A process is doomed if you ever consider it done!  Unlike an audit that examines evidence to determine compliance, a process assessment is conducted to evaluate and organizations strengths and weaknesses.  The assessor will ensure that this baseline is utilized to identify process improvement opportunities that ensure business outcomes. The ITIL Process Maturity Framework (PMF) was defined specifically for ITSM processes and consists of five levels of maturity. ·          Level One – Initial At this level there is not a defined process, there are some procedures and few results are retained. ·          Level Two – Repeatable At this level of maturity there is a recognized process but the objectives are not clear and targets are not formalized. ·          Level Three – Defined It is at this level of maturity that the process is defined an...

There are many challenges to defining and documenting a process for ongoing continual improvement and to ensure process maturity is in alignment with the overall business strategy and outcomes.  One such challenge is to be able to document the “As Is” process. When documenting the “As Is” process caution must be taken not to accept the existing documentation, or flowcharts provided as the true baseline of what is really being done.  What are the current activities and procedures that are being used and what is the step by step workflow that participants and stakeholders are actually performing?  The actual is what really needs to be captured.  The complexity of this challenge is exasperated by the fact that frequently when determining and “As Is” state for immature processes the assessor or process design engineer will discover that there is not one single process that is being followed but in fact many?  What then? Non adherence to process is gen...

In order to manage and control processes and services, they have to be monitored and measured. The design of the measurement methods and metrics used to measure process are critical to success and might even be the most crucial element.  In practice we tend to see Critical Success Factors and Key Performance Indicators defined in the process documentation but is anything being done with those? We not only need to define the metrics for measuring the process but also must ensure that the design and implementation of the process also includes a system for ongoing monitoring, reporting and most important action for continual improvement of the process. Without it the process is destined to fail. Process designers must assert caution and use wisdom when defining the metrics and measurements for the process.  Careful consideration must be given to how these measurements are going to affect and change the behavior of the practitioners and stakeholders that produce or rece...

I recently heard an ITSM manager state… “The engineers think that it is the process that is slowing us down” then he went on to say “Of course we here all understand that the process is intended to slow us down”!  I was waiting for others in the group to comment and no one mentioned a word.   WHAT?!   Is that really ever the intention or the purpose of a process? What a process is – or should be A process is a set of activities with predefined inputs and outputs which are intended to meet the needs of the business and stakeholders!  A process has clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and workflow. When was the last time you heard a business representative say could you design a process to slow things down?  In reality we need to look at how we can design processes or activities within the organization to increase quality and speed!  The real challenge is how do we do that?  How can we get just enough process and control for con...

So who should consider becoming a Certified Process Design Engineer?   Well anyone can consider it.   Is your organization engaged in some type of certification, working to reach some optimized level of maturity, trying to improve the processes you already have or create a process to meet some new customer requirement? All of these scenarios would employ the skills of a CPDE. To start with, no matter which framework or standard you are utilizing processes must be: Defined Documented Managed via performance metrics Continually improved Undertaking this effort is not as simple as it may appear and having a staff member with the necessary skills and capabilities (CPDE) ensures that clear and measurable improvement targets along with a process design approach can and will be carried out.   You first must understand the factors that are triggering a process improvement initiative.   They may include: Changing customer requirements Processes that are ...

There are many frameworks and standards that define best practices for achieving quality IT service management (ITSM) - ITIL, ISO/IEC 20000, COBIT, CMMI, DevOps, Knowledge-Centered Support, etc. While each describes processes and controls (what to do), none provide clear, step-by-step methods and techniques for actually designing, reengineering and improving processes (how to do it). IT organizations must not only do the right things, they must do the right things right.   The CPDE takes a practical step by step approach to developing and implementing ITSM processes across the entire lifecycle of IT services.   It ensures integration with project and program management and the application and software development processes as well.   Allowing for strategic, tactical and operational alignment across the entire organization.   The CPDE is well suited to utilize these different best practices and additionally play a significant role in the DevOps movement that is takin...

In an earlier blog I had talked about the need for organizations to have the ability to measure their processes against those of their competition or some defined industry standard.  Before that could happen, it had to be determined if your processes are mature enough to ensure that you can gather the needed data for a successful undertaking.   If your assessment calls for developing a new process, reengineering or improving an existing process a sound methodology for that mission could be the “Ten process design and improvement steps” as describe in “The ITSM Process Design Guide by Donna Knapp. The elegance of this approach is that it can be utilized to design or improve any process regardless of maturity level.   It provides the common vocabulary, tools, and techniques needed to engage all participants who would be required for these process and improvement actions.   They help to define and understand the end to end process, who the customers are and th...

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 I dentify 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 D ocument 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.     Dete...

I often get asked what goes into a Process Definition Document (PDD).  Certified Process Design Engineers (CPDE) learn that PDDs should  include: Policies A process overview Roles and Responsibilities Process Maps Activities Vocabulary Policies Policies specific to a process should be included in the Process Definition Document.  A policy is a formal document that describes the overall intentions and direction of a service provider, as expressed by senior management. Company policies are used to guide actions toward a specific outcome. They must be specific, measurable and underpinned by the process.  Overview The overview section contains the process description, objectives, goals, owner boundaries, triggers, supplier data, inputs, high level activities, outputs, customers and metrics. Roles and Responsibilities Roles and responsibilities define and describe the active participants in the process, including the process owner, process manager,...