14 Tips for a Successful IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Implementation

For every successful IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) implementation, there’s (at least) one that doesn’t go so well. Resistance to the structure imposed by ITIL, from business users and/or IT staff, can be a big problem, as IT Business Edge’s Ann All wrote in a blog post.

So how can you increase your chances of winning ITIL acceptance in your organization? Click through for 14 tips Ann gleaned from analysts and IT professionals who have been involved in ITIL initiatives.

Click through for tips on completing a successful IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) initiative.

Start with realistic expectations. If you start out thinking ITIL will help you cut your IT costs in half, you will be disappointed.

Ensure you have management support by enlisting a strong executive-level sponsor.

Begin with a solid baseline, looking at unit costs, quality and productivity. Measure in granular enough detail so improvements can be tied directly to an ITIL process or tool.

Ask users to help you determine which processes are the strongest candidates for improvement. ITIL is an organizational effort and thus cannot be confined to IT. Many companies start with pain points related to incident, problem and change management, as they can produce quick wins and visible results.

Determine key performance indicators, again through joint discussions. Remember to measure in granular detail.

Invest time in educating users about ITIL’s benefits, preferably with diagrams showing how workflows can be streamlined. Make sure users understand how to use ITIL tools and processes.

Reassure IT staff that their roles won’t be automated out of existence. Rather, ITIL will allow them to apply their time and energy to more strategic issues. They shouldn’t have to spend as much time firefighting, and firefighting will become less stressful if processes are better defined.

Focus on achieving small, incremental wins, and the momentum will take care of itself. But do promote positive results to create enthusiasm.

Demonstrate how ITIL can save money. Kelley Blue Book’s IT organization created a list of tools that could be eliminated with ITIL. The company’s director of Enterprise Operations said it enjoys savings by not paying license costs of multiple tools, and eliminating the costs of learning and maintaining them.

Change management can get costly if and when users try to circumvent ITIL processes. With the blessing of executive leadership, send a weekly e-mail listing all changes made the prior week.

Establish a functional service catalog to get a better handle on the costs of services offered.

Pick and choose the ITIL principles that will benefit your organization. You don’t have to adopt them all.

Don’t worry about moving all your processes to the latest version of ITIL. Many organizations use elements of both ITIL version 2 and version 3. Some experts believe ITIL neophytes should start with v. 2 to get more detailed operational information before moving to v. 3, which incorporates a more strategic approach to service.

Consider implementing ITIL with other governance practices such as project management, Six Sigma and COBIT.