In 2014 the need to attend the premier annual conferences [ITSM14, SITS12, FUSION14, LEADIT14, NowForum…] to hear from the “opinion formers” has been less of a priority given the increasing power of individual practitioners to openly share their proven solutions to business issues with whoever is interested across any channel of digital interaction (e.g. webinar, slideshare, blog, video clip etc.)
It was perceived that the format of the UK ITSMF conference was a little tired because the focus was more on Theory (Shoulds and Oughts) with some degree of proven implementation guidance from the practitioners who have delivered outcomes that address real business challenges.
ITSM14 has become a meeting place to connect with colleagues either on the exhibition floor or dance floor with the dinner and industry awards ceremony the main event.
The highlight of the conference was the announcement of the ITSMBig4 Agenda for 2015.
“The Big4 Agenda refers to the set of key professional issues members have indicated they are facing, and the programme of information and activities being delivered by ITSMF UK to help deal with those issues.
In 2014 the Agenda items were Back to Basics (reliability), Skills, Managing Complexity, and Agile ITSM.
At the 2014 Conference four new items were agreed for the 2015 Agenda:
COLLABORATION – how do we work with others?
SERVICE MANAGEMENT OF THE FUTURE – what do we need to look like?
CAPABILITY FRAMEWORK – how do we build it?
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE – how do we ensure it is relevant?
we need to have a clear agenda, so as soon as one thing is done, we’re starting the next.”
John Windebank & Rosemary Gurney (Chair & Vice-Chair ITSMF UK) led the discussions on the recently announced ITSMF UK Big4 Agenda topics for 2015
LINK to Twitterchat compiled by Jane Suter @Jane_RTC
Started, Stalled or not Sustained
It was deeply disappointing that community initiatives launched in 2013 were not further developed or sustained in 2014. I did not envisage the level of change resistance and negative knock-back for the inaugural SM Congress core values and declaration.
Charles Araujo, the driving force behind SM Congress, provided an update in March LINK however there has been radio silence since.
The ITIL Manifesto is a SM Congress look-a-like and states the following:
“A community driven effort (with the knowledge and support of the Intellectual Property holder Axelos Ltd) to add structure to existing or new ideas on how ITIL is viewed/used/adopted and to create a manifesto which formalises these principles”.
Here is what the AXELOS declaration has to say:
“The Manifesto, which began life as a Google document before moving to Tricider, has been created to capture the thoughts of the ITSM community and is designed to gather ideas about ITIL – what it should be and what it shouldn’t be – as well as understand the core values of the proposition”. LINK
So as we enter 2015 the community is still fragmented playing into the hands of For Profit (AXELOS ITIL Manifesto) vs Non-Profit (ITSMF and the ITSMBig4 Agenda) with these initiatives covering the same ground and some industry experts Claire Agutter @ClaireAgutter involved in both initiatives.
Tomorrows Future Today – TFT14
Thanks to BrightTALK for hosting these events and for enabling the community to hear directly from Subject Matter Experts. You can peruse an extensive set of TFT Summer webinars here LINK
TFT14 saw a marked increase in submissions but did not have the same impact as TFT13 because viewer expectations had already been set very high and the wow factor had lessened second time around.
Having said that this slide presentation by Jon Hall (BMC) titled “The end of ITs monopoly on trust vital lessons from the consumer space” is worth a look LINK
In addition the Taking Service Forward – Adaptive Service Model has not been sustained.
It was lauded as “Future best practice for governing, managing, providing and consuming services will be dynamic, emerging, empirical and holistic. Bodies of knowledge will continually emerge based on input from real people consuming, brokering or providing real services”.
In May I tweeted the following question:
@TSF_ASM It has been over a month since the last tweet. Are you guys still part of the #Axelos roadmap? http://t.co/iviUIuRVAq #stalled
With respect to the Supplier / Product provider agenda ServiceNow continue to lead the Market.
One example is the NowForum London event which transferred to the Excel centre to accommodate the huge numbers of attendees. Registration at this event is complimentary with KPMG and Accenture as “big time consulting’ premium sponsors recognising the opportunity to generate leads.
The ServiceNow Community is vibrant. LINK
How to Navigate the ServiceNow Smartphone Interface
The Service-Oriented Enterprise with ServiceNow LINK
“Every department in the enterprise is a service provider. While service relationships are well defined and automated within IT, they are often inefficient, unstructured or non-existent in other enterprise service domains. Georg Maureder, Solution Architect EMEA at ServiceNow will tell you how savvy IT leaders view this as an opportunity to help their business peers replace inefficient email-based service request and fulfilment processes with a proven IT service model”.
BMC – Smart IT + MyIT
“Make your customers the center of attention, and your service desk the life-blood of the organization. Whether accessing personal applications on a mobile device or requesting a business application at work, people expect it to be easy. BMC helps you deliver a better user experience on both sides of the service desk. Delight IT teams and business users with a personalized IT experience, and intelligent, mobile access to IT services”.
Video: Better together: Smart IT + MyIT (1:13) LINK
HP Service Anywhere
December Update offers an Enhanced Trial Experience
“Trial users can take our new guided tours through the Self-Service Portal, Hot Topics Analytics and Live Support. These tours highlight the differentiated value of these key Service Anywhere features.
The Self-Service Portal uses an engaging user experience and big data driven knowledge to drive self-sufficiency and the move to ticketless IT”
HP Mobile User Experience – Mobile Application Pulse
It was a refreshing surprise to see the marketing campaign and kudos to the AXELOS team.
“Global Marketing Campaign ‘Missing a vital component’ has been really well received and we have had a phenomenal response. As an example, we have run full page adverts in the Economist worldwide and the Financial Times to further raise the awareness of Global Best Practice”.
It would be very helpful if AXELOS provided more detail to support the “phenomenal response” statement and the CEO value proposition. Did any CEOs / CIOs sign-up for ITIL or Prince training.
As to be expected AXELOS placed the needs of the Pupil over Practitioners and imposed stringent controls for training organisations to become accredited by AXELOS.
It will be interesting to gauge community response when the full year training exam numbers and results of the AXELOS Profit Share are released.
After a bumpy start Kaimar Karu made a big difference as Head of ITSM in June he tweeted
@kaimarkaru: A little something I wrote on the future of #ITIL – LINK
There were new and refreshed ITIL White papers from “practitioners for practitioners”.
Maximize the Synergies Between ITIL and DevOps by Anthony Orr @AnthonyOrrAtBMC is a very good read and very much on topic. LINK
For all the good work that AXELOS delivered in 2014 I did not understand why there was such a low key celebration of the 25th Year Anniversary of the ITIL Service Management practices. Here is a blog post from AXELOS LINK
“The CPD programme will create and establish lifelong personal brand value by enabling individuals to stay current in their knowledge and protect the investment they have made in the AXELOS Global Best Practice qualifications”.
Moreover the role based focus on Continuous Professional Development is marketing spin to infer that a clear career path has been defined and agreed by the Service Management Community.
It would be very helpful to align the CPD with the Skills Framework for the Information Age
“SFIA is an industry framework (free to use, subject to licence) which contains the descriptions of 96 professional skills, each of which is defined in terms of up to seven skill levels. It also identifies generic levels of responsibility in the areas of autonomy, business skills, complexity and influence.
SFIA offers an invaluable tool to help individuals understand their own strengths and areas of weakness, and to assist employers and HR departments to understand training requirements, potential skills gaps, and specific skills requirements for particular roles”.
Matthew Burrows @MatthewKBurrows has been an evangelist for development and adoption of the SFIA framework over several years and his voice should be heard by AXELOS.
Capita group, which has a 51% stake in AXELOS, acquired G2G3 I guess for their Gamification capabilities. It was a surprise that Ken Gonzalez @ken_gonzalez became G2G3 Americas VP for Delivery given that he had a successful consulting practice.
G2G3 promote the Service Management Office – “We are happy to offer a one-hour complementary Service Management Office (SMO) consultation to help you get started”.
Here is a LINK to the SMO Start-Up Kit and 8 Steps for implementing a SMO
In 2015 it is all about Connectedness
Smarter connected Customers will increase use of Mobile Self-Service Apps for swift and easy information access to obtain immediate resolution that puts the Customer firmly in control.
Smarter Customers are increasingly choosing digital interactions rather than use Voice / IVR calls. They demand consistency across channels so that their Customer record and a full history / notes are always accessible. Digital interactions include voice, text, email, web chat, posting on social media and/or using a connected app.
Smarter Self-Service Portals will identify and know the Customer guiding them along the Customer Journey thereby removing the need to join lengthy call centre queues. Virtual Agents will also become part of an improved Customer Experience.
Smarter peer-to-peer support from always connected practitioners will help to identify solutions for common Service Management and DevOps challenges.
In 2015 creativity will continue to come from random connections, cross-pollination and easy sharing of ideas.
So it is up to you to choose how you connect to the world of DevOps and Service Management industry relevant content that will provide you with the most engaging experience and value.
Listed below is a selection of my tweets from the last twelve months:
DEC
@wdgll: @GoNavvia: Maximize your investment in #ITSM
#Collaboration brings ITSM process management to the #Social era
http://t.co/C6S4t13ajN
@wdgll: #AXELOS CEO Peter Hepworth on progress this year & 2015 plans
http://t.co/ryUFxogV8W
Better interview than last year
http://t.co/TxuNyAzyyd
@wdgll: Next generation mobile support tools
Smart IT with support for smartphones
#Remedy #ITSM
@BMCSoftware
@JonHall_
http://t.co/IOegiuWCtu
Kaimer Karu
@wdgll: Leveraging #ITIL we can create conditions for success; but we still need people to achieve that success and autonomy
http://t.co/cMWwwJzD8k
NOV
@wdgll: @RobertEStroud: #ISACA BELGIUM video from my recent visit to the chapter
http://t.co/HSJ7lk1RvA
Run on a membership model to share knowledge
@wdgll: Improve appreciation of what other group is doing by having Dev and Ops participate in each other’s daily activities
http://t.co/2gs5uUq2G2
@wdgll: @AXELOS_GBP: new corporate video
“Always ahead of the curve”
Prince 2 Agile published early next year
http://t.co/kLjGQm2EJd
@KaimarKaru Leveraging #ITIL we can create conditions for success; but we still need people to achieve that success and autonomy
http://t.co/cMWwwJzD8k
OCT
@wdgll: To Help DevOpsify The World @scriptrock Raises $8.7M
http://t.co/l7XQfTizvK
How to @DevOpsify Release & Deployment http://t.co/aLCev7ROMY
@wdgll: Bring IT to Life with #BMC
Introducing Living IT the @BMC_ITSM Vision for who we are and how we work today
Video – http://t.co/O7OQlpJKzN
@wdgll: Customer Care as a Service is a white-branded service offered to anybody that thinks it important enough to provide
http://t.co/mU0v7ShhAP
@wdgll: @servicenow Changing the way IT and Business gets done
IT must be a Business accelerator not just an IT caretaker
http://t.co/0nfT3FKP9P
SEP
@wdgll: Real-Time #DevOps = Dev is looking to compress delivery cycles and adopt experiment and learn mentalities.
http://t.co/ph8S5i2kpr
@wdgll: Real-Time #DevOps = Ops is looking to institute controls and more tightly govern change.
@wdgll: So we have #ITILManifesto, Taking Service Fwd @TSF_ASM, #SMCongress, #ITSM, #ITSMBig4, #itSMF and #ITILRoadmap & @StuartRance ubiquitous
@wdgll: #ITILManifesto Phase 1-106 ideas half of which have 0 votes
Familiar ideas in top 10 #ITIL = I Think It’s irreLevant
http://t.co/TlnureHlJU
@wdgll: #ITSM14 agenda http://t.co/4lTahbKPzM
Service management next generation operating model
Nathan McDonald & Zoe Benedict Deloitte Consulting
@wdgll: @RobertEStroud: My discussion of the benefit of #COBIT Online
http://t.co/UERDN7xFSH
@wdgll: @PhilipHearsum Article on Cultural differences in ITSM
ITIL is the universal language of IT Service Management #ITSM
http://t.co/SFDU8S9O3L
AUG
@wdgll: DevOps vs the Enterprise video clip
“Think of #DevOps as process improvement for #ITIL”
@scriptrock http://t.co/vJwFAuAMJz
@wdgll: #DevOps is successful when ways of working flow quickly and unimpeded to allow for rapid decision making and to spur on continuous delivery
@wdgll: Global-Mobile-Social (Glo-Mo-So) intg via Global comms, universal delivery via Mobile devices & Social collaboration http://t.co/FgIYqoRHe5
@wdgll: http://t.co/wpL3Cddur5 take Service Management beyond IT into other areas of business so they are integrated and not separate entities.
@wdgll: The IT world is re-inventing itself. For CIOs imperative is to lead IT to become backbone of the modern enterprise
http://t.co/KD9nlX1QPX
@AnthonyOrrAtBMC: Enjoy new whitepaper – ITIL and DevOps
http://t.co/g4J3X8KBOl
@wdgll: #Agile and #ITIL – http://t.co/fxAcXeEBFz SLA targets are met month on month but the customer is still not happy with the service provided
JUL
@DortchOnIT: What #ServiceNow does & why it matters, to organizations from Coca-Cola to CERN & the NBA — in <2.5 minutes!
https://t.co/xk3x9osWVG
@wdgll: @AXELOS_GBP @PhilipHearsum Adopt&Adapt #ITIL Please shift left in the service lifecycle away from Ops-Service Desk/CAB to Strategy & Design
@wdgll: ITIL vs Kanban
http://t.co/znobKCOzuo
Emphasis is on individuals and interactions over processes and tools
@CharlesTBetz
@wdgll: COBIT Focus Volume 3: July 2014
#COBIT5 Helps Find Value in the Cloud
Plus Mapping COBIT5 with IT Governance http://t.co/dYyg5NKODZ
#Devops Pushes Agile to IT’s Limits
Software engineering is changing and DevOps is at the heart of it. http://t.co/7UB5IiERRW
@wdgll: #DevOps Stats for Doubters
DevOps spends 60% less time handling support cases
63% release new s/w more frequently http://t.co/MWiSqhiySP
@wdgll: VIDEO : #ServiceNow Expands IT Operations Management Portfolio with ServiceWatch
@NeebulaSystems
http://t.co/4BHAtS2aQb
JUN
@wdgll: #DevOps philosophy and movement that sits at the intersection of (software) Development, (service) Operations and QA http://t.co/CawgLXlgHz
@wdgll: #ISACA is a great org and I am proud of the passion, experience and energy that we bring to all our stakeholders
http://t.co/v3U8aKM89C
@wdgll: combined benefits of ITIL® & Knowledge-Centered Support
http://t.co/vbbJUPHW1y
Good job HDI although Summary real value para is > exec summ
@wdgll: Now the scope has gone beyond devices, Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) is probably a better more future-proof term
http://t.co/JDG7QNAUFh
MAY
NEW YES NEW #Axelos White Paper – Using ITIL to seize the opportunities of the Cloud and rise to the challenges http://t.co/LRXrAplM6l
@wdgll: David Paine, CIO of ITSM at Toyota Financial Services (TFS) urged fellow CIOs not to live on an ‘ITIL island’
http://t.co/uuPv4SuhFz
#know14
#Know14 was bigger and better than ever! @jason_wojahn shares his take on the event and its key message: http://t.co/9z2HjAHXEk
@ServiceNow CEO Frank Slootman “Genius hits a target that no one else can see” http://t.co/jbL1Ki0xlK another fine performance #Know14
IT Service Management Must Evolve http://t.co/41TbOxlKtn
As Business Units sidestep IT, will #CIOs become glorified Service Managers
In the new end-to-end services model, the handover to the end-customer is just the start of the process http://t.co/A6MOO3I0VO #CBR #ITSM
#ITIL value proposition http://t.co/BVWxlb5PjB
Thought it was meant to target the C Suite as per the global survey responses 72% relevance
@wdgll: Benefits of #ITIL Allow the Business to focus on the service and value received, not on the technology utilized to deliver tangible outcomes
@wdgll: benefits of #ITIL-Optimize Customer Experience
#Forrester says perpetually connected customers demand Service @ Speed
http://t.co/DTvknqVC0k
@wdgll: #Know14 the best keynote speaker slides can be accessed here “Get to know Now” http://t.co/M8LzWSx2wt “the New Age of Service is NOW” @ITSM
@wdgll: #ITSM professionals need to adopt a combination of Customer centric & Service centric. The “Don” Page
http://t.co/5b8HdCg1aH
#sits14
APR
@AXELOS_GBP It is deeply disappointing that your Head of #ITSM @kaimarkaru fails to act with integrity causing harm to your company #ITIL
#itsmcommunityportal full ownership of a common purpose increases motivation and information-sharing.
@AXELOS_GBP: See the latest #AXELOS eBulletin
http://t.co/ALX5YvS2wO
Looking forward to the launch of the #ITIL Value Proposition for CIOs
@DavidM2 practitioners know that change is driven by #transformation getting people to do things they wouldn’t normally do. #ITIL irrelevant
@DavidM2 @kaimarkaru the challenge for #Axelos profits is do they favour PUPILS and gamification revenue or PRACTITIONERS and collaboration
#COBIT5 online will offer an enhanced user experience when launched in Q3/14 http://t.co/3dnlPySJ2V
In the new business landscape there’s no room for slow-slowness is death. Slow processes are like heavy chains around an org @outsourcemag
Tanya Rose introducing #cobit online beta
link describes the Features of COBIT 5 Online
bit.ly/1mQ45UH
#servicenow CEO Rock Star Slootman @SiliconANGLE http://t.co/mSpaAkBWJs
Inspiring
IT as a Value Producer
Capture Lightning in a Bottle
MAR
@charlesaraujo: A future for #SMCongress? http://t.co/4EBu9XLrVi
intl. consortium under SMCongress “brand”. Light Governance is required
@wdgll: #SMCongress consortium must set standards of Service Excellence that will be validated by the core community of (global) practitioners
@SophieDanby http://t.co/N7EsAcyVGk
What is the community trying to achieve?
Reap & Sow “good”practice which is endorsed by your peer group
@wdgll: #SMCommunity pooling of proven practices and individuals sharing their insight with whoever is interested across any channel of interaction
Good practises that you create where you work instead of Best Practises learned in a book.
Wow, celebrate 25 yrs of content gifted to #Axelos for profit.
@wdgll: #gamingpaul Excellent Proposal-Make the current ITIL expert certificate an ’ITIL expert in THEORY’, make a new one ‘ITIL expert in PRACTICE’
@wdgll: #AXELOS Head of ITSM talks about value propositions for different size organisations
http://t.co/LOZidV2jDm
FEB
#Forrester : Top trends for customer service in 2014 http://t.co/09t9wcfQEK Trend 2: Customer Service Will Adopt a Mobile-First Mindset
@AnthonyOrrAtBMC The perfect combo: #ITIL, I.T. servIce management and socIaL medIa #ITSM
http://t.co/fKBsyhlB6T
Experience & Expectations
What’s The Future Of ITSM? By @stephenmann http://t.co/spOxdP716q also read http://t.co/E3Ubl34Hso who will lead Service Management in 2014
@ITILExpert Pink Interviews Peter Hepworth CEO, Axelos http://t.co/9DiALzzDUo Investment in the exam cash cow and making ITIL relevant #itsm
JAN
@servicenow: Frank Slootman blog – Lightning in a bottle http://t.co/9EB4WntmmW one CEO with a distinctive point of view #BeginningofNow
thisiswhatgoodlookslike 