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ITIL 4 Guiding Principles - Optimize and Automate

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Henry Ford did not invent the car. Providers of automobiles during the 1800’s were ok creating cars as toys for the very rich. Henry Ford, on the other hand, was interested in the experience of the common man and created an automobile that was within the economic reach of the average American. Ford developed a method of manufacturing that optimized his resources and lowered the cost of manufacturing. His motto was to simplify, simplify, simplify! Henry Ford knew how to apply common sense to new ideas. His ability to simplify and to optimize solutions to otherwise complicated and insurmountable problems made him the great pioneer of his time. 

This blog is one in a series for the seven guiding principles from ITIL 4 best practices. To optimize means to make the best or most effective use of a situation, an opportunity, or of a resource. Get started on your journey today! Optimize and Automate! 

The idea to “Optimize and Automate” is not new to manufacturing and the same concepts that work in manufacturing when applied to the continuous delivery pipeline for the release of IT services will help service providers to respond faster and to deliver quality products and services. Customers expect us to respond fast to ever changing demands. Failure to focus on the customer experience (CX) is just that… “Failure”. If we have any hope of optimizing our resources, we must simplify! Service providers today must deliver value at the speed of light while ensuring quality, availability and security! It is impossible to ensure speed to value if we continue to build upon rigid complex or over engineered processes and systems. We need to be nimble, and we must be fast! You cannot automate chaos! Although sometimes we try. We must optimize first and then we can automate. You do not have to give up speed for quality! 

It is a new world! Think of yourself as a pioneer on the verge of new horizons. Become educated in ways that you can help to “optimize” and do better with the resources that you and your organizations have. Honor the past, but don’t be bound to it! Inspire others to co-create with you in this new journey towards “Optimization and Automation”. Remember that it is NOT about the tools. The most powerful people and organizations moving forward are those that will be able to “Optimize”. Optimize first! Then Automate. Following Continual Improvement best practices from ITIL 4 will help you to keep the momentum going! Get Started on your journey today! Optimize and Automate!




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