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Tag: #Agile

How Should a Standard PRINCE2® Project Track Progress?

Posted on January 30, 2023January 30, 2023 by Marbenz Antonio

The definitive guide to website project management

PRINCE2® uses the “PROGRESS” theme to track project progress. This involves monitoring actual results and comparing them to planned objectives. It also includes forecasting the project goals and assessing the project’s continued viability, while taking corrective action for any unacceptable deviations.

Tolerances are used by PRINCE2® to monitor deviations. Tolerances are the acceptable variation from the goal of a plan for time, cost, and maybe quality, scope, benefits, and risk before senior management needs to be informed.

Progress control involves comparing actual progress to performance targets for time, cost, quality, scope, benefits, and risk. This information is used to make decisions such as approval of a stage or work package, escalation of deviations, and early closure of the project. The steps for tracking progress are:

  • Setup Project Controls for Delegations and Tolerance

The project manager utilizes the following management products to establish progress control baselines.

Project Plan – includes the project-level performance targets and tolerances.

Stage Plan – Includes the basis of the day-to-day control of the stage.

Exception Plan – The Project Board may request an Exception Plan in response to reviewing an Exception Report during the exception handling process. It outlines steps for addressing exceptional situations.

Work Packages – The Project Manager approves a Work Package, which outlines the details of the work to be completed by a team member or Team Manager during a stage.

Tolerances are set as below for each of the aspects of the project:

Tolerance area Project Level Stage Level Work package level Product Level
Scope  Project Plan Stage Plan Work Package N/A
Time  Project Plan Stage Plan Work Package N/A
Cost Project Plan Stage Plan Work Package N/A
Quality Project Product Description N/A N/A Product Description
Risk Risk Management Approach Stage Plan Work Package N/A
Benefits Business Case N/A N/A N/A
  • Dividing the project into management stages and approving each stage separately: PRINCE2® divides a project into multiple management stages, which are sections of the project with decision points. The Project Board approves each stage individually. A minimum of 2 management stages are required in a PRINCE2® project, determined by the Project Manager in consultation with the Project Board.
  • Report and review progress through Time-driven reports: There may be instances when the agreed limits for tolerances are exceeded in one or more areas.

An exception is a forecasted deviation beyond the agreed tolerance levels.

Exceptions can happen at three levels:

  • Work-Package-level exceptions
  • Stage-level exceptions
  • Project-level exceptions 

Depending on the severity of the exception, decisions are made by the appropriate authority. If the exception occurs at the work package level, the Project Manager will provide recommendations for corrective actions.

If the exception is at the stage level, the Project Manager will escalate the issue to the Project Board for decision-making.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in Agile, PRINCE2Tagged #Agile, PRINCE2Leave a Comment on How Should a Standard PRINCE2® Project Track Progress?

Early Indications That Your Agile Metrics Need Adjustment

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Marbenz Antonio

Beginners' Guide to Agile Vs Scrum In Project Management - nTask

Establishing metrics to assist a Scrum Team can be challenging. This article will discuss some signs, known as “smells,” that indicate the need for improvement in the metric setup. These signs serve as a warning system to alert you to the need for adjustment.

  • Metrics that take time to prepare: The requirement for extensive metric preparation time is a warning sign for a Scrum Team. This shows that metrics are not centralized and compiling them takes a lot of work. Such manual efforts should be discouraged because they contribute little benefit. Additionally, rather than being a universally acknowledged fact, manually calculated measurements may be subject to individual perception. Where possible, automating the metrics calculation would be preferable because it saves the team’s time from having to perform manual calculations.
  • Teams seem hassled about metrics/Teams cannot explain the rationale: Metrics are designed to aid Scrum Teams in improving their performance, but this goal can’t be achieved if the collection and tracking of metrics become a burden for the teams. If the Scrum Team feels frustrated with specific metrics they are required to track, it often means they either don’t comprehend the purpose or how the data will be utilized. In such cases, transparency regarding the reasoning behind data collection can improve team alignment. When feasible, automated data capture reduces the Scrum Team’s burden and can decrease their resistance.
  • Metrics that are judgy/Random R-Y-G windows: Metrics should serve to continually enhance Scrum Team performance, not to impose artificial service level agreements or impose arbitrary “Red-Amber-Green” ranges. Sometimes these metrics are structured without considering the teams’ understanding, resulting in the Scrum Team focusing on presenting data that fits within pre-defined limits, instead of finding ways to improve. This goes against the purpose of metrics, which is to help identify areas for improvement, not to judge team performance.
  • Metrics that create barriers: Metrics should serve to continually enhance Scrum Team performance, not to impose artificial service level agreements or impose arbitrary “Red-Amber-Green” ranges. Sometimes these metrics are structured without considering the teams’ understanding, resulting in the Scrum Team focusing on presenting data that fits within pre-defined limits, instead of finding ways to improve. This goes against the purpose of metrics, which is to help identify areas for improvement, not to judge team performance.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in AgileTagged #AgileLeave a Comment on Early Indications That Your Agile Metrics Need Adjustment

Agile Methods for Dealing with Conflict

Posted on January 11, 2023January 11, 2023 by Marbenz Antonio

5 Conflict Resolution Strategies Every Manager Should Know - MyCareersFuture

Even the most skilled Agile practitioners, including the Agile Alliance Board of Directors, can experience setbacks in their plan of action. In October, the Board met and Agile had the privilege of leading the meeting. They will share with you the account of how we addressed “tensions and polarities” in an Agile manner during that meeting.

The plan from which we will deviate

At the start of the meeting, the facilitator informed the board that the agenda would serve as a guide and that deviations may be made as necessary. However, it was not until the second day that it became apparent that a deviation from the agenda was required. The team was not entirely sure what the issue was but it became clear that the next planned activity would not be sufficient.

As a facilitator using the Agile method, it was discovered that when a group encounters a significant obstacle, it is necessary to shift away from focusing on tasks and instead address the group dynamics. This was put into practice when someone pointed out a high level of tension within the group, likely due to differing perspectives. While the diversity of perspectives can be beneficial, it can also lead to perceived interpersonal conflict if not properly acknowledged. The team then worked to understand how these tensions were affecting their work and how to use them to their advantage.

Exploring the tensions between two poles

Following a brief break to create a suitable plan, the Agile team introduced the concept of tension between two opposing poles. They acknowledged that there is often a range of options between perceived extremes. They identified two areas that the group was having difficulty with and wrote them on large index cards. On one side of the room, they placed a card labeled “Creating Awareness” and on the other side, they placed a card labeled “Taking Action.”

The Agile team prompted each board member to position themselves along the spectrum created by the “Creating Awareness” and “Taking Action” cards, to indicate where they currently stood in regard to their experience of the meeting thus far. After everyone took their positions, they asked each person to explain their reasoning for choosing that specific spot. Next, they asked them to move to the location on the spectrum where they felt most comfortable. Through this exercise, it was observed that everyone shifted their positions, and none of them stated that their initial positions matched where they felt most comfortable.

There’s no right or wrong place to be

This exercise also served as an opportunity to highlight the importance of understanding and managing polarities such as these. The team emphasized that there is no one “right” or “wrong” place to be all the time and that effectively handling the dynamic tension between the two poles required a balance of both elements. To illustrate this point, they asked individuals whose preferred positions were close to “Creating Awareness” to explain the value they saw in “Taking Action” and vice versa. Through this discussion, it became clear that having awareness without taking action was ineffective, and that taking action without adequate understanding could be counter-productive. By understanding and respecting the different perspectives within the group, the board was able to utilize their diversity as a source of wisdom, rather than let potential conflicts dominate their work.

The Agile team facilitated another exercise using a different pair of polarities, “Working Board” and “Policy Board”. The objective of this exercise was to reflect on the role of the board in the strategic direction of the organization over the recent years, which included delegating more operational work to the managing director, and focusing on setting direction, establishing boundaries, and approving high-level plans.

The team asked the board members to reflect on how they felt they had been operating during the first day of the meeting: More like a working board or a policy board? Again, the board members positioned themselves along the spectrum, and then the team debriefed. Finally, they asked the board members to indicate where they wanted to be working, and it was observed that everyone moved towards the “Policy Board” end of the spectrum. This provided insight into the fact that even if they had different perspectives on where they currently were, they all agreed on where they wanted to move forward.

The board had come to understand the underlying issues at play and was able to address and fix them directly. Additionally, the facilitator gained insights on how to adjust the remaining plan for the day. They had gained sufficient familiarity with the activity to apply it in their work.

Agile requested the board to change their focus from their initial day’s experience to the recent efforts of the Agile Alliance. They then examined three pairs in a consecutive manner.

  • “Existing Members” and “New Members”
  • “USA” and “Global”
  • “Building Community” and “Building Paid Sustaining Membership”

For each of these, Agile asked two questions:

  • Where do you think the focus of the Agile Alliance’s work has been?
  • Where do you think the focus of the Agile Alliance’s work needs to be?

The lack of precise definitions for the poles was not important, as the discussions helped the individuals comprehend the different perspectives of the ideas. The examination of different perspectives also enabled the board members to discover new insights they had not previously considered.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in AgileTagged #AgileLeave a Comment on Agile Methods for Dealing with Conflict

Agile or Waterfall? Why it’s Incorrect to Ask That

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Marbenz Antonio

What is the Traditional Waterfall Model and Why does it Fail?

Many organizations spend too much time and resources considering whether to use the Agile or Waterfall methodologies for their new projects, instead of realizing that they can combine the two approaches to maximize their potential. Asking “Which one should we use: Waterfall or Agile?” is not the right question to ask.

Too many businesses are preoccupied with deciding between Agile and waterfall techniques. Why Waterfall or Agile? is explained in this article. ” this is the incorrect question.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in Agile, PRINCE2Tagged #Agile, PRINCE2Leave a Comment on Agile or Waterfall? Why it’s Incorrect to Ask That

Using ITIL 4 to Bridge the IT/Business Gap

Posted on December 12, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

ITIL® 4 Certification Path - What Happens with my ITIL® v3 Certification -  ITCE

As more and more businesses and organizations transition to digital, there can still be a disconnect between IT and the business. Even though in 2023 it is expected that digital transformation and business/IT should be integrated, there may still be some organizations that hold onto more traditional ideas and strategies.

For instance, a company may want to expand its customer base and increase revenue but may view IT as simply a department responsible for maintaining technology and staying up to date with the latest developments in fields like AI and automation.

In the ideal situation, a company’s strategy would incorporate both business and IT, with IT being seen as a way to generate revenue, not just as a cost center. If there is a disconnect between business and IT, it can have a negative impact on the strategy and the ability to create value together.

Conflicting priorities

When an organization’s strategy focuses on increasing revenue and improving customer experience without taking into account the role of IT, investment in technology may decrease. This can lead to older technology infrastructure being used for customer platforms, which can ultimately result in reduced service availability and a breakdown in the co-creation of value. From what they have observed, it is common for organizations to talk about developing a comprehensive strategy, but in practice, they often prioritize one area, such as revenue, over others.

For companies that want to prioritize digital initiatives, it is important to have a holistic view and recognize that digital transformation comes at a cost. To effectively manage a mix of on-premises, hybrid, and cloud architecture, companies must be willing to invest in technology. While the cost of these investments can be intimidating, it is important to have strategic conversations and carefully consider the true cost involved. Some organizations may be tempted to take shortcuts, but these can ultimately lead to problems down the line.

ITIL 4 provides guiding principles that can help organizations think holistically about their goals and the factors driving their decision-making. For example, an organization may need to consider whether they need investors, new employees, or different skills to achieve their goals.

ITIL 4 also emphasizes the importance of effective communication and understanding how each part of the business fits into the service value chain in order to drive value co-creation. While it is natural for different parts of the organization to have their own priorities and objectives, delivering the services and value that the organization desires requires setting aside individual agendas and focusing on what is best for the customer.

Adopting ITIL 4

The businesses that are most successful at bridging the gap between business and IT often have a culture that encourages open communication and a willingness to adopt new ways of working. Adopting the ITIL 4 guiding principles, such as progressing iteratively with feedback and thinking holistically, can help organizations move away from siloed working and towards a more collaborative and value-focused culture.

If your organization is not currently operating in this way, a good first step might be to focus on improving communication and collaboration within the organization.

ITIL 4’s continual improvement model provides both a sensible starting point and a way to progress iteratively, asking:

  • What is the vision?
  • Where are we now?
  • Where do we need to be?
  • How do we get there?

Then:

  • Take action
  • Did we get there?
  • How do we keep the momentum going?

It is not important if an organization has a low level of maturity at the outset; once you understand your starting point, using a model for continual improvement can help bring people on board with the process.

Having a framework like ITIL 4, which is not limited to IT, allows it to be applied to any part of the organization. This can help break down barriers, improve collaboration, and promote a shared understanding of how to deliver value together.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in Agile, DevOps, ITIL 4, Lean, PRINCE2Tagged #Agile, DevOps, ITIL 4, Lean, PRINCE2Leave a Comment on Using ITIL 4 to Bridge the IT/Business Gap

Using Agile and PRINCE2 in Hybrid Projects and Programs

Posted on November 10, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

PM Methodologies: Waterfall, DAD, SAFe, LeSS, Scrum@Scale | Toptal

What possible benefits can projects and programs experience by using Agile methods?

Organizations can prioritize strategically when they are agile, chunking tasks and objectives into time periods that are long enough to produce something of value but short enough to undo if necessary. With agile approaches, you can reorder priorities or even put projects on hold altogether, providing you more flexibility to respond to customer and business needs.

Despite the advantages of the Agile method, there is also value in developing so-called hybrid work conditions in change initiatives.

Using hybrid project and program approaches

Agile for “Agilistas” is a way of life, yet more traditional project management methods like PRINCE2 are still needed.

For large-scale Government contracts, for example, a more “waterfall” strategy usually works well. To deliver government projects, at least in the UK, the PRINCE2 methodology and qualified personnel are usually needed by contracts.

The business needs to decide the best technique or approach to use that can work effectively with a primarily waterfall-driven organization working with ad hoc Agile pockets of excellence, for example in digital transformation.

The problem arises when a company has numerous initiatives going at once, some of which are using the Agile method, others PRINCE2, or a hybrid of the two.

So, how can you manage hybrid working methods inside the same organization?

New approaches to providing benefits and working

One strategy is to develop and implement a longer-term, multi-year roadmap for change in quarterly increments, but with a more conventional waterfall governance structure overlay.

In addition to a program board focused on the delivery plan and managing resources, costs, quality, risk, and scope on a monthly cycle, this may also include a steering group to agree on strategic priorities and release investment each quarter.

In this way, regardless of the method used by specific initiatives, organizations can create a consistent and repeatable governance framework across their portfolio.

Reaching the tipping point where the organization’s innovators, early adopters, and the early majority know enough to see the approach will work and that it’s worthwhile to do, and managing disruption to initiative delivery while transitioning to the new model, are key challenges in adopting a hybrid approach.

Developing knowledge and skills for hybrid projects and programs

Some senior managers believe switching to Agile or hybrid working paradigms will be as simple as flipping a switch. Sadly, no, it doesn’t.

Instead, businesses should invest in educating key staff members about the agile method and offering corporate coaching. They can’t lead what we don’t understand, after all!

People are more likely to understand the benefits of the new business model, be able to contextual it for the organization, and realize that their employer is investing in their abilities, professional growth, and ability to contribute to the organization’s future if this occurs.

In the end, it’s important to establish the proper mindset, culture, and idea of a learning business where everyone aspires to be highly effective.

And those in positions of leadership need to show this. As the director of the transformation program, for instance, they must develop a learner’s mindset to comprehend the new change model we are adopting and set an example for the culture and mindset of constant learning that is a characteristic of high-performing teams.

Scaling up Agile in an organization

Agile-working efforts usually begin small, for instance, with a covert Agile team developing a digital product.

Instead of attempting a wholesale adoption of Agile methodologies, you may road-test the strategy, demonstrate what works, gain experience, and improve/adapt as you go. This not only gives the project team and senior management the assurance that the strategy will be successful, but it also develops a repeatable model to test out on additional initiatives.

As a result, it shifts away from a “big bang” strategy and toward evolution.

If you do it well, it will encourage staff and boost morale. The possibility that the organization’s appetite will be awakened before it is truly prepared and before senior leadership is certain that an Agile strategy is sound must also be managed.

Stephen Covey, a management author, uses the phrase “sharpening the saw” to describe the idea of investing in oneself, picking up new abilities, keeping one’s edge, and practicing. These are necessary for thriving in an Agile or hybrid workplace.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in Agile, PRINCE2Tagged #Agile, PRINCE2Leave a Comment on Using Agile and PRINCE2 in Hybrid Projects and Programs

A Case for Collaboration between ITIL 4 and DevOps

Posted on October 29, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

ITIL 4 vs DevOps

It’s time for ITIL 4 and DevOps practitioners to start cooperating seriously as organizations begin to apply Agile concepts to the service environment.

For both groups of professionals, this might be difficult since they might have preconceived ideas or just a general lack of knowledge about what each other does and the concepts they use.

The mindset of people, that what they are doing is a structured best practice that must be done “by the book” instead of taking a flexible and adaptable approach in quest of co-creating value for their business, has long been a source of disagreement.

Where should people start their journey toward true collaboration, then?

A mutual embrace between ITIL 4 and DevOps?

The service value system and value streams are at the core of ITIL 4.

DevOps practitioners may not be aware that their work already fits under the service value system since it combines ITIL and DevOps concepts with a focus on transparency, collaboration, and following value from development to operations.

Unlike in the past, this method does not include “throwing things over the fence” from development to operations.

ITIL 4’s concepts of adaptability and guiding principles, such as a focus on value and progress iteratively with feedback, are reflected in the basic DevOps principles, which also include continuous improvement, team collaboration, and breaking down silos; essentially, embracing DevOps and Agile methods to improve the customer journey.

ITIL 4 and DevOps in practice

How can you collaborate with DevOps and Agile professionals as an ITIL 4 Managing Professional and Strategic Leader who has also achieved certification in Scrum and DevOps?

For example, a project may start with a discussion of the project brief with the key stakeholders to identify what value means to them and what kind of result they’re after. In essence, the focus on the value guiding concept is what drives this. Following that, applying more ITIL 4 guiding principles involves:

Start where you are; for example, can we use the tooling we already have before making any improvements later on if necessary?

Progress iteratively with feedback: Adapt a product or service based on customer feedback as you build it, then give it back to the customer for additional feedback.

Collaboration and visibility promotion: Let’s start a conversation, get people out of their silos, and figure out how to work together in real-time.

Think and work holistically: to remind people of the importance of both internal and external perspectives, putting your job within a bigger context.

Keep it simple and useful: Is it possible to automate something without making it too complicated?

What should the ITIL and DevOps teams expect from their collaboration?

Teams should become more in tune with the people for who they are creating value by figuring out what that value is and producing more useful things. You should continue to provide value and make relevant changes throughout the process by maintaining the dialogue.

Instead of using a waterfall project strategy, which seeks to specify everything up front, it’s more important to focus on building the minimal viable product or service while being open to listening to consumer input and making adjustments as needed.

Actually, it’s about embracing change and being less protective of established procedures; in this new environment, businesses face constant pressure to adapt and stay current. People must be able to change to do this.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in ITIL 4Tagged #Agile, DevOps, ITIL, ITIL 4, PRINCE2Leave a Comment on A Case for Collaboration between ITIL 4 and DevOps

Using ITIL 4, failure can be quick but safe

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

Gain Real-Time Visibility into your IT Infrastructure

When you attend an ITIL 4 course, you’ll be surrounded by peers from whom you can learn almost as much as from the coursework.

Similar to this, creating practice communities among individuals once they have received certification can help in the creation of a variety of blended service management systems.

You carried the book around as a result of studying ITIL v2 and used the ideas exactly as they were written. Because You misunderstood how ITIL should be used, we all know did it in this manner (i.e., not by the book, but in a way unique to your environment).

Unfortunately, there weren’t many people nearby at the time with whom you could discuss these matters, challenge my assumptions, and examine how we were using the knowledge. In many organizations, taking it literally resulted in levels of governance that might hinder innovation in the name of preventing things from breaking.

In some cases, the tendency to incorrectly implement ITIL resulted in organizations being frustrated and switching to alternative frameworks or methodologies, such as DevOps. But this merely substituted one set of problems for another. In the context of DevOps, that can include increasing the speed at the expense of governance.

How, therefore, can practitioners of service management and the organizations they work for benefit from integrated approaches? First, it must be willing to consider how ITIL 4’s concepts have progressed.

ITIL 4: A fresh outlook on service management

You will describe how ITIL 4 is intended to reduce critical events while encouraging innovation to give what customers require when you want those who may be skeptical to take another look at ITIL.

ITIL 4 enables creative individuals and teams to concentrate on activity velocity while generating results of value and avoiding failures in digital development, transformation, and services. By using the concepts, you may continuously develop and improve rather than putting out fires, managing unexpected issues, and dealing with disgruntled customers.

ITIL 4 enables creative individuals and teams to concentrate on activity velocity while achieving results of value and avoiding failures in digital development, transformation, and services. By using the concepts, you may constantly develop and improve rather than putting out fires, managing unexpected issues, and dealing with unhappy customers.

Naturally, the likelihood of breaking objects when moving quickly is factored in; however, the trick is to fail quickly and safely.

The ITIL 4 Specialist: High-velocity IT training takes learners through the traits of creative, forward-thinking enterprises and shows how velocity is necessary—but not only for its own sake. Instead, you can fail quickly without affecting the rest of the ecosystem because of the strategic direction and continuous development that ITIL 4 delivers, including collaboration with partners and vendors.

The next step is putting ITIL 4 into practice after individuals have an understanding of how it applies in modern, digital organizations.

Value co-creation via practice communities

Companies can enable their staff to apply what they learn away from the pressure of a priority one incident by putting the proper training, learning, and career paths in place, beginning with Foundation-level certifications.

We know there are more extensive discussions about collaborative working taking place today. We also know where problems are arising across stages like design and transition and how to apply principles holistically to find solutions from speaking with industry peers, including those working in Agile and DevOps.

Organizations can assist people in taking different paths by establishing communities of practice with structured learning. That might include the most recent extension modules, Sustainability in Digital & IT and Acquiring & Managing Cloud Services, or modules like ITIL 4 Specialist: High-velocity IT. After the course, they can start to exchange knowledge by sharing what they learned.

Retaining the digital and IT service management “tribes” is important, but so is building a support group based on various knowledge streams that recognize the importance of emphasizing value, the first ITIL 4 principle, and encourages discussion about how to combine different best practices.

 


ere at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in ITIL 4Tagged #Agile, ITIL 4, PRINCE2Leave a Comment on Using ITIL 4, failure can be quick but safe

An AI Factory using the Service Desk

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

Artificial Intelligence (AI): 3 imperatives to support business agility |  The Enterprisers Project

Service desks are at a very interesting phase right now as they transition from being just technical to be able to offer strategic insights that are useful throughout a company.

Additionally, this entails providing more value by combining hyper-automation with ITIL 4 standards.

The ITIL helped the traditional service desk transform into a single point of contact and knowledge for user requests, whereas the traditional service desk was, in effect, a helpdesk focused on users’ technical issues.

Now that ITIL 4 concepts have been implemented, the service desk should be viewed as an integral element of an organization’s strategy because it has complete knowledge of customer behavior, the customer journey, and whether a new service deployment has been successful or not.

Additionally, ITIL 4’s acceptance of cutting-edge tools and techniques, such as artificial intelligence (AI), offers the service desk even another chance.

AI and Service Desk

Though leaders are starting to understand that data produced by AI across enterprises is the “new oil,” they usually don’t know where to begin or how to use it.

But they think they can find the solution right in front of them at the service desk. This division could serve as the foundation for new AI initiatives as it daily gathers gigabytes of data.

In the modern service desk, there are typically fewer people, but they tend to be more mature and capable of offering strategic input due to growing automation, particularly chatbots and virtual assistants. This also applies to the huge amount of interesting and valuable data processed throughout the department.

However, it’s also true that service desk staff must be knowledgeable about handling data, as this is the main challenge facing many AI projects today. In actuality, that involves cross-departmental collaboration as they must spend 50% of their time talking to the data owners. The next 30% of the effort is spent figuring out multi-structured data that is supplied by various platforms.

The service desk can then start acquiring the knowledge and abilities necessary to produce new machine-learning models and integrate them into organizational strategy.

From Skill to Strategy

Gathering and comprehending data is the first stage; turning it into something strategically useful requires two things in particular:

  1. a user or user perspective
  2. working with internal divisions to understand their needs and how they relate to the overall strategy of the company.

Service desk specialists who are familiar with ITIL 4 should already possess those skills. The service desk practice in ITIL 4 offers suggestions for:

  • the needs and difficulties of internal customers
  • View the entire customer experience
  • Give predictions of what will happen, for instance, in terms of service interruptions.

The service desk can then learn new AI skills to contribute to AI projects across the enterprise in collaboration with a data science team, effectively making these activities more strategic than tactical and siloed.

The ability of the service desk to use diagnostic analytics, predictive analytics, and, at the most advanced level, prescriptive analytics will all develop over time as the desk becomes more mature.

A service desk set up according to this best practice makes it much simpler to get the necessary data and provides more wisdom to the overall strategy because ITIL 4 focuses on the end-to-end perspective of going from demand to value through a service value system.

How about career advancement at the service desk? A service desk set up according to this best practice makes it much simpler to get the necessary data and provides more wisdom to the overall strategy because ITIL 4 focuses on the end-to-end perspective of going from demand to value through a service value system.

How about career advancement at the service desk?

The service desk’s most knowledgeable employees can deal with data and translate it to strategy because they mix data science and ITIL 4 expertise.

The top service desk employees will be promoted outside of the department as a result of this opportunity for professional advancement. However, they are more likely to shift to new responsibilities inside their current employer than seek employment elsewhere because their abilities are valuable to the entire organization.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in ITIL 4Tagged #Agile, #AgilePM, ITIL, ITIL 4, PRINCE2Leave a Comment on An AI Factory using the Service Desk

How to Create Applications using Agile, DevOps, and ITIL

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

Agile Requirements & Traceability Basics | Perforce

Results for customers are changing when new applications are developed using a combination of ITIL®, DevOps, and agile approaches.

While ITIL provides incident, problem, and change processes to the application development journey, DevOps and agile are enabling better communication, greater analysis of customer needs, and providing a quality solution.

In our experience, combining the various ways offers greater organization, service, and customer follow-up. Although certain businesses that are less familiar with ITIL may need to go through an education process, these businesses eventually come to appreciate the benefits of ITIL once they are exposed to certain services and realize they don’t have to “accept and adapt” ITIL in its totality.

App development in action

So, how does the combined method of developing apps function?

When a customer, for instance, requests a new application feature, our methodology helps us to develop a “story” that explains their request, such as “the customer wants to perform X because of Y.” Agile forces us to communicate these “storified” needs to the development team so they can better understand and concentrate on what the client needs. Additionally, it gives the client the ability to feel more interested in the result while enabling the development team to uncover technical solutions.

The agile component encourages us to deliver in numerous phases, which gives us more flexibility in creating new functionality for the customer. It is more concerned with quality and delivering the correct things than speed.

In the end, we’ve discovered that the strategy significantly affects the outcome: we are in constant communication with consumers and growingly productive. We produced 200 new functionalities for customer apps last year, which was a record-breaking accomplishment for a tiny development team.

Eliminating team silos has significantly altered the ethos of our own company. Customers now consider us as a solid group that works more successfully.

How can you make it work now that more businesses and government agencies are beginning to recognize the value of this hybrid ITIL, DevOps, and agile approach?

  1. Obtaining senior-level ownership
    When introducing new procedures, you require strong leadership and the support of managers.
  2. Developing project management skills
    Your employees must be willing to expand their skill sets through best practice training and certification programs, along with experience gained in real-world situations.
  3. A shift from technical to softer skills
    Now more than ever, a developer’s soft skills—such as listening, communicating, and understanding customer needs important. The ability to think analytically and strategically is just as important as writing code!
  4. Continual improvement of functionalities
    It’s important to translate concepts into practical applications and to be a skilled negotiator to bring along team members for ongoing advancement.
  5. Breaking down silos
    In large, public organizations where departments are not used to collaborating and communication is challenging, you could encounter some opposition to new techniques. You must dismantle these siloed techniques, even though it might take longer.

We have a focus on delivering quality improvements along with a process for handling issues and change thanks to the integration of ITIL, DevOps, and agile methodologies. It manages any defects that customers report through an incident handling mechanism, which allows developers to produce a patch.

Ultimately, the combined approaches are complementary, and we wouldn’t work any other way today.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in Agile, DevOps, ITIL 4Tagged #Agile, #AgilePM, Agile Project Management, DevOps, ITILLeave a Comment on How to Create Applications using Agile, DevOps, and ITIL

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