Over the last couple of years, organizations worldwide have been focusing on establishing Service Management Offices (SMOs) simply to centralize better and improve the outcomes of their IT Service Management (ITSM) efforts. But here’s a thing – when SMOs are done correctly, they can transform the organizations. And if it’s not done right, it can cause more harm than good.
So, let’s try to avoid the latter scenario by learning all about SMO and how you can build an effective one with ITIL 4. This blog will assist you with some common pitfalls and challenges, telling you the steps you’ll need to take to succeed.
What is a Service Management Office?
A service management office can help an organization by taking up a lot of roles. It can be as simple as one person in charge of Service Management initiatives or can also be a group of people who meet regularly to discuss current and future ITSM action plans or approaches within the organization. It can include a space for collaboration and knowledge sharing, a central repository for templates (for example, RACI models) and other process-related documentation, or a way to coordinate ITIL and other training options.
In organizations – SMOs are either underdeveloped or do not exist at all. Despite this, this function provides a focal point for consistency and governance in organizational best practices, including ITIL.
Service Management Office and ITIL 4
Companies that provide a “managed service” (such as payments processing) frequently have gaps in their offering that exist between demand or opportunity and a delivered product or service. Tribalism and silos caused by different cultures, systems, and ways of working are frequently the cause of this.
And this is the issue that ITIL 4 is attempting to resolve – how to create value through the various value streams that customers encounter when interacting with digital organizations. This must work at the enterprise level, not just within IT, which is why an SMO exists to see the big picture and ensure that everyone in the organization understands its role.
ITIL 4 – Service Value System
The value the organizations derive from the service-management-office function is heavily influenced by the charter’s strength and the authority granted to the function. A strong SMO charter will allow the function to achieve higher levels of standardization and efficiency, whereas a weaker SMO charter will result in less organizational resistance. In general, the service management office’s value can be divided into three categories: shared capabilities, shared expertise, and service assurance.
If ITIL 4 is used throughout an organization, service design is one of the most difficult challenges in implementing the ITIL 4 Service Value System (SVS). When it’s done in isolation during the planning stages, without involving service operations and business as usual teams, there is input for the service’s front end but none for the delivery end. As a result, the company is unable to fulfill a customer promise.
However, ITIL 4’s Service Design practice insists on having the right people in the room from the start but is aware that there cannot be roadblocks because the organization must still make progress.
Embracing ITIL 4’s SVS is about reforming the organization as a whole, not just a fast cure. It’s a step forward to have an SMO to reinforce the importance of SVS along with promoting training and development. Otherwise, committing to transformation is more likely to happen only when there is enough pain across an organization.
Build an Effective Service Management Office
While building an SMO, keep the following questions in mind:
- What is your organization attempting to do realistically and practically?
- What issue(s) is your organization trying to resolve?
- How will your organization know whether you have succeeded? How will your organization definitively show that you have created a sound and permanent effect within the organization? (e.g., cost savings, automation of low-value processes, dramatic improvement in our relationship with our consumers)
- What does success look like for your organization soon – for example, 3 years?
Read a blog on: How to co-create value for the management with ITIL 4?
Get Certified in ITIL to Incorporate it Successfully
If you want to improve your skills and get your ITIL 4 certification, or if you’re going to upgrade from ITIL v3, Cognixia is here to help!
Cognixia is the world’s leading digital talent transformation company, dedicated to assisting companies and individuals in developing advanced skills and shaping careers and the future by providing engaging, in-depth training and certifications in digital technologies. We are here to give you the most excellent online learning experience possible to expand your knowledge. Immerse yourself in training sessions to improve your abilities. Cognixia offers you highly engaging instructor-led courses to both individuals and organizations’ workforces.
We are an AXELOS Authorized Training Organization (ATO) that offers the learner a complete portfolio of ITIL training & certification programs. Our ITIL 4 Foundation training course is considered one of our portfolio’s most sought-after online training programs.
Cognixia’s ITIL training is provided by the industry’s most experienced and knowledgeable ITIL trainers. It is delivered following AXELOS’ official guidelines and curriculum.
Cognixia’s ITIL 4 Foundation certification program includes a variety of hands-on exercises to help you pass the core ITIL certification exam on your first attempt. Not only that, but you can access the learning materials and video courses of the courses for life through our LMS if you take our ITIL training courses. Learn and improve from the comfort of your home with our intuitive & comprehensive ITIL 4 Online Training.
This ITIL training course will cover the following concepts:
- The concept of a service
- Services, costs, risks. and service management
- Service relationship management
- The 4 dimensions of service management
- Guiding principles of service management
- Service value system
- Service value chain
- General management practices
- Service management practices
- Technical management practices
Along with this, you get other benefits – Cognixia’s ITIL 4 Foundation training program is covered by the 100% moneyback guarantee*, which ensures that you not only get the best value for all the resources you invest in your upskilling, but you would also get a full refund if you don’t clear the ITIL V4 certification exam in the first attempt*
