Perfecting IT service management is like playing golf. There is enough golf coverage on television that we all know who does it best - that is who we should try to emulate. And, we can pick and choose amongst the best golfers for different aspects of the game - driving, iron play, putting, etc. There are many instructional books dissecting these different facets of the golf game, however, while the packaging differs, there is often very few variations as to the key concepts (ie. best practices). Choosing the right book will help, but it's far more important at this time to get started. After gaining some experience it becomes far easier to identify the finer points in what the reference sources are describing. Furthermore, the best source may reflect additional considerations related to your own physical attributes - size, physical ability, etc.
How the book is organized (i.e. its' methodology) will go a long way in helping you understand what needs to be done and in what order. Traditional divisions such as the 'long game', the 'short game', chipping', 'putting' break the game down into understandable divisions based upon discrete and separable facets. They aren't always exhaustive of all elements inherent in the game of golf, but emulating them will help you improve your game.
There are four relevant aspects in learning golf which, I believe, have current parrallels in the IT service management field.
1. what the game looks like when played correctly. We get this from watching major championships and reading instructional books.
2. instructional material on how we can make our body cooperate to do the things necessary to action the best practices.
3. agreed-upon scoring methods which outline how well we are doing in relation to others and how we are improving over time.
4. how to select the best clubs and other equipment to improve our game.
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Has become recognized as a definitive source for what good IT service management looks like. Like a golf instructional book, it contains divisions (and, the divisions may not exhaustive of all aspects of IT service management), which break service management down into discrete units. Like golf these aspects are interdependent in many, and often varying ways, so that it is necessary to understand the entire library to score properly. These interdependencies are like "course management" - knowing where the hazards are and how to best avoid them.
While ITIL describes important "best practices" (i.e., what the game looks like when played properly), it isn't prescriptive as to what you need to accomplish to attain that level. Capability Maturity Modelng (CMM) , is used to decompose elements into instructional material. Following the analogy, it describes such things as the levers involved in a golf swing and how a human torso should be 'twisted' to best employ these levers (i.e., club and arms) to generate consistent force in the right direction. The integrated version of CMM outlines some generally recognized practices (like proper conditioning, mental preparedness, etc) and some specific practices for each aspect of the golf game.
Furthermore, CMMI emphasizes how to "tailor" a standard swing process for a driver, or a short-iron (or how to draw and fade for that matter). Like Tiger Woods, no two golfers are exactly the same. Each must "tailor" their swing for their unique physical conditions and the unique environmental conditions of the course they are playing on. yet, in both sets of circumstances the "unique" aspect is derived from a standard set of shots which have been tested and verified for performance. There should be little variation from expectations, though the the risks of failure will be commensurate with the difficulty of the shot.
Control Objects for IT-related Technology (CobIT) describes how well you are doing in different aspects of the game. This is different from a balanced scorecard which empirically measures certain facets of the game - including overall score. Instead, it breaks the game into its' constituent elements and describes how well you are doing on each of them (like physical conditioning, knowledge of the game, etc.). It attempts to be exhaustive of all facets of the game - 34 distinct processes ordered into 4 categoriesN. The level of play it uses are set out as maturity levels:
* can you repeat the element (eg. swing) consistently
* have you defined the elements and try to operate according to the description (eg. defined the elements of the swing)
* have you quantified the key elements and used the data for improvement (i.e. analyzed the mechanics of the swing for defects - e.g. deviation from consistent swing plane)
* do you review and attempt to remove deviations from the defined (i.e. optimal or best practice)
Lastly, you can improve the assistive devices you employ in the game. Within specified parameters, the right clubs will increase your distance and accuracy. Increasingly, IT service management is demanding (and vendors are responding) with integrated toolsets which recognize the interdependencies amongst IT disciplines. Beyond this there are a variety of specialized devices providing failure alerts, the compilation of management data, etc.
Version 3 of ITIL has made significant strides in accommodating Capability Maturity Modelling and included complimentary "Objects" from CobIT, but, in my opinion, still falls somewhat short from a methodological standpoint.
Perfecting IT service management is like playing golf. There is enough golf coverage on television that we all know who does it best - that is who we should try to emulate. And, we can pick and choose amongst the best golfers for different aspects of the game - driving, iron play, putting, etc. There are many instructional books dissecting these different facets of the golf game, however, while the packaging differs, there is often very few variations as to the key concepts (ie. best practices). Choosing the right book will help, but it's far more important at this time to get started. After gaining some experience it becomes far easier to identify the finer points in what the reference sources are describing. Furthermore, the best source may reflect additional considerations related to your own physical attributes - size, physical ability, etc.
How the book is organized (i.e. its' methodology) will go a long way in helping you understand what needs to be done and in what order. Traditional divisions such as the 'long game', the 'short game', chipping', 'putting' break the game down into understandable divisions based upon discrete and separable facets. They aren't always exhaustive of all elements inherent in the game of golf, but emulating them will help you improve your game.
There are four relevant aspects in learning golf which, I believe, have current parrallels in the IT service management field.
1. what the game looks like when played correctly. We get this from watching major championships and reading instructional books.
2. instructional material on how we can make our body cooperate to do the things necessary to action the best practices.
3. agreed-upon scoring methods which outline how well we are doing in relation to others and how we are improving over time.
4. how to select the best clubs and other equipment to improve our game.
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Has become recognized as a definitive source for what good IT service management looks like. Like a golf instructional book, it contains divisions (and, the divisions may not exhaustive of all aspects of IT service management), which break service management down into discrete units. Like golf these aspects are interdependent in many, and often varying ways, so that it is necessary to understand the entire library to score properly. These interdependencies are like "course management" - knowing where the hazards are and how to best avoid them.
While ITIL describes important "best practices" (i.e., what the game looks like when played properly), it isn't prescriptive as to what you need to accomplish to attain that level. Capability Maturity Modelng (CMM) , is used to decompose elements into instructional material. Following the analogy, it describes such things as the levers involved in a golf swing and how a human torso should be 'twisted' to best employ these levers (i.e., club and arms) to generate consistent force in the right direction. The integrated version of CMM outlines some generally recognized practices (like proper conditioning, mental preparedness, etc) and some specific practices for each aspect of the golf game.
Furthermore, CMMI emphasizes how to "tailor" a standard swing process for a driver, or a short-iron (or how to draw and fade for that matter). Like Tiger Woods, no two golfers are exactly the same. Each must "tailor" their swing for their unique physical conditions and the unique environmental conditions of the course they are playing on. yet, in both sets of circumstances the "unique" aspect is derived from a standard set of shots which have been tested and verified for performance. There should be little variation from expectations, though the the risks of failure will be commensurate with the difficulty of the shot.
Control Objects for IT-related Technology (CobIT) describes how well you are doing in different aspects of the game. This is different from a balanced scorecard which empirically measures certain facets of the game - including overall score. Instead, it breaks the game into its' constituent elements and describes how well you are doing on each of them (like physical conditioning, knowledge of the game, etc.). It attempts to be exhaustive of all facets of the game - 34 distinct processes ordered into 4 categoriesN. The level of play it uses are set out as maturity levels:
* can you repeat the element (eg. swing) consistently
* have you defined the elements and try to operate according to the description (eg. defined the elements of the swing)
* have you quantified the key elements and used the data for improvement (i.e. analyzed the mechanics of the swing for defects - e.g. deviation from consistent swing plane)
* do you review and attempt to remove deviations from the defined (i.e. optimal or best practice)
Lastly, you can improve the assistive devices you employ in the game. Within specified parameters, the right clubs will increase your distance and accuracy. Increasingly, IT service management is demanding (and vendors are responding) with integrated toolsets which recognize the interdependencies amongst IT disciplines. Beyond this there are a variety of specialized devices providing failure alerts, the compilation of management data, etc.
Version 3 of ITIL has made significant strides in accommodating Capability Maturity Modelling and included complimentary "Objects" from CobIT, but, in my opinion, still falls somewhat short from a methodological standpoint.
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