Preparing to Implement IT Service Management

and the ITIL Framework

A Pre-flight Checklist
When planning to implement the ITIL framework, it is easy to overlook a critical consideration or
process, resulting in a less-than-satisfactory adoption or worse. The checklist below is
designed to help make sure you haven’t overlooked the important components as you begin
your flight.

Organizational Support
The following organizational entities are aware of ITIL and are supportive of its goals:

CEO / President

CIO / CTO / VP of IT Operations

CFO / VP of Finance

IT Managers

Business Unit Managers

Board of Directors

Union representatives

Baseline Assessment
A baseline assessment has been administered to measure the organization’s current
compliance with ITIL processes, with a gap analysis that indicates areas of deficiency

The organization has administered a survey of the IT department’s internal customers and
users to determine a current level of satisfaction with the services it provides.

Scope of Implementation
The organization has determined which of the 11 ITIL processes / functions it plans to
implement, in which sequence, and has created a timeframe for doing so.
 A specific implementation maturity level has been agreed upon for each of the processes
that are to be adopted. Stages of implementation include:

• Initial: The process is recognized but there is little or no process management activity.
• Repeatable: The process is recognized and is allocated little importance, resource or
focus within the operation.
• Defined: The process is recognized and is documented but there is no formal
agreement, acceptance nor recognition of its role within the IT operation as a whole.
• Managed: The process is fully recognized and accepted throughout IT, it is service
focused with objectives and targets that are based on business objectives and goals.
• Optimized: The process is fully recognized and has strategic objectives and goals
aligned with overall strategic business and IT goals.

Training Strategy
A budget for training and certifying the staff has been created and approved.

The staff that is to receive ITIL Foundation training has been identified.

The staff that is to receive ITIL Practitioner training has been identified.

The staff that is to receive ITIL Manager training has been identified.

A training vendor has been selected.

A training schedule has been created.

An organizational change management strategy has been implemented.

Certification Strategy
The number of staff to be Foundation certified has been established

Provisions have been made for purchasing and administering the Foundation exam

Provisions have been made for purchasing and administering the Practitioner exams

Provisions have been made for purchasing and administering the Manager exam

A policy has been established to accommodate participants who fail the exam
Staffing
Process owners have been identified for each ITIL process to be implemented.

Key staff members have been empowered to carry out the implementation process.

A CTO, VP of IT operation or other staff person has been selected to be responsible for
overall implementation of IT Service Management.

Communication
An ITIL implementation vision has been created, endorsed by upper management, and
communicated to all stakeholders.

A series of information sessions have been scheduled to apprise staff of the purpose and
benefits of implementing ITIL.

The Service Desk has established a procedure to provide regular updates to all internal
customers regarding usage, trends and customer satisfaction ratings, either via email or the
Intranet.

ITIL Resources
Sufficient copies of the ITIL Service Support and Service Delivery books have been acquired
and are available in the organization’s resource center.

An on-line version of these books, including a multi-user license, has been acquired and is
accessible to employees via the organization’s Intranet or other file server.

An organization membership to the local itSMF (IT Service Management Forum) has been
established.

Mentoring and consulting by a peer organization has been arranged.

Reporting and Record Keeping

The IT department is prepared to publish a catalog of the services they provide internal
customers, with prices based on differing levels of service.

A CMDB (Configuration Management Database) exists, is regularly maintained, represents

an accurate inventory, and captures the data necessary to be an effective tool for those ITIL
processes that depend on it.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) have been created between the IT department and its
internal customers and users, and are published in clear, non-technical language.

Underpinning contracts between the IT department and external vendors are in place,
written so as to be clearly understood, and renewed on an annual basis.
 Business continuity and disaster recovery plans have been created by the organization (not
a vendor) that are current, simple, and detail the steps necessary to recover from unforeseen or
difficult circumstances.

A liaison has been established between the business units and the IT department to assure
compliance with regulatory requirements such as Sarbanes-Oxley.

Measurement and Assessment

The Service Desk maintains records of all calls and their resolution, and publishes these
regularly.

A set of metrics, based on a recognized business measurement philosophy such as the

Balanced Scorecard©, is in place to capture and analyze IT service management processes
and their interrelationships.

Assuring On-Going Success

An organizational change management class has been scheduled to provide the necessary
training to key staff

An IT process improvement team has been established to monitor progress of ITIL

implementation

ITIL terminology has been incorporated into the staff’s annual performance plan, with
incentives for employees who suggest improvements in the IT service management.

The College of Continuing Education offers ITIL Foundation Certificate training, as well as other
IT Service Management courses. For more information visit our Web site at
www.cce.umn.edu/itil or contact our Information Center at 612-624-4000 or 1-800-234-6564