Designing and Documenting a Process

Designing and documenting a process enables an organization to move from the initial level of the ITIL Process maturity Framework (PMF) through the repeatable level to the defined level. To undertake this task without adequate resources can be quite daunting especially given the fact that it must

Identify needed changes to job descriptions
Develop and document work procedures
Identify work requirements
Establish the data to be collected and the format to report accomplishments
Document the necessary vocabulary to be utilized within the process

The following ten process design and improvement steps can be used to create an easy to use and repeatable approach to help move your organization from one level to the next. The ten steps are grouped into four phases. Each phase will produce a deliverable that serves as an input to the follow phase.

Phase: Requirements Definition. Output: Requirements Definition Document.

1. Determine the management’s vision and level of commitment

2. Establish a project and form a project team

3. Define process and identify customer requirements

Phase: Process Analysis. Output: Gap Analysis Report

4.   Document “as is” process and baseline current performance
5.   Assess conformance to customer requirements
6.   Benchmark current performance

Phase: Process design and Implementation. Output: Process Definition Document

     7. Design or redesign process
     8. Solicit feedback, fine-tune, and finalize the design
     9.   Implement new design

Phase: Continual Process improvement. Output: Maturity Assessments and Metrics

10. Assess performance and continually improve

Source: The ITSM Process Design Guide

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