In today’s world where demand for up to date services has grown and the lead times for delivery has continued to be shortened I am often asked, what is the best tool? The answer is, of course, “it depends!” Every organization has different needs, budgets and resources, however the requirements for automated building, testing and delivering new functionality has never been greater. Every organization must be able to look at the list of requirements for tools from both the operational and development sides of the IT organization as the functions become more and more integrated. The starting point is a list of generic requirements. An integrated suite is preferable and should include options such as: Service Portfolio Service Catalog Service Design Tools Discovery/Deployment/Licensing Technology Workflow or process engines CMDB’S Configuration Management Systems (CMS) Self Help for Users Remote Control Diagnostic Utilities Reporting Tools/Dashboards Service K

Knowledge Management provides value to all stages of the service lifecycle by providing secure accurate and up to date knowledge, information and data that is needed to manage and deliver services. Knowledge Management is particularly important within Service Transition since current and applicable knowledge is one of the key service elements being transitioned.  Effective Knowledge Management is a powerful tool for people in all roles across all stages of the service lifecycle. It is a best practice method for individuals and teams to share data, information and knowledge about all components of an IT service. Having the right information in the right place at the right time will enhance all stake holder’s ability to make informed decisions based on the most current knowledge about their environments. Successful management of data, information and knowledge will enable the service provider staff to have a clear understanding of who uses the services, how they use those servic

eWeek published a pretty informative article today: How to Move Beyond the CMDB in ITIL Version 3 . " ITIL Version 3 introduces a Service Knowledge Management System (SKMS) whose goal is to provide meaningful information, knowledge and wisdom to appropriate IT or business users for quality decision-making." In the article , Knowledge Center contributor Linh C. Ho explains how the Service Knowledge Management System is achieved and how it relates to the CMDB. The article covers.... How to Move Beyond the CMDB in ITIL Version 3 How the SKMS Works Why the SKMS is Significant

My students often ask about new advances in Knowledge Management. While Knowledge Management is not a new topic, it seems that there are still many challenges in implementing and managing this important process. I was discussing this topic with an academic colleague last week, Dr. Stuart Diaz Galup of Florida Atlantic University. He explained that "Knowledge Management" is often confused with "Information Management". I thought that was a very astute observation. According to ITIL V3, "information" puts data in context; "knowledge" adds experience, ideas, insights and value to information. So how can organizations evolve into managing "knowledge" instead of "information? Dr. Galup's observation brought me back to thinking about social networking and Knowledge Management. The introduction and acceptance of Wikis ( wikipedia ) has encouraged collaborative knowledge in that individuals can contribute their expertise to create or u