ITIL

Why the difference in numbers between PinkVerify and OGC ITIL product certifications?

skeptic — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:04:58 -0700

There appears to be more vendors certifying their products against more processes on PinkVerify than the OGC scheme. Why is that? What can OGC learn from Pink about making it easier for vendors? or does it show that PinkVerify is too easy? Does it matter?

A CMDB is like a Swiss bank account

skeptic — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:12:42 -0700

I have an analogy for CMDB - it is like a Swiss bank account. Allow me to paraphrase some of the conversations I've had around CMDB:

What Las Vegas and ITIL V3 have in common.

skeptic — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 11:48:41 -0700

Pondering my recent (second) visit to Las Vegas, it is interesting the parallels and lessons about ITIL we can draw from the place.

The first is excess. Nobody can accuse the Las Vegans of being constrained by good taste or in fact by anything other than available funds. The motto of Las Vegas appears to be "nothing exceeds like excess". It is like super-size American food portions: I think the objective is for somebody to one-day eat a meal larger than their own head.

The value of resources is defined by your context

skeptic — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:38:15 -0700

A recurrent theme in conversations I have had here at the Pink Elephant ITSM Conference is how resources such as ITIL or related tools have no value or relevance until you understand your organisation's own context for them.

OGC and TSO release ITIL V3 Update scope and development plan

skeptic — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:12:36 -0700

Fresh out of the pan today, the Scope and Development Plan: ITIL® V3 Update is released. (Thanks Liz for the tip!) I'm getting ready to leave for the Pink Elephant conference in Las Vegas (see you there! Come to my sessions, or see me in booth 203), so I may not get time to comment on this document. We all welcome your comments - leave them here.

What is the best ITIL V3 or ITSM tool?

skeptic — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:53:40 -0700

We go round this question every week on LinkedIn. My answer is getting pretty well honed.

Is APMG an accreditor or a competitor for ITIL ATOs?

skeptic — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:00:00 -0700

For all those who have paid lots of money to be accredited ITIL V3 training organisations (ATOs), be aware that APMG-International the Examination institute (EI) - as compared to their parent APMG Group the official OGC accreditor of all EIs - is not directing any business your way if you accredited through another EI. You know who your friends are in the ITIL world.

ITIL V3 Business Service Catalogue and Technical Service Catalogue are different views of the same services

skeptic — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:27:28 -0700

It seems Technical Service Catalogue is often misunderstood to mean a catalogue of different services from those in the Business Service Catalogue. It's not. It is a different view of the same services. ITIL SD 4.1.4 sadly refers to "supporting services, shared services" within the TSC which I think contributes to the confusion, but diagram 4.3 makes it clear - the services are the same in both, just the perspective and detail differ because of the different audiences: internal and external.

We should create the problem record right up front in an incident

skeptic — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:55:02 -0700

A BOKKED post three months ago drew a lot of attention. It was about the disconnect between Incident and Problem Management in ITIL V3 Service Operation. [See also the ITIL Wizard stirring the pot about Major Incidents] I've just discovered a response to that post which has popped my brain with its simplicity and clarity

Merry Christmas, ITIL works!

skeptic — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:40:57 -0700

During two ITSM consulting engagements recently, I was reminded of a fundamental fact about ITIL – it works.

We stridently criticise ITIL – few more than me – because we want it to be better, and there is room for that, but we would not waste the breath and effort if it was not worth it. ITIL works. It is a useful tool.