ITIL + COBIT + ISO 20000 = Success

Service management is entering the next stage in its evolution. The international standard, ISO 20000 tells you what to do, while ITIL and COBIT tell you how to do it. Many organizations are using ITIL and COBIT together to help integrate IT with the business. So, what does this integration mean and why should you care?  I asked Erin Casteel, solutions architect for BMC, to explain the benefits of this combination. She’s got 5 certifications in ISO/IEC 20000 and is on the international certification board. Here’s what she had to say:

“ITIL, COBIT, and other frameworks are being used increasingly in combination, not as ends in themselves, but as always intended, which is to integrate IT with the business. Integration of the IT organization, through people, process and technology, is a necessary first step toward reaping the rewards of increased innovation and profitability, reduced risk, and dramatically improved communication.

The combination of governance, integrated process and automation is very powerful – rather like a ship that previously had to rely on the stars to navigate and now has access to satellite navigation. How much easier to pinpoint exactly where you want to go, and then actually get there!

For many organizations, ISO/IEC 20000 is not even about certification – it is a means to change the culture, through telling us exactly what needs to be done. This happens through required documentation that enforces information sharing over information hoarding. It also happens through requiring all processes working in an integrated way, rather than scattered or siloed implementations. Processes, after all, provide a necessary conduit for communication, because they cut across multiple functional areas. ISO/IEC 20000 also enables cultural change because it provides an unrelenting external incentive that motivates staff where other means may fail.

I am also pleased that more and more organizations see cultural and organizational change is not only the most challenging aspect of transformation, but also the greatest opportunity for innovation and future success. In fact, a dynamic organization that truly embraces the concept of continual improvement will be required to keep asking every person in that organization to find new and creative solutions. The fact that we can now automate so many more of the tasks which were previously done manually means that staff will be able to spend more time focused on innovation, rather than just keeping the lights on. This is truly an exciting time to be in IT.”