Practical IT Service Management: A Concise Guide for Busy Executives

Practical IT Service Management: A Concise Guide for Busy Executives

Released March 2008
Publisher(s): IT Governance Publishing
ISBN: 9781849281546

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Book description

What do you have to do to make sure that IT headaches will not jeopardise your business?

Today, your IT system is no longer an optional extra. Instead, it is integral to how you demonstrate your core competences.

A stitch in time saves nine...

Getting to grips with IT service management is crucial for managers as well as for technical specialists.

It is not enough for the manager of an IT department to have an up-to-date knowledge of the latest technical developments. If you want your company to succeed, everyone in the IT department must also understand how their work is helping the company to achieve its overall business goals. This is because IT systems can make or break a company.

This book shows you how to set up a technical service management structure, using the best practice framework established by the IT Infrastructure Library. The ITIL system is the most widely accepted approach to technical IT service management worldwide. It teaches technical support staff how to provide the efficient IT services that are vital to your company's success.

You need to set up a system of IT service management before disaster strikes. If you want to avoid costly and damaging IT disasters, you should buy this book!

Benefits to business include:

  • Protect your company's reputation IT service management ensures that a business can meet customer deadlines and expectations. If the computer system goes down and cannot be fixed quickly, your company might not be able to process an order or honour a contract.
  • Safeguard vital information Your business depends on data security. Without adequate IT service management you could risk losing vital information, like payroll, billing and sales data, through human error or natural disaster.
  • Retain momentum With a system of IT service management in place, routine maintenance issues can be quickly resolved, minimising delays and consequent losses in productivity.
  • Bounce back IT systems can be hit by a virus. But with IT service management, the company's system can get back on track as quickly as possible with the minimum of disruption.

As Thejandra BS observes, "IT departments should be always proactive to ensure peace of mind for themselves and their business."

Implementing ITSM/ITIL Version 3 for the first time? If so, then you need a copy of this book ... Order today for immediate despatch!

Table of contents

  1. Practical IT Service Management
    1. Preface
    2. About the Author
    3. Contents
    4. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT
      1. What is this book about?
      2. Who should read this book?
      3. What is IT?
      4. What are IT services?
      5. What is IT service management?
      6. What issues do IT departments face in any organisation?
      7. What issues do businesses face through heavy dependence on IT?
      8. So how will professional IT service management help?
    5. CHAPTER 2: ITIL SERVICE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
      1. What is ITIL?
      2. How did ITIL start?
      3. What are the main benefits of using a framework like ITIL?
      4. How many departments are needed for implementing IT service management or ITIL?
      5. What are the main processes of ITIL Version 2?
      6. What is ITIL Version 3?
      7. Will the books and training change with ITIL Version 3?
      8. Will the earlier ITIL qualifications become invalid?
      9. What are the exams associated with Version 3 certification?
      10. What are the main processes of ITIL Version 3?
      11. What are the sub-processes of the core phases?
      12. What is service strategy?
      13. What is service design?
      14. What is service transition?
      15. What is service operation?
      16. What is a function and what is a process?
      17. What is continual service improvement?
      18. What are complementary guidance and web support services?
    6. CHAPTER 3: SERVICE DESK FUNCTION
      1. What is a service desk?
      2. Why do you need a service desk?
      3. What are the responsibilities of a service desk?
      4. What are the different types of service desk?
      5. What options should be provided to contact your service desk?
      6. What tools and equipment do service desk personnel need?
      7. Is there any ITIL-compliant software or hardware?
      8. What job roles are needed in a service desk department?
      9. Some tips and advice for a responsive service desk
    7. CHAPTER 4: INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
      1. What is an incident?
      2. Isn’t an incident the same as a problem?
      3. What is incident management?
      4. What are the responsibilities of incident management?
      5. Why is incident management necessary?
      6. What is incident priority?
      7. What is a business impact?
      8. What is an incident category?
      9. What are some typical examples of incidents?
      10. How can IT services reduce the number of incidents?
      11. What is classification matching?
      12. What is incident routing?
      13. What is incident escalation?
      14. What is an incident life cycle?
    8. CHAPTER 5: PROBLEM MANAGEMENT
      1. What is a problem?
      2. What is problem management?
      3. Why is problem management necessary?
      4. What are the responsibilities of problem management?
      5. What is a known error database?
      6. What are some examples of management reports?
    9. CHAPTER 6: CHANGE MANAGEMENT
      1. What is change?
      2. What is change management?
      3. Why is change management important?
      4. What are the responsibilities of change management?
      5. What will an RFC usually consist of?
      6. Is RFC and CAB approval required for every change?
      7. What are some examples of change management reports?
    10. CHAPTER 7: RELEASE AND DEPLOYMENT MANAGEMENT
      1. What is a release?
      2. What is release management?
      3. What is a deployment?
      4. What is release and deployment management?
      5. Why should there be a R&D management team?
      6. What are the responsibilities of R&D management?
      7. What is a DML?
      8. What is release building?
      9. What are the different types of release?
      10. What is transition planning and support?
      11. What is service validation and testing?
      12. What is meant by withdrawal of service?
    11. CHAPTER 8: SERVICE ASSET AND CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT
      1. What is a service asset?
      2. What is configuration management?
      3. Is configuration management the same as managing IT inventory?
      4. What is service asset and configuration management?
      5. What is a configuration item?
      6. What is a CI attribute?
      7. What is a CI relationship?
      8. What is the configuration management database?
      9. What is a configuration management system?
      10. Why is configuration management important?
      11. What are the responsibilities of configuration management?
      12. How are CMDBs managed?
      13. What is a configuration baseline?
      14. What is a baseline analyser?
      15. What is CMDB updating?
      16. What is software licensing?
      17. Some tips and advice for SACM
    12. CHAPTER 9: SERVICE LEVEL MANAGEMENT
      1. What is service level management?
      2. What is a service level agreement?
      3. Why should there be an SLA?
      4. What are the responsibilities of SLM?
    13. CHAPTER 10: SERVICE CATALOGUE MANAGEMENT
      1. What is a service catalogue?
      2. How do you differentiate the IT service portfolio from the service catalogue?
      3. What is service catalogue management?
      4. Why is a service catalogue needed?
      5. What should a catalogue contain?
      6. Some tips and advice for a service catalogue
    14. CHAPTER 11: CAPACITY MANAGEMENT
      1. What is capacity management?
      2. Why is capacity management necessary?
      3. What are the responsibilities of capacity management?
      4. What are the tools used by capacity management?
      5. What is meant by capacity database?
      6. What is meant by an IT staff ratio’?
      7. Some tips and advice for capacity management
    15. CHAPTER 12: DEMAND MANAGEMENT
      1. What is demand?
      2. What is demand management?
      3. What are the responsibilities of demand management?
      4. Some tips and advice for demand management
    16. CHAPTER 13: AVAILABILITY MANAGEMENT
      1. What is availability?
      2. What is availability management?
      3. Why is availability management important?
      4. What are the main responsibilities of availability management?
      5. Some tips and advice for availability management
    17. CHAPTER 14: INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT
      1. What is information security?
      2. What are the various ways in which information security can be compromised?
      3. What safeguards are available to protect information?
      4. Some tips and advice for information security management
    18. CHAPTER 15: ACCESS MANAGEMENT
      1. What is access management?
      2. What are the responsibilities of access management?
    19. CHAPTER 16: IT SERVICE CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT
      1. What is service continuity management?
      2. What is a disaster?
      3. What is disaster recovery?
      4. What is business continuity?
      5. What is crisis management?
      6. Why is service continuity important?
      7. What are the main responsibilities of SCM?
      8. What is a business impact analysis?
      9. What options are available for service continuity?
      10. Who can invoke service continuity?
      11. How can IT services be aware of risks?
    20. CHAPTER 17: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
      1. What is IT financial management?
      2. Why is financial management important?
      3. What are the responsibilities of IT financial management?
      4. Some tips and advice for financial management
    21. CHAPTER 18: SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT
      1. Who is a supplier?
      2. Why are suppliers critical?
      3. What is supplier management?
      4. Is it necessary to have contracts with suppliers?
      5. What are the key elements of a maintenance contract or a service agreement?
      6. Some tips and advice for supplier management
    22. CHAPTER 19: IT OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT FUNCTION
      1. What is IT operations management’?
      2. What are the main responsibilities of IT operations management?
      3. Some best practices for IT operations
    23. CHAPTER 20: GENERAL TIPS AND ADVICE FOR IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT
    24. APPENDIX 1: SAMPLE SLA BETWEEN IT SERVICES AND ROCKSOLID BUSINESS MANAGERS
      1. Introduction
      2. Agreeing parties
      3. Period
      4. Reports
      5. Definition of IT support
      6. Availability summary
      7. Service catalogue: responsibilities of IT Services
      8. Responsibilities of the end-users and business managers
      9. Exclusions
      10. Service Desk hours
      11. Response
      12. Contacting the Service Desk
      13. Call resolution process
      14. Issues and limitations
      15. Unpredictable failures
      16. Equipment maintenance
      17. Escalation procedures
    25. APPENDIX 2: SAMPLE OLA BETWEEN IT DEPARTMENT AND THE ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT
      1. Agreeing parties
      2. Scope
    26. APPENDIX 3: SAMPLE UC BETWEEN ROCKSOLID IT SERVICES AND ABC COMPUTER CORP
      1. Agreeing parties
      2. Scope
      3. Penalties
    27. APPENDIX 4: A SIMPLE IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT FLOW WITH INTERACTIONS AMONG DIFFERENT PROCESSES
    28. APPENDIX 5: THE ITIL GLOSSARY
    29. APPENDIX 6: ITSM BOOKS AND OTHER RESOURCES
    30. ITG RESOURCES
      1. Other Websites
      2. Pocket Guides
      3. Toolkits
      4. Best Practice Reports
      5. Training and Consultancy
      6. Newsletter

Product information

  • Title: Practical IT Service Management: A Concise Guide for Busy Executives
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: March 2008
  • Publisher(s): IT Governance Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781849281546