| To effectively implement service management | | | | with basic "soft" targets to develop a baseline. It is |
| software and ITIL service desk, communication | | | | quite common that IT will not publish these targets to |
| between IT and its customers is vital. Merely looking at | | | | the business until they understand what is required to |
| the business / IT interfaces without going back through | | | | meet the SLAs. It does depend on the maturity of the |
| the components of the service chain (agreements with | | | | reporting and processes within IT. Neither IT nor the |
| Suppliers and other departments that support the | | | | business will know if the SLAs can be met until reports |
| services) is not good practice. Today, as businesses | | | | have been run over a period of time. Over the course |
| evolve and more stringent needs are required, process | | | | of 6 months to a year, with good tracking data, more |
| reviews are taking place and agreements renegotiated | | | | realistic measurements can be put in place. It does |
| with customers. | | | | provide a basis for constructive discussion based on |
| Defining services to be delivered is the first step to | | | | facts between the business and IT. |
| successfully implementing your ITIL service desk. | | | | This in fact is a good strategy whether you are an IT |
| Large outsourcing managed services companies are | | | | cost centre or IT with targets to meet. To agree with |
| very good at defining their services, the time and cost | | | | the business on SLAs will be difficult if you have not |
| involved. They run it as a business. IT departments | | | | measured previously. If you are a cost centre and |
| often don't see themselves as a business, just as | | | | have not been measuring your incidents and problem |
| another part of the company. This is especially true in | | | | resolution you have no basis on what you can actually |
| small to medium size companies. | | | | provide. This can only be proven through actual |
| Setting up IT as a cost centre often changes attitudes | | | | measurement results so that action can be taken. For |
| and brings focus to defining requirements and meet | | | | example, it can also be an opportunity for IT to justify |
| objectives. However, an IT department often has | | | | additional resources or up skill current resources with |
| more leeway with fewer penalties involved. | | | | the right knowledge to meet the business |
| Outsourced managed services with fee paying clients, | | | | requirements. |
| must get it right. Often financial penalties are a key | | | | Negotiations between business and IT need real facts. |
| driver. | | | | It is of little value for the business to complain about IT |
| A help desk service level agreement (SLA) between | | | | not meeting SLAs if the business is not paying enough |
| the business and the service desk software provider | | | | for resources. Tracking the issues that have been or |
| sets the framework by which incidents and support | | | | are being dealt with and how long it is taking to resolve |
| requests are resolved. Today, with the quality of the | | | | is a basic starting point. |
| service management software tools available, there is | | | | Implementing a service management software tool, |
| a good opportunity to define and track SLAs. Due to | | | | getting the facts over time will enable you to |
| "out of the box" tools most organisations will have | | | | implement ITIL service desk and help desk best |
| some form of SLA with their customers. | | | | practice. |
| Organisations that are new to measurement will begin | | | | |