Showing posts with label matt Hooper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label matt Hooper. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Dazed and Confused - Pink11 revelation

It's 6am Vegas time, and my head is spinning.  I am coming up on day 3 for me of one of my favorite conference venues Pink Elephant IT Service Management.  After years of studying, implementing, consulting and leading ITSM intitiatives and projects I woke feeling like someone had picked my pocket.

WHY IN THE WORLD DO NON-IT COMPANIES HAVE IT SERVICES?
THEY DON'T NEED THEM!
There I said it.  (actually' I've already tweeted it).

Why would I say this?  Me, after standing on soapboxes for so many years.
I don't know if it's the past year of doing the ITSM Weekly Podcast and listening to guests.  Having some gut wrenching discussion internally at Inforonics about our corporate strategy.  Maybe it has been reading the Universal Service Management Body of Knowledge (after reading this post Ian offered users a $50 discount. use Discount code "VigilantGuy" tx Ian) and meeting its author this week Ian Clayton.  I'm sure it's a  bit of all that, but's it's definitely 2 distinct events that have happened in sessions here at Pink.  Which is why this contiues to be one of my favorite venues.

Event #1) After a 45 minute panel discussion on Service Catalog (of which I had the pleasure of being on) the last question of the day was by a women who was frustrated by the inability to have services defined and asked "Besides Email, what are some other IT services".  I then hear each panelist rattle off System after system,  network, storage, etc..   It was clear this panel of Service Catalog (where you write down what the services are for the business) couldn't agree on what a Service is.

Event #2) In a panel discussion moderated by Rob England (aka The IT Skeptic) the topic was the elusive CMDB.  A source of consternation, frustration, and confusion throughout the ITSM industry.  The major point hit again and again: It has to be Service Aligned....  But wait, we can't define what a service is.
As I sat there and listened to the extremely passionate arguments, emotional lessons learned, and even one person honeslty begging for help.

We are trying to put Round Pegs in Square holes.  We are making up a layer that does not need to be there.  The IT Service layer is fabricated to fill a misconceived whole.  Well there is no whole.

Business Models are supported by Operational Models that are managed through systems and processes.  Business Services are the only services a business needs.  These can be supported through systems layer that correlates and integrates assets (technical or not).

Yet, that is not how ITSM community speaks and talks. In the ITSM community if my Business Model is about Hospitality, we still create this thing called Storage Area Network Services.  When did SAN Services become something people buy to get a hotel room.  They Don't!

So if I follow the current thinking on ITSM, I am supposed build and define the SAN Service, put it in a catalog, map it to a CMDB, and present its value to my CEO and ask him for a seat at the table.

If you were CEO, would ask me to sit down?

I can tell you what Captain Arbrashoff would say: "Beat it buddy"

Please tell me your comments or send me a tweet @vigilantguy  I would love to hear your response and thoughts on this.
On to day 3.
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Thursday, January 6, 2011

ITSM Weekly the Podcast (Week36) - Guest Speaker: Ian Clayton

My dad was a mechanic, he is the farthest thing from a "Computer Guy" as you can get.  Seriously, I have to use Webex to support him because I just don't have the patience to walk him through screen clicks, but that's a whole other blog.  Yet, he was not unlike most of the IT professionals I have worked with.  Let me explain: He owned his on Garage, a Service Station, so it was naturally ingrained into me that when people had problems with their technology (uhm yes, Cars are technology) that they would take it to him to have it "serviced".  This idea of going to professionals to have your problems handled is by no means new.  Yet somewhere along the line service standards changed.  Let me illustrate.  I remember pumping gas as a kid for my dads customers (yeah for real, people didn't actually do it themselves), I would even check the oil, wash the windshields, and even clean the wiper blades.  Also, you could get any type of car repaired, and we did any type of repair. We were a "Full Service" station.  Times have changed we now have "Self Service" stations where you get Gas and typically food goods and other non-automotive related convenience items.  "Full Service" stations you get your gas pumped and that's usually it.  As for car repairs, you go to specialists, Brakes, Mufflers, Transmissions, etc...  The progression has been, as people became more comfortable with their technology, they have become more self sufficient, able to service themselves and look for value added services to their time and convenience.   
I see the IT industry heading down the same path.  IT staff used to be great to help setup network switches, desktops, install applications.  Now an office manager or receptionist won't get hired without knowing these skills.  Thus IT leaders need to look at the trends to help customers be serviced better, more conveniently, enable and empower them to help themselves.  In Episode 36 we have a great guest and legend in the IT Service Management space, Ian Clayton.  Ian is a very forward thinking expert on customer service management and speaks frequently on the concept of "Outside-In".  I hope you enjoy this podcast, as much as I did and I can not recommend his book enough, USMBOK for IT service Management.  Ian has offered a %50 when you enter the code "servicesphere" at check out.


Shownotes and details here: http://www.servicesphere.com/blog/2010/10/11/itsm-weekly-the-podcast-episode-36.html


ITSM Weekly The Podcast (Episode 36) from ServiceSphere on Vimeo.

Special Guest:  Ian Clayton, Ian's Blog Here, See Ian in January 2011Here!
Submit Questions:  Anonymously or Email or Call In: (765) 236-6383 or Twitter Questions/Comments #ITSMWP
Episode 36 Topics:
COOL DEAL:  50%  OFF USMBOK for ITSM Weekly Podcast Listners!  Enter Code "servicesphere" at checkout
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

ITSM Weekly the Podcast (Week34 & 35) - ITSMF Video and Post Show Episode

Many people ask me why I am part of certain associations.  SIM (Society of Information Management), HDI (Help Desk Institute), ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association), and ITSMF (Information Technology Service Management Forum).  The first reason is to meet smart people.  I don't have time to research the latest and greatest trends, practices, and keep up on who's who.  Since 2004, I have had a dual role of chief marketing and technologist.  Each of those disciplines area in and of themselves morphing at lightning speed.  So to keep up, I've found networking with folks for a few hours and hearing a presentation on certain topics keeps me in the know.   Sadly, however, the value of networking groups have diminished as committees are formed and political agendas are pushed.  The value of volunteer-ism is diminished because of prominence or association. What do I mean?  Take for instance the hard working independent consultant who is out working it, and offers to give his experience of deploying a Service Desk at 5 clients vs. the Service Desk Manager for a well known financial institute that has hired guns at their disposal for the hard work.   The committees for choosing speakers all too frequently discount the independent because of fear that they will try to sell the audience, and will choose the big company profile.  Even if the IC has proven to put a lot into the organization.  Give me a break!   First off, 30-50% of the audience at these conferences have either been, are, or will be a consultant at some point in their career.  Second, a SPAMMY consultant is pretty easy to call out.  Anyone who has been at this for a while knows that if you pitch at a conference you loose your audience and credibility fast.  Staying hard-core has always shown value and increased the awareness of your skills and thus led to follow on work.  Even if you are not a polished speaker, simply speaking from the heart on real world experiences and engaging the audience in a mutual discussion will drive more value.  So committee members I call out to you, if you want my continued membership.  Get the workers out in front of us and save the experts for panel discussions.  We want to hear "real world".   Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we shouldn't have real practitioners from the Big name companies.  Believe me, I appreciate their discussions.  However, if you have attended these conferences and meetings, you have seen that it is "always" these folks.  I'm saying give us people who are dynamic, exciting and know what they are talking about, regardless of their role, company or title.  Just keep it real!


Ths week in IT Service Management Weekly the Podcast, Chris, Matt and I record live from the ITSMF Fusion 10 conference.  It's only 20 minutes, so I have also put in here the following podcast.
Enjoy


LIVE from itSMF Fusion 2010 ITSM Weekly The Podcast (Week 34) from ServiceSphere on Vimeo.


ITSM Weekly The Podcast (Episode 35) from ServiceSphere on Vimeo.

I See A Pink Door and I Wanted Painted Black
What happens when a CIO, a Service Desk Manager and an Industry Junkie Chat Weekly?!
Submit Questions:  Anonymously or Email or Call In: (765) 236-6383 or Twitter Questions/Comments #ITSMWP
Episode 35 Topics:
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Monday, November 8, 2010

ITSM Weekly the Podcast (Week33) - Guest Speaker: Kevin More

In my last blog post I spoke about the human element of actions.  This becomes ever so much more prevalent when your corporation works with deviations from societal norms.  In my life I have worked for almost every type of corporation, marketing, sales, insurance, finance, hospitals, snack goods, education, engineering...  There is a few I haven't worked in by choice, but not many.  The actions of showing up at a desk, walking into a meeting, presenting a topic, evaluating a report, have all been relatively the same for me.  My strength has been FCAPS Fault, Capacity, Availability, Performance, Security, and Change management.  However, my experience for everyone of those actions has been completely different.  FCAPS management to be truly proactive you must understand the business.  What does that mean?  What do the people in the business do, and how do they do it?  You must observe the culture, understand the patterns.  For instance, my first work assignment in insurance I took the opportunity to evaluate when desks would clear out at the end of the day.  I noticed typically around 4pm employees were heading out and by 5pm it was fairly empty.  So before ever running my first system utilization report, I already head the suspicion that between 2-4pm the system was at high-load.  Lifestyle was a cultural element, and sports moms' and dads wanted to be home for 6pm practice. When evaluating network and system traffic, I was spot on. 2-4pm heavy usage.  So I then took that data and evaluated the load testing strategy.  Just as you would have suspected, a ramp load to an avg steady stay for 6 hours and then down again.  In other words, the simulation was emulating traffic and load based on a work-day schedule, not a cultural behavior or pattern.  So what am I getting at?   KNOW YOUR BUSINESS.

This week our special guest is a colleague of mine from Boston SIM, Kevin More.  Kevin is a very impressive proffesional, not just cause he is technical, a savvy business person, or has an iPad.  (Though I am jealous of his iPad).  It's because he knows his business.  He understands what his culture does, how they perform actions, and even more importantly WHY they do it.  Listen in as Kevin More, CIO of May Institute, discusses the delivery of IT services for an organization dedicated behavioral health and development of children and adults with brain dysfunctions and autism.

Enjoy this weeks episode with our special guest Kevin More.


ITSM Weekly The Podcast (Episode 33) from ServiceSphere on Vimeo.

Your Hosts:  Matthew Hooper and Matt Beran(twitter #ITSMWP)

AUTISM, iPADs and SIM-FUSION!
What happens when a CIO, a Service Desk Manager and an Industry Junkie Chat Weekly?!
Special Guest:  Kevin More

Submit Questions:  Anonymously or Email or Call In: (765) 236-6383 or Twitter Questions/Comments #ITSMWP
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Friday, October 29, 2010

ITSM Weekly the Podcast (Week32) - Guest Speaker: Philip Neufeld & Matt Neigh

Service Management  - a term that continues to allude people who are in the service industry.  I'm not talking just IT, all be it probably we are the worst to embrace this.  I'm talking about those who just don't get that if you are not fabricating a tangible (electronic or physical) product or good, then you are performing services for your job.  Even if you make a product, say diamond plated dental instruments (something you would be surprised I have learned a lot about),  you still are performing services.  Turning shanks, dipping instruments, packaging, shipping, are all series of actions.  So what's my point?


Service Management is not process.  Processes are not Service Management.  Yet both involve the same series of actions.   You must perform a series of actions in a quality controlled form to produce a result that is consistent, expected, and predictable.  This is where PROCESS kicks in. Processes help you to know which actions to take, when to take them, and what to track about it so you can measure, tune and report on those steps.  SERVICE MANAGEMENT thus is all about the attitude, reflection, interaction, communication, and personalization that surrounds the people performing those actions.  Thus a simple way to think about it in my mind is a PROCESS gets the job done, SERVICE MANAGEMENT satisfies a the requester.  Thus if you spend too much time focusing on either one of these without the other, you will achieve an imbalance of not getting the job done and being a talking head to a requester, or being efficient but a royal pain to work with.  Remember if it's just an action, a robot can do that.  Humans desire a human element, and you must bring that human element to the table when perform actions for other humans.

Enjoy listening to this weeks episode where we speak with Special Guest:  Philip Neufeld Director of Service Management, IT Services State of California and  Matt Neigh from our Higher Education sponsor Cherwell Software

Show notes here: http://www.servicesphere.com/blog/2010/9/13/itsm-weekly-the-podcast-episode-32.html


ITSM Weekly The Podcast (Episode 32) from ServiceSphere on Vimeo.



Your Hosts:  Chris Dancy, Matthew Hooper and Matt Beran (twitter #ITSMWP)


Mobile Apps, Communication Intelligence and Fusion
What happens when a CIO, a Service Desk Manager and an Industry Junkie Chat Weekly?!
Special Guest:  Matt Neigh
Special Guest:  Philip Neufeld
Series:  ITSM and Higher Education
Submit Questions:  Anonymously or Email or Call In: (765) 236-6383 or Twitter Questions/Comments #ITSMWP
Episode 32 Topics:
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Thursday, October 14, 2010

ITSM Weekly the Podcast (Week31) - Guest Speaker: Pam Carter aka Dr. Pam

In 2009 I had the unique pleasure of attending the Academic Summit at the ITSMF Fusion09 Event in Dallas. The event included a ITSM Simulation by the folks at G2G3 and really brought to light the difference between teaching and doing.  It was great to see the professors struggle between concept and application, just like the rest of us do.  After the simulations my colleagues and I were given an opportunity to sit in on the  presentations of the professors on how they are bringing ITSM and ITIL into the classroom.  It was really great to hear the strategies, however, one person stood out in particular to me.  Dr. Pam Carter, Associate Proffesor of Management at North Carolina AT&T State University, had an approach that really hit home.  With a predominant number of the students coming from families whose parents were not involved with white collar workers, their ideas and concepts of the business world were very foreign to reality.  To translate that into the ITSM world was a real challenge.  By utiliizing analogies that the children could really grasp on to, she was able to connect with the value of ITSM principles and disciplines.


Listen to this weeks episode, certain to be one that goes down in ITSMWP History, as Dr. Pam, as we have come to affectionately call her, builds our appreciation for the words "Cultural Change".
Show notes: http://www.servicesphere.com/blog/2010/9/6/itsm-weekly-the-podcast-episode-31.html

Thanks to our Higher Ed Series Sponsor: Cherwell Software 


ITSM Weekly, The Podcast (Week 31) from ServiceSphere on Vimeo.


Agriculture, Historically Black and ITSM
What happens when a CIO, a Service Desk Manager and an Industry Junkie Chat Weekly?!
Special Guest:  Dr. Pam Carter
Series:  ITSM and Higher Education
Submit Questions:  Anonymously or Email or Call In: (765) 236-6383 or Twitter Questions/Comments #ITSMWP
Episode 31 Topics:
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ITSM Weekly the Podcast (Week30) - Guest Speaker: Juan Torres

Social Media is changing the game for enterprises.  It's not different for the CIO's.  CIO"s have been asked to deploy internal and external portals that engaging and sharing of information for collaborative efforts.  After months of research we come back to the business with a 6 figure proposal and 6 month timeline.  The business reposnse - "can't we do this on Facebook now".  That my friends is game changing.  The thought of employees sharing information on facebook.  Information like, "hey what's that link for time sheet entry?".  "Yo, do you remember how to log in to the system again".  How do you like those status updates going out to the social world.  Think CIO's don't have to pay attention to new media environments and technology... think again.


This week we have on our show Juan Torres.  Juan runs the help desk for Ohio Dominican University.  He helps bring to light the reality of supporting the next generation of business community IT has to prepare to support.
Show notes here: http://www.servicesphere.com/blog/2010/8/29/itsm-weekly-the-podcast-episode-30.html




ITSM Weekly The Podcast (Episode 30) from ServiceSphere on Vimeo.


Christory, Christmas Gifts, CSI and Xbox
What happens when a CIO, a Service Desk Manager and an Industry Junkie Chat Weekly?!
Special Guest:  Juan Torres
Series:  ITSM and Higher Education
Submit Questions:  Anonymously or Email or Call In: (765) 236-6383 or Twitter Questions/Comments #ITSMWP
Episode 30 Topics:
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ITSM Weekly the Podcast (Week29) - Guest Speaker:Matt Blair & Taj Peeran

For the next gen of IT professionals the business landscape is a theory not a law.  With so much dynamics in the underlying operations of marketing, sales, manufacturing, IT is going to be challenged to bring a new game to the table.  Students need to be Business Students with Technology skills.  Product development and innovation is going to be a the mainstay of the engineering folks.   The role of the IT professional will be to manage the "pure sciences" capability, including intellectual property into a monetized outcome of technology (applied science).  Creating and protecting value models based on business benefits driven by technology will be no easy task.  The CIO of the future will have to have deep and diverse skills, if role exists at all.

Listen in to this weeks podcast as we talk to Matt Blair & Taj Peeran 2 students working to get their Masters in Information Services (MSIS).
Show notes here: http://www.servicesphere.com/blog/2010/8/22/itsm-weekly-the-podcast-episode-29.html

ITSM Weekly The Podcast (Episode 29) from ServiceSphere on Vimeo.



Dancing as Fast as We Can, Utility, Warranty and the “I” in team. 
What happens when a CIO, a Service Desk Manager and an Industry Junkie Chat Weekly?!
REAL LIFE STUDENTS OF ITSM!
Special Guest:  Matthew Blair - Matt Blair is the President of the MSIS Association - a networking, personal development and community service organization that runs a parallel with the Masters in Information Systems (MSIS) program in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.  He writes about current IT issues in his blog,MattMinute, and also has intern experience in audit, project management and process refinement.  He holds a Bachelors in Finance and Accounting and will be graduating with a Masters in Information Systems in May 2011.  He can be reached via LinkedIn or e-mail at mablair@indiana.edu.
Special Guest:  Taj Peeran is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Information Systems at Kelley School of Business, and at the moment interning at Mead Johnson, Evansville for the Global PMO Group. With an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, and a keen interest in technology and software development, he worked for Wipro Technologies for 4 years, where he focused on developing and architecting solutions on the J2ee platform. On the MSIS program he says - 'The program has an excellent blend of technology and business subjects. The focus of the program is to empower its students to understand the different aspects of managing and governing IT'. He can be reached via LinkedIn or email: apeeran@indiana.edu
Series:  ITSM and Higher Education
Submit Questions:  Anonymously or Email or Call In: (765) 236-6383 or Twitter Questions/Comments #ITSMWP
Episode 29 Topics:
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