The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is implemented in companies worldwide to change and improve processes within an organization. With ITIL, everything is changing -- organizational change as much as process change.
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But change doesn't always come easy. Organizations often make mistakes within the first year of an ITIL implementation, and that's normal. In his presentation at Pink Elephant Inc.'s 12th Annual International IT Service Management Conference & Exhibition, Graham Price, IT management consultant at Pink Elephant, addressed the 10 biggest mistakes IT organizations make during the first year of an ITIL implementation.
Mistake No. 1: There is no vision. No one is sure of what is happening with ITIL and
there are no clear answers.
What to do: Make sure the plan and focus for the ITIL project is clear, so you can get
buy-in or support. A vision will also build momentum for the initiative.
Mistake No. 2: Top-down commitment isn't necessary. The project can be infiltrated via
middle management.
What to do: You really need an executive sponsor for ITIL, especially when you need more
time, money or resources. It's hard to sell ITIL to an executive board, especially when executives
have no idea what you're talking about. You need a boardroom champion or sponsor for any ITIL
project.
Mistake No. 3: We don't need a business case. We know why ITIL
is important and why we're doing it.
What to do: You need to articulate the business benefits of ITIL to the stakeholders. Create
a project checklist that includes the following items:
- Understand and articulate cost. We know there's a cost for doing ITIL -- but what do we get in
return?
- Confirm the scope. This must be very clear.
- Specify success criteria and define benefits. Define the success of your program and how to meet your goals. Outlining benefits will help justify the resources you need.
Mistake No. 4: We don't need an initial baseline. Let's just get started.
What to do: Figure out what you're trying to improve on. Have specific targets identified
and have examples of usable baseline methods such as maturity assessment and change readiness
assessment.
Mistake No. 5: ITIL is not a strategic project, so we can use existing resources to
implement it.
What to do: Create a formal project plan and identify the best resources for the project,
not just people who have free time. Create a "Dream Team" of ITIL resources that includes the
following: an executive sponsor, steering committee, stakeholders, process owner, process manager,
project manager, process advisor and process team members.
Mistake No. 6: We don't need a communications strategy. A few emails and a kickoff
meeting will suffice.
What to do: A clear communications strategy will help you tell management the what, when and
why for the ITIL project. Use a variety of ways to communicate. Most people prefer face-to-face
communications (Web meetings, videocasts, etc.) vs. just email. Be creative to bring attention to
the project. Involve a marketing or communications person to help create a communications strategy.
Tailor the messages for your various target audiences, i.e., senior management, middle management,
etc. Have a consistent message and use the same terminology throughout all communications. Two-way,
interactive communication allows for more user feedback.
Mistake No. 7: We don't need an overall process strategy. Different process teams can do
their own thing and we'll worry about process integration later. Let's just get it done.
What to do: Introduce document control and establish common templates for all processes. Be
consistent. Design your processes with integration in mind.
Mistake No. 8: We'll start with a new tool and build processes around that later.
What to do: Allow ample time for implementation. When selecting a tool, remember that the
vendor's version of ITIL isn't necessarily the same as yours. Listen to the vendor's views, but
base your selection on your own plan and process design.
Mistake No. 9: Unmanaged scope creep. Manage growth as you go along.
What to do: Don't bite off more than you can chew. Continual service improvement is a large
part of the new ITIL. You don't need to get it perfect out of the gate. Work on making it better
and keep improving. A steering committee should approve any scope changes.
Mistake No. 10: We don't expect much resistance to ITIL. We'll just tell them what to
do.
What to do: People will resist change and need a reason to change. Let your staff know
what's in it for them. You're not just changing processes with ITIL -- you're changing culture and
people, too.
Let us know what you think about the story; email: editor@searchcio.com.
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