Product Description
This book considers the design and implementation of metrics in service organizations using industry standard frameworks. It uses the ITIL process structure and many principles from the ITIL and ISO20000 (BS15000) as a basis. It is a general guide to the use of metrics as a mechanism to control and steer IT service organizations.
A major reason for covering this topic is that many organizations have found it very difficult to use metrics properly. This book will deal with the causes of the difficulties to implementing metrics and will present workable solutions.
It provides a general guide to the design, implementation and use of metrics as a mechanism to control and steer IT service organizations. It also provides specific recommendations for applying metrics across the ITIL, ISO20000 (BS15000) and other processes, discussing the rationale of the recommendations. This enables an organization to implement the metrics as described directly as a first-pass solution that can be benchmarked against other organizations. But they can also be used as a starting point for customizing particular metrics.
Badly designed metrics can be actively harmful to an organization's proper functioning. Producing a set of metrics that avoids the pitfalls and delivers genuine value is not easy. This book will make that task much simpler and less error prone.
"This is more than a book, it's a practical, useable "A to Z" of IT Service Management Metrics!
Peter Brooks (Author) has given us all a crystal clear view of a neglected, blurred piece of the IT Service Management puzzle. As a Principal ITSM Consultant working for Foster-Melliar in South Africa I am continuously disappointed by the many ITSM books produced that generally regurgitate what is already known by many in the industry.
Metrics for IT Service Organisations provides a vast array of possible audiences something that many ITSM volumes do not, and this is a Practical, useable view of "How" to plan for, design, manage and improve the critical measures IT Service organisations require from both a strategic, tactical and operational perspective.
I don't carry many books around with me, this one, I most certainly will!!"
Ian Clark Principal ITSM Consultant Foster-Melliar
"With all the focus on IT Governance and IT Business process management. It is easy to see why metric are becoming hugely important for the management of organisations. In reality however, getting the right set of metrics in place is by no means a simple exercise.
Metrics for IT service organisations can be a great help. Using ITIL as the basis the book lists many useful examples of metrics. But what is more important, is that it gives us insight into to creation of "good" metrics and the dangers of "bad" metrics. "
Emma Speakman IT BPM consultant SA/NL/UK
"Looking for a comprehensive, in-depth exploration and explanation of what metrics to use in your ITSM journey?
Then 'Metrics for IT Service Organizations' by Peter Brooks may be exactly what you're looking for.
This (new) book not only covers what metrics need to be seriously considered, but explains the 'why' and 'how' behind selecting and defining them, pointing out along the way many of the dangers and pitfalls of selecting the wrong ones; or too many.
If you tend to agree that 'what gets measured gets done', then applying the ideas in Peter's book will assist you in getting the right things done."
Ken Wendle (FISM) previous President of the itSMF USA, works as a Senior Solution Architect for Hewlett Packard's OpenView Software division
Given that itSMF is the source, readers of this book will naturally expect a 'best practices' view on metrics, and a highly practical reference text. More particularly, though, the special merit of the text is its carefulness in stressing that metrics must be both useful and meaningful, and that the meaning comes from the business perspective on IT management processes - a perspective always represented by a stated business objective. By encouraging readers to seriously commit to defining clear business objectives, the text aims the reader at measurement that avoids excess or irrelevance.
Malcolm Ryder (CA Architect) |