An ITSM audit: When and why?

There are many reasons to implement an ITSM tool. This implementation requires choices to be made at the start of the project. It is impossible to know if we have made the right decisions without putting the tool to the test for some time. Remember, the best judges are the end-users who directly perceive the value of the service provided to them. After a few months of use, we can collect opinions from operational staff and users. This allows us to consider an assessment of the situation through an ITSM audit.

Clearly define the objectives and expectations of the company after the implementation of an ITSM tool / approach:

Many companies implement an ITSM tool in order to :

• Facilitate the daily work of operational teams and the monitoring of software developments
• Guarantee the follow-up and traceability of requests
• Implement operational dashboards allowing team managers to manage the activity.
• Provide a service catalog to end users with the objective of creating value.
• Apply ITIL best practices
• Implement methods and processes to structure service delivery.

This tool implementation requires making choices. We must be able to evaluate, at any time, if these choices are still relevant a few months after the tool is put into production.

The real challenge is to make the objectives measurable. The aim is to enable continuous improvement actions to be undertaken (see our article oncontinuous improvement and the ITSM approach). The aim, of course, is to increase value creation for end-users. All these objectives must also be able to be challenged on an ongoing basis, in order to deliver exceptional quality of service.

If this sounds like you, it may be time to consider an ITSM audit. Good news, SmartView can help!

What is the purpose of an ITSM audit?

The assessment mentioned above, also called ITSM Audit, allows to :

• To check if the objectives we set at the beginning of the project are met,
• Validate the alignment of the business strategy and the information system,
• Identify pain points to be corrected (whether they are reported by operational teams or end users),
• To allow everyone to express themselves,
• Take a step back from the tool and methods in order to make continuous improvement,
• Always ensure that a high level of service quality is provided,
• Validate that the practices and uses are consistent with ITIL best practices and especially with the company.

NB Remember that ITIL is only a best practice repository and not a recipe.

When you have your head in the sand, you sometimes lack objectivity. It can be difficult to do this exercise impartially.

That's why SmartView comes to its customers with a completely fresh and untouched perspective on the tool and its implementation. Having no idea of the decisions made upstream, we act as an impartial judge whose only concerns are listening to your employees, satisfying your users, implementing ITIL best practices and aligning strategic and operational objectives.

What does the ITSM audit do for me?

The starting point of the ITSM audit is to establish the reference point. It's like taking a snapshot of the system with its strengths and weaknesses.

The ITSM audit process consists of establishing the state of the art of the ITSM tool and its methods. And to verify if the application/use meets ITIL best practices. It also consists in establishing a usage audit to collect the opinions of operational staff and users (see our article: Don't forget your key users in your ITSM projects). They are the greatest asset of a company and the best source for continuous improvement.

At the end of the audit, a list of recommendations and areas for improvement is given to the client according to the conclusions of the various interviews conducted during the audit.

It is up to the company to put them in place and to be supported in doing so.

The good news is that Smartview can help you with this too.

An ITSM audit is fine, but how soon?

The best time to do an ITSM audit varies from company to company. From a few months post-production to a year. There are no real rules.

I would say that it depends directly on these 4 factors:

• Negative opinions from users and/or wishes for the evolution of the tool that is made available to them,
• The difficulty of action of operational staff,
• Indicators that do not reach the set level of requirements,
• The desire to go even further in the process without really knowing where to start.

As soon as one of these topics comes up in conversation, it's time to audit your ITSM tool and approach.

In addition, it is an opportunity to re-challenge what has been put in place, always in the spirit of going further in operational gains.

So, when will you have an ITSM audit in your company?