ITIL and Your Service Desk
Bringing together two things to make a successful union is always challenging. Whether we are talking about two people, two tribes or just 2 + 2, it is very easy to end up arriving at 5.
"People, process and products" is the Service Management mantra. Get these right and your marriage is made in heaven and one long honeymoon is the normal state of affairs. Well we can all dream, can't we? Meanwhile, back in the real world of the Service Desk……
The Cry for Help
If you want to marry your Service Desk and ITIL processes you have to start somewhere. Imagine your Service Desk advertised for a partner in the local classifieds.
"Lonely Service Desk needs support. Good sense of humour but needs to be taken seriously. Currently trying to educate two children, one in business, the other in IT. They are good kids but rarely talk to each other. They often go behind my back as well. They play with their own toys but never share. I need help to bring them up as a family."
ITIL has grown up fast. It has a voracious appetite for getting in anywhere it can. Never one to miss out on an opportunity, the reply is swift.
"Hey Service Desk, I could be just what you're looking for. My name is ITIL. I'm professional, disciplined and come with a user manual, in fact, two of them. If you need support, then I can deliver it. I should tell you that I do get about a bit and have been seen in lots of companies doing my thing. Don't be put off by that, I'm not a one size fits all merchant, I would be happy to wrap myself around you to ensure we make all the right moves. Come on, give it a go!"
The First Meeting
ITIL is not surprised when the Service Desk does indeed get in touch. They meet a few days later and ITIL listens patiently while the Service Desk tells its tale of woe. No process, a rubbish tool, stressed out staff, angry customers, the list goes on.
ITIL explains that if they are going to get together there are a few things that Service Desk will need to
understand. It prepares the Service Desk by explaining that if ITIL is going to be implemented in the organisation then the changes that happen at the Service Desk will be the most radical.
Implementing Incident and Problem Management will mean a new way of working if the Service Desk has traditionally just used one call log to track and monitor things.
Service Desk is a little worried that this will be a lot more work and that it will be a slave to bureaucracy, ITIL
explains that when it comes to implementing all of the processes a lot of them are already there and just need a little refinement or adjusting. It is virtually impossible to run an IT operation without some practices which resemble what ITIL recommends.
ITIL explains the very important fact that:
- Incident Management measures the efficiency of the Service Desk in maintaining the customers availability needs
- Problem Management measures the effectiveness of IT Support.
At first Service Desk thinks that ITIL is being a bit dictatorial so early in the relationship but the more they consider the logic of what ITIL says the more sense it makes. It is simply a case of having an open enough mind to let the relationship grow.
Getting Closer
The Service Desk suddenly feels like they are verging on something big here. ITIL has seen it all before and suggests that a little planning will help ensure it can all be taken on board in a manageable fashion.
They arrange to meet again. ITIL is very reassuring and suggests that things are steadily tidied up on the ervice Desk. For example:
- What are the current processes, if any, on the desk?
- Have you reviewed Impact codes, categories and escalation procedures?
- What about the staff? How capable are they to deal with an ITIL implementation?
- What is Service Desk going to do to help prepare the staff?
- Get a customer survey underway. We need to know what they think.
- Define the role of the Service Desk. You have to know that to be able to market it to your customers.
By now Service Desk is really getting into all of this. ITIL is showing them the way out of the mire and the light is already beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel. Service Desk goes off and begins reviewing all of these things and starts to feel better as they discover some things which they can do right away. They begin to feel like they are in control again.
There is nothing better than being liked by your customers as well as being in control of your own destiny. The Service Desk is ready to let loose. Stand back, maturing Service Desk coming through...!
Service Desk is so excited that they immediately begin to tell everyone about it. They invite everyone to the
party and tell them why they are getting together and explain what it means for them.
Living in Harmony
After the big day and the inevitable honeymoon, life begins to get into a routine. ITIL suggests that to keep
things fresh, Service Desk should be looking for new challenges. The suggestion is to look at refining existing processes, setting new targets and objectives and even bringing new additions to the family.
Service Desk does all these things and for a while things go well and like all marriages there are ups and
downs. There are good days and bad days, although occasionally things outside the marriage happen which have a big impact.
The company changes, the customers change, even the family on the Service Desk change. Holding it all
together sometimes gets really hard and the Service Desk will sometimes question why they started out on
this road in the first place. Then again, they also reflect on how things used to be before ITIL came along.
Things were even tougher then and it is easy to forget that fact.
One important lesson ITIL taught Service Desk was to take responsibility for everything it does, especially its
image. Everybody wants a piece of Service Desk and everybody wants to express their opinion about how
it goes about its affairs. ITIL says to be clear about what you are what you do, then make sure you tell all
your customers just that. Don't let them decide for you. You are the voice of IT - make it heard!
The continuous service improvement programme that ITIL suggested is working really well and the Service Desk is now beginning to obtain an extended family as other parts of IT begin to adopt ITIL and start interfacing more with the Service Desk. Communication has improved dramatically and made all the difference. The originally dysfunctional family has now become a happy and extended one.
The primary reason for two parties getting divorced is a lack of communication. Bringing ITIL into the life of
Service Desk has opened the door for them all to see the big picture. Like all good marriages they have to
work on it from the inside and deal with the external influences as they arise.
This little story has a happy ending but not all marriages between ITIL and Service Desk's enjoy the
same outcome.
Some do fall out with each other over differences of opinion on how things could or should be done.
Sometimes Service Desk thinks ITIL is a full time know-all, while ITIL thinks Service Desk just looks for
excuses not to change. That initial spark of enthusiasm dies out and they go their respective ways. ITIL will
move on and find their next challenge while poor old Service Desk goes off looking to see it there is
something else available to help them.
Very often there isn't.
