tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-175612432024-08-27T02:08:19.606-05:00Practical discussions of how basic quality processes such as TQM, ITIL, COBIT, Six Sigma, ISO 20K, and perhaps most importantly, common sense and planning may be leveraged to bring IT and Business into strategic alignment.orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-12456765361060651862011-01-05T12:39:00.003-06:002011-01-05T13:07:43.181-06:00

A Good Idea? Please tell me our education system will improve with this (what I consider 'questionable') investment! Since I am a proud owner of Apple stock I'm all over the idea of more hardware/app sales and thus profit for APPL. But really, does ANYONE really believe the right way to improve education is to buy more stuff? How about investing in good teachers, getting rid of the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-65975735831795926882010-12-26T10:54:00.003-06:002010-12-26T14:28:51.973-06:00

You've probably heard the saying that goes something like, if you can trust a man in small matters, you can trust him in greater matters. Though it comes from Luke, it has been re-purposed by a number of well-known figures throughout history. The lesson, regardless of who may state it, is the same. And there is no better example than how major, international companies deal with seemingly minor

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-70447877631746107692010-12-24T10:17:00.004-06:002010-12-24T10:27:55.715-06:00

Today's IT professional is caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Under constant pressure to reduce costs, they still have to keep up with changing business conditions in support of their customers AND deal with the increasing mobile demands of those same business customers. Is it any wonder they are looking for quick wins, simple paths to automation of basic tasks?I would submit,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-79557625228237514502010-08-31T10:35:00.002-05:002010-08-31T10:42:24.248-05:00

priSM was really promoted at last year’s itSMF event and, honestly, looking at the registry (http://www.itsmfusa.org/prism-registry ) suggests priSM is having some problems gaining acceptance. If the registry is current, there are only about 40 folks who have completed the process. This “might” be due to several reasons, all of which I evaluated when I considered completing the application

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-27271806970594641352010-07-25T09:10:00.002-05:002010-07-25T09:18:29.270-05:00

Today's rapid pace of change has aggravated the challenges of planning. Too many organizations are led by those who don't understand the importance of rolling up your sleeves and doing the hard work necessary to develop a project or product that will be successful. We are seeing it in all industries and, most recently, in education. The influence of technology has fed the illusion that there is

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-86259264758040444052010-03-06T15:21:00.003-06:002010-03-06T16:14:20.269-06:00

The way organizations look at project initiatives, one would think that no move, no investment decision, ever proceeds without a clear return-on-investment calculation. Such a calculation is then followed by the obligatory sign-off by everyone who might have something to say about how funds are spent, all to ensure alignment with organizational strategy. Is this really what is going on?My guess

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-45674086876306331022010-02-28T22:19:00.003-06:002010-02-28T22:55:50.477-06:00

Attending a concert this afternoon I was struck by the similarity between what it takes to produce a work of art and a successful improvement program, a Service Management program, or an attempt at organizational change. Just think, for a moment, about a musical work. It has a writer, composer, and an arranger. Those who play the musical score have studied their specialties be it the Flute,

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-11513756677438236522010-02-20T15:18:00.014-06:002010-02-20T17:07:03.575-06:00

Recently I was asked a question about a performance metric one might use to measure the performance of a NOC. Before responding I contacted my "personal network” of data center experts. This is a group I worked with in previous worlds all of whom have built data centers from the ground up. In the exchanges that ensued, all of us agreed on one fact: Everything really comes down to how one

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-90018937326687774312010-02-13T13:33:00.000-06:002010-02-13T13:48:01.612-06:00

We often work with clients who have documentation in place. Of course, more often, we work with clients who DON'T! That aside, though, those who may have documentation, procedures documented in support of their processes, often wonder why, after all the investment in documentation, things still don't work. There are a lot of reasons for this but, simply said, just writing down your procedures

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-13532325826534089402010-01-10T11:06:00.000-06:002010-01-10T11:18:58.543-06:00

Considering the competitive environment today, companies KNOW they must be flexible and responsive, in-touch, and "on the grid" at all times. Yet it seems we have a problem achieving that. Here we are in the century Walter Cronkite hyped while I was a kid. Here in the age of instant communications, connectivity, and streaming video, we have the opportunity to leverage our own creativity to

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-12731619638164440392009-09-26T10:42:00.000-05:002009-09-26T11:11:25.913-05:00

Are we doing all we can to meet the needs and understanding of ITIL for our clients? I have to ask this now, after attending the itSMF Fusion event in Dallas this past week. The presentations were, in my opinion, better than previous years. We're seeing a lot of progress in applying ITIL concepts in the real world. But I am concerned that our training is not keeping pace. The reason? I

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-45724861227599849522009-08-14T11:33:00.000-05:002009-08-14T11:34:39.429-05:00

A friend of mine sent me this link (http://www.bornagainamerican.org/ ). Here's what I wrote to her about it:I saw this guy on a show some time ago. I couldn't agree more. The one line that really sticks with me is, "...I thought I knew the rules of the game..."None of us know the rules of the game any longer. I have a stock portfolio with which I have no idea what to do. The rules are not

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-61870121265419141242009-08-08T14:08:00.000-05:002009-08-08T14:46:56.471-05:00

How about all this quality stuff? I am regularly asked how, or worse, "if" the essential components of quality are applicable to service. In fact, I amazed at how often clients challenge the underlying elements of quality. The usual objections falls into one of these three categories of myth: Myth Number 1: Quality principles were born in manufacturing; they have no relevance to service.

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-81134948409092838392009-02-25T19:25:00.000-06:002009-02-25T20:11:59.736-06:00

What is the cost of quality? Six Sigma asks this question from a different angle. What is the cost of poor quality? If you're in information technology and just need an acronym, that's COPQ!So let's answer that question. What is the COPQ (Cost of Poor Quality)? A major manufacturer which, for the past three years has been outperforming the market, just reported earnings at less than half

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-89766565328642646052009-02-21T10:38:00.000-06:002009-02-21T11:01:10.868-06:00

Given this statement on ethics... "Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life — is the source from which self-respect springs," (Joan Didion, writer)...is it possible to conclude that, if an individual works in an environment or culture that robs them of accountability or responsibility for their life, does that also rob them of self-respect or perhaps the ability to

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-80150665792982796952009-02-19T16:59:00.000-06:002009-02-19T17:03:52.457-06:00

I'm unhappy with what I'm seeing in this industry-the space in which I work- the industry that I CHOSE to serve - because I think it's a reflection of the sense of entitlement we are seeing in our nation. It has me concerned. My job is NOT to do FOR a client, but to show them the way so they may DO FOR THEMSELVES. Yet increasingly we are seeing a detachment from the law of physics: a failure

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-79569722714470116662009-02-13T08:47:00.001-06:002009-02-13T08:56:06.205-06:00

Our economic stimulus package is being justified by those promoting it as a measure we had to put in place because we couldn't stand idly by. Yes, something HAD to be done, but is it the right thing? Many of today's organizations jump on the "program of the day", the favorite campaign of a new administration in organizational governance, with the same intent: "Well, it's as good as anything

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-54960868522776402952009-02-11T15:53:00.000-06:002009-02-11T16:22:22.961-06:00

Many organizations do not believe common and centralized approach to processes will work for them. I find this particularly interesting. The underlying principles of ITIL and the concept of Service Management have been with us for a very long time. Prior to that, the elements expressed by the "good practices" framework were espoused in the principles of quality. The concepts are not new and,

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-54817178285299971932008-07-26T09:56:00.000-05:002008-07-26T10:30:44.276-05:00

I am constantly amazed by the number of organizations that operate with the belief that adopting this or that methodology or complying with a given standard or framework will make all their dreams come true and their problems go. There are a number of reasons not every organization that starts down the ITIL path is going to be successful. And those reasons go back to one of the quality gurus of

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-80963279738571179782008-07-19T16:43:00.001-05:002008-07-19T17:18:59.956-05:00

Woe be to the process owner who might boast about how their process works. If that process works in isolation, it is neither effective nor efficient and one may suggest that process does not work at all. It is the job of the IT Service Manager to make certain the inputs of one process yields outputs that support those dependent processes. And thus the dilemma of organizational process

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-91058110626525156552008-05-24T07:52:00.000-05:002008-05-24T08:06:36.321-05:00

Nothing, if it's not signed.Imagine a project that started before all stakeholders had reviewed and then signed the Statement of Work. Imagine this same project that began incurring expenses before the "i's" were dotted and the "t's" crossed. Imagine a project team that developed deliverables on-the-fly while the delivery organization and the client were still negotiating the SOW. Oh and

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-17358317128689733612008-05-23T12:56:00.000-05:002008-05-23T13:12:24.579-05:00

Our local auto dealership has disappointed us for the last time. On my last trip into the service department they, for the third time, let me down. Fortunately there IS some competition in the metropolitan area so today, when it was time for an oil change, I visited the same brand at another dealership.Before going to the dealership, I physically inspected the vehicle and realized the former

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-9184157114937324852008-04-20T08:47:00.000-05:002008-04-20T09:38:09.801-05:00

As we struggle in the transition to ITIL V3, our industry is still dealing with a pervasive and, yes, unfortunately, very destructive influence left over from previous versions. If not corrected, this will only serve to slow acceptance of V3, but will undermine acceptance and integration of IT Service Management in general. Our clients look to us as experts. If we are hired as consultants,

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-51336204281565402142008-04-18T18:13:00.000-05:002008-04-18T18:41:14.735-05:00

It is not at all uncommon for a process consultant, steeped in the virtues of his or her best practice expertise, to lose sight of the importance of selling their ideas. At times we do live an illusion. Why wouldn't everyone recognize the value of what we bring to the table? It just makes sense, right? Well, there are those with whom we work that are, at best, suspicious and at worst highly

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17561243.post-24187069798232399752008-04-13T21:15:00.000-05:002008-04-13T21:24:06.294-05:00

Isn't that always the solution? Hey, we're not communicating so, ah, gee, let's have a meeting. I'm here to tell you that rarely, if ever, is a communication problem so easily addressed. Making the assumption that a meeting will fix a communication problem is like assuming that training your staff in ITIL is sufficient to ensure implementation. The first step in any effort to solve a problem

orbitingmonkeyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11994990802974606770noreply@blogger.com0