Management of Information Technology Services

Introduction

Technology transitions and developments during the last decade have prompted companies to seek the most effective and efficient practices that significantly align with their businesses. It is the management’s responsibility to ensure that the existing and new consumers feel accommodated and recognized in the market by providing reliable, quality, and satisfying services. According to Mr. Saikat in a video case study, IT services providers require the ISO/IEC 20000 to aid them to achieve their goals and objectives productively and profitably. In the presentation, he illustrated how the standard improves the performance of ITSM within organizations by utilizing synergized processes and systems (PECB, 2017). Also, the practice is significant in tracking the trend of the Service Management System (SMS) and associated components in achieving organizations’ mission statements. Additionally, the presentation discusses the process of ISO/IEC 20000 certification and the challenges. Both the business and the clients are guaranteed to benefit from this engagement. The standard is the best practice that an ambitious and dedicated company such as ExcelIT can seek to acquire the best results in the management of IT services. The industry is most impacted by the current trends of technology advancement and businesses operating under it are competitively seeking the best tools to maintain their progressive records and achieve future goals. As a company focused on building its reputation in Australia and across the world by providing the best IT services to its clients, ExcelIT needs the implementation of ISO/IEC 20000 certification despite the challenges involved in the engagement.

Section 1

As an IT company, ExcelIT is obliged to implement effective and efficient processes to ensure that it delivers quality services as per the customers’ preferences. To achieve this goal, it is best to enhance the performance in decision-making, planning, strategizing, and policy-making (Leopoldi, 2002). According to MR. Saikat’s presentation, Service Management System (SMS) is a primary determinant of the relationship between the business and its clients because it encompasses all the processes ranging from production to the market. The management has to ensure that the best decisions are sought when conducting all the involved aspects to ensure that there is avoidance of unnecessary errors that can lead to unexpected or undesirable outcomes. The various associated stakeholders must execute their specified responsibilities accordingly and cohesively focused on the accomplishment of the set goals and objectives. Effective and efficient SMS includes collective utilization of the available resources to perform each task related to the delivery of quality services to the clients. Professionalism is a requirement in the management of these resources including time, finance, and space among others to promote productivity and profitability (Stevenson, 2007). All the shareholders will have benefited from the business.

The establishment of SMS and its significance in the company will improve the performance and add value to ExcelIT by incorporating it with IT Service Management (ITSM) (Van, 2008). The business can execute various tasks effectively and efficiently through optimization of the relevant resources to deliver the best and quality IT services to its existing and new clients. SMS enhances knowledgeable utilization of technology and associated tools such as computer systems and networks to strengthen both operation-level and service-level agreements between the business and the clients. The change in perceptions with these agreements will create a new and better platform through which the concerned shareholders, the company, and the services’ receivers, can make decent and successful deals. Therefore, the contracts significantly enhance the reputation of the business in the country and across the globe as more consumers are attracted and retained. Moreover, ExcelIT’s profitability will be positively influenced by the improved performance because with enhanced management it can deliver the required quality services at a reduced cost of production (Lim, 2002). Hence, the incorporation of SMS with ITSM in the company’s management creates advanced channels to perform better both and externally.

Section 2

Mr. Basu’s presentation describes what companies such as ExcelIT need to solve the tremendously arising issues brought forth by technology advancements. He coherently illustrates what the concerned businesses are required to do, the risks involved, and the advantages of ISO/IEC 20000 certification. IT service providers are guaranteed of benefiting significantly from the international standard by creating enhanced service management systems. The engagement with the practice involves a series of processes that vary in the time required for each element to be fully integrated with the business. From the first step of planning to the last of handover and closure, the certification will involve several weeks before the organization can legally utilize the code of practice.

Iteratively, the engagement encompasses several challenges that the business has to face. First, it involves a change of priorities that might affect the management’s commitment. The personnel is required to change their perceptive regarding some things like switching from process to system approach and from getting rewards to enhancing the business’s prosperity. The changes will likely alter the dedication of the staff since they will be introduced to something different they are unaware of or were not bonded to initially. Second, the change in priorities indicates that a new structure has to be formed to accommodate the transformations. The business must dissolve part of its entire organizational structure and create one that is compatible with the terms of ISO/IEC 2000 (Sočo, 2016). It implies that some members of the staff might be laid off or else new employees have to be hired to align with the new system. Finally, the engagement involves the top management only, and the opinions or participation of the middle or junior employees in the company are insignificant. Transforming the system without informing other stakeholders in the business creates confusion because one might not understand why an initiative that is directly affecting him or her can be passed without being consulted or included (Sahibudin 2008, pp. 751). Moreover, the practice will most likely lack support from those not involved because it is difficult for them to agree with something conducted behind their backs. Hence, it is a challenge for the senior executives in the company to ensure that everybody in the company complies with the code.

In reference to the case study, several ITSM processes are suitable for Excell in the implementation of solutions to some IT services provision issues. Team-specific customization is an essential process that will significantly enhance the performance of the company. It entails various practices aimed at improving the personnel’s performance in the business towards service delivery to the clients (Galup 2009, pp.125). Such practices include role training and distribution, duty reporting, monitoring, and signing off. The process will improve effectiveness in how the responsibilities are conducted; thus, enhancing the achievement of the business’s mission statement. Also, it transforms certain priorities like tick-in-the-box to add value to the company since it entails substantial involvement in the accomplishments of the set goals.

Section 3

Certification of ISO/IEC 20000 will have significant positive impacts on the business and the delivery of quality IT services to the clients. It will promote the effective and efficient performance of the staff members in their various tasks to realize ExcelIT’s goals and objectives to give it a different outer look in Australia and across the world. Some of these benefits include the following.

1. Development of a strong and healthy relationship between the business and the clients.

Customization of specific business teams will improve the responsibilities’ ownership because each member is aware of his or her duties. The ownership creates passion which leads to professionalism. When IT professionals serve customers will be satisfied, and this will draw them closer to the business. At the same time, new clients will be attracted augmenting the profitability of the organization.

1. Improved risk management and reduction of errors.

Utilization of knowledgeable and experienced personnel in running the business entails few errors; thus, reducing various risks. ITSM professionals are unlikely to consciously make mistakes in the workplace because they are aware of their responsibilities and how they are supposed to be conducted with minimal few errors as possible (Scheffe 2008, pp. 919). Hence, there will be reduced risks in the various functional processes involved in delivering services to the clients including operational, regulatory, planning, decision-making, and marketing.

1. Renewal of crucial contracts

Undoubtedly, whenever a customer is satisfied; he or she will remain loyal to the business. Hence, by providing quality IT services as per the clients’ requirements, they will renew their contracts with the business and most likely will play an essential part in marketing by referring others with similar needs. It is an advantage to the company since it will be improving its reputation and profitability simultaneously.

Certification of the ISO/IEC 20000 is an important initiative considering that the company is currently facing a problematic issue of unprofessionalism and lack of cohesion among some staff members. The issue influenced a significant decline in sales in the last quarter to 65% from 83.8% and also led to a decline in the consumer strength from over 3000 to slightly over 2000 in 2017. The implications resulted in declining of ExcelIT’s competitive advantage in the market and it is on the verge of losing track with some of its close competitors such as TechSD and IntelTS. The engagement will improve the synergy in the business among the staff members, and this will transform them into professionals with the capacity to provide services as per the clients’ demands. Additionally, the code of practice will influence the stakeholders to participate in the endeavor to regain the company’s lost glory among its loyal customers. It will develop security for future accomplishments regarding productivity and profitability (Buchsein, 2008). Hence, the certification is a crucial decision toward future achievements.

Conclusions and Recommendations

IT services providers have the task of securing their businesses and performance records in the modern world where a lot of technology developments and insights are taking effect. Companies with traditional hierarchical are faced with more challenges because they have to adapt to changes and innovations. Such transformations include ISO/IEC 20000 which aids these businesses to continue serving their loyal clients and attracting new ones by explaining to them the best ways to improvise the IT service management. The code of practice gives organizations stronger competitive advantages against their rivals that have not yet certified their businesses with the standard. Also, it helps them measure and track their success records and the specific areas that should be improved to guarantee future endeavors and goals are accomplished. Integration of SMS with ITSM is enhanced by the certification of the international standard, and this adds value to the businesses to effectively and efficiently serve their customers. Companies in this industry should, therefore, engage with ISO/IEC 2000 if they need to succeed in the modern world where the best businesses are technologically advanced. It is better to compete on issues that require upgrading to the latest versions than operating without even the outdated type because clients will always prefer where they are provided with the best.

Fig; ISO/IEC 20000 Organizational Structure
References

Buchsein, R. and Dettmer, K., 2008. ISO/IEC 20000–IT Service Management-Benefits and Requirements for Service Providers and Customers.

Galup, S.D., Dattero, R., Quan, J.J. and Conger, S., 2009. An overview of IT service management. Communications of the ACM, 52(5), pp.124-127.

Leopoldi, R., 2002. IT service management. Transactions, 95(95), p.0.

Lim, C., Hui, J.K., Wu, W.W., Lee, T.W. and Look, H.M., Alcatel Canada Inc, 2002. Internet-enabled service management system and method. U.S. Patent 6,434,619.

PECB, 2017. Case study: Why you need ISO/IEC 20000 to ensure success? [online video]Available at; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyJLsV64s2k&feature=youtu.be

Sahibudin, S., Sharifi, M. and Ayat, M., 2008, May. Combining ITIL, COBIT and ISO/IEC 27002 in order to design a comprehensive IT framework in organizations. In Modeling & Simulation, 2008. AICMS 08. Second Asia International Conference on (pp. 749-753). IEEE.

Scheffe, P.F. and Strassner, J., 2008. IT Service Management. In Handbook of Network and System Administration (pp. 905-928).

Sočo, M., 2016. ISO/IEC 20000 (Doctoral dissertation, Polytechnic of Sibenik. Management.).

Stevenson, W.J. and Hojati, M., 2007. Operations management (Vol. 8). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Van Bon, J., De Jong, A., Kolthof, A., Pieper, M., Tjassing, R., van der Veen, A. and Verheijen, T., 2008. Foundations of IT Service Management Based on ITIL® (Vol. 3). Van Haren.

Appendix 1 Journal

26^th May 2018

1. The primary resource utilized for the report was PECB, 2017. Case study: Why you need ISO/IEC 20000 to ensure success? [online video]Available at; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyJLsV64s2k&feature=youtu.be.
2. However, other references included in the list above were used for confirmation of some details concerning terms like ITSM, SMS and ISO/IEC 2000.
3. Time taken was 12hours 23minutes