| There are many types of IT Service Management | | | | Managing changes in organisation and people is the |
| (ITSM) assessments that can be conducted. They | | | | most difficult part of an ITSM implementation. The |
| could range from quick and inexpensive | | | | focus includes assessing organisation and people on |
| self-assessments to complex, detailed and expensive | | | | areas that can help in planning the ITSM project and |
| investigations led by ITSM consultants or experts. | | | | management of change activities later on. It should also |
| They can also be also classified as a | | | | identify what the constraints are so that the project |
| compliance-based assessment or a maturity-based | | | | can be more successful. |
| assessment or combination of both. | | | | The assessment should check that roles and |
| Compliance-based assessments are aimed at | | | | responsibilities are defined (e.g. RACI charts) for each |
| evaluating whether an organization meets some type | | | | process activity. It should also covers people's |
| of external or internal criteria. Examples of external | | | | understanding of their roles, how they contribute to the |
| criteria are ISO 20000 standard or some proprietary | | | | organization's objectives and how they are measured |
| ITSM frameworks like HP ITSM Reference Model or | | | | and rewarded. |
| Microsoft's MOF. Internal criteria could be the | | | | It is good to check on the availability of existing HR |
| organisation's policies or documented procedural | | | | processes for performance management and |
| requirements. Compliance-based assessments are | | | | development planning. The assessment could helps to |
| usually conducted by organisation that has already | | | | identify the availability of skills and competency to |
| some degree of ITSM implementation. | | | | perform the required tasks, the skills and experience |
| Maturity-based assessments evaluate where an | | | | required for the project as well as who has them. |
| organization is located on a journey from one state or | | | | The organisation charts will provide information of |
| level to another. The areas being assessed are usually | | | | organisation structure, decision-making structure and |
| scored between maturity level of 0 and 5. Maturity | | | | authority levels that would be useful for project |
| level of zero means nothing is in place and maturity | | | | planning. It also identifies key stakeholders and potential |
| level of 5 means everything that needs to be done is | | | | supporters and resistors to change. |
| in place and is working perfectly and there are | | | | Technology |
| mechanisms in place for adaptations to changes and | | | | Technology is also a key factor in the project's |
| continual improvement. Each level of maturity contains | | | | success. When planning and implementing an ITSM |
| a list of criteria for each of the five levels above. The | | | | strategy and defining end-to-end processes, |
| criteria could include vision and leadership, process, | | | | technology and tools would play an important role. |
| people, tools and overall environment factors or culture. | | | | Tools are needed to support and enable the |
| Most organisations would not be aiming to reach the | | | | processes as well as for monitoring of the IT |
| highest level of maturity but would instead focused on | | | | infrastructure and reporting. The aim is to determine |
| defining what level of maturity is needed to meet their | | | | what tools are needed to support the existing and |
| business goals and determining which level of maturity | | | | future processes and infrastructure. |
| they are currently at and what they must do to | | | | A good initial ITSM assessment should also take into |
| progress to the next level. Maturity-based | | | | account several technology factors, such as: |
| assessments are useful for creating a known starting | | | | * Which processes and functionalities can be |
| point for the planning and implementation team. | | | | effectively supported now and more importantly, for |
| The following further describes what would need to be | | | | the future. |
| assessed: | | | | * The level of process integration that should be |
| Vision and Leadership | | | | available in the tool (e.g. the ability to link incidents to |
| Prior to the start of the ITSM assessment, the | | | | problems records, the availability of event monitoring |
| assessors would need to understand the business | | | | tools and the ability of he event monitoring tools to |
| goals, IT goals, vision and mission and IT strategy. This | | | | automatically log specifically defined events as |
| is normally done through looking at documented IT | | | | incidents). |
| strategy and plans and also interviews with the project | | | | * Need for a tool that supports easy knowledge |
| sponsor and key executives. | | | | capture, storage, searching, sharing, presenting and |
| Processes | | | | reviewing of knowledge and information. |
| Since IT Service Management is a process-based | | | | * Need for a tool that supports easy data analysis, |
| approach it is important to determine which processes | | | | reporting and circulation of reports. |
| are defined, documented and how much of it is in | | | | The aim of an initial ITSM assessment is to understand |
| being practiced or followed currently. That is where | | | | gaps and key issues and top priority areas which need |
| best practice guidelines like ITIL, standards like ISO | | | | to be addressed first and foremost to improve IT |
| 20000, ISO 17999 or even proprietary frameworks like | | | | Service effectiveness and business value. Hence an |
| Microsoft's MOF and HP's ITSM Reference Model | | | | initial ITSM assessment would usually be a |
| comes in handy as a reference or basis for | | | | maturity-based assessment, with a little of |
| comparison. Questionnaires or checklists to determine | | | | compliance-based assessment included as needed, |
| adequacy of the existing processes are usually | | | | especially in areas or processes that is found to be |
| derived from them and used. | | | | already in placed or matured to some degree. It is also |
| Although external references are used for comparison, | | | | usually done at a fairly detailed level. |
| it is important to keep in mind that the assessment is | | | | For organisations new to ITSM, it should be conducted |
| not an audit. It aims to reveal which processes are in | | | | or led by experienced ITSM consultants. The ITSM |
| place or defined rather than to determine the degree | | | | consultants should have the aid of ready-made |
| of compliancy of existing processes to ITIL or ISO | | | | assessment tools with well-specified criteria and |
| 20000. The assessment is usually focused on | | | | reporting features and would be expected to add |
| determining process maturity and gaps so that the | | | | value by suggesting viable solution approaches, |
| findings can be used for service or process | | | | possible project scope, estimated timeline and costs, |
| improvement planning. | | | | products and services to address what needs to be |
| Organization and People | | | | done at each step of the ITSM project. |