www.itsm.info provides ITSM information and consulting service solutions based on ITIL best practices

ITSM portal provides information and consulting solution services on ITIL best practices

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Overview

ITSM employs ITIL documented best practices and in most cases extends beyond into additional areas such as enhanced processes and implementation to provide additional value-added functionality. At present, ITSM methods have evolved to include specific ways to enable and optimize assessment, planning, and implementation of ITIL best practices.

 

Background

One primary origin of ITSM can be found in the systems management services and functions historically done in large scale mainframe environments. Through constant refinement over the years these services and functions attained a high level of maturity. Problem and change management, configuration management, capacity planning, performance management, disaster recovery, availability management, etc. are some examples. 

When examining the differences between mainframe systems management services and ITSM, it becomes apparent that when ITSM is applied in today's IT environment and across the enterprise the benefits and sophistication of its best practices are highlighted and exemplified. Where mainframe environments are typically centralized, ITSM is applicable to both distributed and centralized environments. In addition, where mainframe services are typically stand-alone and technology based, ITSM provides for integrated services that are process based with a focus on satisfying business requirements.

Although managing the technology itself is a necessary component of most ITSM solutions, it is not a primary focus. Instead ITSM addresses the need to align the delivery of IT services closely with the needs of the business. This transformation of a traditional "business - IT paradigm" can be depicted by some of the following attributes:

Traditional I/T becomes ITSM Process
Technology focus è Process focus
"Fire-fighting" è Preventative
Reactive è Proactive
Users è Customers
Centralized, done in-house è Distributed, sourced
Isolated, silos è Integrated, enterprise-wide
"One off", adhoc è Repeatable, accountable
Informal processes è Formal best practices
IT internal perspective è Business perspective
Operational specific è Service orientation

Business objectives, service level objectives, technology infrastructure and other areas play critical roles in any ITSM method paradigm and are presented and discussed in detail in ITSM Services

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ITSM General Methodology

ITSM and ITIL upon which it is based are both an integrated, process based, set of best practices to manage IT services. Whereas ITIL defines and documents the best practices, ITSM employs them to meet unique customer requirements and priorities.

ITSM methodology encompasses the following areas (the basic areas of ITIL):

IT Service Support

IT Service Delivery

Depending on the ITSM consulting methodology that is employed, additional value-added areas can be included. These areas could be separate but dependent on those listed above, such as Print and Output Management, or they could be sub-processes of those listed above, such as IT Strategy Development.

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ITSM General Implementation

A typical high level overview of an ITSM implementation structure encompasses the following:

  1. Determine the current, existing IT infrastructure, processes, and services

  2. Develop some desired future state of IT and the services that it needs to provide

  3. Architect a "roadmap" that depicts how to get to the desired state from the current state

  4. Determine the steps needed to execute the "roadmap"

The ITSM implementation framework for each of the IT Service Delivery and Service Support areas listed above is a 5 phase model:

Within this framework, effectively managing IT as an enterprise wide, service oriented entity typically comprises one or more of the following separate and distinct perspectives:

 

 

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Email: Info@ITSM.info

NOTE: This website and the information contained herein is maintained by Rick Leopoldi of RL Information Consulting LLC. Some information is considered "public domain" and contained here as a central repository, all other portions of IT Service Management information is proprietary to RL Information Consulting LLC.