Balance in Service Operation IV

Previously, I have delivered several articles on the challenges that IT organizations face in trying to balance opposing goals and objectives especially in light of the fact that in every organization, the one constant is change. The focus of those pieces described the tension between the perspective that IT is a set of technology components (Internal IT view) and that IT is a set of services (External business view). They also spoke to the fact that, no matter how well the functionality of an IT service meets stake holder’s needs, it will be of little value if the IT infrastructure is unstable causing instances of unavailability and inconsistency in performance levels . Of course we (IT/Service provider) must be able to do all of this at the same time as providing services that deliver acceptable levels of quality while efficiently utilizing the organizations resources.

So to reiterate, this struggle can be broken down into four general imbalances so that an IT organization can identify that they are experiencing an imbalance by leaning more towards one extreme or the other. At a high level it can provide the service provider with the opportunity to develop some guidelines on how to resolve these conflicts and move towards a best practice approach in resolving these discrepancies.

· Internal IT view vs. External Business view

· Stability vs. Responsiveness

· Service Quality vs. Cost

· Reactive vs. Proactive

The one we will focus on here is the tension between being reactive and proactive. A reactive organization is one that only acts when it is prompted to do so by some external driver. In this type of organization this is the basis of the strategic position to ensure that services are highly consistent and stable. This has the tendency to discourage proactive activities by the operational staff. Additionally this tends to prevent investment in proactive efforts and technologies, further increasing the risk to the stability of those very services the IT organization is trying to deliver in a consistent and stable manner.

A proactive organization is one that is continually looking at ways to improve the delivery of services by constantly improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their ITSM processes and the utilization of their IT infrastructure. This strategic position tends to be encouraged as it leads and organization to maintain a competitive advantage in a changing market space. However being too proactive can be expensive and can lead to the staff being unable to maintain a stable environment because of the constant change that is taking place. These imbalances tend to result from an organization being more or less mature.

While being proactive is usually viewed as a positive attribute, there will be times where reactive capabilities will be needed. The role of the IT organization is to achieve a balance between these two strategic extremes. To ensure that we can accomplish this balance there are some things that need to be in place.

· Formal problem and incident management processes integrated between service operations and CSI is critical.

· The strategic plans must include the ability to prioritize, diagnose and repair technical faults within the IT infrastructure, applications and services. At the same time changing business needs must be addressed by continuously reviewing what and how services are being delivered to the customer.

· Service asset and configuration management must be able to provide accurate and up to date data and information to all processes, projects and programs.

· Ongoing involvement of SLM in operations and the continuous review and update of SLRs, SLAs, OLAs and contracts.

Four Service Characteristics

Recently I came across several articles by researchers and experts that laid out definitions and characteristics of services. ITIL provides us with a definition that can help drive the creation of value-laden services: A means of delivering value to customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific costs and risks. An area that ITIL is not so clear is in terms of service characteristics. Several researchers and experts put forth that services have four basic characteristics (IHIP): Intangibility—Services are the results of actions not things. They have no physical presence and represent a logical set of elements. One way to think of service is “work done for others.” Heterogeneity—Also known as “variability”; services are unique items because of the mechanisms used to deliver services, which is people. Because the people element adds variability, the service is variable. This holds true, especially for the value proposition—not eve...

What Is A Service Offering?

The ITIL 4 Best Practice Guidance defines a “Service Offering” as a description of one or more services designed to address the needs of a target customer or group. As a service provider, we can’t stop there! We must know what the contracts of our service offering are and be able to put them into context as required by the customer. Let’s explore the three elements that comprise a Service Offering. A “Service Offering” may include: Goods, Access to Resources, and Service Actions 1. Goods – When we think of “Goods” within a service offering these are the items where ownership is transferred to the consumer and the consumer takes responsibility for the future use of these goods. Example of goods that are being provided in the offering – If this is a hotel service then toiletries or chocolates are yours to take with you. You the consumer own these and they are yours to take with you. ...

What is the difference between Process Owner, Process Manager and Process Practitioner?

This article was originally published in 2015. With the Introduction of ITIL 4, some of this best practice has changed. See ITIL 4 and the Evolving Role of Roles . Updated Definitions in ITIL 4: Process Owner: In ITIL 4, the concept of 'processes' has expanded into broader 'practices.' Consequently, the Process Owner is now often referred to as the 'Practice Owner.' This individual is accountable for the overall design, performance, integration, and improvement of a specific practice within the organization. They ensure that the practice achieves its intended outcomes and aligns with the organization's objectives. Process Manager: Now commonly known as the 'Practice Manager' in ITIL 4, this role is responsible for the day-to-day management of the practice. The Practice Manager ensures that activities are carried out as intended, manages resources assigned to the practice, and oversees the practitioners performing the work. Process Practit...

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