Tag: Karen Ferris

Fresh Links Sundae – August 3, 2014 Edition

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!

The subject of data science receives much attention these days. Some people have used data management terms, such as business intelligence and predictive analytics, interchangeably even though they represent different disciplines. Dean Abbott talks about what similarities the two disciplines share and how they differ. Similarities and Differences Between Predictive Analytics and Business Intelligence (Data Mining and Predictive Analytics)

Neural network is a machine learning approach that is widely used in many data analytics efforts. Pete Warden offers step-by-step instructions on training your neural network. How to build and run your first deep learning network (O’Reilly Radar)

Big data and the Hadoop ecosystem are getting attention from many organizations these days. Rich Morrow outlines some of the most common surprises and challenges that new users of Hadoop run into in their early implementation period. Lessons Learned Deploying Hadoop (Global Knowledge Training Blog)

When you ask which service desk tool is the best for a particular IT organization, you will get a diverse set of opinions. Rob England outlines the essential criteria to consider when evaluating a service desk tool. What is the best ITIL service desk tool? (The IT Skeptic)

Rob Stroud and Rob England got into a discussion on the cloud-based ITSM solution. Mr. England and Mr. Stroud are two authorities I respect in the ITSM space. I thought the discussion was both interesting and educational. Is ITSM SaaS overrated? – Highlight and Is ITSM SaaS overrated? Round two – Highlight (CA Technologies)

When being asked about the tools and techniques used in their knowledge management programs, many IT organizations often just describe tools for managing and sharing documents. Stuart Rance thinks that is very limiting and offers additional ideas for enriching your knowledge management effort. Knowledge Management Is Not Just About Document Repositories (SysAid Blog)

Maturity assessment is a necessary part of ITSM improvement effort, but many organizations do not know how to conduct an effective assessment. Karen Ferris explains the challenges and pitfalls of conducting maturity assessment. ITSM Process Maturity Assessments – Handle with Care (Macanta)

A well-designed RACI chart is an effective tool for creating clarity in roles and responsibilities. Greg Sanker explains how a RACI chart can help in your ITSM effort. What’s a RACI Chart, and how to I use it? (ITSM Transition)

Fresh Links Sundae – July 20, 2014 Edition

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)

Fresh Links Sundae – June 22, 2014 Edition

For many firms, the importance of getting pricing right cannot be overstated. Walter Baker, Dieter Kiewell, and Georg Winkler believe that the flood of data now available provides companies with an opportunity to make significantly better pricing decisions. They suggest four things companies need to do. Using big data to make better pricing decisions (McKinsey & Company)

When documenting a business process or anything with a significant level of complexity, it’s easy to fall into the trap of documenting the process but not necessarily understand it. Bob Lewis explains how good documentation is a balancing act between providing the necessary details and explaining the insights that truly matter. With documentation, accuracy isn’t what matters (IS Survivor Publishing)

BYOD is a trend that is here to stay with a number of enterprises, so the management and governance of the BYOD is crucial. Karen Ferris discusses how ITIL Service Strategy processes can help to govern the BYOD practice more effectively. BYOD concerns? It’s time to dust off the ITIL service strategy book! (The ITSM Review)

In many organizations, the IT departments struggle to effectively market its capabilities and communicate the value the IT organizations bring to the table. Alex Salicrup recommends a list of steps and actions which the IT department can use to improve its effectiveness in managing consumer perceptions. Managing Your Brand: Communications and Marketing for Today’s IT (VMware Accelerate)

A well-planned and a well-run change management process can help build a better, stronger IT organization. In a two-part series, Vawns Murphy discusses how to get started in implementing a change management process and how to effectively manage the process on an on-going basis. Part 1 – Change Management – Surviving Implementation Part 2 – Running Your Change Management Process (The ITSM Review)

During the recent quarterly chapter meeting of the Information Security Forum, Steve Schlarman surveyed the audience noting the different personalities that have risen to the tops of the security food chain. He discusses how the CISO role in many organizations has evolved and the personality attributes, he believes, tend to contribute to a CISO’s success these days. Leadership Qualities for Today’s CISOs (RSA Archer GRC)

As more IT organizations move away from the traditional model of IT and toward becoming a service provider, running a smooth, cost-effective, efficient service portal can help IT improve its services and effectiveness. David Crane outlines the critical elements a well-functioning service portal should have. The People and Process Behind the Service Portal (VMware CloudOps)

One of the greatest lessons Peter Drucker taught Marshall Goldsmith was this: “We spend a lot of time helping leaders learn what to do. We do not spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half of the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.” While many of us get credit for what we do, Marshall outlines a list of ineffective behaviors a leader should consider stop doing. Teaching Leaders What to Stop (Marshall Goldsmith Personal Blog)

Fresh Links Sundae – December 16, 2012 Edition

Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. They maybe ITSM related or not entirely. Often they are from the people whose work resonates with me, and I hope you will find something of value.

While ITIL may advocate the concept that problems come into play only after incidents had occurred, Rob England gives an introduction into what a proactive problem management process should look like and address. Proactive Problem Management (The ITSM Review)

In a two part series, Abhinav Kaiser outlines the steps for setting up a software license management process in your organization. Best practices for software license management [Part 2] (TechRepublic)

Implementing a service catalog can sometimes turn into a major undertaking for many organizations. Barclay Rae gives an overview of why having a service catalog, what it should look like, and what to expect when putting one together. Service Catalog is Simple…or Should Be (Barclay Rae Website)

Most people would agree with the notion that change is the norm in our time. Karen Ferris explains why the desire of staying static and avoiding changes is no long an option. CHANGE: Don’t be a statistic [] (The ITSM Review)

Reflecting from a recent McKinsey Quarterly article “Capturing value from IT infrastructure innovation,” Gregory Tucker shares his view of what the service management concept is turning into. Service Management Is Dead (Tracted IT Management)

In this information-rich age we live in, managing knowledge and classifying information can be a formal challenge. Aprill Allen discusses two methods of information classification schemes and how they can be used together. Taxonomies and Folksonomies (Knowledge Bird)

In a presentation to a group of computer science students in London, Simon Morris describes the software development methodology used within his organization. ServiceNow development methodology presentation to QMUL (ServiceNow Community)

Instead of making the typical New Year resolutions that get quickly deferred or forgotten, Jeff Haden outlines 21 goals that can go a long way to improve your personal effectiveness. 21 Things That Beat Your New Year’s Resolution (Inc.com)

Like so many things in life, the subject of leadership does not have one single source of truth, but a number of competing ideas or opinions. Jim Taggart suggests what each of us can do to better understand the field of leadership and management. A Big (Obvious) Idea for Leadership–There Are NO Experts! (ChangingWinds)

Seth Godin talks about how companies start in serving the niche market. Later on, some of those companies transform their products/services to serving the mass market. I think supporting the IT technologies in organizations has gone through the similar transformation as well. The question remains is how should an IT department deal with the two very different market/user segments within their own organization. The cycle of customers who care (Seth’s Blog)