The motivation to write this article came from reading 'How many light bulbs does it take to change the world?' - by Charles Fishman, published in the September 2006 edition of Fast Company.   The current hot topic is global warming and the need for everyone to actively reduce…

The ITIL Service Desk provides the focal point of communication for both the IT external customer community as well as those internal customers within the IT department. The incidents reported to the Service Desk are recorded and relevant data gathered including the unique configuration item (CI) identifier, the symptoms, the…

Throughout ITIL regardless of what version one references, there is always the mention of continuous improvements or sometimes referred to as the 'Act' in the 'Plan-Do-Check-Act' approach provided by the Deming cycle.   The introduction of ITIL into any organization is not prescriptive and consequently is…

Introduction   I hate the word 'holistic', it conjures up images of questionable medical techniques involving scented candles and crystals.   But when it comes to describing how Business Intelligence implementation should be approached, holistic fits the bill perfectly.   An overall…

The Service Reporting process reports on the results achieved both operationally and strategically. It also reports on any developments related to Service Level Agreements such as hitting various targets, like availability.   Its purpose is to provide information to both IT and the business in order…

"It's time we aligned IT with the business" is a common cry heard around the data center, especially near budget time. For most IT managers, this means that their business counterparts don't quite understand how IT spending creates business value. IT staff feel as if they're seen as administrative overhead,…

The Service Measurement process has very close and obvious links to the Service Reporting process.  Base lining is vital in ensuring that the reports produced are meaningful to those who receive and that they provide value.  Without a base line there is no solid foundation upon…

The Continual Service Improvement (CSI) process or 7 Step Improvement process explains how to measure and report on service improvement.  There are close links between this process and the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle which should feed into the Service Improvement Plan or SIP.   It…