Continual Service Improvement
Introduction
In ITIL®, improvement becomes a process within IT with definedactivities, inputs, outputs, roles and reporting.
Activities
It is essential that during CSI, ITSM processes are developed and deployed as well as develop an ongoing continual improvementstrategy for each of the processes and services. These deliverables must be reviewed on an ongoingbasis.
The activities performed during the Continual Service Improvementare:
• Review managementinformation
• Analyze trends
• Produce/analyze SLA reports
• Conduct maturity assessments
• Conduct internal audits
• Conduct customer satisfaction surveys
• Conduct external and internal Servicereviews to identify CSI opportunities
Roles
CSI Manager
• Responsible for the success of all improvement activities
• Defines, monitors,analyzes and reports on KPIs and CSFs in cooperation with
SLM
• Coordinates CSI activities throughout lifecycle
• Prioritizes improvementopportunities
• Leads, manages and delivers improvementprojects
Service Owner
• Accountable for a specificservice within an organization
• Responsible for continual improvement and managementof change
• A primary stakeholder in all of the underlying IT processes which enable or supportthe service they own
• Close cooperation with SLM and CSI Manager
Interfaces
It is important to provideimprovement opportunities through out the Service lifecycle. The Service Portfolio is the connection betweenall lifecycles stages:
• CSI relation with Service Strategy: Improvement opportunities driven by external factors such as new security or regulatoryrequirements
• CSI relation with ServiceDesign: Defines the need for CSFs, KPIs and metrics on services.
• CSI relation with Service Transition: Transition to new or changed services provide opportunities for improvement in terms of knowledge,metrics, communication and management.
• CSI relation with Service Operation: Identifies areas for improvement within operational services within the organization, which involves peopleprocesses and IT infrastructure.
Inputs and Outputs
There is a systematic sequenceof inputs and outputs in the Service lifecycles.
Each lifecycle will produce inputs to the next lifecycle and as a result the latter lifecycle will produce feedbacks or outputs to the former lifecycle. This consistency in results can help CSI identify the strengths and weaknesses throughout the lifecycle stages and find opportunities for improvements.
Interface withService LevelManagement
Interface with Service Level Management (SLM) are described as followes:
• Service Level Management (SLM)is a key principle of CSI, thus is compulsory to the lifecycle
• SLM initiates Service Improvement Programsand Service Quality Plans
• Monitoring and measuring is a joint responsibility of SLM and CSI
• SLM effort is about building and maintaining better relationships between IT
and its Customers
Within Service Design, Service Level Management is concerned with:
• Designing and planning the process
• Determining Service Level Requirements(SLRs)
• Negotiating and agreeingupon SLAs, OLAs and UCs
Within CSI, Service Level Management is concerned with:
• Monitoring (executed within Service Operation)
• Reporting
• Evaluating
• Improving
Service Improvement Plans are formal plans to implement improvements to a process or service. They are used to ensure that improvement actions are identified and carried out on a regular basis. The identified improvements may come as a result of:
• Breaches of Service Level Agreements
• Identification of user training and documentation issues
• Weak system testing
• Identified weak areas within internal and external support groups
Risk Management
Risk Management aims to support better decision–making through a good understandingof risks and their likely impact.
Risk analysis
• Gathering information about exposure to risk so that the organization can make better decision-making and manage risk appropriately
Risk management
• Having processes to monitor risks, access to reliable and updated information about risks as well as appropriately create balance and controlrisks.
A risk is the chance that a certain asset stops performing its functionor value due to a threat.
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