Service Catalog - 4 decisions for execution success
5th Oct 2016
Implementing a Service Catalog is a big decision for many organisations. The implementation project can span several years, and it's safe to say that it never really finishes.
In this presentation Ivanka Menken, CEO of The Art of Service, touches on the 4 decisions you need to make to ensure execution success. These are the things you won't read in an ITIL book, the juicy stuff that you would normally only hear from consultants...
Pay attention to the things you need to know and the traps to avoid.
What are these four decisions?
1. Strategy
You need to have a laser clear focus on who your target audience is. Who is your client? Who are you serving, and why are people buying your (IT) services?
Another question that needs to be answered is: " What is the desired outcome"? Why are we doing this? What is the reason behind the delivery of this service?
2. People
There are some basic rules in people / HR management:
* Hire slowly / Fire quickly, and
* Hire for attitude and train the skills (whenever possible)
Especially when hiring (or applying for) a Service Catalog Manager you need to have a clear understanding on the personality traits that are necessary to make a good, successful Service Catalog Manager. Don't discount this decision as it will cost you money in the medium to long term!
3. Cash
When discussing a service catalog, ultimately the discussion revolves around money. A rule of thumb is to budget for the entire service, not just the individual products. Simply focusing on the products will mean you'll short change yourself as the delivery of a service also includes many non-tangible tasks and activities to ensure the promised levels of services are delivered and maintained. Also, keep in mind the 'depreciation' of a service so you have budget for maintenance and replacement of this service without it interfering with the business operation.
4. Execution
Stop and identify what your current situation is. When you don't place a line in the sand you won't know what the improvements are. Without a starting points it is near impossible to identify and justify the benefits of implementing a service catalog. Be very clear what your baseline is so you can celebrate successes.
Once you have a clear understanding of these 4 areas, implementing the service catalog is an operational process that can be designed with the level of detail and task orientation that it deserves.