I. Service Management Quality

I.  Service Management is the service delivery and support as visible by IT customers.  Service management provides integrity and reliability of computer systems, incident/problem management, support and training, and user-provisioned equipment.  The value of IT is often judged by service management quality.

See the Welcome message for an overview of the 360 CIO.

Service Management Quality as it is perceived by customers of IT is critical.  If there are overt service issues, all other IT success will be difficult to appreciate.  For example, if you just saved 15% on data center costs through a green technology initiative, you will get few kudos if the corporate email system is down (again!).

• Are service level agreements (SLAs) in place with internal and external service providers?  How are they being managed and monitored?
• What end-user services are being provided?  e.g. PCs, handheld devices, telephones, security systems, email, Internet access.  Are these service keeping up with demand and technology trends?
• What is the response time and integrity of application and reporting systems?  Are people able to do their jobs without "waiting on the computer"?
• What type of performance monitoring and predictive tools are in place so you can react to and plan for future needs?
• What control processes and communication plans are in place to make sure changes to systems provide security and business continuity?
• How are problems and incidents handled?  What performance measurements and SLAs are in place for resolution?
• What does the IT infrastructure look like (e.g., data centers, service providers, cloud computing, network, operating systems, programming language standards, software licensing, hardware leasing/purchases).  Is the infrastructure keeping up with demand and technology trends?  
• Are you able to provide business continuity in the event of a disaster or outage?

Service Management Capability Roadmap
It may be impossible to address all issues and provide an optimized solution in every area.  The 360 CIO implements a Capability Roadmap, which utilizes a maturity model (such as CMMI) to guide service management improvements.  The roadmap should define overall direction and tie to business strategy, maturity rating (current and target) for each service area, and quarterly actions for achieving these objectives.