Owning ITIL: project horror stories

Submitted by skeptic on Tue, 2009-04-28 00:01

[Bump to top - any more good stories out there? ] The IT Skeptic's new book Owning ITIL® is out now. The first ten people who contribute an accepted ITIL project horror story get a free copy of the book.

Interesting idea for spreading the expertise - and the risk

Submitted by skeptic on Mon, 2009-04-27 07:53

In our mobile age it becomes very difficult for employers to build a base of expertise in the organisation. It leaks. You've no sooner paid for someone's ITIL Manager's (now Expert's) certificate and they are moving on. Pink Elephant has been talking about an interesting alternative approach: an expert team.

More discussion of CMDB: not the best use of funds

Submitted by skeptic on Mon, 2009-04-27 00:48

Lately I've been involved in a fair amount of debate and discussion over CMDB. The lucrative over-hyped CMDB-building industry has closed minds to the possibility that just perhaps this isn't the smartest thing to be concentrating efforts on. I thought I'd gather together here my recent statements as to why CMDB is seldom the best use of funds, i.e. why CMDB can't be done within reasonable business bounds.

Cutting the cost of IT Operations

Submitted by skeptic on Sat, 2009-04-25 20:16

Once Development was the epicenter of IT, then Operations was. Now it is Service. Soon it will be Governance.

Operations is a commoditised domain now: people increasingly buy on price.

Owning ITIL® - a skeptical guide for decision makers

Submitted by skeptic on Sat, 2009-04-25 19:50
Right now Amazon.com are discounting the book to $27 - that's 20% off! - I have no control over how long they will do this for so don't miss it!
(Note: while you are there, Amazon will offer you a bundled package with another of my books, the satirically funny Introduction to Real ITSM.)

British readers may prefer to buy Owning ITIL® from amazon.co.uk for £25 and free delivery. See also Amazon.de, .jp etc

Now on Kindle!

Gullibility

Submitted by skeptic on Sat, 2009-04-25 10:06

Telesales advertisers and other hustling snake-oilers no longer use images of “thousands of dedicated” white-coated scientists and bubbling test tubes. Science is out of favour with the general public due to the rise of post-modernism, new age, alternative this and that, and other bilge thinking. The only positive to this gradual erosion of the Western world’s intelligence is the demise of science as an image of credibility with marketers.

The same has not happened with computers.

Regarding the new IT Skeptic colour scheme I ...

New Zealand makes another positive contribution to itSMF International

Submitted by skeptic on Thu, 2009-04-23 23:07

Putting aside the IT Skeptic's role in itSMFI and Aiden Lawes recent barracking after many years as an itSMFI stalwart, Kiwis have always contributed more than our 2% of the world economy or under-half-a-percent of the world population. Continuing this tradition, itSMFI has appointed Kirstie Magowan as Chief Editor.

Checklist post ITIL implementation review

Submitted by skeptic on Thu, 2009-04-23 22:35

14 questions for a post-ITIL-implementation review

1. How has this changed the way people think, speak and act? Describe instances/anecdotes.
2. What has been the feedback from customers? Suppliers?
3. How did we measure success? Did we measure against something other than ITIL? Did we succeed?
4. What has been re-scoped, deferred or dropped since the business case?
5. Are we measuring the ROI? When will we review again to check that we got the ROI expected in the business case?

Standardised Service

Submitted by skeptic on Thu, 2009-04-23 10:15

We endlessly hear that ITIL is not prescriptive. Every organisation is different. We must adopt and adapt. Well... y-e-s.

There is a cultural imperative to fit "the way we do things around here" as much as possible, so as to reduce change, re-education and resistance.
There is a historical inertia due to entrenched incumbent systems.

But on the other hand the benefits of ITIL are standardisation and common language. Thess reduce the costs and time when new people come in: employees, trainers, consultants, auditors...

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