The IT Skeptic - Comments for "The true scope of service management and ITIL"

Mapping the frameworks / Staggering through misc thoughts

Glen — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:55:14 +0000

One of the things I like about CobiT is how it maps to existing frameworks. It lets you leverage your existing skills and knowledge; and shows you where gaps exist. Better yet, by the mappings you know where to go to fill the gap in.

In my opinion, The ITIL challenge is an absence of these mappings. Sir Isacc Newton said he was standing on the shoulders of giants when he was recognized for his achievements. The ITIL books don't always seem to recognize either the source of the concept, or that alternatives, frameworks or other approaches exist.

For example, IMO a key flaw I see is a total lack of the The OSI, or Open System Interconnection model. This is a framework that defines the IT protocols in seven layers. ITIL seems to be focused on the bottom three layers. One would think that a lifecycle model would mention this somewhere. Its a fundamental principle used in designing applications, infrastructure and networks. When doing implementation, security and improvement work, its critical to identify gaps where metrics or controls are absent throughout the model.

Parallel thought, in my experience, the successful implementations using ITIL (and IT Service Management) are the ones where the organization embraces the philosophy expressed in the library. Call it end to end, holistic view, IT Services, SAAS, etc... the core paradigm shift is to think about delivery from the end user / customer perspective. One of the key messages lost in the murk is that ITIL brings the discipline and science of business to IT professionals. It makes these rules understandable to technical people. It is not that IT needs to be the business; it is that IT needs to consider the business impact (End user experience) of their implemented procedures, processes and policies, IT Technology and any changes they plan to make.

ITIL helps IS and IT professionals get their heads up out of the muck of daily work and think in broader terms. The challenge is to make this transition as painless as possible. Back to CobiT and ITIL... ITIL helps imagine a new paradigm, CobiT helps existing professionals identify where their skills fit into the broader picture. It even provides a map of how what they use links into this new service oriented culture and approach.

50 frameworks

skeptic — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:29:20 +0000

On the topic of ITSM Portal columnists, see Geoff Harmer on frameworks (Geoff is a regular comment contributor here as "Deaf Llama")

At a conference that I attended in 2005, a senior member of the COBIT Steering Committee explained that COBIT was based on over 50 frameworks and standards. To tell the truth, I was astounded at the time to discover that there could be so many. Now there are even more...

"...now I just think ITIL

Russ — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:26:30 +0000

"...now I just think ITIL did it half-heartedly, too anaemically to be taken seriously by areas of IT outside of IT Operations. But Service Management definitely should go there." and "ITIL should indeed have tried to rule the world. It just failed at it."

Right on! I've always been left wanting(needing) more out of ITIL to really make it work. As if it was teasing me by taking me just far enough to see what could be done but coming up short in a few critical areas when the rubber hit the road and I had to see something alllll the way through to the finish(ie in terms of implementation and CPI). Organizational change comes to mind.

Now, do I hold out hope for some comprehensive, all-encompassing framework(whether ITIL v4+ or COBIT 5) to come down from the heavens? or do I continue juggling and integrating bits and pieces from best-of-breeds(ITIL/COBIT for ITSM, PMBOK/PRINCE2 for PM, any number of Leadership frameworks for HR, etc.)? Is segmentation and/or incompleteness inevitable(for whatever reasons -- scope too large, changes to rapid, vendor self-interest, ignorance, etc.)?

Russ
Seattle, WA
http://www.twitter.com/russhatfield