Rapid and Relevant SLAsIntegrating Service Catalog

With The Business

Barclay Rae, Global Head of ServicesBrian Hendry, Service Development Manager

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Agenda

Service Catalog – what is it?

What do we mean by ‘services’?

Negotiating and developing SLAs across the business

Are SLAs a waste of time?

How can we avoid these issues?

Using tools and the user request portal to get buy-in

Questions and feedback

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WindowsWindows WebWeb Web 2.0Web 2.0Green-ScreenGreen-Screen

Axios founded

assyst Classic launched

assyst Enterprise launched

Entry into the US market

Axios ranked #1 vendor in HDI 'Customer Experience' report

Expansion into Canada

Axios retains #1 vendor ranking in HDI 'Customer Experience' report

assyst launched on Java architecture

Further expansion in the US, Europe and entry into Asia Pacific

Axios awarded Software Company of the Year

First in the world to achieve BS 15000 certification

Entry into Middle East and Africa

The number of

assyst end-users tops 10 million

Axios awarded Software Company of Year (again)

Axios rated #1 vendor for 3rd time in succession in HDI 'Customer Experience' report

Expansion into Russia, Eastern and Southern Europe and South America

Axios wins International ExcellenceAward

Expansion withinMiddle East

ITIL V1ITIL V1 ITIL V3ITIL V3ITIL V2ITIL V2

Axios Systems Timeline

assyst 8 launched

US Expansion

European expansion begins

assyst 9 launched

Service Catalog

SaaS

1988 2005199019951997 20002001 2003 2004 2006 20072008 2009/10

Service Catalog – what is it?

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Service Catalog Elements

Elements:

User Request Catalog

For the IT end-user Self-service request fulfillment

Similar to online shopping experience

Business Service Catalog View

For the business customer

In business terms

Specific non-IT information

Service Level (SLA) information

Technical Service Catalog View

For the IT provider

Technical and supply-chain details

Component level service data

OLA and UC information

What do we mean by ‘services’?

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Good Systems

Poor Service

Good Systems

Good Service

Poor Systems

Poor Service

Good Service

Poor Systems

Tec

h F

ocus

Service Focus

Developing a Service Focus

Negotiating SLAs across the business

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SLAs, OLAs and Contracts

SLA Service Level Agreement

agreement between IT & its customers

OLA Operational Level Agreement internal IT SLA between groups

Contract External supplier agreement

SLA Service Level Agreement

agreement between IT & its customers

OLA Operational Level Agreement internal IT SLA between groups

Contract External supplier agreement

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CUSTOMERS

What IT services are key to you?

Key people

Key systems

Key departments

Key times/targets

When do you need them?

How quickly do you need them restored?

What support information do you need?

What reviews do you need?

CUSTOMERS

What IT services are key to you?

Key people

Key systems

Key departments

Key times/targets

When do you need them?

How quickly do you need them restored?

What support information do you need?

What reviews do you need?

IT SERVICE PROVIDER

What IT services do you provide?

Infrastructure

Networks

Applications

Service/Help Desk

Procurement

Projects

3rd party contracts

What are your resource levels?

What levels of service can you provide?

IT SERVICE PROVIDER

What IT services do you provide?

Infrastructure

Networks

Applications

Service/Help Desk

Procurement

Projects

3rd party contracts

What are your resource levels?

What levels of service can you provide?

SLM PROJECT

Planning

Workshops

Negotiation

Facilitation

Documentation

Build Service Catalog

Set up reporting

Set up review mechanisms

Plan full implementation

Ongoing support as needed

SLM PROJECT

Planning

Workshops

Negotiation

Facilitation

Documentation

Build Service Catalog

Set up reporting

Set up review mechanisms

Plan full implementation

Ongoing support as needed

SLM Implementation

Are SLAs a waste of time?

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SLAs

Most SLAs are: created by IT departments a waste of time …!?

What do you mean? Patronizing Irrelevant Inappropriate IT and system-focused Over-engineered Under-estimated Un-measureable Un-actionable Not measured or acted upon Generally untroubled by use

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The SLA Small Print…

ICT accepts no responsibility whatsoever at any time for anything it might or might not do.. SLA performance is not guaranteed, but is expected to reach 60% of 90% of the agreed

target, except when the DBAs and Network Team are on holiday. The Service Desk will accept calls from users if they really feel like it. They also reserve the

right to ask unreasonable questions about serial numbers, otherwise all contact is invalid. IT reserve the right to send meaningless automated emails to users at any time. Query response times are expected to be sub-second, unless there is excessive run-time

load from QRG tables on the JTAG server in X/DOPP. IT will respond in a timely manner to high-priority business incidents, if they are asked very

nicely and also made to feel very special and important. System availability will be 100% when not required, patchy at key business times, which are

not agreed or understood. All requests will be ignored until they are chased up by users or their angry PAs. Requests for PCs will be delivered within 6 months or at least before the requester leaves

the organization – or whichever is most convenient for the IT department. Issues or complaints should be escalated to the least responsible person available.

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What the Small Print means…

IT accepts no responsibility whatsoever, at any time, for anything it might or might not do.

SLA performance is not guaranteed, but is expected to reach 60% of 90% of the agreed target, except on working days.

IT reserve the right to send meaningless automated emails to users at any time.

Query response times are expected to be sub-second, unless there is excessive run-time load from QRG tables on the JTAG server in X/DOPP.

IT will respond in a timely manner to high-priority business incidents, if they are asked very nicely, and also made to feel very special and important.

System availability will be 100% when not required and patchy at key business times, which IT are unaware of.

Why are SLAs like this?

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Why are SLAs like this?

SLAs should be useful and valuable tools to improve service quality and efficiency

They set targets which can be measured to identify gaps in service provision

However:

SLAs are often started without services being defined or understood

There is often little understanding of how to build and negotiate services and SLAs

In effect the services are also being defined as well as the SLAs – perhaps unwittingly

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SLAs are…

Agreements!

Based on understanding and collaboration

Simple clear documents - no jargon or techno-speak

Terms of reference

Targets for normal operations and during emergency situations

Living documents and processes

Measured and used for development

How can we avoid these issues?

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Avoiding Issues

Get everyone across IT and the business together to agree the objectives and approach

Start with services and Service Catalog

Get the right people involved

Adopt a pilot / phased approach

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SLA Guidance

Education at the outset:

Aids buy-in Speeds up the process Avoids costly delays later in the project Gets people talking in the same language Establishes IT & business partnership and

communication channels

Transparency of IT costs/pricing encourages the business to engage

A pilot establishes approach and credibility

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SLA Guidance

Services need to be understood and presented as positive elements rather than simply identifying the areas where they go wrong.

Clear definition of services in the Service Catalog provides the sound foundation for appropriate SLAs:

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Service Catalog Hierarchy

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Some Critical Items to have in an SLA

Simple description of service (in business terms) and what it delivers

Agreed hours of service

Response times – incidents, RFCs. Providing it can all be measured!

Availability of service

Security and data integrity

Customer and provider responsibilities

Exceptions, critical business criteria/periods

Review dates and customer sign-off

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Using tools & user request portal for buy-in

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Service Design

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Summary

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SLAs That Work - Summary

Seven simple tips for successful SLAs…

1. Start with services – understand what current services are provided and what needs to be designed for improvement

2. Ask the business what they want – or what they think their services are

3. Use simple and appropriate language

4. Keep the SLA realistic and achievable

5. Only set up an SLA that can be measured

6. Keep them short and concise – otherwise no one will read them

7. Keep smiling

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Additional Resources

Axios Systems Details:www.axiossystems.com assyst@axiossystems.com http://twitter.com/axios_systems http://www.servicecatalogblog.blogspot.com

Service Catalog Resources:Sharon Taylor Webcast Sharon Taylor White Paper

Webcast Series:05.19.10 Service Catalog Reporting: Step Your

Metrics Up A Gear On Demand Designing and Designing Your ServicesOn Demand 3 Steps To Building A Service Catalog Business

Case

More information can be found on the Axios Systems website.

Information on the assyst Service Catalog can be also be found on our website.