The interdependency today between business processes and IT operation is that if IT stops, the business stops. There is a growing demand from the business and its customers, for the availability of IT Services that are time and place independent. Customer loyalty can no longer be relied on, availability and reliability of IT directly influences Customer satisfaction and the reputation of the business. Failure to provide appropriate availability and reliability results in Customers taking their business to a competitor. Effective Availability Management influences Customer satisfaction and determines the market place reputation of the business.
For ITIL Availability Management to succeed it must retain a strong business and user emphasis, this ensures the IT Infrastructure delivers the required levels of Availability to support vital business functions. In addition any improvement opportunities are focused to deliver true User benefits, thus making a positive contribution to enhancing relationships with the business.
The goal of ITIL Availability Management is to optimize the capability of the IT Infrastructure, services and supporting organization to deliver cost effective and sustained level of Availability, enabling the business to satisfy business objectives. Business Availability requirements need to be determined, then matched to the capability of the IT Infrastructure and supporting organization. ITIL Availability Management ensures the business is provided with available alternatives and associated cost options if any mismatch between requirements and capability exist. Measurement and monitoring of IT Availability is a key activity to ensure Availability levels are consistently met. Availability Management continuously looks to optimize the availability of the IT Infrastructure, services and supporting organization.
Benefits of ITIL Availability Management
By factoring Availability requirements for an IT Service(s) early in their development Availability can be designed, implemented and managed to consistently meet targets. Services are delivered at a known and justified cost to a predetermined level of quality and security. Additional benefits include:
- Single point of accountability for Availability (process owner)
- IT Services designed to meet IT Availability requirements determined by business
- Levels of IT Availability provided are cost justified
- Levels of Availability required are agreed, measured and monitored to fully support Service Level Management (SLM)
- Shortfalls in the provision of required levels of Availability are recognized and appropriate corrective actions identified and implemented
- Business and User perspective of the IT Service Availability ensures optimal usage and performance is achieved to deliver maximum benefit
- Frequency and duration of IT Service failures are reduced over time
- IT support organization mindset moves from error correction to service enhancement; from a reactive to proactive attitude
Possible problems
The following problems may be experienced with regards ITIL Availability Management:
- IT organization views Availability as the responsibility of all senior managers, and are reluctant to justify costs of appointing single individual accountable for Availability
- IT and the supporting organization has difficulty in understanding how Availability Management can make a difference
- IT organization view current levels of Availability as good or sufficient
- Resistance to the process ownership and also the accountable individual whose role has authority over all of the IT support organization
- IT organization fails to delegate appropriate authority and empowerment to enable the process owner for ITIL Availability Management to influence all areas of the IT support organization
- Lack of available resources with the required skills and competencies to establish ITIL Availability Management
- Lack of specific Availability Management tools to underpin and support the process
- Need to create a bespoke tool and reporting solutions in the absence of appropriate in-house and marketplace offerings
- Lack of mature Service Management processes which provide key input to ITIL Availability Management - Service Level, Incident, Problem and Configuration Managements
- ITIL Availability Management viewed by some managers as everything or nothing
Costs
The following costs may be incurred:
- Staff costs associated with process owner role, salary, training, recruitment costs and possibly initial consultancy
- Accommodation costs
- Process deployment costs in defining and implementing necessary process, procedures and techniques
- Support tools for monitoring and reporting