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​​Create a Service Management and IT Operations Strategy​

​​Move from assessment to action, using an interconnected approach to meet organizational goals.​

In today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape, siloed IT operations can spell disaster for organizations striving to stay competitive and agile. A disconnected approach to IT operations and service management practices can lead to misalignment with IT operational goals and organizational priorities. This blueprint helps IT leaders develop a holistic, integrated vision for IT operations and service management practices, in alignment with their organization’s greater goals.

In many organizations, IT operations and service management are assessed separately and incrementally — a disconnect that works against attempts at long-term improvement. A holistic approach is required for an integrated strategy that will drive operational excellence, support seamless service delivery, and build a foundation for sustainable success.

1. There’s no quick fix – transformational change is needed.

No single practice or framework will boost IT’s effectiveness at supporting organizational strategy. IT operations must undergo a transformation in its approach – breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across IT teams and the organization along the way.

2. One size does not fit all.

A comprehensive self-assessment is needed for IT to understand its unique situation, objectives, and capabilities. Understand what’s crucial to achieving the organization’s strategic objectives, and then prioritize accordingly.

3. Mind the communication gap.

A communication gap is common between IT and organizational leaders. IT may struggle to articulate the ‘business’ value of technology investments, while organizational leadership may not fully understand the technology value, constraints, and enablers. Bridging this gap will be essential to meeting strategic goals.

Use this blueprint to break your critical IT functions out of their silos

Our research can guide your creation of an integrated vision of the future for IT operations and service management, and a strategy that aligns IT operational initiatives with your organization’s goals and priorities. Build bridges within IT and with the organization using this comprehensive, step-by-step blueprint featuring a robust set of assessment, strategy, and roadmap tools, templates, and workbooks:

  • Define a vision and guiding principles to support organizational and operational goals.
  • Assess capabilities of each practice within or aligned to IT operations, identifying strengths and areas needing improvement.
  • Prioritize improvement efforts that will positively impact operational and organizational goals.
  • Build a comprehensive strategy and roadmap to unify operations and service management to support your organization’s objectives.

​​Create a Service Management and IT Operations Strategy​ Research & Tools

1. Create a Service Management and IT Operations Strategy Storyboard – A step-by-step methodology to envision the future of service management and ITOps, assess the current state, and develop a roadmap to align IT initiatives to organizational goals.

Use this blueprint to:

  • Discover the gaps in your IT operations practices.
  • Design an implementation roadmap to fill those gaps.
  • Build a continuous improvement program to ensure an ongoing culture of enhancements.

2. Service and Operations Strategy Assessment – An easy-to-use Excel workbook allowing an extensive self-assessment of your integrated operational practices.

Use this workbook to guide your analysis:

  • Review all operational practices through the same lens to identify areas for improvement.
  • Assess your capability in dozens of competencies over five distinct categories.
  • Rank your operational goals to identify which processes should be prioritized for improvement, according to their importance to the organization and your capability to fulfill them.

3. Service and Operations Task Planning and Role Assignment Tool – An Excel-based template to document and prioritize activities.

This tool can help you:

  • Make a detailed list of what needs to be improved.
  • Group and prioritize tasks based on their impact, effort, and risk.
  • Visualize and categorize data from the assessment activity.
  • Identify accountable and responsible parties for each task.

4. Business-IT Operations Alignment Workbook – An Excel-based workbook to define key focus areas and leverage additional Info-Tech resources to guide you through improvements.

This workbook will help:

  • Document insights gained from Info-Tech diagnostics.
  • Consolidate the root causes of your organization’s operations and service management challenges.
  • Identify Info-Tech resources to support improvement initiatives.

5. Service and IT Operations Strategy and Roadmap Template – A customizable PowerPoint template to document the outputs from this blueprint’s activities in a boardroom-ready presentation.

Use this template to document your activity outcomes in a visually impactful presentation that you can use to communicate your IT operations strategy and roadmap to leadership and other audience groups.

  • Complete the activities in the blueprint storyboard.
  • Document your decisions to communicate the recommended direction.
  • Present your findings to management and obtain formal approval.
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Speakers


Sandi Conrad

Info-Tech Research Group


Mahmoud Ramin

Senior Research Analyst


Allison Kinnaird

Research Director

​​Move from assessment to action, using an interconnected approach to meet organizational goals.​

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

You Get:

  • Create a Service Management and IT Operations Strategy Storyboard
  • Service and Operations Strategy Assessment
  • Service and Operations Task Planning and Role Assignment Tool
  • Business-IT Operations Alignment Workbook
  • Service and IT Operations Strategy and Roadmap Template

Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst

Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 9 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1: Assess the Future and Current States
  • Call 1: Scope requirements, objectives, and your specific challenges.
  • Call 2: Define vision and mission statements, and OKRs, prioritize goals.
  • Call 3: Conduct a current-state analysis of IT operations.

Guided Implementation 2: Identify design criteria to shape your practices
  • Call 1: Define guiding principles, constraints, and enablers.
  • Call 2: Review governance activities and document critical dependencies.
  • Call 3: Assign, visualize, and prioritize improvement initiatives.

Guided Implementation 3: Make detailed improvement plans
  • Call 1: Create tactical plans to execute on vision.
  • Call 2: Identify metrics.
  • Call 3: Cerate a communications plan.

Authors

Sandi Conrad

Mahmoud Ramin

Contributors

Sam Rego, Infrastructure and Operations Director, Mohawk Medbuy

Trevor Fuson, CIO, University of Northern British Columbia

Simon Jennings, CIO, MSWA

Tousif Ahmad, IT Operations Manager, Connor Clark & Lunn Financial Group

Temitope Nwachukwu, Service Delivery Manager, Nigeria LNG Ltd

Dan Lamontagne, IT Programs Manager, NOVA Chem

Ken Weston, IT Project Delivery Manager, Emco Corporation

5 anonymous contributors

Search Code: 106402
Last Revised: December 12, 2024

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