IT Operations - Based on ITIL
Hornford Associates IT Operations practice is based upon pragmatic utilization of ITIL.
ITIL 3 provides a comprehensive IT Operations model based upon 5 core capabilities:
- Service Strategy
- Service Design
- Service Transition
- Service Operation
- Continual Service Improvement
Service Strategy
Service strategy is at the core of the ITIL service lifecycle. It provides a framework for developing a long term service strategy that supports the consumers of IT services while aligning to your organization's operation model and IT strategy.
Components that inform the Service strategy are
- General strategy
- Competition and market space
- Service provider types
- IT organization design and development
Service strategy cover financial management, service portfolio management, and demand management.
Service Design
The design of IT services are driven by your IT Service strategy and the constraints of your Enterprise Architecture. While IT operations are a critical capability is important to reconize that this tail should not be wagging the dog.
Within Service design components such as service catalog management, service level management, designing for capacity management, IT service continuity and supplier management are used to develop effective IT services.
Service Transition
Service transition is perhaps the most critical element of ITIL - it is in this stage where specific IT services are instantiated and traditional IT projects are transitioned into operational state that many of the sustainability problems of IT operations are created and nurtured.
Within Service transition Service Asset and Configuration Management, Transition Planning and Support, Release and Deployment management, Knowledge Management and Change Management are used to create effective sustainable transitions into production.
Shortfalls in Service transition capability will hamper all IT Operations improvement efforts.
Service Operation
Service Operations is the part of the ITIL lifecycle where the services and value is actually directly delivered.
Key activities include incident management, problem management, request fulfillment, asset management and service desk.
Effective Service Operations are dependent upon clear separation of these activities and an effective Service Transition capability.
Hornford Associates' services in IT Operations focus on developing a strong Service Transtition and Service Operations capability.
Continual Service Improvement
The goal of Continual Service Improvement is to align and realign IT Services to changing business. This is the holy grail of ITIL.
Low capability and low maturity IT Operations will be unable to effectively perform Continual Service Improvement.
ITIL and Enterprise Architecture
Significant work has been done to provide function and method integration between Enterprise Architecture and ITIL, or IT Operations. Many of these efforts struggle because of a fundamental confusion over the strategic importance of IT Operations.
Smooth, effective high quality IT Operations are a key capability. This does not translate into a seat at the table when corporate direction is being determined, nor a seat at the table when the architecture that will enable corporate direction is being described.
This does not diminish the critical importance of effective IT Operations. Rather it positions it as a key capability that must enact the functions necessary to support the organizations business and operational goals.
Hornford Associates & Integritas
We are completing the integration of our operations into Integritas Solutions Inc. Hornford Associates has transformed into Integritas' Architecture Practice. Our Operations and Project Management capabilities have been integrated into Integritas' IT Service Management and Project Management capabilities.