In years past you had to have some years behind you so that you could talk about the good old days.  Conversations would start with statements like “Remember when…?”   Today when a conversation starts with those words it could be a young person talking about how they did things last year or last month vs. how they go about their day to day activities today.     Things are changing so fast!  How does this affect educating and training learners and what needs to be tracked and recorded?  Certainly, not the same as it was a decade ago.  A recent solicitation stated “ Use of ed tech is skyrocketing, students on campus tote several devices each, but service needs range from high tech (wifi, connected classroom) to mundane (rat in the cafeteria, dorm toilet won't flush). All those needs have to be logged, serviced, tracked, reported on - hence the high demands on the platform used”.  Opportunity for bigger, better and more technology abounds! The tools that we u

To say that digital technology has changed the world is an understatement. Digital transformations are revolutionizing entire industries and reshaping every aspect of business. To stay competitive, businesses must accelerate the delivery of digital products and services. To meet business demand, IT organizations must accelerate the delivery of secure, high-quality and reliable software features and functionality ( DevOps ). The thing about any transformation, whether it’s the digital transformation affecting the world, or the DevOps transformation affecting IT organizations and their business partners, is that it’s never only about the technology. A successful transformation requires shifts in peoples’ behaviors, mindsets, vocabulary, roles and reporting relationships. It requires changes to processes and to day-to-day operating procedures. Perhaps most importantly, the ability to undertake and achieve any transformation is determined by whether, or not, the company’s leaders

I was recently asked the following: “I want to take the “Release, Control and Validation” (RCV) class.  As a Release Manager, I know it will help but I need to justify this for my manager.  What is the value of taking this class?” Every organization can be effective with release and deployments.  What is needed today is for us not only to get the job done but to do it efficiently.  Efficiency infers that we deliver value, but that we design and deliver services, BETTER, MORE, FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE and at the same time we are being COST effective. The role of Release Manager, although it is central to the release and deployment process, is much broader in scope than many organizations or managers realize.  This role in Best Practice is separate from Change Manager and from the actual Validation and Testing Manager or even the Change Evaluation role.   Frequently these roles will be assigned to one or more persons.  It does not mean that you have to open several new req's

The Business Relationship Manager is a role that serves as a strategic interface between the IT Service Provider and one or more Business Partners (or Business Units within a single organization) to promote, and influence Business Demand for IT services and products. They also work to ensure that the potential business value from those products and services is realized, optimized and properly documented.  The Business Relationship Manager can accomplish this through the engagement of four core disciplines which are defined as part of the house of Business Relationship Management (BRM).  This house is built upon a foundation of BRM competencies which support the Business Relationship Manager role and ensure it has the skills and aptitudes to be effective and deliver value to both the Provider and its Business Partner. The Four Core BRM Disciplines: Demand Shaping: This discipline stimulates and shapes business demand for the provider’s services, capabilities and products. It ensu

The Metaphors for Business Relationship Management (BRM) can be helpful ways to think about and describe the BRM role, discipline and organizational capabilities. There are three metaphors we currently use today.  They are as follows: BRM as a Connector: The BRM acts as a connector between the Service Provider organization and its Business Partners – forging productive connections between Provider resources and the Business Partner and among Business Partners.  There are three primary aspects to the BRM’s role as a connector: Facilitate productive connections and mobilize projects and programs. Stimulate, surface and shape business demand for the Business Partner while increasing the savviness within the Business Partner regarding the Provider’s services and products. Influence the Provider to ensure appropriate supply of services and products, both in terms of quality and capacity. (1)  BRM as an Orchestrator: The BRM also acts as an orchestrator between the Provid

In a previous blog from the ITSM Professor we focused on the relevance of ITIL and ITSM Best Practices to contemporary IT service providers.  We learned how a successful DevOps initiative must embrace ITSM, Lean, Agile and other frameworks and practices to ensure success.  The solution to value is like a diamond and has many facets!  In 1992 I read an article that talked about the key to delivering value and the topic was all about People, Process and Technology. Twenty-five years later I must agree this is still the winning formula.  What might be different is how we view and utilize these for success. What will Change? People – Integrated teams with ownership and accountability. Visualized workflow and clear direction.  Communication, Education and Collaboration required.  Inspire and Educate! Process – NO MORE overburdened bureaucratic d ifficult processes to follow.  We want just enough process, just enough governance and the process activities will no longer be

With the onset of practices such as DevOps, Continuous Delivery, Rugged Code, and Value stream mapping, is ITIL / ITSM Best Practice still relevant? The short and emphatic answer is YES! Let’s look at how ITSM Best Practices are relevant and enable some of the initiatives that are in the foreground of Service Management for many contemporary IT organizations today. DevOps – DevOps is a cultural and professional movement that focuses on communication and collaboration to ensure a balance between responsiveness to dynamic business requirements and stability.   Therefore, things like Lean and Value Stream Mapping, practices like Continuous Delivery and Continuous Deployment, all become a subset or a building block to a successful DevOps initiative.  DevOps is frequently an organic approach toward automating workflow and getting products to market more efficiently. Ok, if we can accept that then the next question is … What are you going to automate?    ITSM Best Practice