What's Your PMF challenge?

Abstract

The popularity of ITSM frameworks is not matched by measurement of benefits and performance and there is little research quantifying the benefits and performance measurement of ITSM implementation. The extensive adoption of ITSM frameworks by organisations may point to the acceptance by IT service managers that frameworks such as ITIL and standards such as ISO/IEC 20000 can deliver real operational efficiencies, ultimately translating into revenue-increasing and cost-reducing benefits. Organisations implementing ITSM initiatives report realisation of benefits in cost savings and standardisation in delivery of IT service and support. However, despite the appeal and the tremendous potential to realise benefits, the implementation of ITSM initiatives is slowed not only by the size of the investment required but also by the difficulty in quantifying benefits and linking operational and financial benefits together. To address this challenge the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) in partnership with itSMF Australia and Queensland Health (QH) are progressing an Australian Research Council funded study to develop a performance measurement framework for Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) to improve crucial IT infrastructure in private and public sector organisations. Recently, in November to December 2009 itSMF conducted an online survey of ITSM benefits. In total, 263 responses were collected. We thank all who took the time to complete the survey. Preliminary results were reported in the summer 2010 edition of this bulletin. The survey reveals what performance measurement frameworks and metrics are being used. Key benefits from the overall ITSM implementation and the single biggest challenge in measuring and reporting ITSM were first analysed, then aggregated along themes and mapped to the BSC perspectives. This article presents the state of practice in ITSM performance measurement from itSMF Australia members.