Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. Often they are from the people whose work I admire or resonate with me. I hope you will find these ideas thought-provoking at the minimum. Even better, I hope these ideas will, over time, help my fellow IT pros make better decisions, be awesome, and kick ass!

Many organizations focus on driving analytics as a foundation for competitive advantage, but they often compromise their analytics effectiveness by not establishing a sound foundation through the process of data readiness and data cleansing. Robert Handfield discusses the critical element of Data Cleansing, which is the most time consuming and challenging of the elements. Data Cleansing as the Foundation for Supply Chain Analytics (International Institute for Analytics)

Many organizations do not assess and monitor their IT maturity level, but the maturity can be a great vehicle to get IT properly connected with the business. Andy White outlines the building blocks for improving IT maturity and effectiveness. IT Maturity: Chasing rainbows? (The ITSM Review)

A well-designed service catalog can bring a number of benefits to both the IT organization and their customers. A badly designed catalog can also make things worse for IT and everyone involved. Sarah Lahav makes suggestions on how we can put an effective service catalog in place. 5 Tips for Creating a Successful Service Catalogue (SysAid)

IT organizations are using the services model to drive IT performance based on the business value generated by the service, rather than simply technical metrics. George Mathai discusses the “market-share” approach to assess and communicate the business value of IT services. How to Make Metrics Matter (CIO Leadership Council)

Future ITSM will increasingly combine service desk and operations much more fluidly than in the past. Organizations will need to embrace the integration between ITSM and ITAM in order to be effective within the overall IT landscape. Dennis Drogseth explains why it is both beneficial and effective to grow the ITSM and ITAM disciplines together. Why IT Asset Management and IT Service Management Belong Together (The ITAM Review)

Implementing an IT improvement program using the ITIL framework brings about both changes and benefits to an organization. Gregory Tucker shows us a model of what changes and benefits can be expected and how IT can help its organization respond to the changes. The Balanced Improvement Matrix (ITSMinfo)

After receiving the training in ITIL, many highly motivated and well-intended folks head back to the office trying to implement ITIL processes. However, Greg Sanker points out that simply “implement ITIL” misses the big picture. He talks about why the ultimate goal is to maximize the business value of IT and how to get to work. The Practitioner’s Dilemma: How to Adapt ITIL (ITSM Transition)

Karen Ferris believes that everyone in IT should shadow the business because it is an effective approach for leading to real innovation and resolution to business challenges. She discusses the important elements to keep mind when crafting such collaboration program with the business. Walk A Mile in Their Shoes? Not Far Enough! (Macanta)