ITIL®4 Challenges
ITIL®4 has been well received, but there are challenges. How to translate theory into practice? How to gain buy-in from end-to-end stakeholders who are skeptical of ITIL?
The new ITIL®4 foundation training has been well received, however feedback is that it is not a training that you send all employees to like we did with ITIL 1,2 and 3. Which means employees not attending will need another form of training.
It has been suggested that employees from traditional operational ITIL processes will not be able to start any concrete follow-up actions after the training without additional support or coaching. Some of the concepts such as Service Value system and Service value streams are too high level or abstract for many and difficult to translate from theory into practice.
Also it has been observed that although we send ITSM professionals to ITIL®4 foundation training, the business, Agile and DevOps stakeholders are not likely to see this as a necessary part of their training, yet a core concept of ITIL®4 is the end-to-end ‘co-creation’ of value requiring an end-to-end understanding of the ITIL®4 concepts and principles.
Also there are some long-standing challenges that have been around since ITILV2 that many organizations have still not addressed. Challenges relating to ABC (Attitude, Behavior, Culture) that are a key barrier to the success of any ITIL improvement initiative.
For these situations, a one day interactive ITIL®4 workshop could be the first step in this process. It develops an overall mindset, it will make everyone understand the principles of ITIL4, it will give people practical ideas how to start, and it builds the fundamentals of follow-up training and a transformation program.
Below are some of the challenges we are seeing in the market since the launch of ITIL®4. We suggest ATO’s, Consultants and practicing ITIL professionals look at these to identify challenges that they may face (or are currently facing) in relation to ITIL®4 adoption. In the challenges below we show how an interactive simulation workshop such as our MarsLander can be used to help address these challenges.
Why should we adopt ITIL®4? We have ITIL3. What is the added value?
You want to create buy-in for investing in ITIL®4 training so that ITSM can develop as a strategic capability. How can you convince decision makers to consider the investment?
- The simulation will allow delegates to see, feel and experience the benefits of applying ITIL®4 concepts, and can be used to capture concrete actions to take away as well as create a need for additional ITIL®4 investment
https://www.axelos.com/news/blogs/community-blog-posts/itsm-the-next-generation-part-1
‘Make ITIL more Agile’. You are seeing pressure from Business/Development/Agile stakeholders and complaints about ITIL slowing things down, ITIL is no longer relevant.
- By having Business/DevOps/Agile and ITSM stakeholders participate in the simulation, they will feel the need for and benefits of ITIL®4, as well as the need to apply end-to-end the ITIL®4 guiding principles (collaborate & promote visibility, Focus on value) and the need for ‘Governance’ and end to end value streams. Have them participate together and capture shared concrete takeaway actions.
9 DevOps and ITIL Tips – “No shouting at each other (please)” – ITSM.tools
ITIL®4 is too theoretical, delegates don’t know how to now apply the practice!
Your colleagues have followed ITIL4 Foundation training but find it very theoretical. They want to know how do you apply ITIL®4? What are value streams? How can you use the guiding principles? There is a danger here that ITSM will not be able to deliver on expectations after having spent money on ITIL training.
- A simulation will allow delegates to translate theory into practice in one day, played in a number of game rounds it also allows them to develop skills for ‘progress iteratively with feedback’ and at the end of day capture input for their own ‘Continual improvement’ initiatives.
Create buy-in and commitment to apply ITIL®4 concepts with other Agile working stakeholders.
This is similar to the challenge above ‘make ITIL more agile’ which is a demand placed on ITSM. This challenge is driven by ITSM wanting to pro-actively market ITIL®4 and demonstrate relevance and value. ITSM people have followed ITIL®4 Foundation training, but how do you now get buy-in and commitment from the end-to-end stakeholders (including Dev/Agile stakeholders).
- Play the simulation with end to end stakeholders and create buy-in for working in ‘value streams’ and capture concrete ITIL®4 improvement actions to take away.
https://www.itsmf.co.uk/itil4-relevance-has-to-be-claimed/
ITIL®4 is all about the ‘co-creation of value’ – this means together with the business. How do you convince the business that they must change behaviors if ITIL®4 value is to be realized.
- Play the simulation with business owners and product owners to create buy-in for Governance and the need to balance resource prioritization between technical debt vs features. Between value, Outcomes, Costs, Risks. This also challenges ITSM stakeholders to think more in business terms and develop more outside-in thinking.