5 Steps to Successful ITIL Adoption

15.02.2012
ITIL, the IT service management (ITSM) best practice framework, has come on in leaps and bounds since it was first introduced due to theUK government's disillusionment with the way that governmental IT was delivered in the latter half of the 1980s. Now the de facto standard for ITSM, there is no doubt that ITIL can benefit IT infrastructure and operations (I&O) organizations. In a recent survey of 491 members of the IT Service Management Forum (itSMF) USA, Forrester found that ITIL beneficially improved service productivity (85%), quality (83%), business reputation (65%), and occasionally cost savings (41%).

With that said, Forrester urges I&O executives and their teams to proceed with caution. Despite its rapid adoption in recent years, ITILITIL is fraught with adoption challenges that could be prevented, or at least minimized. The trick is to ensure that sufficient planning leads to optimal adoption, not just in the short term, for example, selecting and implementing a service desk tool, but also in the longer-term through an ITSM maturity vision, phased adoption, and support for continued improvement. Whether you're embarking on a greenfield ITIL adoption or wanting to improve the IT support and IT service delivery of your existing ITSM operations, Forrester recommends that I&O executives and their teams get started by following these five steps: Alles zu ITIL auf CIO.de

Step 1: Understand what ITIL is all about, especially the importance of people

First and foremost, clearly articulate the business value of ITIL by identifying key business priorities and pain points, and then position ITIL as a means to enabling and solving them. From there, find an executive sponsor and form a core ITSM team to justify, fund, communicate, and ultimately drive ITIL adoption.

Beyond executive sponsorship, "people" are critical to ITIL's success. But too often, Forrester finds that I&O executives invest more time and energy improving processes or selecting technologies compared to assessing, developing, and hiring the right people. A common issue is employing staff based on ITIL qualifications rather than experience, work ethic, and common sense. However, the reality is that the ITIL Foundation Certificate is not a particularly difficult exam to pass, so don't view people with it as a passport to ITIL adoption success. More important than the qualifications in many respects is having people with relevant experience, the right soft skills set, and a mindset geared for service and customer centricity.

Step 2: Be realistic about existing ITSM process maturity and improve it gradually

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