In parts 1, 2, and 3 of this blog series we explored how to assess practice capability from planning and preparation, through conducting self-assessments, to analyzing, interpreting and reporting out the results.
While it might be tempting to call the assessment ‘done’, it is important to understand that a capability assessment is not a destination. It is the moment when evidence-based insight starts you on a
journey towards meaningful change. As with any journey, you need to understand
where you are, where you want to be, and then figure out how to get there. In
other words, you need a roadmap.
An ITSM roadmap is a strategic plan that outlines how
an organization will evolve its IT service management (ITSM) capabilities over time.
It connects the current state of ITSM practices to a desired future state,
showing the sequence of initiatives needed to improve service quality,
efficiency, and alignment with business goals.
The major components typically include:
- Vision
and objectives: The desired outcomes, such as improved customer
experience, automation, or compliance.
- Current
state assessment: A baseline of existing practices, tools, and capability
levels.
- Future
state definition: A clear picture of the target capabilities and
practices.
- Initiatives
and milestones: The prioritized projects, improvements, or experiments
required to close gaps.
- Timeline
and dependencies: The sequence and timing of initiatives, showing
quick wins and longer-term efforts.
- Metrics
and success criteria: Measures to track progress and validate value
delivery.
- Governance
and ownership: Roles, responsibilities, and structures for guiding and
sustaining improvement.
- Organizational
change management: The communication, training, stakeholder
engagement, and adoption practices required to ensure that ITSM
improvements deliver the intended outcomes in a sustainable way.
An ITSM roadmap often begins as an output of a maturity
or capability assessment. Particularly if the maturity of the organization’s
service value system is in scope. In this case, the assessment results feed
directly into the roadmap, shaping the initiatives and priorities needed to
close gaps and move toward the desired state.
At the same time, a roadmap can serve as an input for future
assessments. In this role, it establishes the expected direction of
improvement, clarifies what ‘good’ looks like, and provides a reference point
for evaluating progress over time. Future assessments can then measure how
effectively the organization has advanced against the intentions and priorities
expressed in the roadmap, rather than treating each assessment as a standalone
event.
The key is to remember why the assessment was
performed to begin with – what problems need to be solved or what objectives have
been set – and allow those to influence how improvement opportunities are
prioritized.
Remember also that improvement opportunities may extend
beyond a single practice, exposing dependencies and shared enablers that, when
improved, strengthen an end-to-end value stream or the overall service value
system. These opportunities may also represent areas that warrant
experimentation to determine the best approach.
How improvement opportunities are prioritized and executed in
the context of your assessment objectives, improvement action plan or roadmap
can vary.
Agile Service Management
In an Agile environment, the results of a practice
capability assessment are most useful when translated into the same taxonomy
teams already use to manage and prioritize work — typically epics, stories, and
tasks. Each epic links directly back to a business goal or capability
objective, ensuring that improvement work stays aligned with why the assessment
was done in the first place. Each epic is then decomposed into user stories,
which describe specific desired outcomes from the perspective of the team or customer.
Finally, tasks capture the concrete actions needed to realize those stories (e.g.,
updating workflows, integrating tools, conducting training, or collecting new
metrics).
This structure turns abstract findings into actionable,
testable work items that can be prioritized in sprints. Every sprint is an
iteration that progresses the service management practice(s) forward. When one
iteration is completed, the next set of tasks is prioritized and planned as
needed by the business.
Lean Improvement Loops
·
The first loop or iteration typically assumes
existing roles, activities, and tools—focusing on optimizing what already
exists. This initial pass serves several important purposes. It helps teams
build confidence in the improvement approach, allows quick wins, and reinforces
the what and why of practices. Because the underlying structure is already
familiar, the focus can be on eliminating waste, clarifying handoffs, improving
communication, and reinforcing accountability.
·
Subsequent loops or iterations may introduce
deeper changes such as redefining roles and responsibilities, redesigning
workflows, or integrating new tools. As maturity and capability grow, the
improvements may cascade up and out – and may eventually require changes to
organizational structures, job descriptions, and performance metrics to
reinforce new ways of working.
Lean improvement loops ensure that the changes that flow
from practice capability assessments are both manageable and measurable. They
help to nurture a culture of continuous improvement and learning, while at the
same time minimizing the change fatigue that can occur when organizations
attempt too many changes at once.
Managing the Change
Regardless of approach, careful consideration must be given to the people side of improvements. When practices are introduced or even significantly changed, both individual and team roles and responsibilities may change, workflows may change, and modern technologies may be introduced. All of these changes will affect how teams collaborate and communicate.
Make changes with people and for people... not to people.
Communication is key, but communication alone is not enough
to sustain momentum.
Traditional organizational change management (OCM) often
leans heavily on communication (e.g., announcements, newsletters, and roll-out plans). While
useful, the focus tends to be on telling people how to change, rather than engaging
them in making changes.
OCM activities must help to prepare, motivate, and equip individuals
and teams to embrace and accelerate new ways of thinking and working.
Change preparation activities include creating a vision and
promoting awareness, identifying and empowering change agents, and yes, creating
a communication plan. Change motivation involves tapping into what motivates
people and creating an incentive plan. Education and training (yes, they’re
different) are essential, particularly for initiatives that will affect
culture.
It's also important to avoid change fatigue. Change fatigue
is that collective sigh that occurs when too many organizational changes are happening at
once or when changes are happening too quickly. When too much is changing at
one time – especially when change are dictated – people can start to feel
helplessness. They can begin to perceive that things are never going to get
better and there is nothing they can do about it. People also sometimes need
help connecting the dots in order to understand how changes are connected.
To minimize change fatigue it is important to:
• View
resistance to change as normal
– Explain
the reason for this change
– Show
how changes are connected
– Tie
changes to business strategies and goals
• Ensure
each change initiative has an intended outcome
• Empower
people to contribute
• Celebrate
(even if only small) successes
• Create
visible feedback and improvement loops
Recognize also that spending a lot of
time and effort making improvements to practices that don’t address the requirements
or problems of stakeholders can make
things worse.
Capability assessments provide the perfect opportunity to
celebrate what is working and fix what is not. Share the results openly both of
the assessment itself and the results of improvement efforts and experiments. Celebrate
progress, learn from failures, and strive always to align your improvement efforts
with broader strategic objectives and with the needs of customers.
A capability assessment is not destination. It is the moment
when evidence-based insight starts you on a journey towards meaningful change.
Adapted source: The ITSM Process Design Guide
Other relevant webinars and blogs include:
It's Not About the Number: Assessing Practice Capability
ITIL Maturity and Practice Capability Assessments
Assessing Practice Capability – Part 1 – Planning and Preparation
Assessing Practice Capability – Part 2 – Conducting Assessments
Assessing Practice Capability – Part 3 – Analyzing and Reporting Results
Relevant ITSM Academy certification courses include:
- Certified
Process Design Engineer (CPDE)
- Value
Stream Mapping Fundamentals (VSMF)
- ITIL 4
Foundation (a prerequisite for all advanced ITIL 4 courses)
Our advisory services also include Process to Practice Workshops
in which we help your team to successfully and rapidly evaluate and improve
your selected service management practices.
In the ITIL 4 Qualification Scheme, a Practice Manager
designation is available for professionals that want to prove and validate
their skills in specific practice areas. Each of the ITIL 4 Managing
Professional and Strategic Leader courses also introduce a set of practices
that are relevant to the focus of the course.
Click
here to learn more about the ITIL 4 Qualification Scheme.
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