1. Integrating IT. Delivering Value. WHITE PAPER: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Best Practices to Attain Organizational Maturity An Examination of Current Trends Thomas D. Vetterani Vice President, Program Management & Service Quality CCSI Technology Solutions, A CompuCom Systems CompanySeptember 2007 Executive Summary In order to be competitive today, companies must actively listen to their customers and innovate quickly in response to new challenges, customer needs and business opportunities. Regardless of their industry, the enterprises that succeed today are the ones that have learned how to evolve continuously. They have mastered the art and science of change management, and embrace change fearlessly. They have learned to adapt. In short, these enterprises have attained a higher level of organizational maturity than their competitors by leveraging the best practices established by the Information Technology Infrastructure Library.

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White Paper: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Challenges Associated with ITIL Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Starting an ITIL Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Gaining Institutional Buy-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Evaluating the Success of an ITIL Initiative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11About CCSI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 3. White Paper: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Why Adopt ITIL?Introduction The adoption of ITIL enablesInformation Technology Infrastructure Library Defined organizations to put a service-The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a widely accepted, orientation spin on infrastructure cohesive set of IT best practices drawn from public and private sectors around management that improves the world. ITILs model covers service support and delivery and is supported IT alignment with core businessby a comprehensive qualifications scheme, accredited training organizations processes and provides a support-and implementation and assessment tools. ing framework that enables them to attain the following objectives:ITIL provides best practices for IT service management and operations, includingservice desk, incident resolution, change management, capacity, service level Align IT services with theand security management. ITIL is especially popular in Europe. ITIL is a frame- current and future prioritieswork outlining globally accepted best practices for IT Service Management. The of the businessconcepts within ITIL support IT service providers in the planning of consistent, Improve overall client satis-documented, and repeatable processes that improve service delivery to thefaction and service qualitybusiness. ITILs greatest strengths include the following: Establish predictable cost Its well established reductions by delivering Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) Its mature Its highly detailed Its focused on IT production and operational quality issues It combines readily with CMMI 3 4. White Paper: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)Challenges Associated with ITIL InitiativesHighly dependent on interpretation, ITIL does not address the development ofquality management systems, and it is not geared to software development.Additionally, many CIOs have historically struggled with understanding ITILand how it may benefit their organizations. Typical reservations include Dowe have to hire additional headcount to support these new processes?" and"Will we need to integrate all of the ITIL processes in order to gain efficiencyand effectiveness? Nevertheless, ITIL has quickly become the de factoapproach businesses have embraced for service management.The reality is that it's impractical, if not impossible, to implement ITIL ina wholesale fashion across all IT processes. In fact, most organizationsintegrate, at most, six of the 10 key processes into their operations. The10 key ITIL process areas include the following: Incident Management Financial Management Problem Management Capacity Management Change Management Availability Management Release Management Service Level Management Configuration Management Continuity ManagementManagement must decide exactly where it should begin, but where tostart is not always clear. They ask their peers in other organizations abouttheir experiences, join local interest groups to gather data, and so on. Whatthey dont realize is that the ideal starting point should be determined basedon a careful assessment of practices and a convincing analysis to quicklyidentify the greatest business gains. This can be accomplished by conductinga Business Services Management (BSM) Snapshot or an Infrastructure MaturityAssessment (IMAT) to gauge the infrastructure maturity of the current environ-ment, and compare and contrast the same against key best practice areas.Currently, infrastructure maturity is all about processes, best practices, metricsand the goal of continuous improvement. According to Gartner, greater than70 percent of a typical IT budget is invested annually on the infrastructure.Additionally, given the heightened security concerns today, more and moreof these investments are made to augment support staff, training and higherlevels of certifications. Combined with the typical investments in servers,operating systems, storage and networking, these investments add significantcosts and complexity to the environment. Throw in the need to integrate andmanage a new breed of mobile devices, as well as refresh desktop and laptopdevices, and you wind up with an especially daunting array of challenges forthe enterprise. (See Figure 1.)Only after the organizations maturity has been accurately assessed, is it possibleto launch an ITIL initiative. 4 5. White Paper: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)(Figure 1)CCSIs Integrated Infrastructure Management (IIM) SolutionStarting an ITIL InitiativeOne of the critical first steps in any new IT initiative, or for that matter any newbusiness initiative, is proper due diligence. You must examine the situation onthe ground in the organization, because no two organizations are the same.As such, there is no single blueprint that you can purchase or follow thatwill lead to success.To begin with, you must identify and have a clear understanding of the following: What the IT organization looks like at a high level and What the business organization looks like from an IT perspectiveArmed with these two primary data points, you can then begin gathering otherkey pieces of information such as: What services are being offered? How mature are they? What are their strengths, weaknesses, etc.? What formal processes exist? 5 6. White Paper: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)Assessing the Business ImpactOne of the biggest mistakes organizations make, whether internally or viaconsultants, is to create solutions that are looking for problems, rather thanfocusing on the problems first. The cardinal rule here is: Stay off solutionsuntil you have a clear definition of the problem. To do so, you need to havea fundamental understanding of: Who are the stakeholders? Who is impacted by the problems? What are the productivity measures used to gauge success? What evidence is there that this is the case?As you know, ITIL describes what best practices are and not how to implementthem. The how is left to the practitioner. Consequently, just because youunderstand the problem doesnt mean that your solution or process ties backto solving it. In order to do that, you need to first create a clear problem state-ment and validate it within the organization, define a set of requirements, thenqualify the solution to ensure that it addresses the problem completely.With a complete understanding of the problem, you are now ready to begindefining a solution. Based on key issues stated in your problem description,you can begin to map out specific requirements for solutions. With an accurateset of requirements for a solution, you can better control resources and increasethe speed and effectiveness in the deployment process. This will lead to acceler-ating the returns afforded by your new solution by eliminating many of theirrelevant activities and overhead that plague one-size-fits-all solutions.Moving from problem qualification to solution qualification requires an under-standing of the scope and magnitude of the problem, and then how appropriateand elegant your solution is at solving it. As we know, ITIL describes bestpractices and process knowledge; what you need to do is marry processknowledge with situational and institutional knowledge to ensure a strongand viable solution.The next step is qualifying the solutiondoes it solve the problem, and howdo you know that it does? The key factor here is the solutions ability to addressthe real problem. Once youve solved the problem, youll need to create metricsto track your performance over time. You will also need to involve the keystakeholders to ensure that they buy into the solution and that it is alignedwith key business drivers and objectives.RecommendationsAs with the adoption of any new quality or best practices framework, ITILfacilitates change affecting three core factors: people, processes and technology.How a business implements ITIL will naturally impact the end result.To increase the likelihood of success of your initiative, you need to do the following: Seek guidance and expertise from organizations that are highly skilledin implementing ITIL processes where neededespecially in areas oforganizational change leadership. Work with organizations that have demonstrated a strong proficiency 6in program and project management. 7. White Paper: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Secure the core ITIL implementation expertise needed to help accelerateyour organization through the transformation process. This proficiencyisnt typically resident within businesses today. Make communications a priority. You need to develop key messages to bedelivered by credible members of your senior staff. Without them, you maybe setting yourself up for failure.In identifying external resources to support your ITIL initiatives, you needto seek out organizations whose focus is on quality and gaining value fromintegrating IT infrastructure. As part of the selection process, you should askthe following key questions: How deep is their knowledge and experience base of ITIL processes? How much thinking and post implementation reflecting have they donefrom assessment to assessment? Does their approach reflect a strong emphasis on being there to learn andunderstand your problem, or are they simply showing off their knowledgewithout a clear sense of your issues? Have they put their ideas and knowledge to work for other clients? If so,with whom, and what were the results? And finally, do they have a formal implementation methodology, and arethey adaptive and creative in their solution engineering?If youve done your due diligence, interviews and background checks, makingthe partner decision should be fairly easy. Although businesses no longer havethe luxury of engaging in lengthy partner evaluations, there is still no substitutefor potential partner due diligence to ensure the right people are engaged.Adopting and implementing ITIL processes is not an end-all answer to IT servicedelivery problems. However, effective processes, combined with a fully inte-grated infrastructure management solution will ensure a much higher degreeof success and will ultimately result in productive changes in both job responsi-bilities and daily activities for the majority of employees. Employees need andwant to hear about change. Communication can come from two key sources:the CEO or the employees immediate supervisors. One thing to remember hereis that the messages emanating from these two sources will be significantlydifferent; the world view and the departmental view.In summary, a key contributor to ITIL transformation is a strong, visible, andeffective partnership with a skilled and knowledge-rich service provider. ITILintegration is a journey over time, calling for substantially different objectives,organizational structures, roles/responsibilities and attitudes within the organ-ization. It also requires an ongoing and structured training programa solu-tions-based approach that is able to encompass skills assessments, job roles,7 8. White Paper: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)the mapping of skills and roles to specific ITIL processes, the development ofa sustainable training curriculum path at all levels, and key metrics to measurethe business results. Gaining Institutional Buy-inThe benefits and advantages of ITIL and IT Service Management (ITSM) maybe clearly obvious to those who have received an ITIL education, or experiencedit first hand in practice. But to the uninitiated, driving ITIL adoption can bechallenging, and demonstrating its benefits to key decision makers isnt alwayseasy. So two fundamental questions arise at this juncture; 1) How do you getorganizational buy-in to launch a change management implementation whennot everyone is on the same page; and 2) How do you change the mindsets ofthose in opposition?One of the best ways to overcome these mindset issues is to conduct executivebriefing sessions with the key stakeholders as part of a two-phased approach.These 2-3 hours sessions quickly explain the key benefits of the ITIL processmodels in a fast-paced, fun-filled way through crisis simulations, such as aFormula 1 race or the Apollo 13 lunar mission. Once the key stakeholders areon board, creating a structured training and orientation schedule for the otherkey departmental and IT staff will get everyone speaking the same languagealong with a good understanding of the ITIL approach, and a heightened levelof enthusiasm and commitment. The final step should be to join one of theIT Service Management Forums (itSMF) local interest groups in your area(visit www.itsmfusa.org for more details). These special interest groupsprovide local support to organizations and individuals on any ITIL-related (Figure 2) topics or questions.From a training and orientation perspective, we strongly encourage that keysenior management participate in the ITIL Foundations training in order toeffectively champion their organizations change efforts. Participation fromcross-functional IT groups is also key. This training drives home the advantagesof process-based approaches and breaks down mindset issues and helps toeliminate a siloed mentality.The bottom line here is that the increasing need for corporate governanceand regulatory compliance has brought focus and attention on the need toincorporate standards and proven processes into the enterprise. PositioningITIL best practices as a logical extension of these initiatives which can supportthe foundations of the IT infrastructure will be received positively.The business impact of ITIL lies not only in its well-defined processes, butalso in its approach for continuous improvement and strong business resultsbenefits that matter most to the business. By providing a positive environmentfor education, training, and orientation, your success in gaining support andbuy-in at all levels should be assured. (See Figure 2.) 8 9. White Paper: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Evaluating the Success of an ITIL Initiative Implementing a quality Executives expecting immediate gratification are not likely to experience it withframework is a significant process improvement initiatives, as the results of such initiatives are not realizedstep in the right directionin the short termin fact, cost savings are not likely to begin to flow until 12-18toward process improvement,months following the implementation. Furthermore, certain costs are likely tobut it only represents about increase as much as 10-15 % during the early stages of operational refinement15-20% of the big picture in efforts. Sources of these temporary spikes include project and change managementterms of IT performanceinitiatives, communications, process documentation, and time taken out of a re-management. Having the sources day-to-day activities. Over the course of about three years, an organizationright service delivery model may experience as much as a 30% ROI from its refinement efforts. Maturation of therepresents the remaining 80%,processes may take as long as three years. For most organizations, the most signifi-and organizations that do notcant elements of maturity may be experienced in as little as six to nine months.address this area are leaving aThese elements commonly include those which evolve from standardized processlot of money and risk on the table. definitions. Achieving top-level, or Level 5, maturity may not be necessary and may even be cost-prohibitive. For many organizations, achieving the standardized pro- Thomas D. Vetterani Vice President, cess definitions characteristic of Level 3 maturity will be sufficient to meet the Program Management & Service Qualitymajority of organizational goals. IT leaders must assess the appropriate target level CCSI Technology Solutions,of maturity for their specific organizations. Identifying appropriate targets, goals, A CompuCom Systems Companyand levels of detail helps narrow the scope of the refinement effort so the organi- zation implements and optimizes the right processes to meet those targets. CCSI provides its clients with access to a range of assessment tools and professionals as part of its Integrated Infrastructure Management (IIM) Solution that: Helps clients understand the current state and risks of their infrastructure maturity Develops a plan to manage the risks Provides ongoing assistance to drive continuous improvements and manage change For client-specific IT organizations who need to demonstrate the ability to deliver high-quality, well-controlled service, CCSI can assist them in driving toward an ISO 20000 quality certification or help prepare for compliance with external audits and regulatory requirements. Our relationship goes beyond managed services to provide ongoing expertise that helps you achieve ongoing service quality improvements. In addition, our support team can assist you in every aspect of your IT operations from product acquisition through end-of-life disposalall aimed at delivering strong business value. 9 10. White Paper: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)ConclusionAdoption of ITIL will surely increase as enterprises struggle with the complexityof the infrastructure, its underlying architecture, limited IT budgets, and increasingdemands from their clients and end-users. CCSI offers a complete range ofassessment and consultative services for ITIL, Six Sigma, CobiT, and otherquality frameworks and processes. Our personnel have more than 42,000certifications to support our clientele regardless of scope. Our experienceis based on real-world implementations across a broad range of clients invirtually all industry segments. CCSIs solutions encompass product procurement(hardware/software), consulting, outsourcing, support, service desk and networkmanagement solutions and trainingall focused on delivering the value ofInfrastructure-as-a-ServiceSM (IaaS) and grounded in ITIL best practices. 10 11. White Paper: Leveraging Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)About the AuthorThomas D. VetteraniVice President, Program Management & Service QualityCCSI Technology Solutions, a CompuCom Systems Company Tom Vetterani oversees CCSI Technology Solutions service excellenceprograms and internal quality initiatives. His team identies process andimprovement trends, enables technology adaptation to service delivery,and delivers best practice processes to strengthen CCSIs outsourcingsolutions strategy. Mr. Vetterani also directs a team of process architectsthat is responsible for the transition and integration of new clients intothe CCSI system.In addition, Mr. Vetterani is responsible for the melding of CCSIs IntegratedInfrastructure Management (IIM) and ClientLink methodologies intothe organizations service delivery operations. CCSIs IIM approach helpsclients improve operational performance while reducing cost and increasingbusiness value. CCSIs ClientLink methodology is a system of processesaligned across six phases (Assess, Plan, Design, Test, Implement, andSupport) that contain proven documents, tools, and methods for projectmanagement, service delivery, and ongoing operations of a clientservices engagement.Bringing more than 25 years of demonstrated technology and managementexpertise, Mr. Vetterani joined CCSI in 1999 from former parent organizationSafeguard Scientics, where he provided business and technology consultancyand leadership to a number of Safeguards portfolio companies. Prior to that,he was Chief Technical Officer and then President of Global Intellicoms AMComand VirCom subsidiaries, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, as well asbusiness development. Mr. Vetterani began his career at IBM and spentmore than a dozen years in various executive positions at BASF in both theUnited States and Europe. 11 12. Integrating IT. Delivering Value.White Paper: The Evolution of the IT Help Desk to the Service Desk About CCSI CCSI is a leading IT outsourcing company that also provides application develoment, procurement and management of hardware and software. With more than 20 years of IT experience, CCSI employs more than 11,000 highly skilled associates who have earned more than 60,000 industry certifications company-wide. As experts in workplace services, CCSIs unique Integrated Infrastructure Management (IIM) TM solution reduces costs, increases productivity and helps clients gain maximum value from information.CCSI Technology Solutions, Corp. Learn more about CCSIs broad range of services and how seamless integration canCompuCom Systems, Inc. help you drive greater business value from your IT infrastructure. Visit us online at2480 Meadowvale Blvd. www.CCSICompuCom.com or call us at +1 905.816.3000 today.Mississauga, ON L5N 7Y1+1 905.816.3000www.CCSICompuCom.com 2007 CompuCom Systems, Inc. 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