A Semantic Wiki-based Platform for IT Service Management

The book researches the use of a semantic wiki in the area of IT Service Management within the IT department of an SME. An emphasis of the book lies in the design and prototypical implementation of tools for the integration of ITSM-relevant information into the semantic wiki, as well as tools for interactions between the wiki and external programs. The result of the book is a platform for agile, semantic wiki-based ITSM for IT administration teams of SMEs

An overview of models and standards of processes in the SE, SwE and IS disciplines

This chapter develops a descriptive-conceptual overview of the main models and standards of processes formulated in the systems engineering (SE), software engineering (SwE) and information systems (IS) disciplines. Given the myriad of models and standards reported, the convergence suggested for the SE and SwE models and standards and the increasing complexity of the modern information systems, we argue that these ones become relevant in the information systems discipline. Firstly, we report the ratio- nale for having models and standards of processes in SE, SwE and IS. Secondly, we review their main Overview of Models and Standards of Processes in the SE, SwE, and IS Disciplines characteristics. Thirdly, based on the identified aims and principles, we report and posit the concepts of process, system and service as conceptual building blocks for describing such models and standards. Finally, initial theoretical and practical implications for the information systems discipline of such models and standards are discussed, as well as recommendations for further research are suggested

Understanding how organizations operate their IT capacity-management processes

There is a lack of understanding of how organizations operate their IT capacity-management processes. Within the body of literature on IT capacity-management there is an abundance of advice for organizations on how to set up or run the processes for IT capacity-management, but very little in the way of describing the processes as performed and operated in organizations out in the field. Using qualitative methods this research sought to gain an understanding of how organizations are operating their IT capacity-management processes in the field. A dozen subjects from 10 organizations were interviewed and the data were analyzed with a grounded theory approach. Cloud computing was found to be a disruptive technology providing the occasion for major changes in the structures of IT capacity-management. The differences in these structures were expressed through an IT capacity-management structures spectrum. The relative relationships between the roles in these structures as plotted along this spectrum were found to have the IT capacity-management role migrate from mediator, to directly linked to the data center, to largely absent. The results provide the IT capacity-management field and managers in IT a starting point from which to shape career development and organizational change management efforts as an organization migrates from a classic structure to a cloud structure

Toward an integrated conceptualization of the service and service system concepts: a systems approach

Service and service systems concepts are fundamental constructs for the development of the emergent SSME, ITSM, and Service Oriented Software (SOS) knowledge streams. A diversified literature has provided a richness of findings, but at the same time, the lack of standardized conceptualizations is a source of confusion to IT practitioners and academics. Given this problematic situation, we pose that a systems approach is useful to address it. In this article, we review and synthesize key studies in these knowledge streams to design: (i) a framework to characterize both concepts under a system view and, (ii) harmonized definitions (e.g. identification of shared and essential properties) for such fundamental concepts. Our main contribution is scholastic, but we are confident that the posed conceptual artifacts can be further used to elaborate standardized definition for the IT service and IT service system constructs, as well as analysis tools for describe real service systems

Implementing the Information Technology Information Library (Itil) Framework

This project proposes the implementation of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework for a mid-sized Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) specializing in commercial warehouses. Due to rapid growth, lack of process and lack of business visibility, the Information Technology (IT) department struggles to provide highly reliable business systems that meet the requirements for the business. The gap in business relationships results in a negative image for the IT department and causes situations where individual business groups contract directly with outsourced IT providers. After developing the IT solution, the business group contacts the internal IT department for involvement with the deployment. The IT department must ensure the outsourced solution will work with internal IT systems or networks regardless of the technology stack or support model. Often, the costs associated with this last minute support are not captured or reported within the overall outsourced IT project. The IT department consulted with Forrester research and Capgemini to review the overall IT environment and process maturity. After performing the review and analyzing the findings, IT management determined that process improvement was required to improve overall IT services and IT service delivery speed. Rather than focus on what led to the decision to implement ITIL, this project will discuss how ITIL provided the foundation to ensure timely, consistent and reliable delivery of IT Services. ITIL also helped improve the IT departments\u27 image with the business by assisting in higher quality implementations and consistency resulting in less IT downtime and more controlled IT systems. When asked about the benefit of ITIL, Carie Zoellner-Buell, a VP of Global Infrastructure and Operations said, ITIL has taken the organization to a whole new level of operation that we were never able to attain in the past. Using ITIL based processes has allowed us to be much more effective in managing IT by adding structure and efficiency

Dashboard design applied to the ITIL®V3 problem management process: A case study at ISCTE-IUL

ACM classification: K.6 Management of Computing and Information SystemsISCTE-IUL is a Portuguese higher education institute that is oriented to the ITIL®V3 adoption for the Information Technology (IT) Services, in order to improve the management practices in accordance with best practices recommended and to achieve the ISO/IEC 20000 certification. Dissertations have been related with the ITIL processes implementation, having already implemented the Asset Management, Incident Management, Request Fulfillment and the Change Management processes. The scope of this dissertation is the implementation of the Problem Management process that will fills the gap in the problem root-cause investigation. The Problem Management process defines the activities required to control the flow of problems and ensure the correct recording, evaluation, investigation and solution implementation. This dissertation describes the evaluation of the current problem management process at ISCTE-IUL and the transition to a new process developed according to the best practices and modeled with the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). As recommended by ITIL, the processes must be monitored and measured using appropriate metrics. In line with this, was defined the second phase of the dissertation, the process measurement. In this phase are designed and built Service Operation Dashboards covering the Incident Management, Request Fulfillment and Problem Management processes. This measurement is performed through Microsoft Excel, analyzing the data extracted from the EasyVista, an ITSM platform. The goal is to analyze the data and provide reliable information to enable the decision-making based on facts, identifying trends and the levels of effectiveness and efficiency.O ISCTE-IUL é um instituto superior de educação Português, orientado à adoção do ITIL®V3 nos seus serviços das Tecnologias da Informação (TI). Melhorando assim as práticas de gestão, de acordo com as melhores práticas recomendadas e atingir a certificação ISO/IEC 20000. Dissertações relacionadas com a implementação dos processos de ITIL têm surgido, estando atualmente implementados os processos de Gestão de Ativos de Serviço, Gestão de Incidentes, Satisfação de Pedidos e Gestão de Alterações. O âmbito desta dissertação é a implementação do processo de Gestão de Problemas que irá preencher a lacuna na investigação da causa-raiz dos problemas. O processo de Gestão de Problemas define as atividades necessárias para controlar o fluxo de problemas e assegurar o correto registo, avaliação, investigação e implementação da solução. Nesta dissertação é descrita a avaliação ao estado atual do processo presente no ISCTE-IUL e a sua transição para o novo processo, desenvolvido de acordo com as melhores práticas e modelado com a Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). Segundo recomendações do ITIL, os processos devem ser avaliados utilizando métricas apropriadas. Foi assim definida a segunda fase da dissertação, contemplando a medição dos processos. Foram desenhados e construídos Dashboards da Operação do Serviço, abrangendo os processos de Gestão de Incidentes, Satisfação de Pedidos e Gestão de Problemas. Esta medição é executada através da ferramenta Microsoft Excel, analisando os dados extraídos do EasyVista, uma plataforma de Gestão de Serviços das TI (ITSM).O objetivo é analisar os dados e fornecer informação fidedigna, permitindo a tomada de decisão baseada em factos, identificando tendências e os níveis de eficácia e eficiência