Service Support 123 Success Secrets. Copyright by Jonathan Hammond

Transcription

1 Service Support 123 Success Secrets Copyright by Jonathan Hammond Notice of rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Notice of Liability The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of he book, neither the author nor the publisher shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the products described in it. Trademarks Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book. 1

2 Contents ITIL Role 5 How does ITIL help? 5 ITIL Management Release 6 Desk Help ITIL 8 ITIL : ITIL Service Management Processes can be broken down into 2. 8 The Methodology of ITIL 9 IT Services Service-Based SLA Template Process: Service Level Management 10 ITIL Service Support 13 ITIL Configuration Management 14 ITIL Book 14 Project Management And ITIL : In Florida there are now many schools offering project management. 14 ITIL Service Desk 17 Telemarketing your Product 17 ITIL Incident Management Procedures 18 ITIL Service Support and Processes 18 ITIL Customer Relationship Management 19 ITIL Roadmap 19 Service Catalog : Service Level Management Service Catalog Demand Management Financial Management. 20 ITIL Questions 26 ITIL Based 27 All About ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management 28 ISO9000 ITIL 28 ITIL Categories 29 ITIL Helpdesk 29 ITIL Provides 30 ITIL and IT Service Management 30 Learning ITIL through Poster 30 Service Desk 31 What is Best Practice? 32 ITIL Methodology 32 Is ITIL for IT Organisations Only? 32 IT Services Multi-Level-Based SLA Template Process: Service Level Management 33 Benefits of Incident Management Tool 36 Sample Questions of ITIL Foundation 37 ITIL Service Manager 38 The Scope of ITIL Best Practices 38 ITIL BASED IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT 40 Companies using ITIL in US 41 Reasons Why You Should Take ITIL Foundation Course 42 ITIL Incident Management 43 Your ITIL Foundation Coverage 43 ITIL Change Management 44 2

3 ITIL and Data Center 44 ITIL Finland 45 ITIL BAU 45 IT Service Management and ITIL Working Together Towards Total Customer Satisfaction 46 The ITIL Certification Course 46 ITIL Books 47 It service management IT SM software solutions 48 ITIL Support Services 48 CompTIA Server+ Certification Analyzing Client-Server Relationships 49 Answers for review questions 49 Microsoft ITIL 58 COBIT ITIL 59 Do My IT People Need to Be ITIL Certified? 62 Customer Reviews 63 ITIL V3 Service Operation Book 64 IT Services Costs of Service and Pricing Processes: Financial Management for IT and Service Catalog Management 65 Configuration Management ITIL 71 What covers the ITIL Framework? 74 Downloadable ITIL PDF Training Materials 75 Peep Into An ITIL Managers Certificate Exam Blog 75 Helpdesk: You Are A Specialist In Customer Support 76 ITIL Data Center 77 ITIL Service Delivery 77 ITIL power management 1 O 78 ITIL CD Training 78 ITIL Demo Process: The Jigsaw Diagram 78 Getting to Know the Different ITIL processes 79 ITIL compliance supports goals 80 ITIL Management 81 The Service Management of ITIL 82 IT Infrastructure Library ITIL 82 Solutions ITIL 83 The Siebel On Demand: In Perspective 84 Aids in Handling Incident Management 84 ITIL Guide 85 Know More About ITIL Procedures 85 The Significant Role of ITIL Management 86 The Proven Tips to Pass the ITIL Input/Output Managers Exam 86 Service Management ITIL 88 The True Meaning of ITIL 88 ITSM ITIL 89 ITIL Service Delivery Free Download 89 ITIL Environment 90 Recognizing the Need for ITIL services 90 ITIL Pins 91 3

4 ITIL Release Management 92 ITIL Application Integration 92 ITIL change management table 92 Logistics: A Configuration Management Team s Responsibility 93 Configuration Management Are All The Same 94 How ITIL software asset management can benefit you 95 Service Support Disciplines 96 What is ITIL methodology 96 IT Services Service Enablers Processes: Service Level Management Service Asset and Configuration Management 97 ITIL Community 104 ITIL Application Management 105 Basics of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) 105 What is Outsourcing: Some Basic Information 106 Entry level of Support help desk procdures 106 IT Services Customer-Based SLA Template Process: Service Level Management 107 Services and Processes 110 What Should I do To Earn an ITIL Certificate? 111 Define ITIL 111 ITIL PPT File The Best Way to Creating ITIL Presentations 112 Understanding the ITIL Concepts and Terminologies 113 ITIL Framework The Backbone of ITIL Functions and Processes 114 What makes ITIL ITSM different? 114 ITIL In Action: Service Delivery 115 ITIL, Quality Manager 115 What is so special about ITIL Service Management? 116 ITIL Jobs : What Employees And Jobseekers Should Know 118 A Short Definition of ITIL Best Practice 120 IT Service Management-An Introduction based on ITIL 121 ITIL Standard 122 Hewlett Packard Help Desk Facility 122 ITSM Tool Requirements 123 ITIL Made Easy 131 ITIL Overview 132 Incident Management ITIL 132 What Good it is to Practice IT ITIL Management Service? 133 ITIL Definition 133 4

5 ITIL Role ITIL Resumes An impressive resume is likely to get you a fruitful job and what create an impressive resume are effective qualifications. Degrees and basic qualifications are very primary elements for a job in IT Service Management. ITIL certifications convert them into impressive ITIL resumes. Companies look out for skilled managers who have knowledge which is specific to a particular field. For effective ITIL resumes, ITIL certification at any level helps to get better jobs compared to people who do not have any professional qualification. If you wish to enter into Service Management, a foundation s certificate will lay a strong foundation. If you are already working, Practitioner s or Manager s certificate will be very useful add on to your ITIL resume. ITIL Role What cannot be ignored in the present IT industry is the ITIL role. It has transformed the functioning of the IT sector by introducing a range of Service Management options. The major ITIL role is to organize any company and increase the productivity along with cost reduction. In the recent past, ITIL has been able to provide some excellent facilities that never existed before because no-one thought of introducing management at the professional level. Service support and service delivery are the major technological ITIL role. All these functions are accomplished through different departments that are assigned to handle a particular issue or subject. Configuration management looks after the infrastructure of the company and is responsible for recruiting and training employees. Problem management is targeted at solving any problem and determining preventive measures as well. Similarly there are other departments aimed at boosting company s progress and working conditions. How does ITIL help? ;For any IT organization to be successful, it must align itself to the industry it supports by offering optimal service at a minimal cost. ITIL offers the exact framework required by our clients, regardless of their industry, outlining the common optimum processes for all IT processes and emphasizing on regular monitoring in the face of a changing 5

6 business environment. This observation is in line with the fast growing needs of any industry that needs a basic methodology or framework for consistent business ethics, processes and service, globally. And this is where ITIL, the IT Infrastructure Library comes into prominence. Not only does ITIL determine and guide the IT best practices, it also offers a structure and method for processes and goals at the management level, allowing it to be termed as a Framework. Any business that employs IT globally today, finds it advantageous to adopt and align itself to the ITIL frame. The ITIL framework is available on a public domain and is essentially available in a series of books and information that provide guidance on the IT services and their quality provisions. The ITIL Framework was developed in the late 1980 s and since then has become the worldwide de facto standard in Service Management. Today, it forms the basis for any consultancy, education and training software tools. ITIL addresses eight principal business topics for the industry. These include: Service Support; Service Delivery; Security Management; Planning to Implement Service Management; ICT Infrastructure Management; Applications Management; Software Asset Management; The Business Perspective. Despite providing a general methodology, ITIL does not mandatorily guide day-to-day activities. This makes it flexible so that any industry can individualize and customize it to their context and corporate needs. At the same time, it promotes the use of best practices that can be uniformly adhered to by different businesses in line with their key objectives. The convenience and ease of this framework of proven best practice allows organizations to use ITIL with existing methods and activities in Service Management. Using ITIL does not insist upon a radically changed way of action and thought. It only provides a framework as a structured content Since the late 1990 s ITIL has become a world de facto standard for Service Management. Since its inception, the ITIL framework has been available on the public domain, but is copy write protected. ITIL guidelines have been used across industries including government bodies, central agencies, public utilities, infrastructure, retail, finance etc, making it easily accessible to both small and large units. ITIL Management Release 6

7 ITIL Made Easy ITIL is not a very difficult concept to understand but a great challenge to apply in your own company. Before you go ahead and find the best practices available, it is necessary to know completely about ITIL. ITIL made easy guides and e-books are available at affordable costs. Another excellent source are ITIL institutes and learning centers. The Art of Service can help you to get a complete overview, knowledge of ITIL and its proper applications through its ITIL made easy courses. The majority of ITIL made easy processes are incorporated in two main categories and sub-categories: Service Delivery Availability Management Service Level Management Financial Management Capacity Management IT Service Continuity Management Service Support The Service Desk Incident Management Problem Management Configuration Management Change Management Release Management ITIL Management OGC (Office of Government of Commerce) has designed a comprehensive model regarding ITIL management and its application. This is a complete overview of the ITIL management structure that is divided into five major sections. 1.Business perspective ITIL management in this section functions at the strategic level for any organization. This helps in overall understanding of the needs of the company. Business continuity management determines the functioning of business perspective 2.Service delivery In this tactical level the customers are provided adequate attention. It include financial, availability, continuity, service level and capacity management. 3.Service support This is concerned with business support function that includes service desk, incident, problem, configuration, change and release management. 4.ICT Infrastructure Management This is built on the core of the service support and delivery. System management, network service and operations management are some of the elements. 5.Application Management This is completely dedicated to the software development life cycle and in solving issues regarding IT services. ITIL Management Release Management is all about discipline and proper planning. ITIL management release is one such department that is responsible for the transition of policies, plans and configuration to actual practice and implementation. This is very significant because no plan is successful without proper execution and a proper execution always demands accurate plans. ITIL management release has to serve the dual purpose of checking the authenticity of configuration and forecasting the effects of change. This is closely related to Configuration Management and Change Management. It is almost the intermediary stage between them. 7

8 Another function of release management is designing and testing of hardware and software. This is done to create a set of release components or elements for a hassle-free environment. ITIL management release takes care of both technical and non-technical departments. Desk Help ITIL Desk Help ITIL Desk Help ITIL is one of the components of Service Support domain of ITIL. Effective IT services implementation requires a Desk Help ITIL, since it is the first contact point between your organization and your clients. End users can reach for immediate help at Desk Help ITIL in case their IT application fails to function the way it is expected to. The two most important functions the Desk Help ITIL accomplishes are Incident Control and Communication. Therefore, it enables your organization to achieve complete client satisfaction through proactive client service approach. Desk Help ITIL is typically service desk software that involves integrated automation and management of service support processes. The integration of Desk Help ITIL with your system replaces multiple help desk tools with one stop solution or single application that is flexible and spans a scope for the entire organization. Therefore, it involves low cost of operation. ITIL : ITIL Service Management Processes can be broken down into 2. ITIL Service Management Processes can be broken down into 2 core groups with Security Management as an independent process. ITIL Service Management Processes first group is called Service Support. Configuration Management Configuration Management covers the identification of all significant components within the IT Infrastructure and recording details of these components in the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). Change Management Change Management covers the process of IT Change for all types of Change, from the Request for Change, to assessment, to scheduling, to implementing, and finally to the review. Release Management Release Management is very closely linked with Configuration Management and Change Management, and undertakes the planning, design, build, and testing of hardware and software to create a set of release components for a live environment. Incident Management The primary goal of the Incident Management process is to restore normal service 8

9 as quickly as possible following loss of service, and to minimize the adverse impact on business operations, thus ensuring that the best possible levels of service quality and availability are maintained. Problem Management The goal of Problem Management is to minimize the adverse impact of Incidents and Problems on the business that are caused by errors within the IT Infrastructure, and to prevent recurrence of Incidents related to these errors. Service Desk The Service Desk differs from the other main areas of Service Management in that it is not a process but is the central point of contact for Customers to report difficulties, complaints or questions. ITIL Service Management Processes second group is called Service Delivery. Service Level Management Service Level Management is the processes of planning, coordinating, drafting, agreeing, monitoring and reporting on Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and the ongoing reviewing of service achievements to ensure that the required and cost-justifiable service quality is maintained or where necessary improved. Financial Management for IT Services Financial Management is concerned with three main processes of Budgeting, IT Accounting and Charging. Capacity Management Capacity Management is the focal point for all IT performance and capacity issues. It is essential that Capacity Management has a close, two-way relationship with the business strategy and planning processes within an organisation. IT Service Continuity Management IT Service Continuity Management is responsible for taking risk reduction measures to reduce the chances of major disasters occurring and for the production of an IT recovery plan which interfaces into the overall business continuity plans. Availability Management Availability Management is concerned with the design, implementation, measurement and management of IT infrastructure availability to ensure the stated business requirements for availability are consistently met. ITIL Service Management Processes umbrella process is called Security Management. Security Management Security Management falls under the umbrella of Information security and focuses on the three main concepts of Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability. It is also far more than just technical security although this is one of the four key areas which forms a layered approach. The other three are Organizational, Procedural and Physical Security. The Methodology of ITIL Information Technology Infrastructure Library is a compilation of the best practices that intends to make an improvement and maintain a particular level of measuring the quality of service in the industry of information technology. ITIL includes the structure of an IT organization and the skills required for the organization to efficiently 9

10 manage all its operations. The method its uses does not rely on a specific technology and then apply to all the features of the IT organization. ITIL is composed of seven books divided into different disciplines and each focuses on a particular topic. The books of ITIL are the following: Service delivery. This book talks about the processes that are required for the delivery and setting of the IT services and finds for a long term process of achieving good quality services. The second book is about service support. This book defines the procedures included in everyday maintenance and support for the activities and projects involved in the condition of the IT services. The third book is about the plan to implement service management. The book evaluates the tasks and issues involved in the planning, implementation and modification of the service management procedures within the IT organization. The fourth book is about security management which gives the details on how to plan and correctly manage the information and the IT services. The fifth is about Information and Communications Technology Infrastructure Management which covers all areas of ICT management. The sixth book talks about the business perspective. The book gives guidance and advice to help an IT administrator understand their roles and responsibilities in the IT industry. The last book is the application management. It defines how to correctly manage the applications of all IT projects. IT Services Service-Based SLA Template Process: Service Level Management Status: In draft Under Review Sent for Approval Approved Rejected Version: <<your version>> Release Date: 10

11 Service-Based Service Level Agreement (SLA) The document is not to be considered an extensive statement as its topics have to be generic enough to suit any reader for any organization. However, the reader will certainly be reminded of the key topics that have to be considered. This document serves as a GUIDE FOR THE CREATION OF AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SER- VICE LEVEL MANAGEMENT PROCESS OWNER AND THE CUSTOMER OF IT SERVICES, FOR A SINGLE SERVICE. This document provides a basis for completion within your own organization. The service-based SLA is usually preferred by IT as it allows a single document to cover a single service for all end users of that service. It means less administration time spent in negotiating different documents with different customers and less time spent on worrying about accommodating different requirements amongst users. Service-based SLA Advantage Just one SLA document could be agreed for all customers/end users of a single service. Disadvantage Inability to satisfy the customers that have differing requirements of the service being addressed. The following form can be used as the Service-Based SLA document. The SLA does not have to be in a lengthy written format and in fact it is more likely to be adopted if it is kept concise, with only salient details. With regard to Service-Based SLA the following points should be addressed: Specific Service Information (Duplicate the following table for as many services to be covered in this SLA). Areas to address Comments/Examples Time Frame/Notes/Who Description of the agreement Brief description of the contents of this SLA Note: The SLA will cover only ONE IT Service, but end users from many areas. Use this section simply as an executive summary. Reference number Unique identifying number for the SLA (for inclusion in the Configuration Management Data Base CMDB) Owner Functional role description of who is responsible for this SLA (Who would participate in a review of this document?) Representatives from customer and IT (Special tip: Avoid using names as it dates the document quickly.) Service Name Preferably use a name that is common language in the organization (not a technical name). Service Description (Business) (refer to Technical Considerations later in this table) Briefly describe the primary function of the service. 11

12 Use language that is business user friendly. (eg. Instead of NT Server, with 2GB RAM and 500GB of disk storage we would say large central server designed for all customers to use and share information ) Service Expectation Level This is a unique concept to this SLA design template. Far too often, we write descriptions of IT Services in a clinical fashion. These clinical descriptions set an expectation for the customer/end user about the IT Service. Quite often, the description is interpreted by the reader in a way not intended by the writer. Use this section to set the expectations of the reader. If you feel that there could be some interruptions to service delivery because the service is relatively new, then document that here. However, remember that using the reason new service has only a limited life-span. Service Security Considerations Briefly list any considerations regarding security for this service. Are there any differences in the level of accessibility for different people/roles for this service? (Try to use role descriptions, instead of names.) Service Target Response priorities If the SLA accommodates different priorities, they must be listed here with a description on the type of service that each priority level should receive. Service Target Response time Here, we document the agreed response time for the different priority levels set. Service Support Hours (Availability) Consider marginally longer support hours (if less than 24). Maximum number of accepted outages Minimum percentage availability Maximum number of errors or reruns Service Out of Hours support procedure Are the in-hours support staff the same as out of hours? Phone numbers and what information will be required when support is called What does the user do if the nominated person is not available? Service Charging policy Do we require external staff to only act if they have a validated cost code for work? Are there any special aspects of the work that has to be recorded for later charging? Service Metrics for performance What will be the performance numbers for the work performed under this UC? Will the expected performance be higher than negotiated in the SLA to allow a safety margin? Service Breach Clause Perhaps your organizational culture is built upon imposing penalties for poor performance. If this is the case, then the penalties for failing to meet the stated metrics must be listed here. If the SLA is not to have a penalty focus, then simply remove this line. Continuity Considerations (should be linked to the IT Service Continuity Plan) If the agreed support hours cannot be met, then it is necessary to invoke a continuity option for this service. The definition of when this invocation should occur will be listed here. Cross-referencing to the IT Service Continuity Plan is also required. SLA Validity period Duration that this SLA is expected to remain in place before it is reviewed SLA Review Procedure The process for reviewing the SLA and who is involved Special Tip: Avoid using people s names and use role descriptions to avoid dating the document. 12

13 Version Control Information SLA Creation Date SLA Last Modified Date UC Cross references Reference number to related and closely coupled UCs OLA Cross references Reference number to any closely coupled agreements with internal IT department Technical considerations In this section, you can describe any technical considerations that are essential to document. It is more likely, however, that you will include here a link to the Service Catalog or Technical Specification. Notes & Comments Customer Information (Duplicate the following table for each customer to be covered in this SLA). Areas to address Comments/Examples Time Frame/Notes/Who Customer definition List and/or describe the customers that are included in this SLA. It is most likely that the customers will be all end users of IT services in the organization. However, the SLA for this service may be only for particular function holders that are spread throughout the organization). NOTE: There can be no single correct definition of an SLA that will cover all situations for all organizations. This template, however, does prompt the reader to consider the most critical areas of an SLA and it provokes thought about other areas that could be included based on individual needs. ITIL Service Support ITIL Service Support ITIL service support is one of the disciplines in the IT Infrastructure Library. It is the practice of those disciplines that provide improved IT services. The main purpose of ITIL service support is to ensure that the customers are provided correct services that are necessary for smooth sailing of business. To provide appropriate services to the customers, it focuses on establishing six support disciplines in an organization, which are: - Incident Management - Problem Management - Change Management - Configuration Management - Release Management - Service/ Help Desk A customer can also get involved with the service support by submitting queries and problems and asking for a change. The organization should maintain regular communication with the client and provide him with regular updates on the matter. These functions form the basis of ITIL service support. You can learn more about ITIL service support at theartofservice.com, which provides ITIL service, management training and consultancy. 13

14 ITIL Configuration Management ITIL Configuration Management The ITIL service support that acts as data center offers various services, which also includes ITIL configuration management. ITIL configuration management is a system that can be seen as simply as a single server and as complex as the whole IT department. In an ITIL course, ITIL configuration management is taught as one of the five processes in service support. Configuration management basically deals with hardware and software in the system. There are five activities involved in configuration management. First, it forms a strategy to deal with it and selects the tools and resources for it. The second activity is of identification that covers relationship between the configuration items. The third step is of configuration control that provides appropriate controlling documentation. The fourth step is status accounting that reports the current as well historical data. ITIL Book ITIL Book ITIL Book is actually a set of two volumes, one of service delivery and one of service support. ITIL books have comprehensive information about the two service management domains of ITIL. ITIL book is just one of the way of getting information about ITIL and knowing more about its framework and practices for better IT service management. You can either get the published version or simply download the e-book version of ITIL book, as is convenient and preferable. You can have the e-book version of ITIL Book in pdf, word doc or ppt formats. ITIL Toolkit and BS15000 service management standards support the ITIL Book information. Both the toolkit and the BS15000 standards are important to understand and effectively implement the information gathered from the ITIL book. Project Management And ITIL : In Florida there are now many schools offering project management. The workshops that the participant must undertake before taking the exam are very helpful because they will be given guidelines on how to identify the main considerations in controlling and managing the 14