment will therefore understand how and why he/she is involved.  This point of view is also related to one of the outcomes of the assessment: the improvement plans that are relevant to the situation and the organization.

A TechnoLava ISO/IEC 33000 assessment is carried out in six predefined steps. In this way, anyone executing an assessment will use the same methodology. Each step has a predefined number of criteria to be assessed with their associated controls. The steps are as follow:

The result is presented in a report demonstrating the capability of the organization to manage the assessed processes. This report has a specific format allowing future comparisons in the event of new assessments, to check the evolution or allow comparison with other organizations.

ITIL/ITSM processes are not set in stone and should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they are fit for purpose and underpin the delivery of quality IT services. A TechnoLava assessment helps you to fully understand the starting position before making any coordinated efforts for improvement.

Upon completion of the engagement, each client receives a concrete plan that details specific steps that begins moving the organization towards re-engineering all IT processes in alignment with ITIL® best practices. This includes educating and training staff, leveraging installed technology to support baseline ITIL® operations and identifying and utilizing ‘low-hanging fruit’ or process improvements that will drive immediate return on investment (ROI).