Have you ever wondered why ITIL - ITSM standards are key tool for training your staff in Incident Management? Let’s see why.
On the one hand and as end users; we usually pay more attention to services such as Internet access, use of mail and printing. In other words, we give little or null attention to the production and management of technology.
Rephrasing the idea, we just let the experts to take care of that for us. And this is particularly frequent in our work environment: Seeing a HR Manager worrying about updates in networks or systems is not an image we often watch.
Therefore, it’s really important that the IT staff in our company understands the importance and scope of its functions.
On the other hand, we found the standards ITIL - ITSM.
When naming ITIL - ITSM, we refer to set of best practices aimed for the departments of Information Technology (IT); underpinned with international standards for Service Management (ITSM).
Then, it comes up that IT staff must perceive as client anyone navigating through the networks it manages. This, coupled with security features and protection, and proper customer service.
So, we meet three important elements: 1) IT Staff; 2) ITIL - ITSM standards for Incident Management; and 3) Customer management with security standards.
In other words, ITIL - ITSM molds relationships and processes necessary to provide optimal services in technology at all levels.
Then you may ask, how are they related with services? To answer your question, we pose other questions:
If you don’t know how to answer to one or more of these questions; then it’s time to review how your IT Staff has been working.
More than standards, ITIL - ITSM are key aspect for training in Incident Management: Their main objective is aligning IT services with your business needs. This is the reason why millions of people have been trained in their use.
ITIL - ITSM helps to plan, implement and comply measures and improvements under a single framework with global impact.
Similarly, ITIL - ITSM standards provide processes description, procedures and tasks; and give checklists to apply to organizations.
In addition to simplifying processes, ITIL - ITSM standards add value and maintains a unified referral frame to work into.
For these reasons, most large companies in England and the United States adopt them and recommend their application.
It’s true: ITIL - ITSM are so extensive that only to explain them, it took five books. So yes, applying ITIL - ITSM for Incident Management is an overwhelming task.
The reason why this is particularly difficult, is that to apply best practices, you necessarily must change the culture of your organization.
In other words, applying ITIL - ITSM for Incident Management starts a change process that generates resistance. It also involves both, technology and processes; and also, how people perceive and use them.
As part of their research strategies, Forrester Research applies annual surveys to more than 500,000 business leaders in the world.
Then, according Forrester, the interaction between employees and customers are high priority: The company's reputation depends on the client’s perception.
In addition, Forrester serves as a guide to rank in order of importance the service management processes. And here we have the results of their surveys:
Lesser in rank of importance, we found: Continuity or disaster recovery; version management processes; problem management; financial management and skills or capability management.
Based on these findings, arise recommendations related to the order or hierarchy with which technology departments must address their ITIL processes.
So, it's a good idea to start the implementation of best practices for incident management; and following, service management.
In addition and in parallel, they must attend configuration, availability and change management, as they are very interrelated.
Incident management restores unplanned services disruption or degradation due of an incident. It also includes performance failures.
At this level, causes aren’t taken into consideration, but short term solutions. Any degradation of service must activate a process to restore them.
To manage incidents, the Service Desk staff should:
In parallel, Incident Management involves collecting data and create more permanent models to solve problems quickly and effectively. These models should include:
Once you have the macro plan for the implementation of ITIL standards - ITSM, you can organize and apply it as follows: