Top Challenges in Configuration Management

In this webinar, Akshay will discuss how ITIL Practitioners can help frame the value of ITSM to developers, and what processes & capabilities to look at adjusting first to enable faster software development & deployment.

Speaker's BIO:

Akshay Anand is a Product Development Manager at AXELOS®, working on the development of new guidance and research within the IT Service Management (ITSM) portfolio. He previously advised Fortune 100 clients on how to improve their ITSM capabilities, implemented toolsets such as Remedy and ServiceNow, and headed up global ITSM activities at Macmillan Publishing. He has spoken at numerous conferences, including Knowledge and DevOps Enterprise Summit, presenting case studies and thought leadership on ITIL, ITSM and Information Lifecycle Management (ILM).
More recently, Akshay has focused on bringing together Agile development teams and ITSM professionals to address challenges posed by emerging technologies and market shifts, for example the consumerisation of IT, and the rise of mobile and cloud computing.
He has worked in many countries around the world, including India, USA, and UK. He infrequently tweets as @bloreboy, about ITIL, DevOps, food, and heavy metal.

The commercial success of the IT service provider is based on its ability to provide customers with affordable, high quality IT services that provide good value for money.

The paradox is that the provision of affordable, high quality IT services may not be perceived as providing value and value for money by the customer if their service expectations have not been satisfied and their perceptions of the IT service provider have not been positively influenced.

Where customers don’t recognise the value provided then you become a cost which is a precarious position to be in.

The IT service management strategy needs to recognise that it needs a strategic approach that positively responds to the needs and expectations of their customers and provide the platform to ensure customers ‘see and feel’ the value and value for money provided.

In this session we consider the best strategic approach to achieve this.

This session will provide learning and guidance on:-

•The concepts of value in all its forms
•Customer expectations of the IT service provider (over and above meeting service commitments)
•Understanding the strategic approaches of Inside Out vs Outside In
•The benefits of taking a balanced approach to In shaping your ITSM strategy
•Defining an ‘Outside In’ strategy framework
•Practical guidance on how to implement an ‘Outside In’ approach within ITSM

Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) has been in the core of IT Service Management since the very beginning. As the world changes and different isms come and go, SACM not just remains important but it becomes ever more important. In this presentation we will cover fresh perspectives e.g.:
- How SACM is key capability when doing Service Integration and Management;
- How Agile method ideas and SACM fit together;
- How evolvement of technology has affected the perspective what needs to be managed with SACM;
- How SACM is one of the best friends of Privacy and the coming GDPR legislation;
- What are the current challenges in developing SACM and getting the benefits.

SACM is even more relevant today as it was before. As the world changes also SACM needs to develop. Welcome to hear fresh thoughts about hoe to manage the core information that your IT Service Management runs on.

Presenter's bio:
Lari Peltoniemi has worked within IT Service Management for 15 years and 12 years of that with Service Asset and Configuration Management. He has helped both IT Service consumer and IT Service Provider companies and organizations to successfully utilize SACM to enable it ITSM, IT and Business goals of organization. Lari has worked with many of the major tools and his expertise covers industries widely from MSP IT service providers, Telecom, Banking and Finance, Energy, Education and Public Sector. Lari works as consultant and trainer on ITIL, CMDB and ITSM area in general.

Adopting ITIL in many organization does not always work out as planned. There are organizations that try ITIL and say "ITIL is not for them". I say ITIL is for every organization. No organization has to adopt ITIL in it's entirety. Adoption does not mean apply ITIL concepts or technology and keep doing what you have been doing. Change needs to happen and one of the key elements of change is automation applied to the process areas. In this session, Anthony will explain common challenges and how to automate ITIL for service performance enhancement.

Automation can seriously improve your customer experience, but can you imagine replacing infrastructure BEFORE it breaks? The world of automation is not exclusive to DevOps, however, as we start to automate ITIL, DevOps may get the applause.

Join this webcast to discover how automation will impact ITIL and companies of the future.

This session defines the differences and similarities of Agile and ITIL along with best practices for implementing Agile concepts into an ITIL environment.

ITSM tools have been extremely popular among ITSM professionals in the past three decades. However, as ITSM evolved, ITSM tools not so much, which has slowed down the development of the industry. In this webcast Tarun Gupt will talk about why a revolutionary change is required in ITSM Tools. He will also cover the following points:
- The evolution of tools in ITSM, as well as latest solution and trends;
- Need of the hour to stay relevant;
- ITSM Tools Architecture.

How is your service operation seen within the business? Good? Magic? Brilliant? Or perhaps meek? How your service operation is viewed within the business depends on many factors: communication, resolution, innovation etc., and all these factors are linked. Having previously helped NTT DATA to the title of SDI Service Desk of the Year, Damian Bowen says you must start by understanding how you are perceived. Then, it’s about telling the right story to build your reputation for delivering value and linking your service operation to the strategy and vision of your business.

About the speaker:

Damian has worked in the IT Industry for over 25 years, including the last 8 years as Director of IT & Service Delivery in the UK for one of the largest global SI’s (the $13bn turnover NTT DATA). Damian has transformed the Service Operations of NTT DATA and a number of other leading organisations.

IT organizations have struggled for years to move beyond monitoring of technology components and measure the performance of business processes, services and end user experiences. Operational Technology (OT) and the Internet of Things (IoT) provide a unique opportunity for service management professionals to embed sensors, collectors and instrumentation capabilities directly into the interactions between users and IT Systems. This webinar will provide an overview of the use of OT and IoT in the IT monitoring context, some management considerations and a look forward at how these capabilities are expected to evolve over the next 2-3 years.

Many organizations struggle with defining metrics for business and IT value. Metrics are disconnected from real value in such that after they are defined, no one either pays attentions to them or can make a decision relative to the metrics being reported on. In this session Anthony will discuss how to tie metrics to business and IT value for improved decision making. Including how metrics relate to IT projects and operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Great managers understand the value of numbers. But for many of us they are a safety net to defend what we do, not a catapult to corporate success.

Numbers tell a story, and in this session James Finister will tell you how we can use numbers to articulate and communicate the value of IT at a corporate level whilst avoiding common pitfalls

James will put to to rest the myth of lies, damned lies and statistics whilst promoting a mantra of measure what matters.

The business and IT landscape is changing in significant ways...

- Business are demanding continuous delivery of new and improved application functionality, as well as performance

-To help meet this demand, new emerging best-practices such as Agile and DevOps have arrived on the scene, delivering continuous software changes into the live environment

-The trend toward self-service continues, enabling end users to handle most of the simple issues themselves - engaging the service desk only when complex issues arise

-Support issues are becoming increasing complex, driving the need for collaboration, and knowledge sharing across IT functional groups (many of which remain "siloed")

-Customer and user expectations are rising in terms of higher uptime, and faster resolution to any issues

Nevertheless, many IT organizations and support center continue to implement the traditional "tiered support model" in their service desk and support centers, composed of ...

Tier 1 - the front line support team of generalists that tries to resolve most issues

Tier 2 - a second line of specialists that tries to resolve the rest

Tier 3 - a third line of very specialized developers, technicians, and
supplier that deal with the most complex issues

As a result of the dynamics in the changing business and IT environment, the tiered support model - although it has worked and been very popular over the past 30 years - is now coming up short. Many issues end up backlogged in ticket queues, resolution times drag out, costs continue to rise due to the magnitude of escalations, and customer/user satisfaction suffers.

Ah, the Service Catalog. Every organization needs one, but few have one they truly love. It sounds so easy, doesn’t it? Create a menu of IT services, then communicate said menu to your customers. Done!

Sadly, the above scenario is a rare one. While most of our organizations have some semblance of a Service Catalog, it’s often a bit of mess, hasn’t been updated in a while, or lives in a perpetual state of almost done. If any of this sounds painfully familiar to you – or if you fall into the camp of not having a Service Catalog at all – be not afraid!

Why not? Because the BEYOND20 Catalog Doctors are here to help (trust us, *we’re doctors)! We’ve seen it all, and have helped strategize, design, and build countless Service Catalogs over the years. Our panel of catalog experts (or **doctors) will be sharing their knowledge, recommendations, and practical advice on how to quickly build a Service Catalog both you and your customers will love - with as little pain as is humanly possible.

*This is patently false. It couldn’t possibly be less true.

**Not doctors. Can’t stress it enough.

Modernize IT by taking a business centric approach to improve current business processes that support organizational objectives. This panel will discuss best practices for building a digital business model, and how IT modernization will impact IT service management

- Matt Hooper
Digital Transformation expert, author, podcaster, blogger, & Twitter addict, Matt Hooper is an engaging international speaker on agile business management, leadership, technology, & customer service. His 20+year career has taken him from help desk analyst to CIO. An active member of the ITSM, DevOps, & Agile communities @Vigilantguy

- Tom Catalini
Tom Catalini is an author, blogger, and speaker who teaches lessons on professional development and leadership based on his real-world experience as an IT Leader in nearly every type of business environment. He has written 2 books on communication skills for IT professionals (available on Amazon) and blogs at www.tomcatalini.com and on www.CIO.com.

- Carlos Casanova
Speaker and co-author of “The CMDB Imperative.” Carlos Casanova is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies, a mentor and coach – someone who strives to do more than simply fix ITSM issues. His decades of experience in a wide range of industries, across large and small organizations enables him to listen and provide sound advice that enable positive business outcomes. Carlos is a blogger at http://carloscasanova.com/blog/ He is also a guest writer for TechTarget and a contributor to Global Podcasts at “All Things ITSM” www.CarlosCasanova.com

- Marcel Shaw
IT blogger at who focuses on IT service management, asset management, and endpoint management. Marcel has worked as a technical consultant for over 25 years, and has also consulted as a legal expert witness for a top Washington DC law firm. Marcel works extensively with United States federal government agencies building IT solutions. Twitter - @marcelshaw www.marcelshaw.com