How often have we heard the great and the good say 'if you can't measure it, you can't manage it?'.  The answer is numerous times, but the saying is spot on.

 

Whether embarking on an ITIL implementation or continuing your ITIL journey, you need to baseline as you go.

 

The most important baseline is the first one.  Establish a starting point from which to improve, without this how do you know if what you're trying to implement is correct or fit for purpose?

 

When choosing an assessment methodology choose wisely, there are 'free' assessments out there, but as usual, you get what you pay for.  There are also plenty of Service Management Consultancy firms who will undertake this for you and provide you with a report and possible roadmap if you decide to go down that route.  If you do decide to take this option then hunt around for a reputable firm who has had lots of practical previous experience in carrying these out.

 

Common methodologies to choose from are the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) and the Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (SPICE).  Make sure whatever methodology you select is right for your organization and that you can continue to use it over a number of years so that you are comparing against the same scoring system.

 

Once you got the information you will then need to decide what to do with it.  Do not try to implement everything at once as you will be unable to do it unless you have lots of resource and budget!  Speak to the Business to find the areas of pain for them and then choose some quick wins.  Once these have been implemented both the IT and Business staff will be able to see the benefits of the assessment and subsequent recommendations.

 

If you've had an ITIL assessment carried out and would like to share your experiences (good or bad) then please contact us or leave a comment below.