Some organisations have problems with ITIL® implementation projects. “ITIL® doesn’t work!” the organisation crys. Learn some lessons from others BEFORE you hire that consultant or sign that contract!

1. WHEN ITIL®
DISAPPOINTS
Lynn Jackson
LJT Analysis Ltd
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

2. The situation
• Problems with an ITIL®
implementation project?
• “ITIL® doesn’t work!”
• ITIL® is a Service
Management framework
that has been successfully
implemented in many
organisations
• So why has it all gone
wrong in yours?
• The Consultant and the
Customer: it takes two (at
least!) to implement…
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

3. The Consultant
• Action
• Doesn’t follow the
implementation process
recommended by ITIL®
• Possible Reason
• Lack of experience/skill/
knowledge
• Result
• Implementation does not
match the Customer’s
needs
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

4. The Consultant
• Action
• Doesn’t scope the
implementation correctly
• Possible Reason
• Lack of experience
implementing ITIL®
• Result
• ITIL® implementation
costs too much and
takes too long
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

5. The Consultant
• Action
• Attempts to make the Customer
‘follow’ ITIL® rather than adapt
ITIL® to the Customer
• Possible Reason
• Lack of understanding of the ITIL®
framework (thinks ‘methodology’,
not ‘good practice’)
• Lack of experience implementing
ITIL®
• Result
• Processes bear no relation to
reality and are therefore not used
(too large a gap and improvement
will not take place)
• Customer unable to see quick wins
(losing enthusiasm for the whole
project)
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

6. The Consultant
• Action
• Implements ITIL® ‘backwards’
(technology, then processes,
then people).
• Possible Reason
• Consultant’s background is
technical and is therefore
more comfortable with this
strategy.
• Result
• Software (particularly Service
Desk) does not meet the
Customer’s needs
• Software is expensive to
customise.
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

7. The Customer
• Action
• Lack of management
commitment
• Possible Reason
• ITIL® not the Customer’s idea
(ITIL® is implemented ‘from
above’)
• Customer’s agenda is other
than the one told to the
Consultant (had the
Consultant asked…)
• Result
• ITIL® is quietly dropped after
the Consultant leaves
(blaming the Consultant for
poor implementation).
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

8. The Customer
• Action
• Lack of staff commitment
• Possible Reason
• A lack of communication
from senior management
• A belief that jobs will be
outsourced after
implementation
• Result
• Resistance
• Wilful non-compliance
• Sabotage
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

9. The Customer
• Action
• Looks at cost-cutting during
implementation (easiest place
to cut is ‘People’ – training,
culture change programme,
etc)
• Possible Reason
• Poor budgeting
• Poor governance
• Unaware of impact to the
success of the project
• Result
• Staff don’t know how to use the
new software/processes
• Staff don’t know why ITIL is
being implemented, will guess
why… and resist
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

10. Main Results of Actions
• Implementation doesn’t
match Customer’s
business needs
• No improvement to
services
• Internal/External
Customer dissatisfaction
with services
• ITIL® doesn’t ‘do what it
says on the tin’
• ITIL® is dropped
© © LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

11. Ensure the Results You Want
• The Consultant
• Gain experience
• Gain qualifications
• Are you are capable of
performing in the
implementation
programme?
• Be honest! (Your
reputation depends on it)
• The Customer
• Know what drives your
implementation
• Ensure your programme
governance is in place
• Do you really want ITIL®
at this moment?
• Be honest! (It’s cheaper
in the long run)
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

12. Further Reading
• ITIL® Planning to Implement
Service Management (ISBN:
9780113311095)
• The Introduction to the ITIL
Service Lifecycle (2nd Edition)
(ISBN: 9780113311316)
• An Executive Guide to Value
Management (ISBN:
9780113312795)
• Implementing IT Governance a
Pocket Guide (ISBN:
9789087532161)
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.

13. LJT Analysis Ltd
Lynn Jackson
Lynnj@ljtanalysis.co.uk
© LJT Analysis Ltd 2014. All rights reserved.