There are over 500,000 search results for Implementing ITIL and one of the most popular is Randy Steinberg's 2004 itSMF conference presentation that shares the title of this post.
Based on my own experiences, and using Randy's headings as the 'skeleton', I want to provide some additional thoughts and ideas for you.
First a recap on the 9 common errors:-
1. Running the implementation as an IT project instead of an organization change project. Most IT organizations have evolved into stovepipes, he said, each following their own Change and Problem Management processes and each seeing their world based on their individual experience.
ITIL is so much more than just technology - or introducing a new ITIL toolset. It's about people and cultural transformation. You will be placing people into new and distinct roles with different accountabilities. You will be looking for behavoural changes to support the effective realization of enhanced working practices. You will be harnessing continuous service improvement. People need to know what's expected of them, be treated fairly and receive a fair days pay for a fair day's work. How you manage expectations throughout the evolving working environment is also critical. I'll cover this topic in a future post - since I have lots more to share on it. Next...
2. Improper balance between strategic efforts and short-term wins. As you plan your ITSM strategy, make sure you balance short-term wins while you are building your process foundation.
Ideally you will break down your ITIL implementation prgramme into a number of consecutive proejcts, each with it's own distinct deliverables. Each set of deliverables produces real and tangible business benefit (otherwise - what's the point? - and how are you going to ask for funding for the next project?)
Think about creating a series of 100 day projects. So, three in a year is a good fit. With 65 bonus days to avoid your businesses 'peak season' processing, typical in Q4. Each 100 day project contains the usual phases "Requirements and design", "Build and Test", "Implementation and benefits realisation". You can evolve your processes, unlock new tool features, and enhance management reporting over each of the three projects - focussing on certain selected ITIL disciplines, as you go. You will also realize improved people transformation, enhanced process adherance and build on the momentum of the last project.
The best thing I ever heard about project delivery was this, "Plan right the way through to benefits realization". How true.
Your 100 day projects are delivered within an overall 2-3 years strategic plan. Reducing costs, doing more with less, improving service, enhancing IT / business alignment - as you go. You've also got 65 days at the end of the year to create detailed plans and organise staffing levels and budgets for the following years three projects.
3. Sole focus on one or several ITIL processes instead of all service support and delivery processes. You need an overall view of where you want to be, Steinberg said, while planning and implementing processes and activities to ensure successful operations and relationships.
The primary focus is to obviously maintain current steady state service delivery to your business. All projects must be implemented with zero impact to production. So, focussing on 1-3 processes at a time makes sense. There are magnetic relationships within ITIL such as Incident and Problem, or Configuration and Change. They have closer and more logical interfaces and touchpoints.
Cheat! An ITIL tool provider (there are many nowadays) has a common implementation methodology and roll-out plan. Why not review these and determine what fits best in what order for your own organization?
4. Over-designing the ITIL process solutions. Spending too much time detailing the solution could make the relationship of a process obsolete as you mature in your implementation.
Better to get an 80% solution executed properly and well adhered to, than a 100% one come in late, too complicated and no-one understands how to follow it. Start simple - but smartly. Share ideas with other organizations. ITIL V3 promises an integrated process map - until then - your vendors have them. Just ask. Leverage your current buying power. Play a bit more golf... whatever it takes!
5. Scoping the implementation to one processing location. Build a "Local Center" coalition team and include representatives from your different sites at the manager, supervisor and ITSM staff levels.
I would recommend involving key players from as many (to be) impacted locations as possible. We all like to be involved - and keeping people tight with the evolution of ITIL implementation is key.
Think about it - at the end of the day - your people will be sat down in front of a computer screen and be expected to follow a set of procedures on a tool, in line with policy and process. Without the correct buy-in, involvement, education and working environment - would YOU follow everything you were supposed to?
6. Lack of implementation governance. Review new ideas, determine if they are useful, research and add them in and then let everyone know about it, Steinberg advised.
You have to implement ITIL in a very tight and controlled way. It's all pervasive and involves people, process and technology. How it's "released" and "embedded" is VITAL for ITIL. Have people walk around for a few days after implementation listening and watching to how everyone's getting on. Get you senior managers to get 'back to the floor' and provide local and practical support to ensure that everything works.
7. Too much emphasis on process maturity as a goal or end state. Continually measure your progress and monitor your performance throughout the implementation, Steinberg told attendees.
The end state should be benefit realization with continuous operation, in a continually improving environment. People should also be happy. Who cares if a process looks great on a tool. Did it ever add anything to the share price? NO. Watch out for ITIL evangelists who preach nothing but purist process, flowcharts and modeling tools. Watch out - beacuse you NEED these folks. They are like gold dust. But have someone else drive the transformation effort and lisaise with the business lines!
8. Treating the implementation as a one-time project. Implementing IT Service Management is a continuous improvement program -- you begin, you measure, you refine and you continuously improve.
As previously stated, 3 X 100 day projects, then 65 days planning / coordinating and resource allocating - whilst ensuring delivery during peak processing times.
9. Staffing the implementation effort with people in the wrong positions. Ensure you choose staffers whose skill and passion match their roles.
This is contentious. You need quality people to staff you ITIL projects. Usually they come from key positions within your Service organization. This can de-skill your operation and lead to degradation of service. Plus - the folks that are left to keep afloat may struggle to cope and feel (quite rightly) like the ship's been desserted.
Staffing ITIL projects with nothing but consultants and outside help can also be bad. Will you have the time (really) to ensure skills and knowledge transfer? Is is not better to backfill operational roles to release full time employees (give them a break from operational time critical cuties for 100 days) with contractors? In the long terms it is. In the short term you have to assess your own levels of internal competency with ITIL service design, introduction, operation support and improvement.
Additions to Steinberg's original common errrors:-
10. Not getting the buy-in from the top
11. Not ensuring that key people follow the whole journey
12. Not measuring and marketing the benefits correctly
13. Not building and enabling knowledge capture, transfer and access mechanisms
14. Not having time to correctly document and store key service artifacts, such as Service Catalogs and process maps
15. Not knowing when to go home and enjoy your freetime
16. Trying to do too much at once
What others have you experienced? Please post a comment and share your thoughts on this important topic.
If you would like to purchase the book - click below
Great job with this blog! Enough cannot be said about this topic. For those interested. The book: Implementing ITIL is available through amazon.com and includes a Search-Inside-The-Book feature to get a full view of what might be involved in an implementation effort. Tried to focus more on "what is working" versus "what not to do". Thanks!
Posted by: Randy Steinberg | March 01, 2006 at 04:00 PM