Module 7: Strategic Processes
Review of Service Level Management
The purpose of this section is to help you review your implementation and ongoing operation of service level management, check your understanding of the process, examine what a successful implementation should look like and consider what you have achieved by introducing it into your school. This will help you to assess how successful its introduction has been and point you back to the relevant sections in the Service Level Management process that you should revisit to make improvements, if these are necessary.
Start by reading the sections included in the recap of Service Level Management. When you have refreshed your memory and considered your own implementation alongside these descriptions, work through the checklist to identify any areas that you should revisit and perhaps re-implement or reinforce.
Recap of Service Level Management
In service level management we described how service levels and performance could be measured and these measurements used to ensure that service levels meet end-user needs.
We gave you an overview of the whole Service Level Management process and an implementation guide giving step-by-step instructions to help you implement a service level management process that we believe is appropriate for the needs of schools. An operations guide gave you a list of ongoing activities required by the process in order for you to keep it going and reap the benefits. We described roles and responsibilities and offered guidance on how to assign roles. We removed anything non-essential to give you a lean process requiring the minimum of effort and resource.
Check your understanding of the process by following:
Service Level Management summary
Step
Tasks
Document existing services and agree them with end-users.
Create a service catalogue listing all the ICT services your school provides to end-users and that receive technical support. These will be services rather than equipment.
Decide what service levels are required for each service.
Decide on what is the acceptable availability of services, including how quickly incidents and problems should be resolved. Where possible, place services in order of priority to help ensure that you focus resources in the most appropriate way. This may also include defining and publishing service level agreements
Ensure that agreed services can be supported to the level decided.
Define support requirements and resource them. This may involve using internal technical support staff, third-party suppliers or a mixture of the two. It is important that underpinning contracts with other groups or suppliers make it possible for those responsible for ICT technical support to meet the agreed service levels.
Monitor the service levels actually provided and compare them to the requirement.
Using the criteria agreed when defining service levels, produce statistical reports to measure the service provided. This may include, for example, the percentage of incidents that were resolved on or inside target, the number and duration of service failures and so on. It will also involve monitoring the performance of third-party suppliers if you use them.
Review the service.
Hold regular meetings with end-users to discuss service reports and identify areas for improvement or discuss new requirements. Those responsible for ICT technical support should also meet regularly with third-party suppliers to review their service to the school.
What you should expect now that you have implemented Service Level Management
- Technical support staff know which services they should focus on and do not waste time supporting unauthorised equipment.
- Technical support staff know what services to give priority to.
- The users are more aware of what the current level of service is.
- Technical support staff have a greater awareness of the impact of third parties on the service they provide.
What you should have achieved through Service Level Management
- You have a catalogue of authorised ICT services, which you always keep up to date with changes.
- A clearer picture is forming of the levels of service being provided to ICT users.
- Target service levels are emerging and being aimed at.
- You have implemented all of the other FITS processes.
- You regularly create and review service reports.
- Regular review meetings may take place with end-user representatives.
- Findings from reports and review meetings result in an improved level of service.
Benefits of having implemented Service Level Management
- The school does not waste time and money supporting unauthorised ICT equipment.
- You deal with incidents and problems in the order that is most appropriate for the school as a whole.
- The level of service you provide meets the needs of the end-users.
- You can measure technical support activities and performance.
- You can identify shortcomings in service levels and make improvements.
- A culture of customer focus is developing - you deal with ICT needs based on the seriousness of the impact rather than the complexity of the problem.
Checklist
Use this checklist to identify any areas of service level management that have not been entirely successful. Then reinforce them by revisiting and re-implementing the relevant section of the FITS process.
Characteristics of a successful implementation
FITS section to revisit if implementation has not yet been successful
You have assigned roles and responsibilities.
Assigning roles and responsibilities in Service Level Management
Those involved in service level management understand the process.
Overview of Service Level Management
A service catalogue documents all services in use.
Document services
You have estimated current service levels and included your findings in the service catalogue
Estimate service levels
You produce regular service reports that include consistent and relevant information on all FITS processes.
Produce service report
- When does it need doing?
- Who does it?
- Implement FITS processes
You review service levels regularly.
Review service levels
You produce regular service reports that include consistent and relevant information
- When does it need doing?
- Who does it?
If the above characteristics are all true of your school, congratulations on implementing a successful service level management process!
The next steps for you are to continue operating the process as described in the Service Level Management operations guide and establish the process firmly.
Work through this checklist at regular intervals to help you check that everyone concerned continues to carry out all aspects of the process. Using the actions above, you can then address any shortfalls as they arise.
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