Best practice has proven that to be dynamic and to consistently meet changing business requirements, services must be co-created with our customers.  I learned in a recent ITIL 4 certification class titled Driving Stakeholder Value (DSV)  that providers will start with a stakeholder map and follow up with a customer journey map. If you are not yet familiar with Customer Journey Mapping, I strongly recommend learning about this critical skill needed to enable the co-creation of services.  Once you have a stakeholder map and have mapped the customer/user journey, you will need to identify the roles required. In our example below, we use the two roles of customer/consumer and service provider. Each of these, although not the only stakeholders involved, is critical to the success of co-creation.  Notice a relationship is being established via these responsibilities  Both the service provider and the consumer have responsibilities.  An IT service provider, ...

Generally, when we think of “relationships,” we immediately think of the people aspect. In ITSM, we are referring to the relationships between third-party vendors, suppliers, customers, and many other stakeholders necessary to deliver the optimum service. It is mandatory to manage those relationships at the appropriate level. One way to understand the “organization and people” involved in those relationships is to understand the constructs of a “Service Relationship.” ITIL provides us this model. Starting from the bottom of the diagram and moving up, let's discuss the critical elements of a Service Relationship: Resources – All resources including people, process, and technology. In ITIL terms, that includes resources from all Four Dimensions: People and Organizations Information and Technology Partners and Suppliers Value Strea...

When discussing the elements of value creation through the delivery of services we always talk about customer preferences, perceptions and the business outcomes they generate.  We also throw in the elements of utility and warranty.  These are all critical in ensuring our ability to create value for our customers and capture value for ourselves as service providers. The service relationship between service providers and their customers revolves around the use of and interaction of assets.   Assets are made up of both resources and capabilities and are provided by both the service provider and the customer.  These are critical value elements in the creation of usable, customer aligned services. Many of our customers utilize our services in conjunction with their own assets to then build and deliver services or products our customers then deliver to their customers. We, as the service provider, consider these customer assets.  Without these there woul...

We are all customers of someone right?  What was your last customer experience like?  Was it so good that it completely changed how you thought about the product or the organization you were receiving services from? On the other hand was the service you received so poor that you vowed never to use their products or services ever again.  We have all been in those situations. You may not have realized it, but how that interaction was designed can have a huge impact on the perception you, the customer, walk away with.  I recently read a series of articles in the September issue of Harvard Business Review magazine.  The entire series was titled “The Evolution of Design Thinking” - It’s no longer just for products. It speaks to how executives are using this approach to devise strategy and manage change.  I can’t tell you what an absolute must read this is for all.  It will make you take a second look at how you design, deliver and support the services to y...

Techniques used to measure employee satisfaction include informal one-on-one discussions, focus groups and periodic surveys. As with customer satisfaction surveys, for accurate and reliable results, employee satisfaction surveys should be created with care by people who understand how to develop questions that produce unbiased information. In other words, ask your HR folks for help! So what questions should you ask? "How satisfied are you with your job?" is a good place to start. A question such as: "Compared with a year ago, how would you describe your overall job satisfaction?" can provide additional insight.  You can also ask employees to rate their satisfaction with areas such as: Reward and recognition programs Career development and advancement opportunities Education and training  Supervision, coaching and feedback Teamwork Availability of resources needed to do the job Ability to contribute to organizational goals  And in the spirit of co...

One of the most important goals of Service Level Management (SLM) is the need to build strong relationships between the customers and users of IT Services. It is incumbent on the roles of the Service Level Manager and Business Relationship Manager (a role defined with Demand Management) to serve as the Voice of the Customer. SLM must act as an agent on behalf of business customers, since those individuals or groups must focus on executing business processes or serving further the end-users of a company’s goods and services. The business should not have to spend its time worrying about the value they need from IT Services. SLM needs to create a strong bond with the business and end-user customers. This bond needs to be a familiar and personal link that shows the customer that IT truly cares about the needs and success of the business. Good Service Level Management cannot be conducted solely through emails or phone calls. A good Service Level Manager knows they must meet their customer...