skeptic's blog

Axelos Consulting Partner (ACP) Programme

Submitted by skeptic on Mon, 2015-03-30 09:08

Axelos recently announced their Axelos Consulting Partner (ACP) Programme to licence ... er I mean "formally recognize [sic]" consulting organisations practicing in all areas of Axelos "global best practice" including ITIL and PRINCE2. They're putting the squeeze on.

Service Management Truths #SMTruths

Submitted by skeptic on Sun, 2015-03-29 21:07

Recently i started a hashtag on Twitter #SMTruths to track reflections on the profound fundamentals of service management, the enduring truths that underly all the more complex ideas we lay on top.

Who owns the system during the go-live warranty period?

Submitted by skeptic on Sun, 2015-03-22 23:11

Transitioning a project into Production is a complex process. One of the trickiest parts is transitioning responsibilities.

"Go-live" is sometimes seen too simplistically as a handover to Operations, as if Ops will magically run it from Day One without help. Or DevOps sees it the opposite way, where Operations plays a minor role forever.

There needs to be a transitional phase.

Darwin doesnt justify change

Submitted by skeptic on Thu, 2015-03-19 20:27

monkeyI heard this one again recently: "survival of the most adaptable". To be clear: Darwin did NOT ever say "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change." Because it is NOT true. Change is not essential and it certainly isn't always a good thing.

Agile is an excuse for chaos?

Submitted by skeptic on Thu, 2015-03-19 00:03

I tweeted a while ago "Agile is an excuse for chaos in the same way ITSM is an excuse for bureaucracy", i.e. it isn't. But if it's done badly it is, and that's how opponents unfairly characterise it (equally true for Agile chaos or ITSM bureaucracy).

DevOps Unicorns Horses and Mules

Submitted by skeptic on Tue, 2015-03-17 08:36

DevOps folk use the terms "unicorns" and "horses" as if everybody understands what they mean. Quite possibly you don't. So here's the gist:

Axelos announces a new level of ITIL certification: Practitioner

Submitted by skeptic on Sun, 2015-03-15 22:04

After my dark forebodings about a potential squeeze on ITIL in 2015, Axelos' first(?) ITIL announcement of the year seems a good idea: yet another level of ITIl certification, the Practitioner.

Windows vs cars

Submitted by skeptic on Fri, 2015-03-06 09:20

Here's an oldie but a goodie, made particularly salient as I wrestle with my first experience of Windows 8 on my new laptop (what a howling dog it is: a clumsy kludge of a skin, shoehorned onto Windows 7) .

At a COMDEX, Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated,

In praise of ITSM engagement models

Submitted by skeptic on Tue, 2015-03-03 08:04

When establishing the relationship with an external service provider (outsourcer), why do we document a whole operating model spanning both organisations? The whole point of outsourcing is that the supplier should be a black box, with inputs, outputs and performance requirements. What we need to define is the interface between the two entities, to ensure the operating models of each one mesh properly together. Define the connecting cogs, or the plug-and-socket - choose your analogy.

This is more efficient: we don't redundantly document processes which already exist, and are documented elsewhere. It is more effective: we focus on the gaps, specifying the requirements for change in each organisation in order to connect their operating models.

It seems this is pioneering stuff: there is very little published on what an engagement model should look like or how to develop and use it. So I built one.

The design police at Google say they'll push this site down the search rankings

Submitted by skeptic on Tue, 2015-02-24 03:52

This website has been told if I don't redesign it I will be punished by Google's search engine. #mobilegeddon

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