VitAL Magazine - July-August 2008

Inspiration for the modern business Volume 1 : Issue 6 : July / August 2008

Taming the budget beast

Keeping an eye on IT project costs

Functionality

IT must deliver what is wanted

Happy first Birthday to ITIL v3 The story so far…

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LEADER

IF IT DOESN’T DO SOMETHING THEN WHY IS IT THERE? LEADER John Hancock

Too many actions these days perform no useful function; they simply consume resources without adding any measurable value to or enhancing the sum of existence.

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lder readers will remember the name, ‘Heath Robinson…’ He was a cartoonist who delighted in lampooning modern invention with his drawings of weird but wonderful machines. The outstanding qualities of his ‘inventions’ were their unnecessary complexity and the fact that they served no useful purpose or at least none that could justify their outlandish design and build. With machines, their perceived beauty and value is as much in their ability to do a useful job as in the design itself. We call it functionality and it is a very good starting point from which to assess whether something is worthwhile.

Sometimes in the more rarefied heights of IT, we can be carried away in flights of fancy borne on the astonishing capabilities of the kit to do wonderful things. But how often do those wonderful things add value to the job? Of course there is a place for pure thinking and, as likely as not, a good number of those pure ideas will eventually find or create an application. However, in the world of delivering IT services, there is little time or resource available for capability without function.

In this, our sixth issue of VitAL — yes we’ve been informing you for a whole year already — we are focusing on functionality. From taming the beast of IT project cost to taking IT functionality out into the wider world to preserving functionality against SPAM to applying IT intelligence to marketing to looking at how ITIL v3 is enhancing functionality after its first year and even at how effective the government database might be; we have tried to look at issues that could impinge for better or worse on how well systems work. We’ve even looked at how IT can blend with human characteristics and in what conditions humans function best.

Too many actions these days perform no useful function; they simply consume resources without adding any measurable value to or enhancing the sum of existence. Hopefully, services managers will avoid that vice because, as long as the actions on which cost has been expended and the assets in which investments have been made perform concrete, value building functions, then when times get tough and budgets get examined, IT will not be at the top of the list for ‘savings’ through cost cutting. However, it should top the list for places where added value can be created with investment in functionality.

Remember, the next issue will be a ‘green’ special looking at how IT can contribute to corporate social responsibility and how ethics and responsibility apply to IT. If you have any thoughts on the subject, we’d love to hear or read of them John Hancock

If you have any thoughts, feedback, or suggestions on how we can improve VitAL Magazine, please feel free to email me john.hancock@31media.co.uk

July / August 2008 : VitAL

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CONTENTS

Contents Inspiration for the modern business

8 VitAL NEWS News and opinion related to your job and the wider IT world. Some new surveys and a column to which you, the reader, can contribute

20 ITIL v3 ONE YEAR ON PATRICK BOLGER

THE VitAL COVER STORY

14 TAMING THE BEAST LISA HAMMOND

Editor John Hancock john.hancock@31media.co.uk Assistant Editor Camilla Dunwell camilla.dunwell@31media..co.uk Advertising Sales Ian Trevett ian.trevett@31media.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1293 220923

ITIL v3 may well be the standard to match but, after one year of operation, how well is it playing among the people who matter, the people who must implement it?

Production & Design Dean Cook dean.cook@31media.co.uk Editorial & Advertising Enquiries 31 Media, Crawley Business Centre, Stephenson Way, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1TN Tel: +44 (0) 870 863 6930 Fax: +44 (0) 870 085 8837 Email: info@31media.co.uk Web: www.vital-mag.net Printed by Pensord, Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood. NP12 2YA © 2008 31 Media Limited. All rights reserved.

VitAL Magazine is edited, designed, and published by 31 Media Limited. No part of VitAL Magazine may be reproduced, transmitted, stored electronically, distributed, or copied, in whole or part without the prior written consent of the publisher. A reprint service is available.

Opinions expressed in this journal do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or VitAL Magazine or its publisher, 31 Media Limited.

ISSN 1755-6465 PLEASE RECYCLE Published by:

23 DOES IT MATTER WHETHER IT’S ITIL COMPATIBLE? IT is a powerful force, just watch how it can consume a budget! But just because it’s hard to handle doesn’t mean IT won’t respond well to intelligent management

VitAL SIGNS – life in a world with IT

19 ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS IS DEAD

STEVE WHITE Problems are like a lot of life, complex. That means that looking for a single ‘root cause’ may not be sensible or even possible- look instead for the root causes

DAVID KEY ITIL is a strong framework for IT in business but it would be foolish to imagine that it can replace the usual management requirements for high quality service delivery

24 HAPPY BIRTHDAY ITIL® VERSION 3!

RUTH PHILLIPS Change is never an easy part of the business process but change does have to come: how are the changes embodied in ITIL® v3 bedding in?

3

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VitAL Magazine is published six times per year for directors, department heads, and managers who are looking to improve the impact that IT implementation has on their customers and business.

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July / August 2008 : VitAL

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CONTENTS

Contents 26 GETTING YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER NICK HARRIS

30 THERE IS A SPAMMER IN THE WORKS

38 THINKING ABOUT IT

Cyber criminals are not just inventive, they’re persistent so that there is never a time when we can lower or weaken our guard against spam and malware

When the going gets tough, the tough would be well advised to know where they are headed for, how they’ll get there and what can be gained from the situation

32 GOOD TO GREAT SERVICE

VitAL LESSONS – Informed

by Experience

MARINA STEDMAN Sometimes, it is necessary to find easier ways of doing routine things in order to create time in which important things can get planned and completed You needn’t to buy software every couple of years with the cost and learning that entails: subscription arrangements mean up to date software, always and affordable

PAUL LEWIS

ED ROWLEY

41 BIRTHDAY WISHES SHARON TAYLOR

35 FUNCTIONALITY IN THE REAL WORLD MARK MUSLEK

29 FOUL WORK

CAMILLA DUNWELL After a year in the hands of users, ITIL v3 has proved not only up to the job for which it was designed but also able to open doors into other improved processes

42 SYNAPTIC MARKETING

BEN LANGDON The web has great capability but it cannot make decisions in the way that a human brain can; or it cannot do that yet! But that next step may not be far off

46 TALK ABOUT DATA SAFETY We always have to deal with change but it doesn’t always come in a technology or management process wrapper; sometimes it’s as basic as the way people behave

Like any other business tool, the PC will have to function anywhere away from the office if it is to have applications across the whole process, including outdoor sites

The government doesn’t have a great reputation for data security so any advice will be useful. A recent seminar garnered advice from several well qualified quarters

July / August 2008 : VitAL

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CONTENTS

Contents 50 THE HUMAN TOUCH JOHN HANCOCK

56 DATA FOR GOOD OR DATA FOR GRABS?

VitAL PLANET – keep it clean

59 IT, THE GREEN ENGINE FOR BUSINESS

CHRIS DEAN

CAMILLA DUNWELL Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an elusive element in the business process but without it a business cannot operate and CSR cannot operate without IT You can dust off that old paper organiser because it will add value to work in a technology age which is increasingly embracing human skills

VitAL ENDING – the last word for information

64 CEO, CFO, COO… AND NOW SEO?

53 WORKING AT WORKING TOGETHER

CAMILLA DUNWELL Collaboration is a good way of applying more capability and a range of capabilities to the task – a recent EIU paper looks at the dynamics of people working together

Name: Title: Company: Web:

LISA HAMMOND CEO and co founder Centrix www.centrix.co.uk

Name: STEVE WHITE Company: Kepner-Tregoe Inc. Web: www.kepner-tregoe.com

Would you entrust your family’s secrets to a careless and incompetent gossip? The risk is that the proposed government database will be seen as just that

GLYN YARNALL The Internet has revolutionised marketing but the task now is to get to the top of the Internet listings without direct payment and with accountability

Contributors

Name: Title: Company: Web:

NICK HARRIS Group Technical Manager CADline www.cadline.co.uk

Name: Title: Company: Web:

PAUL LEWIS Group Head of Marketing Casewise www.casewise.com

Name: Title: Email:

CAMILLA DUNWELL Assistant Editor camilla.dunwell@31media.net

Name: Title: Company: Web:

SHARON TAYLOR President Aspect Group Inc www.aspect360.net

Name: Title: Company: Web:

BEN LANGDON Chief Executive Digital Marketing Group www.digitalmarketinggroup.co.uk

Name: Title: Company: Web:

CHRIS DEAN Managing director DMW Group www.dmwgroup.co.uk

Name: Title: Email:

GLYN YARNALL Management Consultant glyn.yarnall@ntlworld.com

Name: Title: Company: Web:

PATRICK BOLGER Chief Marketing Officer Hornbill Systems www.hornbill.com

Name: Title: Company: Web:

ED ROWLEY Technical Consultant Marshal www.marshal.com

Name: Title: Company: Web:

RUTH PHILLIPS Delivery Manager FGI Training & Consultancy www.fgiltd.co.uk

Name: Title: Company: Web:

MARINA STEDMAN Director Touchpaper www.touchpaper.com

Name: Title: Company: Web:

DAVID KEY Managing Director HelpSTAR Limited www.helpstar.co.uk

Name: Title: Company: Web:

MARK MUSLEK Managing Director JLT Mobile Computing cmc.org.uk

Your VitAL Magazine News • Views • Strategy Management Case studies and Opinion pieces To advertise in VitAL contact Ian Trevett on +44 (0) 870 863 6930

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Inspiration for the modern business

vital-mag.net July / August 2008 : VitAL

NEWS

Housebuilders say IT is key Survey reveals positive attitudes

U

NVEILED IN June, the Hard Hats and Laptops survey into the use of technology in the house building industry was an independent survey aimed to discover the key business pressures experienced by technical, commercial and construction teams and how technology can help address these issues.

The survey comes at a difficult time for the house building industry when a myriad of global, political, economic and business factors are combining to create the current conditions.

It found that while the house building industry

is typically cautious of new technologies due to the sheer number of skills, professionals and trades involved, 71% stated that IT was key to both their business and delivery to customers.

The survey also uncovered levels of inefficiency, with one third of senior and middle management stating that they did not know how much their company was spending on tendering. A further quarter of senior management said that printing and postage costs amounted to £30,000 annually, while 31% did not know how much it was costing their company.

Other major concerns for the industry included poor collaboration between suppliers and contractors which 33% of middle management noted as a serious concern.

Lengthy planning processes were also a major concern for 48% of senior management.

Despite the obvious benefits that a Collaborative Project Management (CPM) solution could deliver in eliminating these inefficiencies and the fact that 42% of firms of 2,500 employees or above cited collaboration as one of their top three business issues, a worrying proportion of those surveyed said that they weren’t familiar with CPM solutions.

Of those who had knowledge of the software only one third of the total sample had ever used CPM solutions and 41% of those said that they had experienced issues managing the control of information both internally and externally.

Other Key Findings • 99% of survey respondents use email to manage the flow of information; • 47% said they struggled with the limitations of email; • 88% said it was important for their firm to have access to up to date information; • 46% of tendering activity costs over £5,000 per project; • 41% have issues managing the control of information, internally and externally.

Paul Fleming of Autodesk, who sponsored the survey, says, “The results of this survey show that the house building industry, which has always been cautious of new technologies is starting to realise the benefits that IT solutions can deliver. As the house building market begins to enter a difficult time we are witnessing more house builders turning to… solutions [that] provide better information management and real cost savings in document management and drawing control.”

If you don’t know who sent it, don’t open it Malicious Spam Triples in One Week

THE VOLUME of malicious spam in botnet is behind much of this increase in run a supposed Flash video player. When

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circulation more than tripled in one week, according to new research from Marshal’s TRACE team published on 24 June 2008. This sharp increase can be largely attributed to the Srizbi botnet, which is currently responsible for 46 per cent of all spam sent. Malicious spam jumped from 3 per cent of total spam traffic at the start of June to 9.9 per cent the following week.

‘Malicious spam’ is spam that isn’t designed to sell a product or service, but is intended specifically to infect recipients’ computers with malware. It typically involves a social engineering ploy to lure recipients into thinking it is harmless or related to something of interest, such as free pornography or an invitation to view a greeting card from a friend. It usually includes a URL link to a website hosting malware. Often the malware is falsely presented as a video or game that the recipient is tricked into activating.

According to Phil Hay, Lead Threat Analyst with Marshal’s TRACE team, “the Srizbi

VitAL : July / August 2008

malicious spam. Srizbi’s criminal controllers are currently on a major expansion drive. The more computers infected by Srizbi bots the more money they can make.”

The most common campaign Srizbi is using at present is a ‘stupid’ theme that tries to hook users by including the first part of their email address in the subject line along with the suggestion that they look stupid in a video. Users are often quick to investigate the potentially embarrassing footage before they consider the true malicious nature of the message.

Another recent campaign from Srizbi is based on the social networking phenomenon of connecting to old acquaintances online. It targets the Classmate.com service by using its name in malicious spam with subject lines such as “You have one new message.

Classmates” and “Friends waiting for you Tomorrow! Classmates”. Once the recipient clicks on the link, they are taken to a fake page that resembles the actual Classmates. com website where they are directed to

users click on the link, they are prompted to download an executable file that infects their computer.

“This kind of social engineering tactic is nothing new,” said Hay. “What is significant is the rapid increase in the volume. It once again demonstrates the incredible power and dominance that the major spamming botnets have over email traffic. Very few legitimate businesses could triple their email capacity at the push of a button. But this is the advantage that the illegal control of thousands of computers gives the spammers.” ”We see Srizbi as one of the biggest threats to Internet users today. We are trying to work with other security researchers to raise the profile of Srizbi and the threat it represents.

In the meantime, users should be wary of emails that make personal offers such as online friend connections or include inflammatory personalised subjects such as ‘you look stupid in this video’, particularly if they don’t recognise the sender, ” commented Hay.

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NEWS

CIOs’ grasp broader business issues

But lingering ‘perception gap’ remains

E

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XECUTIVES IN the information technology (IT) function are becoming more closely aligned with their non-IT counterparts in identifying high priority objectives and working together to accomplish them. But a lingering ‘perception gap’ means the two groups have more work to do before they truly can be said to be working in concert.

Closing the IT-business gap, an executive summary of research conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored

by BMC Software, compares the results of an online survey of 452 respondents worldwide conducted in January 2008 with those of a similar survey done in October 2006. The latest research confirms an earlier finding that IT executives think they are more closely aligned with the ‘business side of the enterprise’ than business executives perceive them to be. It also shows that CIOs must understand the business better – or overcome the perception that they do not understand it well enough – if they are to play a more vital role in formulating strategy.

Some of the report’s main findings appear below: • IT business alignment has improved over the past three years.

• Executive respondents were asked to rate IT’s alignment with the broader business now compared with three years ago. Only 20% of non IT respondents and 21% of IT respondents said that their companies were well aligned or perfectly aligned three years ago. Today, 40% of non IT and 55% of IT executives say IT the two sides are aligned.

• IT and business seem to be aligned most closely at technology and manufacturing firms. At IT and technology firms, 69% of respondents say that the business side of the organisation expresses and prioritises its IT needs effectively. Among executives in manufacturing, 82% say that this is true.

• Despite this progress, there remains a distinct ‘perception gap’: IT executives believe that they are more closely aligned to business objectives than business executives perceive them to be. When asked to give a snapshot of IT business alignment, 61% of IT executives said their operations are well or perfectly aligned, but only 47% of non IT respondents agreed. In percentage point terms, that gap was similar to the difference found in the 2006 survey, in which 63% of IT respondents thought operations and IT were well or perfectly aligned, compared with just 49% of non IT respondents.

• A growing majority of both IT and non

VitAL : July / August 2008

•

•

•

•

IT leaders expect that the CIO’s role will expand, and that CIOs will soon become more involved in business improvement.

There is a growing expectation that CIOs will continue to become more influential within their organisations. In the 2006 survey, 50% of non IT executives said it was somewhat or highly likely that within the next year the CIO’s role would expand to include more involvement in business improvement. This year the percentage rose to 65%.

Even so, when asked to whom the CIO or senior IT executive at their organisation reported, fewer respondents in both categories cited the CEO than in the previous study. Forty-three percent of IT respondents and 53% of non-IT respondents say that their CIO reports to their company’s CEO, compared with 59% and 62% respectively from the previous study.

IT leaders remain accountable for the success of IT decisions, yet rarely have the final say over major IT investment decisions.

Despite increasing alignment between IT and business leaders, IT leadership still lacks authority over major IT investments, although it remains accountable for the success of IT initiatives. In both the 2006 and 2008 surveys, 64% of non IT executives said that at their companies the final say over strategic IT investment decisions rested with the CEO and the executive team.

Both IT and non IT executives seem confident that technology will eventually narrow the alignment gap. Forty four percent of IT respondents and 50% of non IT respondents cited ‘business service management’ as

a technology that IT could use to become more business focused. Another option, ‘improved process automation technology’, was cited by 50% of IT respondents and 44% of non IT respondents. That made ‘business service management’ this year’s top choice for non IT executives and the second choice for IT respondents. In 2006, business service management and project/portfolio management were the top technologies cited by both groups.

‘Business and IT executives are now closer to agreeing on how their respective goals should harmonise,’ says Debra D’Agostino, Senior Technology Editor at the Economist Intelligence Unit. ‘This is encouraging, but considerable work remains to be done. Better communication and consensus must be reached on key IT performance measurements. Near and long term IT objectives also should be mapped to business goals. Executives from both groups must continue to work together to understand better their counterparts’ challenges and opportunities as well as their objectives.’

About the survey The survey was carried out in January 2008 among 452 respondents worldwide (169 based in Europe, 116 in North America, 129 in Asia-Pacific and 38 in the rest of the world). Of the global respondents, 48% held IT roles and 41% were C-level (e.g. CEO, CFO, CIO) executives. Thirtynine percent of the respondents’ companies had annual sales of more than US$1bn, and 45% reported annual sales of less than US$500m. The earlier survey was conducted in October 2006 among 565 respondents.

CALL FOR R.E.A.L. HOLIDAYS FOR IT

ALMOST HALF of IT support workers are expected to deal with requests even when they’re on holiday, according to research unveiled on 03 June 2008. As a result employers are being urged to implement ‘R.E.A.L.’ (Rewarded with Extra Annual Leave) holidays for IT - a period of one week every year, additional to the standard holiday allocation.

The research questioned 121 IT support staff from across the UK. 47 per cent of respondents reported that they are expected to answer calls while on holiday. Over bank holidays, the figure is 20 per cent.

The authors at Sunrise Software believe that the IT service desk is getting a raw deal when it comes to holiday allocation. If it’s essential that employees answer calls on holiday, they should be given another week of R.E.A.L. holiday to make up for the time spent working while on leave. Additionally, 23 per cent of respondents said they don’t turn their BlackBerry or mobile phone off during holidays, rising to 40 per cent over bank holidays.

“The increased availability of mobile technology has brought many advantages to businesses, but relying on an IT manager using his BlackBerry on holiday to sort out technical problems isn’t one of them,” commented the survey authors who feel that it’s imperative that employees can switch off and completely relax on annual leave — and remaining at the beck and call of senior executives doesn’t constitute relaxation.

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NEWS

If there’s something you want to say, then say it where it will be seen

S

O, FUJITSU and the NHS have parted company on the £12 billion plus NHS National Programme for IT. Is anybody out there at all surprised? Whole sections of the government’s IT programme seem to collapsing under the strain of unrealistic expectations, unnecessary complication, management confusion, a budget control capability that would make Imelda Marcos seem frugal and a consultancy sector that regards UK government contracts as a sort of early pension fund. Am I being unfair? Perhaps someone would care to offer the alternative view; these pages are always open to readers’ contributions.

To be fair, the public facing systems used by government do seem to function well and direct.gov. uk has made a whole raft of tasks, such as driving related processes, planning applications and the like, much easier for users. OK, there is some way to go before any government site could be compared with, say, the BBC, CNN or almost any of the giant media sites for ease of use and functionality but the public faces of government sites do usually work. However, these are really not very complex in modern IT terms — online book stores are able to sell you stuff and remember who you are; it’s not that difficult.

But then we move on into trying to create and maintain a useful record on which to base decisions and against which to measure actions and propose alternatives or additions. It is here that government IT programmes seem to fall down. Tesco seems to be better equipped to understand its customers and react in the light of that understanding than does the NHS. Now, here I really am being unfair.

From previous articles in VitAL magazine, readers will know how complex the NHS library alone is and it cannot be denied that the data protection and privacy obligations on the NHS or any other government body are considerable. But, while the systems used by the supermarkets and online stores might require some upgrading if they had to deal with the range of requirements incumbent on a government organisation, would that be likely to lift their costs to the astronomical levels that seem to accompany each government IT project?

Perhaps the government should put its entire IT services structure out to tender as an outsourced contract; I’m pretty sure that it would not be unfair to say that bottom line accountability — the profit motive — would do a better job than the current arrangement.

There probably isn’t a single problem at the root of the disasters of which we hear (yes, I suspect that there are many lower level failures that never reach the public gaze but cumulatively add up to some serious costs) but it will be a combination of causes such as a seeming antipathy to using off the shelf systems with proven track records. Coming back to the supermarkets and their loyalty card systems, their needs may be less complex than those of a government department but are they fundamentally that different? Similarly with inventory control; would a system that can run the inventory for, say, an aircraft manufacturer not be able to run the

inventory for a government department.

In all this, I do not condemn the people involved, I’m sure that they are doing their best; but I do wonder whether their pursuit of perfection in the limited terms of their own brief leads them to over complicate their analysis of what is needed and, from that over complex analysis, draw the conclusion that only a bespoke system can deliver the IT services that they need. I’m sure that most readers would relish the luxury of a budget unconstrained by shareholder expectations and the chance to design and build their own services systems to exactly fit the requirements; or would they? Perhaps they would prefer to buy in the system that most closely matches their needs and work with the provider to adapt and increase its capacity to fit the bill.

You may agree or disagree with the above analysis but rather than simply voice your view inside your own head, why not share it with the rest of the VitAL readers with your own opinion piece on the topic or, if you believe that I have been unfair to the government department whose IT services you are managing, write to tell us why.

The buzz I’m getting from those in IT and the world at large is that nobody would be comfortable entrusting their dog licence details to the current government information structure but, if our society is to continue functioning, we must have a government with IT and data services that we can trust. That doesn’t seem to be the case at the moment.

You are out there running IT services functions and your views will certainly be pertinent and, who knows, someone involved in the government’s IT services might even pay attention to your thoughts and ideas. Of course, if you never share them, nobody will ever know.

As I said in the last issue: “the next step after understanding that we care is to tell us, and that means writing a letter, and that means… invariably, it won’t get done...”

“So we’re going to make it easy for you. Just telephone us on 01736 793363… If the phone’s busy… just leave a voicemail with your number or a brief description of the bee from your bonnet. If you’re feeling active, email john.hancock@31media. co.uk but, whatever you do, tell us how you feel and we’ll tell the rest of the readers.”

I’ve tried to set a ball rolling with my comments above and, yes, they are aimed at stirring up a few responses. But you need not feel constrained to comment on the topic of my choice. However, we would welcome your comments and input, whether it’s just a voicemail, an email, a letter or a proposal for an article on a topic close to your heart. Your views and opinions matter and, just as you will value hearing the views and experiences of other service managers, so they will value hearing what you have to say.

The future is networks Research shows that coming together benefits all participants

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ESEARCH RELEASED at the end of April 2008 revealed a change in attitude towards networks and networking - as 68% of people expect to be part of more networks in five years time.

With this figure rising to 75% in the 25 to 44 age group, the survey suggested greater recognition of the value of networks by generations Y and X. Furthermore, the research found widespread confidence in the benefits of networking as a professional boost. What makes a network valuable however, and how people decide which to use and with what frequency, could be a question on many busy professionals’ minds.

Julia Middleton, Chief Executive of Common Purpose, who conducted the research, says: “Nothing happens without networks. They… present an opportunity for people to see each other’s issues, spot new ideas and see the risks... We need to encourage more new networks so people can gather ideas and start to grab the opportunities that emerge from working together. ” Top tips for creating valuable networks • Develop ‘turbulent’ as well as ‘support’ networks. The people in your turbulent network will tell you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it.

• Ensure that the purpose of the network is not to exclude others, and build a network that is bigger than the individuals involved.

• Step forward at a networking opportunity and actively seek to meet new people: Introduce yourself to someone you don’t know.

• Practice taking the trouble to introduce people to each other properly, which allows you to move on to talk to someone else.

• Set yourself targets - how many new people are you going to meet and how many old relationships will you nurture?

July / August 2008 : VitAL

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COVER STORY

Taming the beast Harnessing the energy of IT should not, Lisa Hammond believes, mean simply feeding its appetite for resources Getting control of an IT infrastructure and, more importantly, 14

keeping tight control of it over the long term is no easy task

VitAL : July / August 2008

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OR MANY businesses, IT has become an essential commodity, with heavy investments in software, hardware and services. However, knowing how to extract true value from technology still remains a science. IT attracts large budgets but it also large wastage — if the latter isn’t tackled then future IT budgeting could be in for a gloomy future. This article will set out to examine a best practice approach to getting the most from technology investments. With most organisations gaining value from about 20% of their technology assets, the first recommendation is stop spending on IT and review what you have.

Keeping tight control Getting control of an IT infrastructure and, more importantly, keeping tight control of it over the long term is no easy task. While companies are busy concentrating on remaining competitive by adding new sales channels, products, markets and customers, or transforming business processes to deliver operational efficiencies and enhanced service, or building new capabilities through service aggregation, their underlying infrastructure is constantly growing in size and complexity (see ‘Why integrate, when you can aggregate’; published in VitAL issue 5, May 2008). At the same time, organisations are regularly being

COVER STORY

these approaches reduce the cost of already installed infrastructure but do little to address the constant flow of new IT solutions

pushed by vendors to upgrade to the latest versions of software and operating systems adding extra pressure.

In most large companies, IT infrastructure — the data centre, network connectivity, operating systems, storage devices, transaction processing facilities, databases, middleware, and IT performance management tools (see Figure 1) — has become the single largest component of enterprise IT cost, often eating up more than 40% of the budget.

Popular approaches fail to contain growing costs Companies have not, of course, neglected the issue of how to reduce IT infrastructure costs whilst maintaining or improving the quality of services delivered to the business. We see many organisations typically progressing

through the following stages: 1. They identify short term tactical improvements in efficiency which allow them to cut the head count in the IT department. These changes can be implemented within three to six months, and require only limited investments apart from redundancy payments to employees.

2. At the same time, they set an IT infrastructure strategy based around consolidating and standardising technologies, and implementing supporting organisations that marshal operational processes, suppliers, and a governance framework in a coherent fashion. Deployment of this scaleable and solid IT infrastructure strategy often takes 12 to 18 months and requires substantial investment in new technologies and organisational change. In order to maintain cost savings, companies look to establish an ongoing capability for managing volumes and service levels.

3. Often they find that short term tactical improvements have achieved only limited efficiency savings and don’t address the main causes of escalating IT infrastructure costs, while they do damage the capability of the IT team to respond to the needs of the business, because skilled employees have been shed. In response, they use outsourcing in an attempt to leverage scale and expertise from external specialists, based on the thinking of some industry commentators that ‘outsourcing reduces cost’.

Yet overall IT budgets continue to grow uncontrollably. The reason is that these approaches reduce the cost of already installed infrastructure but do little to address the constant flow of new IT solutions being developed in response to business demands.

Within a few years, these new IT solutions in turn become a legacy problem and prompt yet another consolidation programme.

Our work with clients shows that a typical consolidation programme can achieve one off cost savings of more than 30% of existing running costs. However, these savings — both before and after outsourcing — depend on how much control companies have exerted over their IT over the long term. We believe that companies can achieve long term as well as short term savings of between 25% and

30% only through a concerted consolidation programme coupled with ongoing tight control over assets.

Coordinated sourcing, demand and delivery boost efficiency Forward thinking technology leaders understand that it is the proprietary processes and business policies embedded in the Business Software and Business and Service layers that provide differentiation and competitive advantage. The main components of the IT infrastructure layer are available and affordable to all, and have become commodities that don’t provide any significant advantage. IT infrastructure is a cost of doing business for every organisation but provides distinction to none. Greater expenditure on IT infrastructure rarely translates into superior financial performance.

While proprietary elements in the Business Software layer provide value, the IT infrastructure layer delivers more value when it is shared by many users instead of being sliced into isolated pieces dedicated to particular applications or user groups. To achieve real control over IT spend, CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs have to all commit to a strategic and coordinated approach to IT sourcing, business demand and delivery.

This starts with a thorough understanding of the nature of the demand for IT services. IT management and business units must work together to map the demand for individual solutions and plan capacity accordingly.

Equipped with a solid demand forecast, the CIO can then go about changing the way the IT department operates. For instance, instead of delivering servers, it can deliver services and charge the business on a per use basis.

Once the IT department has moved to a service focus, the CIO needs to compare the internal and external rates for the delivery of individual services. For example, if the company understands the true cost of delivering the sales automation functionality internally, it can easily compare it with the cost of external utility service providers such as salesforce.com, and choose the cheapest sourcing option in each case.

With this approach, we estimate, companies will achieve real reductions in IT spend of between 20% and 30%.

July / August 2008 : VitAL

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COVER STORY

BUSINESS AND SERVICE LAYER

Business Policy

Service Levels Business Processes

Business Applications BUSINESS SOFTWARE LAYER

DBMS

Operating Systems IT INFRASTRUCTURE LAYER

End-user Tools Data

Middleware

Storage Devices Network Connectivity Data Centre

What has been the effect of higher technology spending

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Higher levels of IT spending won’t necessarily increase the effectiveness or efficiency of the business. Analysis of UK plc organisations shows that IT spending varies widely — from ten to 30 percent of operating costs, or four to 18 percent of operating income. The companies that appear to get the most business value from IT spend up to 40 per cent less than the weakest performers. The best practice model is where a business has relatively low IT expenditure and any investment is aligned to business needs. The better performing companies tend to have less applications, fewer data centres, greater server utilisation and fewer contractors. They also used portfolio management and regular prioritisation board meetings. Almost half of expenditure was assigned to innovation and most had invested in software as a service models. The top performers used global arbitrage for access to skills and undertook continuous supplier negotiations. Their project cycle times were considerably shorter and there was a high priority on the replacement of legacy systems. They also had a strategic IT plan in place that was regularly reviewed, had an aligned operating model and organisation and analysed competitors’ use of technology.

Many companies spend too much on running their daily operations and too little on innovations that would set them apart from competitors. Many also invest in new technologies that the business doesn’t adopt. Top performing companies focus on innovation and differentiation and do a better job of getting the business to engage with IT investments. We also found that scale does not guarantee cost benefits, because of the difficulty in managing the complexity of these large systems. Companies can get benefits by ‘smart sourcing’ carefully chosen services (for instance, outsourcing the help desk rather than IT operations generally). Adding capacity as needed and adopting new, more scalable technologies, such as virtualisation and Software as a service (SaaS) allows these companies to scale up or down flexibly.

VitAL : July / August 2008

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COVER STORY

The importance of asset management Although IT often accounts for more than 30% of CAPEX, the actual management of IT as an asset has generated very little interest from executives outside of the IT department. This is in spite of most organisations amassing considerable IT estates. IT’s relative youth could be one of the reasons for this.

Traditionally, the tracking and management of IT investments, such as hardware and software, has been the responsibility of the IT organisation. The process is often viewed as an arduous task, which is no surprise, given that most companies have an amalgamation of old, new and bespoke technology, incorporating layer upon layer of development progressed over the years. Added to this, is the challenge of controlling what software is bought; what software is deployed; what is actually being used; what it is actually being used for and the amount of unauthorised applications that have been introduced by users. The actual truth for many large companies is that nobody has a true picture of the company’s IT assets and this can have serious consequences for compliance programmes not to mention cost control.

This situation means that asset management absolutely has to be the responsibility of business leaders not just CIOs. Why? Because compliance activity requires a company to have control over all aspects of its business, especially elements that have a direct impact on financial reporting, best practice and data integrity.

The lack of a comprehensive IT asset management programme also poses some questions: How can the true value of IT be represented on the balance sheet if it is not measured accurately as an asset? Can IT continue to be a cycle of unstructured piecemeal expenditure? How much unlicensed or unauthorised software is being used in an organisation and what risk is this to the business? Is there hidden value within the IT estate that effective management can unlock?

So what can be done?

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Software asset management (SAM) is a process that allows a company to understand the true technical and financial value of its IT investments and track how that investment is being used. SAM can also guard the organisation against software piracy. Contrary to popular belief, most software piracy and softlifting is unintentional, caused simply by

process failure within an organisation and a lack of awareness of what software is being used, how it is being used and who is using it. In large organisations we typically see approximately £1m of non compliant software for every 5,000 full time equivalents (FTEs).

The issue that process failure contributes more to software piracy than premeditated criminal activity has caught the eye of large software vendors such as Microsoft.

As a result, many are actively backing the introduction of SAM in a quest to tackle the problem and help companies avoid severe criminal penalties.

Another consequence of not managing your software assets effectively is that many companies actually over license some of their software needs, leading to waste and overspending. In one SAM assessment we found a company had actually bought 28,000 licenses for an upgrade but was in fact only using 9,000. These licenses had been bought from over 100 different suppliers all providing different advice, so it was easy to see how the investment had gone off track without raising alarms with any one individual or department.

SAM not only reduces the non compliant position of an organisation but also creates additional value to that organisation that can be spent on other things. This is great news for executives already struggling with stretched budgets and a mandate to drive innovation and meet compliance requirements. In our experience, adopting a strategic SAM programme typically generates £2m of benefit for every 5,000 FTEs because core IT assets are streamlined, become reusable and any unused licenses are pooled for future use. It also provides a powerful mechanism for engaging with suppliers. SAM can act as an enabler, e.g. placing the customer on the front foot when entering into contractual negotiations or license upgrade conversations.

Software asset management is not just about a licensing audit.

It is about knowing exactly what software an organisation owns; owning only the software

many companies actually over license some of their software needs, leading to waste and overspending VitAL : July / August 2008

it needs; actively managing how and when new software is purchased; and ensuring that an organisation gains, and remains in the position of control.

One thing that SAM highlights is that an IT estate is a highly valuable asset therefore needs to be given the same executive attention as other valuable balance sheet items. There is an obligation from an audit perspective to track the usage of that asset through its life within the company.

Where next?

When a resource becomes essential to competition, but inconsequential to strategy, the risk it creates becomes more important than the advantages it provides [1]. Think of electricity. Today, no business builds its business strategy around electricity usage, or

VITAL SIGNS — LIFE IN THE WORLD WITH IT buying generating capacity or generators, but even a brief lapse in electricity supply can be devastating. Similarly, an IT disruption can paralyse a business’s ability to make its products, deliver its services, and communicate with its customers. Worrying about what might go wrong with IT may not be as glamorous as implementing new solutions, but the greatest IT risk facing most businesses is, simply, overspending.

Much IT spending is driven by suppliers’ strategies. Vendors and systems integrators have become very good at packaging out new features and capabilities in ways that force businesses into buying new desktops and servers, new versions of operating systems, and new networking equipment much more frequently than they really need to.

Strong cost management of IT infrastructure requires greater rigour in evaluating returns from IT infrastructure investments, more creativity to exploit and explore simpler and cheaper alternatives, and a more flexible and intelligent approach to outsourcing and other partnerships. The time has come for companies to get smart over their purchasing: negotiating contracts that ensure long term usefulness in their IT infrastructure investments, and imposing hard limits on upgrade and migration costs.

Root cause analysis is dead Steve White wonders whether, when things go wrong, we shouldn’t accept that there is more than one cause to consider

in order for a bad thing to happen there has to be a miracle

S

O MANY times, after the event, we hear the call to find... ‘… the root cause’. We heard it following the first day at Heathrow Terminal 5 (T5). Enough! I say.

We have built complex processes and preventive actions to stop bad things happening. And, if they still go wrong, we have created complex action plans to minimise the effects, to the extent where we become frustrated when those contingent actions are not ‘allowed’ as in the aftermath of the Burmese Cyclone.

Given the complexity of the systems that we have created, I put it to you that in order for a bad thing to happen there has to be a miracle, as miraculous as those times when there is an alignment of good things for a traditional miracle to occur.

While the word miracle can be defined as something extraordinary or surprising, or an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing or accomplishment, I can find no equivalent word to describe the coming together of multiple bad events that culminate in badness or disaster. Turning to latin, perhaps I’m looking for something like conspiration; the act of plotting or secretly combining; a join

effort toward a particular end.

For a ‘conspiration’ to happen, given the large number of preventive actions we generally have in place, I suggest that many things, individually benign and untroublesome, need to come together. The chart maps what brought T5 to a halt.

It is generally understood that the IT world is becoming ever more technically challenging, so in Incident Management and Problem Management the problems are becoming harder to solve. The escalations are also becoming more complex to handle, and as Einstein is alleged to have once said: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

In the world of ever increasing technical complexity, Root Cause Analysis may be nearing the end of its useful life; it could be time to usher in the next shift in thinking — Root Causes Analysis — mapping the complex web of contributors to a problem.

The important (and tough) challenge is to prevent the analysis from becoming a sea of unsubstantiated opinion or blame, and keep it real.

July / August 2008 : VitAL

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Feature sponsored by:

ITIL v3 one year on Has it been about the people? asks Patrick Bolger

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HIS FEATURE focus is going to look at the impact the release of ITIL v3 has had the market and the challenges that have been faced by those at the sharp end since its launch. Crucially it will ask whether v3 has made that all important step of helping the people truly relate to ITIL or is there still more work to be done. It will also ask whether ITIL is a way of managing process; or whether it should be part of the larger picture that is bought in to by all members of the IT department to help initiate change.

After much expectation and anticipation, ITIL v3 was released to a waiting audience in

VitAL : July / August 2008

May 2007. Now that ITIL v3 has celebrated its first birthday, like any one year old, it is slowly building confidence and starting to take its first tentative steps.

ITIL v2 is certainly popular in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and interest in adoption from the US and Asia Pacific (APAC) was building rapidly. The reason for this success was the relative simplicity of the framework and the books’ focus on processes.

There was no defined starting point, so virtually any process could be adopted first, enabling IT organizations to address the area where they felt the most pain. However, practitioners felt

that there were too few ‘how to’ examples and v2 was more focused on IT organising itself around processes, which often didn’t translate into business value. IT struggled to make a business case for adoption, as return on investment (ROI) within v2 was difficult to demonstrate and mainly focused on reducing IT costs and minimizing downtime.

The five core ITIL v3 books are organized by stages in a lifecycle to reflect IT’s movement away from processes and technical metrics to a more business centric view of IT Services.

These new books start with Service Strategy, where the market, resources and capabilities

VITAL MANAGEMENT

In most cases service improvement is not continual and is usually initiated following a major incident

of IT Service Management are defined and developed, and the overall business objectives for IT Services are established. The goal of optimizing the IT costs remains, but the business case for v3 adoption has increased executive visibility, strengthened by focusing on how to grow the business, rather than simply minimizing failures.

The primary objective of Service Design is to ensure that IT Services are aligned with business needs in a holistic manner.

Appropriate IT Services are designed with due consideration given to management systems and tools (e.g. Service Catalogue), supporting

architecture, processes and relevant metrics.

Service Transition addresses the development and improvement of new and changed services into the production environment. Service Operation manages the effective and efficient provision of support of Services in the production environment.

Continual Service Improvement (CSI) aligns IT Services with changing business needs by implementing improvements to IT Services that support business processes. CSI feeds back into Service Strategy to ensure improvement across the lifecycle.

Immediately after its release, v3 received much praise for the introduction of this ‘service lifecycle’ approach, which appeared to help people relate better to ITIL. It maps out a path for the integration of IT with business goals at a strategic level through communication with the business. The new framework also describes ways IT can deliver services to the business on time and within budget. While these objectives may be sound, they still elude many CIOs with resource constraints, who are struggling to simply keep the lights on.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that, one year on, adoption of ITIL v3 seems to be very limited. Many organizations are still struggling with the ITIL v2 disciplines. A survey by the Service Desk Institute in 2006 found that only 7% of adopters had implemented four or more processes, with configuration management proving to be a stumbling block for many.

Further research by the itSMF in 2007 found that 68% of adopters had not made a business case for implementing the framework, indicating a lack of communication between IT and the business. Although v3 should radically improve communication with the business, there is a growing sense that practitioners are thus far underwhelmed with how much of v3 they can apply today, to really make a difference to the quality of IT Services.

Perhaps it’s not entirely realistic to expect v3 to be delivering marked improvements at this relatively early stage in its development. The five new books (six if you count the ‘Official Introduction to the ITIL Service Lifecycle’) take some time to get through and I’m fairly sure that one year on, few practitioners have managed to read all of them. I personally started with Service Strategy and could not describe it as light bedtime reading. Speaking with colleagues that have also browsed this book, the general consensus is that the content is quite academic and theoretical. In Q4 2007,

the Service Futures Group (a collaboration between the itSMF, Service Desk Institute, ITIL thought leaders and practitioners www. service-futures.org) reflected on ITIL v3 six months after its launch. The group agreed that “although the content of Service Strategy is good — it has not been well positioned, so it is unlikely to be used to its full potential.”

Source: [Service Futures Group]’ Many of the concepts in Service Strategy are not particularly easy to grasp, especially for less senior people and some practitioners who are not accustomed to strategic planning. It is a considerable change in mindset for many in Service Support and Delivery. Initially, practitioners may feel apprehensive when asked to look at services in a strategic way.

It seems that there is not a clear audience for Service Strategy. Is it intended for strategists?

In which case are they not likely to already be proficient in this area anyway? Is it intended for practitioners? Practitioners tend to have more influence at a tactical rather than strategic level, so it is not clear as to which areas of Service Strategy are most applicable.

How should you take what is in the book and apply it in a way that is compatible with the existing organisational blue print? People need guidance on how to use this book. It seems that it would be beneficial to communicate the significance of Service Strategy on an individual level i.e. how Service Strategy impacts individuals’ specific roles and day to day work. Some organisations may already be doing much of this strategizing, especially if they are working towards or have achieved ISO/ IEC 20000, or can rely on past experience.

The concept of Continual Service Improvement, closing the lifecycle loop and feeding back into Service Strategy, has been well received. However, there is little clear guidance as to who should own CSI. In most cases service improvement is not continual and is usually initiated following a major incident.

Unless the organisation as a whole drives improvement, it won’t be successful. Driving CSI from the top down is a prerequisite to success, particularly as a conduit for feedback to Service Strategy.

One important question that must be asked is where the drive to adopt ITIL v3 is coming from.

If it is from the top, CIOs would be leading with Service Strategy, but more often than not, it is IT operational staff that push ITIL up through the organization, so it is hardly surprising that an operational focus still dominates.

July / August 2008 : VitAL

Feature sponsored by:

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VITAL MANAGEMENT

Feature sponsored by:

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Practitioners are already starting to embrace Service Design, Service Transition and Service Operation phases of the lifecycle. This is hardly surprising, as many of the familiar v2 processes still exist within these books and a few more have been introduced that, to a greater extent, were already being managed by IT e.g. Security, Event Management and Request Fulfilment.

As the v3 story unfolds, the worst case scenario is that we see a familiar trait with ITIL v3 as we did with v2, where only a few of the core books are used. Even if this transpires, v3 has made some headway in educating practitioners on the importance of maintaining a business perspective in the delivery of IT Services. At Hornbill we are already working with our ITIL v2 customers on their Service Catalogues. We find that a number of our more mature ITIL customers

VitAL : July / August 2008

h a v e mechanisms already in place that involve IT in business planning and governance. These customers typically have no immediate plans to upgrade to v3, as they feel that their existing processes are sufficient to support service strategy, address availability, capacity and financial management and measure the contribution that IT is making to business growth. No doubt it would be easier for these mature adopters to upgrade to v3, but the business is not yet demanding it, or prepared to finance further education and consulting to adopt the new version.

In my opinion, it will be many more months, perhaps even two to three years before we see a widespread shift in organizations adopting, or upgrading to v3. Consulting organisations seem to be investing more in developing their capabilities around the operational processes, where there is more demand for consulting services. These organizations are struggling to get their own people trained on ITIL v3 due to the state of flux of the ITIL v3 education programme.

When ITIL v3 was launched, the education

VITAL MANAGEMENT

it will be many more months, perhaps even two to three years before we see a widespread shift in organizations adopting, or upgrading to v3 organisations and out it into use to improve services. If the ITIL v3 Foundation course cannot go into the same level of depth as its v2 predecessor, delegates are less likely to come away with knowledge that has sufficient depth to enable practical use.

One article I read recently suggested that organisations that had not yet adopted the ITIL framework would be better off starting with v3. I disagree with this view and I believe that it would be better to start with v2, purely on the basis of establishing a more solid foundation of the operational processes at ITIL Foundation level. As processes mature, organisations can introduce v3 through a bridging course, which focuses only on the new processes and lifecycle phases. I have

heard experienced ITIL practitioners and trainers advising interested parties to follow the same route.

The ITIL v3 qualifications scheme is still in flux. The diagram below (Source: APM Group Limited) illustrates how IT Professionals can move through the various courses and modules to achieve ITIL Expert level qualification.

There is currently a large gap at Practitioner level. ITIL v2 practitioners and Managers can of course take the bridge course to get to ITIL Expert level. However, for those new to v3, having completed their v3 Foundation, the route to ITIL Expert cannot be shortcut so easily. The ITIL Intermediate Service Lifecycle modules are still under development and the syllabus for the ITIL Capability modules has not

Feature sponsored by:

DOES IT MATTER WHETHER IT’S ITIL COMPATIBLE?

David Key assesses the pros and cons of implementing an ITIL framework

TO AN internal support desk ITIL is often marketed as the elixir to getting the most out of

programme was also announced. At that time only the ITIL v3 Foundation Course and two bridging courses were available. Other courses were in development, but one year later, there are still no practitioner/intermediate courses available for v3.

ITIL v2 Foundation was a three day course, which covered the core Service Support and Service Delivery processes. In fact, only two and a half days were allocated to cover the content, with the remaining half day taken up by the exam. The new v3 Foundation course has to cover the additional processes and lifecycle phases, yet this is still delivered over three (2.5) days. It therefore is no surprise that many delegates report that the v3 Foundation course feels rushed. Surely the objective of education is to pass on new information to delegates that they may take back to their

your operations. But is it? What does ITIL really offer?

ITIL is a recognised framework of best practises for support desks, it gives direction to the service desk managers, and it means not reinventing the wheel as far as efficient business processes go. Implementing an ITIL framework promises improved customer service, improved productivity, cost efficiency, enhanced reputation for delivering effective support and if you’re the ITIL implementer from your business, it looks attractive on your CV too.

However, it could also be a waste of time, money and much effort. ITIL is costly to roll out, especially in cases when there is a failure by IT to adhere to these best practises, which is the case in many organisations. Some companies believe training their staff in ITIL is the panacea to all their support problems. We all know ITIL knowledge is useful, but knowledge needs action to accompany it. Everyone knows being polite to customers is good for business, yet, many people with this knowledge, still deliver a poor help desk experience for the customer.

Even companies that do go ahead and implement an ITIL framework will find that it is not necessarily the answer to all their support problems. For example, being able to communicate more flexibly with your customers could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of your support operation. This has nothing to do with business process per se, but is vital for improved customer service. These ‘soft skills’ amongst support staff are more important than their ability to know the difference between a Configuration Management Database (CMDB) and a CI (Configuration Item) or a PFS (Prerequisite for Success) Also, there is, it seems, much confusion surrounding the semantics of ITIL ‘compatible’ or ITIL ‘compliant’ and as a consequence of this issue with the correct use of language, people are making incorrect assumptions, which, is costing their companies, thousands of pounds in unnecessary expense. I believe ITIL verification is useful from a marketing perspective for the software vendors (not to mention the verification companies themselves), but not as useful for their customers.

So to conclude, I’m all for implementing an ITIL framework but believe that doing this is no guarantee that you’ll be running an effective, efficient and helpful, service desk.

Obviously, that bit’s down not to what you know but to how you do it.

July / August 2008 : VitAL

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Feature sponsored by:

yet been finalised. I have heard that dates have been scheduled in Oct of this year and Jan 2009 to release some of these additional modules, which should address the gap at practitioner level. The name of the ITIL Diploma/Advanced course has yet to be decided and there is little information on how the syllabus will look.

With such confusion surrounding education, one can understand why organisations are somewhat tentative and not diving en masse into v3 adoption.

It does appear that ITIL v3 was released to an ITSM industry that was not quite ready for it. That is not to say that the content of the five books is lacking. Service Strategy could have been made easier to digest, but as a whole, it is a fine body of work. I recently ordered the new Key Element guides from the itSMF bookstore and found them a useful aid in picking out the highlights of each lifecycle phase and would recommend them to anyone that needs a reasonable insight into v3 without having to trawl through the 2,000 pages of the five core books.

There is little doubt there will be a few adopters with mature ITIL v2 processes that can take the next step in maturity and move to ITIL v3. After all we should recognise that v2 to v3 is a maturity step. It is only by operating the processes that organisations gain the necessary levels of experience that enables them to mature. I would not advise anyone new to ITIL to jump straight in at v3, as they would probably find that they are biting off more than they can chew. Instead, these organisations would do well to start with

I would not advise anyone new to ITIL to jump straight in at v3 v2 processes and learn from more mature adopters as they prove the case for v3 and start to share their experiences.

Many organizations adopting best practice immediately start with back office processes such as configuration or change management, of which the customer has little visibility. If the overall objective of good/best practice is to improve service quality, surely the immediate focus should be on IT’s shop window, the

Service Desk. Rather than focusing on process automation, it should be recognised that people are the enablers of process and adoption of any best practice framework should be used as a lever to change the culture within IT to develop a service ethos.

Whether an organization is considering adopting ITIL v2, v3, or any other service improvement programme, the quality and attitudes of the people involved is fundamental to its success. A process is only the framework upon which you deliver the service; it’s the creativity, innovation and attitude of the people using those processes that add real value to customer service.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ITIL® VERSION 3!

One year old already and what a year it has been; Ruth Phillips reflects WE OFTEN discuss the ‘common practice’, and new Best Practice is intact: evolution, not revolution.

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innate human response of resistance to change during our ITIL® courses, normally within the context of IT Service Management process introduction and improvement. Dealing with this instinctive resistance to change is a challenge many organisations face and successfully overcome during their adoption of ITIL® Best Practice. But one year ago ITIL® itself was changing and, yes, there was resistance.

There was much consternation about what was going to change as part of the ‘ITIL® Refresh’ project, comments about ITIL® v2 ‘not being broken’, and a general air of suspicion about the new version of Best Practice. But therein lies the very reason why ITIL® had to change, and why it will continue to evolve over time.

Best Practice, such as ITIL®, once adopted and used by a significant community becomes

VitAL : July / August 2008

constantly developed as organisations try new ways to become more efficient, deliver higher quality service, and take advantage of new technology and new ways of working and thinking.

Indeed, at the core of the ITIL® process of Continual Service Improvement, is an emphasis explicitly as one of the core volumes of the Service Lifecycle. It is only practicing what it preaches, after all.

When Sharon Taylor, the Chief Architect of ITIL® v3, was asked about what was changing between the two versions, she said, “Everything and nothing”! It sounds contradictory, but it is actually quite true.

Everything has changed: from the concept of the Service Lifecycle, to the breadth of topics covered in the core of ITIL®; from the branding to the qualifications structure. But, at the same time, most of v2 has been retained

Has the initial resistance to this change been overcome during the first year of ITIL® v3’s existence? Although there have been teething problems, particularly around the release of the new v3 qualifications, FGI has seen a steady rise in interest in and take up of v3 over the recent months. With the imminent release of the new v3 Intermediate and Expert qualifications, it will be possible to offer the full v3 qualification scheme from Foundation to Expert as soon as it becomes available.

In our business, it is now possible to be able to help organisations adopt and adapt ITIL®, integrate their IT service provision with the needs of the Business and continually strive to do better, in line with the ITIL® ethos.

For further information on ITIL® v3, or to discuss your training requirements, please contact FGI on 01926 405 777 or visit www.fgiltd.co.uk

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VITAL MANAGEMENT

Getting your house in order The effective management of software assets can save more than just money, says Nick Harris

I

T’S OFTEN the biggest and most successful companies who are the most guilty: the informal, ideas focused atmosphere that so often fosters innovation in large and successful companies is, ironically, often responsible for lamentable neglect in the back office. Because of rapid growth, everyone is too busy pitching new ideas, negotiating new contracts or completing new projects to worry about tying up non critical administrative details. As a consequence, the software systems in many such organisations are a confused and expensive mess.

One newly arrived senior technician for a successful engineering firm was astonished to find that his new employers had a plethora of different — and conflicting — software. They had different versions of the same system operating side by side and there were even 20 sets of brand new software — bought and paid for — which had never been installed!

One of the most effective tools for bringing corporate software management under control is software subscription versus the more traditional annual licensing system.

Part of the support structure a company buys into with a software subscription agreement is the support of a third party or reseller. If required, the reseller can come into the company and conduct an audit of existing software, finding out which licences could be upgraded or made live again. It’s rather like bringing in the industrial cleaners. And it’s the sort of management service that might otherwise costs thousands of pounds using management consultants.

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Managing your Assets The main problem faced by companies with an array of different software is that there’s no central repository of information and no common set of guidelines, so confusion reigns. This not only makes collaboration more

VitAL : July / August 2008

VITAL MANAGEMENT difficult but it can significantly hinder workflow.

By ensuring that everybody is ‘singing from the same song sheet’ in terms of software, companies can be sure they are using the latest and most up to date software and staff are able to run projects more smoothly from start to finish.

But if things have already slipped and you currently face a mess of outdated and duplicated software, how do you go about sorting it all out?

The answer is a software asset management policy. Sometimes, this is something a company already has, although often just as a de facto arrangement; it needs to be formalised and implemented, which is something that can be achieved really effectively by using a skilled outside source.

Most good software vendors and resellers offer asset management services to ensure that all software is the latest version and relevant to the company. This helps eradicate inefficiencies, such as multiple sets of software that offer similar functionalities, outdated licences that are not delivering their full potential and software that is just plain outmoded.

The process should begin with research into the existing licensing situation — finding out which licenses could be upgraded and made live. From this, the company can develop a long term strategy which can, through subscriptions and other efficiencies, make budgeting easier and streamline the process of upgrading.

Subscription Prescription In the past, some people have viewed subscriptions as simply a means of software providers tying in customers to a single product and making it difficult to change when the need arises. But this view has become outdated as customers experience the consequences of switching to subscriptions.

Whilst three quarters of software vendors’ revenue currently comes from traditional licences, analysts have, for some years, been predicting a seismic shift towards the more flexible subscription model. In a recent survey

by IDC, 61 per cent of vendors and 60 per cent of customers say they expect the software industry to move towards a subscription based model in the next two to three years.

Switching to subscription can offer myriad benefits. Vendors frequently offer perks as part of their subscription package which include practical help, such as e-learning programmes and online support, as well as face to face training and ‘webinars’. They also keep users up to date by alerting them to all the relevant software updates and other information that keeps them in the loop.

This kind of asset management service

means that whenever a company takes on a new piece of software or even just an update, they don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Strategic and continuous management of upgrades means companies will avoid finding themselves in a situation where there’s a sudden need for significant investment to bring the company up to date. With a subscription, a user is able to stay on top of upgrades, which means that the minimal investment and training is required.

…and it also helps companies to budget for regular upgrade…

Cost Control Spiralling costs is one of the main drawbacks of working without a subscription. A leading structural design firm recently commented: “If companies fail to keep up with the latest software versions, when they do need to upgrade, there’s a huge learning curve for everyone — the whole organisation suffers and there’s a drop in production.”

With a subscription based system, companies have access to the latest versions as they are released, although it is not mandatory. The structural design firm, which has now switched to the subscription model, is regularly alerted to updates but installs them strategically: “Just because a new version of the software is available, you don’t necessarily have to install it immediately — you can test it and decide when to implement,” they say.

Subscription programmes can also offer better terms than purchasing licences individually. For example, Autodesk offers its subscription based clients extended licence terms when upgrading which means that companies are able to continue using previous versions of the software on the same PC. As Wolfgang Haller, head of CAD/CAFM at Munich Airport explains, “We could not develop without the simultaneous use of our old and new versions.”

They are also converts to the subscription model.

By using a subscription system, the cost of upgrading is spread over a period of time.

This is more cost effective and it also helps companies to budget for regular upgrades rather than facing a huge lump sum of expenditure every two years to bring the company up to date. As Haller explains: “A company can only benefit in time and money; once you have decided on a system, it does not make sense to have annual negotiations about licences.”

Working to a subscription model means that budgets are no longer based on speculative assumptions, they are a known quantity. This takes the stress out of budgeting and avoids the periodic scrabble for a supplementary budget halfway through the fiscal year.

Stable prices during the subscription period enable reliable planning, with an annual fee covering regular technology updates.

Munich Airport’s Haller predicts that, on top of the financial benefits, switching to a subscription has also reduced his planning and procurement workload by ten per cent.

Pirating Penalties By taking on the software needs of a company as a whole, the risk of ending up with illegal pirate software, often acquired on an ad hoc basis, is practically eradicated.

Counterfeiting and illegal copying is estimated to lose the software industry up to US$30 billion a year. Much of the problem stems not from wholesale counterfeiting by international crime rings but from individuals who are either ignorant of the rules or who choose to ignore them. The risk to a company’s reputation as well as the legal position governing directors’ responsibilities make owning pirate software a risk that no company should take.

Final thoughts Whether or not there is a wholesale migration towards a subscription model for software management remains to be seen. But when you consider the advantages — cost savings, budgetary simplicity, streamlined operations, even the legal ramifications — the case for adopting a strategic software asset management plan could not be stronger. We may not be able to see into it, but with the right asset management plan in place, companies can be certain they’re ready to deal with the future.

July / August 2008 : VitAL

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VITAL MANAGEMENT

Foul work It’s not only the office that may need a clean up: workplace etiquette seems also to be on the wane but is anybody bothered and does it matter?

Asks Camilla Dunwell

I

N A previous issue of VitAL, we looked at the problem of unclean desks. We even touched upon (though not literally, I’m glad to say) some of the things that people do at their desks that can encourage bacteria growth — we really don’t want to go there again!

But many would say that the shabbiness of desks and offices is but an outward manifestation of a more general malaise, the death of workplace manners and etiquette.

Even the term sounds faintly archaic but public behaviour used to conform to some fairly strict codes which ensured that even the lowest ranking employee would stand and / or doff his hat (if he wore one) when a lady entered the room and would moderate his language during the working day. Yes, moderate his language; there’s another quaint relic of a past age.

Today it is workplace language that seems to have undergone the greatest change. We are led to believe that all of the most successful people in commerce or any area of work, swear to an extent and in language that would once have been confined to the worst pub in town and behave in a manner that our forefathers would have only seen behind the bars at the zoo. Not only does television portray them as such but also when supposedly real live business folk enter our living rooms on the small screen in a programme such as The Apprentice, we could be forgiven for thinking that the wheels of commerce might grind to halt without frequent use of the most unpleasant language, and that’s just from the boss. It seems that people are becoming inured to bad language and behaviour that

might once have been deemed rude: indeed British company managers apparently prefer to hear colleagues swear than for them to ‘bullshit’.

This was among a number of findings revealed in a 2006 survey of workplace behaviour conducted by The Aziz Corporation, finding, among other things, that…

• 66% of managers find ‘bullshitting’ by staff very annoying, but only 37% have similar objections to swearing while 36 per cent find swearing tolerable, compared to just 8 per cent prepared to tolerate ‘bullshitting’.

But these findings were not in isolation. In responses to the same survey of managers, it emerged that…

• Most believe that it is now perfectly acceptable not to offer alcohol at a business lunch; • Taking a mobile phone call at a business lunch is now considered more acceptable than smoking after the meal; • Half of managers believed that companies should ban smoking throughout their entire grounds [something that the new law has enshrined].

This does suggest a remarkable change in workplace attitudes although other findings from the survey also suggest that there is a clear age divide with three quarters of older managers finding swearing annoying while less than half of younger managers find it so. But, if attitudes to language have relaxed, attitudes to alcohol and smoking have hardened to create a new workplace etiquette that is almost the opposite of the old order.

with productivity king, it is unacceptable to behave in ways likely to impair your or other’s productivity It is probably again reflective of attitudes portrayed in the media plus changes in the law that smoking has become a real workplace taboo to the extent that companies such as BT and Marks and Spencer have respectively banned employees from smoking while wearing their uniform, even out of the workplace. But the changed attitude to drink is interesting in running contrary to the general attitude to intoxicating liquor. There is no doubt that we drink more and stronger alcohol these days but it is less tolerated in the workplace. However that is not so strange if we consider the other key finding from the survey, intolerance of lies and bluster about work achievements (‘bullshit’).

In an economy as cost conscious as that of the current UK, productivity is critical to profitability whereas in the post war command economy, it wasn’t. So, whereas social mores then dictated that it was rude to swear or to take a telephone call during another meeting, today, with productivity king, it is unacceptable to behave in ways likely to impair your or other’s productivity, i.e. being dulled by alcohol or wasting the time of others with words instead of actions. Conversely, things that might contribute to productivity (such as taking an important phone call during a meeting or even lunch) or don’t affect it (swearing) are acceptable.

So, yes, office etiquette has changed but it hasn’t been abandoned. Time will tell whether swearing eventually goes the way of smoking (more a fashion than workplace behaviour) but new values do reflect new workplace priorities and, overall, that is nothing to be worried about.

July / August 2008 : VitAL

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VITAL SERVICES

There is a spammer in the works Ed Rowley explains how IT systems are always vulnerable to threats from the outside, aided and abetted by carelessness within

D

ESPITE BILL Gates famously predicting at the 2004 World Economic Forum that spam would be “a thing of the past” by the year 2006, time has shown just the opposite. In May 2008 ‘spam’ celebrated its 30th birthday and with spam accounting for 70-90 percent of all email, just how does a business protect itself against the ever present threat of spam and what are the consequences of not having the correct protection in the work place.

Today the bulk of spam is distributed via botnets — networks of malware infected computers in homes and offices around the globe that are controlled by ‘bot herders’ who charge spammers to use these compromised PCs for sending millions of spam emails. Recent estimates suggest 10% of all computers connected to the Internet are already infected with botnet malware, reducing the effectiveness of reputation based spam filters, making the

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VitAL : July / August 2008

battle against spam and malware even more difficult.

The cyber criminals who are behind spam and create and own these botnets are actually sophisticated and highly organised fraternities that thrive in an increasingly competitive underworld market.

Unfortunately the cost of acquiring the tools and services needed to distribute spam is rapidly decreasing and botnets can easily be bought, sold and even rented. The potentially huge profit generated by cyber criminals is what drives the continuous growth in the volume of spam; in November 2007 The Times reported that one criminal gang had made £71.5 million from phishing scams in just one year.

Even the more advanced anti spam technologies are struggling to handle attacks by cyber criminals as the spammers continuously develop new techniques to try and outdo the spam filtering solutions.

VITAL SERVICES

People need to learn the implications of their actions and be aware of new web based malicious threats. Users should be taught to avoid following links in unsolicited emails In addition, most spammers have largely reacted to improvements in spam prevention technology by simply sending greater volumes of ‘ordinary’ spam. Currently, it is not uncommon for an average UK organisation to report spam accounting for over 90% of their inbound email.

The massive growth in popularity of social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn, as well as the share sites like YouTube, being used in the workplace will receive increased attention from cyber criminals. Employee’s suspicion levels are lower when accessing these familiar sites at work and the personal information gleaned from sites is used for targeted spam attacks.

It was only recently that both Facebook and MySpace had to take proactive steps to try and curb the amount of spam being generated by external developers. Self promotional features were being built into applications that resulted in intrusive and deceitful behaviour, which generated unsolicited messages to users and tricked subscribers into approving such actions.

The use of newer technologies, notably instant messaging and Internet telephony has become another way that cyber criminals can easily exploit unprotected systems to spread spam and malware.

Employee productivity is one key area that can be seriously affected by an organisation not having effective anti spam protection in place. Recent research conducted by Nucleus Research estimated that the average employee spends 16 seconds reviewing and deleting each spam email and staff at organisations that quarantined emails spent an average of 4.5 minutes per week just reviewing suspicious emails. Manually deleting spam emails, however, turned out to be the most expensive way for a business to control spam, as it was estimated employees that monitored and deleted their own spam emails wasted an average of 7.3 minutes per week looking for lost legitimate messages.

In May 2008 ‘spam’ celebrated its 30th birthday and with spam accounting for 70-90 percent of all email Another area of concern for organisations is the drain on network resources and bandwidth.

Businesses that quarantine spam must have extra data storage capacity to accommodate suspicious emails so that employees can go

Top tips to secure your network from threats RECEIVING SPAM email and even just browsing the Web, now involves more risk then ever before. Here are some top tips to secure your business from emerging threats: • A good anti spam protection system is imperative. Ensure that the businesses spam filtering systems are kept constantly up to date and employ multiple layers of filtering technologies for protection against email borne malware and viruses.

• Take steps to secure Web browsing at the gateway, including the restriction of executable and other content that can be downloaded by users.

• Keep Web browsers and other desktop software meticulously up to date, as many malicious websites utilise old, known exploits. Most software vendors issue regular security updates as new vulnerabilities are discovered.

• Educate users about the new dangers of email and web browsing, to ensure they avoid following links in unsolicited email and are suspicious of any unexpected download prompts when browsing the Internet.

through a back log of emails at their leisure.

However, many employees never bother to trawl through their quarantined emails and the messages just sit there, consuming storage space and money. Organisations are wasting money on wasted bandwidth every day.

The Radicati Group recently calculated that on a worldwide basis the cost to businesses of dealing with spam increased from $20.5 billion in 2003, to a staggering $198 billion in 2007.

Enterprises and computer users need to be vigilant as cyber criminals become more professional and sophisticated. Having an effective acceptable use policy has become a must for organisations and needs to be backed up or enforced by technology at the gateway that can be easily managed and updated.

Organisations should take steps to ensure that the anti spam protection they are using employs multiple technologies for maximum resilience. Further action should also be taken at the gateway by securing Web browsing that includes restrictions on executable and other content that can be downloaded by employees. Web browsers and other desktop software should always be kept up to date, as many malicious websites utilise old and outdated software.

Another important tool for organisations in the fight against cyber crime is to educate users. People need to learn the implications of their actions and be aware of new web based malicious threats. Users should be taught to avoid following links in unsolicited emails, be suspicious of unexpected download prompts when browsing and in general be careful of anything they don’t trust.

The major botnet operators will only further refine their technology and other groups will seek to emulate them. The use of spam ‘mal advertising’ to lure users to websites hosting malicious code looks set to continue to grow strongly and will look and feel ‘legitimate’ to the end user and it is now that organisations need to equip themselves with the tools and knowledge to help protect against the inevitable emergence of new threats in the future.

July / August 2008 : VitAL

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VITAL SERVICES

Good to great service Marina Stedman believes the IT department can evolve by optimising the service desk

W

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HILE EMPLOYEES are increasingly reliant on IT to help carry out their day to day jobs, what they don’t realise is that this dependence is placing the IT department under growing pressure and impacting upon its ability to perform to its full potential in support of organisational goals.

With the vast majority of IT’s time taken up by ongoing maintenance and IT support, the IT department has no time left for other tasks and responsibilities. Not only that, but this over reliance on service desk staff to resolve all support issues (no matter how small) can have other negative side effects, including a service which is limited in terms of time and quality. In addition, any system downtime resulting from maintenance or repair can lead to long periods of inactivity — all of which will negatively impact on a business’s bottom line.

These problems, and the increasing pressure placed on IT staff, have led many IT service desks to considering new ways to free up both time and resources. Automation and self help portals are two solutions which are regularly being adopted by organisations in order to achieve this goal.

VitAL : July / August 2008

How to transform IT from ‘good’ to ‘great’ The mandate of most IT departments is not only to provide maintenance and user support but also to provide innovative strategies that use IT and technology to improve business processes. Many IT staff are reporting that the strain of providing support to end users is stifling innovation and preventing them from adding strategic value to the rest of the organisation.

Recent research commissioned from Vanson Bourne appears to confirm this. Inspired by the Peters and Waterman book ‘In search of excellence’, the study focused on how IT directors and their respective departments can make the transition from providing ‘good’ IT (consisting of merely day to day maintenance and fire fighting,) to ‘great’ IT (defined as a series of strategic business/operational processes that add value to the organisation’s bottom line) IT services.

The research indicated that while the IT directors surveyed in both the private and public sectors understood the concept of ‘great’ IT, many respondents were struggling

to actually deliver it. 55 percent attributed this to not having systems and processes in place to make IT changes effectively, with 49 percent also lacking solutions to automate the handling of day to day IT service and support issues.

This situation is not improved by the way that most end users perceive the IT department. In a similar study looking at end user perspectives of IT, it was found that the vast majority of end users (85 percent) believe that the IT department’s main function is to maintain existing systems and provide IT support when something goes wrong. Only 15 percent recognised that supporting and implementing new corporate projects and enhancing business value via innovation were core activities for IT staff. Surprisingly enough however, 63 percent of end users stated that they would welcome a more automated IT support system that would enable greater self help.

With the majority of individuals from both the IT department and the rest of the organisation welcoming automated IT support, it would seem sensible to implement an effective system that will both manage problems efficiently and enable the user to correctly

VITAL SERVICES

The mandate of most IT departments is not only to provide maintenance and user support but also to provide innovative strategies that use IT and technology to improve business processes diagnose and resolve any problems that might occur themselves. The main components of such a system are a well designed self service portal and effective knowledge management procedures.

Self service — empowering users to help themselves Self service portals can be used to automate a variety of different tasks including fault reporting, password resets, progress chasing and fault solutions — all of which are highly time consuming procedures. Easily accessible by all, these portals can provide a central point for displaying important information on an organisation wide basis — e.g. keeping users

informed of temporary downtime of essential systems, thus avoiding needless calls to the service desk.

This approach: • Promotes a positive image of the service desk at the centre of the organisation; • Provides employees and customers with instant and personally relevant access to a service desk from their own location; • Enables the service desk to provide a 24x7x52 services without extra resources; • Helps reduce the number of unstructured and incomplete incidents and calls logged by email and as a result, promotes consistency in incident and call reporting; • Enables employees and customers who need support services to place service and change requests when required without have to contact the support function directly; • Making relevant knowledge more widely available and easily accessible reduces phone traffic and eases the burden on the service desk; • Enables organisations to alleviate the pressure on their service desk without reducing the quality of support; • Empowers users and customers to help themselves.

In addition to these advanced self service capabilities, effective knowledge management also should play a large part in optimising the help desk.

Knowledge management — the key to ‘great’ IT? Historically, one of the major barriers to the successful adoption of knowledge solutions has been the effort involved in creating new content as this activity is often perceived as diverting service staff from their primary job function. However, solutions are available which provide automatic knowledge capture allowing analysts and customer support staff to continue carrying out their normal daily activities.

First line support analysts typically spend a considerable amount of time on repetitive issues. This time can be significantly shortened by capturing the first instance of a repetitive incident and therefore, next time it is encountered, the solution is automatically presented, either as learned knowledge or as a structured process sequence of events.

In a knowledge management enabled service desk environment, virtually all straightforward or repeated queries are solved at the first stage, for example, by a visit to web based support and information pages — thus, considerably reducing the pressure on the help desk.

By both embracing the self service approach and by implementing an effective knowledge management strategy, organisations can significantly improve the service provided by the IT department — in particular its service desk.

Conclusion All too often, organisations waste too much time ‘reinventing the wheel’ because solutions to common problems aren’t being properly recorded and shared among service desk analysts. Not only this, but organisations are under pressure from their customers and internal users who prefer to have an IT specialist deal with their requests personally.

Sometimes however, this isn’t the most financially viable approach for an organisation to take.

Self help and automation of specific service management issues are the ideal solution for companies looking for a cost effective alternative to having agents deal with every issue.

As the showroom of the IT department, it is absolutely essential that the service desk is optimised for its users — particularly when the responsiveness and level of service provided has a major impact on both the effectiveness of the business and the internal perception of the IT department. Getting it right is tricky, but organisations that want to get the best out of the IT department need to strike a careful balance between using staff and using technology to resolve service issues.

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Now you’re probably asking, why should I read about HelpSTAR’s ITIL compatible service desk software? Well, we say you shouldn’t unless you really want to:• • • • • • • •

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As winners of Help Desk Software of the Year 2006/7 & Asset Management Software of the Year 2006/2007, we are speaking with hundreds of companies looking at replacing their current solution with HelpSTAR. If you’re curious to nd out more, arrange a demonstration, speak with our clients or just nd out how much HelpSTAR costs….then feel free to give one of our HelpSTAR consultants a call now, on 0845 434 8093. We look forward to helping you.

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“Blue Arrow chose HelpSTAR because of the software’s powerful functionality, ease of use, flexible workflow and the outstanding speed of implementation (less than 5 days).We are extremely impressed and delighted at the level of personal service we received, and we would highly recommend HelpSTAR, because in our opinion, HelpSTAR delivers the greatest ROI in comparison to its peers”

VITAL SERVICES

Functionality in the real world Extending the benefit of mobile computing is, says Mark Muslek the next big step for IT application

going mobile by utilising .NET not only allows Windows based software to connect with other applications over the web it also has the benefits of lower application development costs

T

HE EVOLUTION of the PC into a truly mobile device is enabling companies to gain huge advantages from taking the technology to the point of activity. Historically, mobile computers in terms of technology played the part of dummy terminals and performed the duty of data capture devices, relaying barcoded or key entered information back to base at the end of the working day or shift.

As communications systems developed, this information became available in real time.

A glance around the market today shows mobile computers are evolving rapidly, allowing a much broader range of applications to be performed remotely. This is a major step change in the industry as devices are no longer

looking for applications because these are now rushing up to meet them as companies begin to realise the potential of mobilising their workforce. By utilising these devices users are pushing the boundaries of their IT systems well outside of the office.

Today’s mobile devices also exploit the user friendliness of Microsoft Windows – in one form or other – providing a familiar computing environment with a similar user interface to that which one can expect to see on a standard desktop or laptop PC. The term ‘mobile computer’ now embraces a range from PDA type devices that have proven popular as electronic organisers to powerful ruggedized tablet PCs that are suited to the

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VITAL SERVICES

Remedying the paper mountain ARDENE HOUSE Veterinary Practice

some applications will not need the power of a desktop computer, but as they say ‘what can do a lot, can do a little

36

most demanding of environments. It is this latter variety that is the focus of this article.

Such rugged tablet PCs are enabling users to perform jobs out in the field, with seamless data transfer between them and their back office systems. Additionally, with the advent of technology such as Microsoft’s .NET, user expectation for mobile applications is increasing. There is also an awareness that going mobile by utilising .NET not only allows Windows based software to connect with other applications over the web it also has the benefits of lower application development costs so that users can do more but with the same technology. In essence it is

VitAL : July / August 2008

possible to run the software used in the office directly in the field. Yes, there will be a need for specifically developed mobile application software, but on the whole we are now living in a world where seamless integration and operation is immediately achievable, with office desktop software being used on mobile devices without a hitch.

Defining the rugged mobile computer Moreover, the sky truly is the limit when it comes to developing an application – the boundaries are only set by the imagination of the system developers. For example, it would be possible to develop a system that not only communicated information to and from the

is one of the largest in Scotland. The practice’s vets originally used a paper based system for their notes and to monitor the stock of vital drugs. During a consultation visit, sometimes in a wet and muddy field or a farm yard, a vet would have to write notes and record batch numbers for drugs on paper which would then need to be entered manually onto the main computer system by a member of the administration team back at the surgery. The veterinary team sought a solution that would eradicate this paper mountain and streamline the business, leading to accurate record keeping, no duplication and more time spent on treatments rather than on administration.

Needing a rugged machine to cope with all the conditiopns in which they work, Ardene House chose JLT Field Tablets to operate the same Veterinary Management System that they use in their surgeries. This enables their Equine and Farm Vets to arrange visits, view and update records themselves during a consultation and manage drug stocks in all weather and environments.

This mobilisation of their existing surgery software has enabled specialist vets to have access to and update an animal’s treatment history directly through a central system. This can all be done accurately and efficiently during a visit and eliminates the need for extra admin staff to spend time reading and inputting notes afterwards. Stock control of drugs is now far more efficient, the vets’ vehicles now act as a branch of the central pharmacy. All the drug stocks they carry are monitored and exact batch numbers and use by dates can be recorded ensuring that they never run out of vital supplies.

VITAL SERVICES

On the beat with Cheshire police

CHESHIRE CONSTABULARY, for example, needed an in vehicle computer to access all its databases and allow officers to collect data from incident scenes when away from a police car. The system not only needed to comply with the stringent National Policing Improvement Agency requirements it also had to fit into limited space within the vehicle and also be tough enough to be used outside the vehicle in any weather conditions.

The Constabulary chose the JLT Field Tablet PC, a rugged machine to provide full PC functionality both inside and outside of a vehicle allowing officers to access and process information immediately. This touch screen solution enables Police Officers to use the Beat Systems software to access and collect data in vehicle and also outside the vehicle in all weather conditions, even in bright sunshine and rain.

Cheshire Constabulary’s project manager, Inspector Tim Darbyshire commented that the solution offered real time access to data and faster reporting capabilities in a tablet PC that fits well into the vehicles and offers real benefits to users. A robust design is well suited to the harsh ‘away from base’ conditions to which police equipment is subjected.

mobile user in real time but that could also run heavy weight database applications, coupled to data collection and even GPS. When it comes to networking in real time, even mobile communications have been solved with the establishment of robust GPRS connectivity that enables real time synchronising between mobile and office based systems.

Competition in this market space is stiff, with manufacturers offering feature rich and function rich devices. However, as with any technology time spent examining competing products in detail will provide dividends when choosing a device.

For in field applications, rugged tablet PCs must not only offer a wealth of features, they must provide a solid design that ensures that the system will work for many years to come. The aim is to attain maximum up time and availability of the system, with minimal downtime due to faults and the need for repairs. Standard setting features will include an extremely strong aircraft grade aluminium chassis, 8.4 inch colour touchscreen viewable in sunlight, and integrated wireless communications – Bluetooth, WLAN, 3G/GPRS, with highly accurate GPS. There should also be a choice of processors – some applications will not need the power of a desktop computer, but as they say ‘what can do a lot, can do a little

– and a test rating to MIL STD 810F. Battery life for mobile computing has always been issue in the past, but with battery management, hot swappable batteries that allow quick changes, and energy efficient processors, this is now much improved across the board.

Devices of this calibre will be specifically designed without moving and external parts and will have been subjected to the severest tests – water and dust ingress to IP65, drop tests to 1.2 metres and extreme temperatures ranging from -20C to +50C. This lack of moving parts will also extend to the option of being able to stipulate Flash memory instead of a

hard drive as data can be transferred directly back to the office in real time rather than stored locally on the device.

Manufacturers will also provide a host of options to add functionality to the mobile PC such as in cab docking station, which also provide additional connectivity options. For automatic identification / data capture, users should be able to use any Bluetooth barcode, chip card or RFID reader that companies such as Baracoda offer.

Examples of rugged tablet PC applications are refreshingly broad and interesting. They show great diversity and ingenuity.

Rolling out the Rolls Royce solution ROLLS ROYCE motion control systems are renowned throughout the maritime world for their performance and reliability. The company’s Fin Stabiliser systems not only improve safety and vessel performance but they also increase passenger comfort and reduce fuel usage. The system senses the degree of ship movement and adjusts the angle of hydrofoil shaped fins projecting from the vessel to reduce rolling by 80 to 90 per cent compared with that of an unstabilised vessel.

Rolls Royce needed a reliable computer to manage this system which could thrive in harsh marine conditions and also complied with the EU’s Marine Equipment directives.

After extensive testing the Rolls Royce chose the JLT10021 to manage the Fin Stabilising system. Using this device Rolls Royce has simplified installation, management and support of the Fin Stabiliser system while maintaining their legendary reliability.

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VITAL PROCESSES

Thinking about it Changing conditions demand changes in business practice but Paul Lewis believes that defensive effort can be leveraged into a better future business model

F

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ACING HARDER times, businesses will need to have their house in order to weather any storms. A well thought through and properly implemented process with efficient enterprise architecture will both strengthen the business in hard times and ensure that it is ready to take advantage of the following upturn.

I have always tried to turn a positive into a negative. I am in no way a pessimist, but it is quite apparent that times are hard and the business landscape looking very discouraging.

The jobs market has slowed down; the high street has reported major losses, the price of oil has rocketed and bad debt is rocking the banks. House prices have begun to fall, albeit slightly; commercial property is seemingly on the brink of collapse and the buy to let market is in a vulnerable state. The Bank of England has voiced concerns about the grim

VitAL : July / August 2008

prospects which lie ahead and the FSA has warned of the high probability of the global credit crunch getting worse. The signs couldn’t be much bleaker as dark clouds descend over the economy.

In light of the current economic downturn and as matters become worse, organizations are being required to rethink their plans and strategies devised at the end of last year. As a result, a high level of importance is being placed on the ability to implement effective and efficient business processes and enterprise architectures. In such unsettled times, modelling, aligning and streamlining an organization’s IT, business and operational processes has become a core business requirement of multi disciplinary teams in business and IT communities. Organizations across all market sectors are now employing such initiatives to great effect.

In light of the current economic downturn and as matters become worse, organizations are being required to rethink their plans and strategies devised at the end of last year

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VITAL PROCESSES

It is important to note that Enterprise Architecture (EA) is much more than just technology. EA also refers to the process of translating an enterprise’s business vision and strategy into effective enterprise change

Streamlining Business and Operational Processes with Corporate Modeller. Source: Casewise

40

Those responsible for IT operations are now putting in place tactical cost cutting initiatives whilst providing analysis, plans, budget revisions and new IT enabled business change ideas. Well thought through and properly implemented process and efficient enterprise architectures will both strengthen a business in hard times whilst ensuring that it is ready to take advantage of the following upturn.

Rapid advances in information technology has meant a greater number of organizations are looking to streamline operations and save budgets by adopting business process analysis (BPA), enterprise architecture (EA) and business process management (BPM) solutions. Innovations in process modelling tools has drastically changed the way business process analysts can now formally define, implement and execute business process models given the constant changing business environment.

This changing business environment also challenges business analysts in ways never imagined. The same modelling technology that enables business process modelling also demands that business analysts now consider ways of formally executing and delivering business processes to their organization.

The productivity improvements offered by

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traditional business tools is countered by the overwhelming complexity presented by the available technology. The way in which business analysts develop business models has a major effect on how they formalize and execute business processes, especially their choice of design methodology and workflow implementation.

Certain design flow requirements such as the need for the rapid convergence of process and workflow design are not possible using traditional process design tools.

With traditional tools and flows, business analysts can only develop process models to represent the business process independent of the execution and deployment of the solution in the IT department. In today’s business environment there needs to be a closer connection between the business process and the IT delivery process, however incorporating business process parameters within the modelling tool flow is only part of the requirements solution. By providing a seamless integration between the business process modelling stage and execution process, business analysts can

Model the connections between people, processes and technologies and the impact of new business drivers. Source: Casewise

VITAL LESSONS

dramatically impact the effectiveness of the workflow solution and shorten the overall deployment cycle.

Increasing the performance and processing capability of the business automation tool is not an adequate long term solution. Clearly a shift in methodology is also required to achieve this new paradigm. In order to develop executable process models based on this new paradigm the business tool process must be more tightly integrated into the business process modelling stage.

It is important to note that Enterprise Architecture (EA) is much more than just technology. EA also refers to the process of translating an enterprise’s business vision and strategy into effective enterprise change. When undertaking such a program, organizations need to factor in the current state and future state of an organization, in order to help evolve and optimize business dimensions (the people, processes, financials and organizations) to achieve effective enterprise change.

In order to achieve this clearer business perspective, it is important for organizations to focus on five key attributes when modelling an effective EA and defining a set of business processes: • Capture the ‘as-is’ situation.

• Test out ‘what if?’ scenarios.

• Communicate and implement ‘to be’ enterprise improvements.

• Respond to challenges faster in the future.

• Continually improve business processes.

It may seem obvious but in order to achieve success through such programs, high levels of teamwork are required, with the ultimate objective being a more consistent level of collaboration between business units as a whole. Representatives from both the technology and business units need to work together to identify areas where technical capabilities can provide new abilities to solve problems or attain goals.

With careful planning and the alignment of IT and business processes, organizations can tread cautiously through these unsettled times and emerge intact with a more strategic approach to their operational direction. Going forwards, organizations will also reap the benefits of these exercises in streamlining business and IT processes with an overall reduction in business operating overheads as a whole. By focusing on the future as well as the current situation, organizations are able to produce a more dynamic and strategic business outlook and ride out these troubled waters unscathed.

Birthday wishes Sharon Taylor reckons that ITIL v3 (and those associated with it) can celebrate its first year out there

finally there are some proven practices within ITIL that address issues that many have been challenged by over the past few years.

I

N JUNE 2008, ITIL v3 celebrated its first birthday. Over the year since it was released, I have received many emails and phone calls from organizations giving me their impressions and what they are doing.

For some, they are taking time to absorb the new guidance and place it into their own context. Others have begun to actually use ITIL’s expanded subject matter to enhance their practices. There is a consistent message in feedback I receive – finally there are some proven practices within ITIL that address issues that many have been challenged by over the past few years.

Service Portfolio Management (SPM) Linking service assets to business outcomes and tracking the return on investment has been a challenge plaguing many organizations. The inclusion of this most important part of a robust ITSM practice is now much easier to accomplish, given the formal guidance now provided as part of ITIL. My ITSM colleagues are reporting that they are finding measurable improvements by having adopted SPM.

Change Management ITIL has always had Change Management (CM) as part of its guidance. The improvements made to the flow and clarity of CM has really helped accelerate the benefits of CM. One of my colleagues recent wrote to say that by making CM improvements in following ITIL v3 CM practices has provided an estimated 10 million dollars in savings!

Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) The expansion of tying CI’s together as service assets has helped make a strong link to how CI’s are visibly linked to business process, services and outcomes. Organizations that have made this the first step into the Service Knowledge Management System, are already seeing improved measurement information and greater ease in structuring their Service Catalogues and Service Portfolios.

This is the tip of the iceberg from the feedback I am receiving. I think Birthday wishes are in order for ITIL v3. It seems many of us have come to the party and are glad we did.

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VITAL PROCESSES

Synaptic marketing Ben Langdon looks forward to a world where digital brains drive positive interactions In a short space of time the web, and all that it offers, has become an integral part of our 42

lives, not least because of its ability to bring together vast quantities of information VitAL : July / August 2008

A

S THE Internet reaches its teens it has already seen rapid and easily sustained growth. In a short space of time the web, and all that it offers, has become an integral part of our lives, not least because of its ability to bring together vast quantities of information, accessible at the touch of a button, revolutionising everything from the way we shop to how we communicate. But to continue to be relevant to our fast pace of life the Internet must continue to evolve and adapt itself. Its functionality needs to constantly improve, the way information is presented and accessed must become more refined, and the opportunities it offers in driving the communications revolution need to continue.

Father of the web Sir Tim Berners-Lee has even begun hypothesising what the next stage of the internet’s evolution may be. His view looks towards what the much mooted ‘web 3.0’ will deliver. And far from being another step in the user generated content vein of web 2.0, Berners-Lee has opted for something far more radical, and potentially even more revolutionary.

What has been dubbed the ‘semantic web’ (relating to the definition ‘meaning’) would see intelligent decision engines sifting through the vast quantities of information and data online, refining it into a more succinct package for human users. Search engines already provide a ‘go fetch’ service by combing the web for relevant text, images and videos. But all they

VITAL PROCESSES

Any Artificial Intelligence would need firstly to understand the myriad ways that data is made available before it could make any meaningful sense of the information The possibilities for such artificial intelligence are truly endless.

However, for this evolution to occur, a giant leap is needed in the sophistication of the decision engines we create. The web has one major hurdle in the way that data is presented; namely there is no standard structure or guideline. Any Artificial Intelligence would need firstly to understand the myriad ways that data is made available before it could make any meaningful sense of the information. And on top of this is the issue that not all the data on the web is accurate or true. Without the reasoning present in the human brain, how could a machine possibly make this subtle yet fundamental distinction? Suddenly web 3.0 is more science fiction than science fact.

Towards tomorrow today

do is simply deliver the content that is there.

Sophisticated decision engines could not only find and retrieve relevant information, but could combine it to form fresh understanding, delivering conclusions and recommendations depending on the information they find.

When searching for and purchasing a holiday the engine could conceivably provide back to us all of the related information that we might otherwise have to separately seek — for instance checking the weather for the dates we’re booking, recommending the most appropriate clothing to take or purchase in advance whilst simultaneously checking any local events we could attend, storing the dates in our diary and calculating the amount of currency we need to order and take with us.

Moves are being made to overcome these hurdles, specifically through the development of a framework within which data and information can be housed, thus making it easier for machine intelligence to access it, understand it and create personalised interactions. Whilst a true semantic web seems years or even decades away, the basic principle under discussion — namely the use of decision engines in combining data to create a meaningful outcome — is much more achievable.

Direct Marketers have been using data to make decisions for years. Whether using profiling information to make audience selections or to create segmentations, skilled data analysts are a key element of the DM process. The speed of digital transactions has however moved this decision from planning cycles of months to minutes. Digital channels allow consumers and brands to interact with one another in real time. Instead of the traditional marketing route of analysing customer data, targeting specific individuals

and contacting them via the post or phone (which may not take place until weeks later), the opportunity now exists to make communication relevant not only by its content but in its timing. In parallel with this reduction in timescale has been the realisation that effective personalisation of communications requires customer data reflecting both online and offline activity. Accessing this data and processing it at digital speed moves us towards the semantic web.

All of these moves though rely on what remains the most sophisticated of decision engines available — the human analysts themselves. A skilled analyst can approach the available data and apply a range of analytical techniques to derive the most targeted interaction from it. The physical sorting and segmenting can then of course be carried out by specialist software, but its own intelligence continues to be routed through what it is instructed to do by its human operator.

As software becomes more sophisticated, so too are the instructions analysts use to create and direct it with. The human touch is still necessary at the point of direction, defining what the objective of the analysis is and thereby framing the outcome. But from here the artificial decision engine can begin to take over, sifting through the available data and delivering the most appropriate communications strategy.

Whilst achieving the semantic web is blocked by the unstructured nature of the internet, marketers benefit from the data they collect and hold being well organised and easily accessible by human or technological approach; marketing databases are some of the most sophisticated in existence, yet built with easy and efficient data retrieval front of mind. Aligning this data with skilled analysis to create real time decisions will create the personalised experience to which marketers aspire — we call it ‘positive interactions’.

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VITAL PROCESSES

its own intelligence continues to be routed through what it is instructed to do by its human operator

Positive interactions

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The goal of any marketing activity will almost certainly go beyond making a sale. Instead, brands consider the needs and preferences of each consumer, making every effort for communication with them to be relevant and timely. The more relevant and timely the communication, the less likely it is to be perceived as intrusive and unwanted, and the more likely the consumer will experience a positive interaction. In fact, both the brand and consumer should experience a positive interaction otherwise the communication has arguably been a failure.

For the consumer, a positive interaction might be achieved when being dealt with in a way that they find straightforward, being given good recommendations based on their circumstances or getting exactly the right product they want. For the brand a positive

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interaction could be a sale, an increased likelihood of the customer returning, or even their advocacy about the brand to other consumers.

Digital channels lend themselves to achieving positive interactions, improving on the relevance and timeliness of customer communications, by enabling real time interactions to take place. The wealth of real time data generated by these channels is also a key precursor of their success.

Real time interactions Whilst most traditional direct marketing uses offline data only, online marketing is beginning to reflect online behaviour — some brands offer specific web content to consumers based on what pages they are viewing, or where they have arrived at the site from (clicking through an online ad from a particular destination).

The real opportunity however, particularly for brands that desire a relationship with their customer, is to amalgamate key data from both offline and online.

For example, using online data (such as what a consumer is looking at on the site) in combination with known offline data (such as their purchasing history) to generate web content, an email or a mobile message that offers information relevant to the customer at that time. Using real customer knowledge to drive the personal customer experience is a great example of a positive interaction — for example, If the customer hasn’t made a purchase for several months or perhaps often gets as far as adding something to their basket but not completing the purchase, an additional incentive could also be included to help persuade them to buy.

VITAL PROCESSES

real time data generated online needs to be married, in real time, with data collected offline and used with analytics to determine the next message and deliver it

special offers or product bundles that the customer favours. This is a significant step ahead of conventional content management systems that may be able dynamically to amend copy and images by page but not by user.

• Directing an email to the customer about the product they’re browsing, encouraging them to purchase and offering an incentive based on their past purchasing behaviour.

• Instigating an outbound phone call or managing an inbound call that offers the customer help and advice on their purchase, based on the call centre operator’s knowledge of past online and offline behaviour.

• Sending a digitally printed and personalised mail pack including a brochure, based on the customer’s ordering habits and preference for a mail order approach.

The possibilities for such an approach are only limited by the data available, and the available types of interactions put in place by the brand. A bank of interactions from differing web content to email executions is vital in truly realising the potential of real time interactions, and over time brands can increase their variety of approaches to suit every possible outcome.

Synaptic Marketing

To achieve this, real time data generated online needs to be married, in real time, with data collected offline and used with analytics to determine the next message and deliver it, resulting in an interaction with the consumer that is relevant, timely, and that supports a positive interaction.

Of course, no human analyst has the ability to react to the real time nature of these channels, either in enacting them as a response tool, or digesting the real time data they generate.

The ‘digital brain’ approach It is here that the development of a sophisticated decision engine with the ability to combine existing offline data with real time generated online data begins to illustrate the potential of a semantic approach. Dubbed a form of digital brain, this concept is designed to mirror the human brain in its ability to

consider a variety of data sources when making the decision as to the best way to interact with the consumer at that specific moment.

Firstly the digital brain identifies the customer who is generating fresh behavioural data, perhaps interacting with the brand’s website.

Generally with the customer’s permission, it then mines the offline database to access all other information available on the customer, such as measures of their purchasing history, demographic information and channel preferences. Algorithms are used to link these data sources together, resulting in the engine identifying the most appropriate communication and the most relevant channel of delivery.

The instant outcome could be any of the following: • Presenting personalised web content to an individual user — perhaps highlighting

In a sense, the way this decision engine operates is as much a new marketing philosophy as it is a new piece of software.

If a synapse is defined as ‘the point at which electrical signals move from one nerve cell to another’, this new philosophy should be dubbed ‘synaptic marketing’ because of the way all available data is instantly linked together to derive a decision, just like in the human brain. And the decisions that are made and interactions assigned then become a ‘memory’ of how and why the customer has been communicated to, further improving subsequent real time decisions and interactions.

Synaptic marketing has the potential to revolutionise the way brands interact with their customers. Consumer apathy to traditional marketing, and the way digital channels and the internet specifically has brought instant communication to the fore, mean brands must change the way they approach marketing. And much like the proposed semantic web would aim to make sense of the vastness of the internet; synaptic marketing offers a means of humanising the interactions between brand and consumer, even if an artificial intelligence is at its heart.

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VITAL PROCESSES

Talk about data safety Data security seminar lets government and public sector organisations discuss the big issue and share private sector experience

W

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E REPORT on Callcredit’s recent Data Security Seminar for Government and Public Sector Organisations held in Whitehall on 20 May 2008 to discuss how data security methods developed in commercial businesses can be implemented for the benefit of the government, public and third sectors.

The Panellists were: Maitland Hyslop, COO, Onyx Group; John Spence, Non Executive Director of the Callcredit Information Group; Jonathan Holbrook, Head of Data Protection Practice at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO); Phil Gibson, Head of Transformational Government, Cable & Wireless; Dave Barter, Director at Legatio; and John Eggleston, Information Technology Director, Callcredit.

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Over the last year, a series of high profile data losses have placed the need for effective data security in all organisations beyond question. Companies whose bread and butter is data security, are well placed to kick start debate about this issue and share their experiences and best practice. This is exactly what happened in Callcredit’s latest industry seminar, which was held on 20th May 2008 in Whitehall to discuss how data security methods developed in commercial businesses can be implemented for the benefit of the government, public and third sectors.

John McAndrew, Managing Director of Callcredit, chaired the event to welcome the audience and panel of experts. Maitland Hyslop, COO, Onyx Group, a veteran of both

the government must streamline its IT systems to allow information to be shared securely between various departments public and private sector organisations, gave the first presentation with his opinion on the differences between the two. Whereas the private sector organisations encourage disruption of the status quo to drive progress, he said, the hierarchical, rules based, bureaucratic structure of the public sector

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VITAL PROCESSES

80pc of consumers are checking their bank statements more regularly since the HMRC breach and over 50pc of people no longer trust organisations with their data

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had a tendency to hinder the adoption of new, more efficient processes. With the public expecting ever higher levels of service delivery in health, education, policing and so on, Hyslop said that the government must streamline its IT systems to allow information to be shared securely between various departments. This would enable those service levels to be both raised and maintained.

John Spence, Non Executive Director of the Callcredit Information Group, then took the floor to discuss how preventing ID fraud can be linked to increased competitiveness.

“If we liken data security to a sea wall defence and the risk of data breaches to the sea,” he said, “Whitehall runs the risk of setting itself so watertight that it can’t see the sea because the walls are so high. Recognising the scale of the problem is the key to solving it.”

In today’s fast paced world Spence said, businesses, government and charities need to use information intelligently to perform for maximum competitive advantage. But information comes from data and data comes from the consumer, who ultimately is the owner of that data. In order to use the information intelligently, organisations need to share it but to share it securely to prevent, as far as possible, the risk of ID fraud ‘flooding’ the organisations’ defences and hurting the owners of the data.

“Unfortunately lapses in security will always happen, but an organisation can only be deemed negligent if it knew about the weakness in its defences and did nothing about it,” he continued.

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The third panellist was Jonathan Holbrook, Head of Data Protection Practice at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and his presentation outlined the strategies and priorities for the ICO as it moved forward in light of the high profile data breaches of the last year.

He highlighted results of a recent survey conducted by the ICO; 80pc of consumers are checking their bank statements more regularly since the HMRC breach and over 50pc of people no longer trust organisations with their data.

The data protection strategy of the ICO will involve taking a risk based approach to data security: “It’s not up to us to nanny the public — at the end of the day, they must decide who they give their data to,” he said.

He discussed how the current priorities for the ICO include cracking down on the unlawful trade in personal information and managing secure data sharing whilst addressing concerns over the UK becoming a surveillance

society. He noted how there are now new civil penalties for those in serious breach of the Data Protection Act and that those illegally obtaining or disclosing personal information run the risk of custodial sentences.

He was very aware of the challenges these measures presented for the public sector and suggested there needed to be a greater emphasis on individual roles and responsibilities with regard to safeguarding data security.

Phil Gibson, Head of Transformational Government, Cable & Wireless, was keen to emphasise the benefits of sharing information across different government departments and public services. He illustrated his point with the tragic example of Victoria Climbie where 12 different agencies were found to be aware that she was a victim of child abuse but failed to support her adequately due to a lack of interagency communication. Enabling different departments to form ‘trusted networks’,

VITAL PROCESSES

there was often a worrying gap between the technology solutions companies employed and how they educated their staff about data security

across which members could securely share appropriate information, would not only increase productivity amongst public sector workers, but it would also make services more accessible to the public and help build safer communities.

Dave Barter, Director at Legatio, then took the audience through how in practical terms data security is best implemented in an organisation’s IT systems. He demonstrated the need to integrate security measures into every stage of a system’s development: “From the point a system is conceived, through its design, implementation, launch and beyond, security needs to be tested and verified.”

John Eggleston, Information Technology Director, Callcredit, highlighted that as well as approaching data security from a technology perspective, other factors could be considered.

“Organisations need to put people and education at the top of the infosecurity agenda,” he said. He drew evidence from the BERR/PWC

2008 Information Security Breaches Survey which showed there was often a worrying gap between the technology solutions companies employed and how they educated their staff about data security: for example, 94pc of institutions surveyed encrypted their wireless network transmissions, but 60pc did not provide ongoing security awareness training to staff.

“There is no ‘silver bullet’ technology solution,” Eggleston noted, reinforcing the points of both John Spence and Dave Barter.

“The people and supporting processes are fundamental to reliable information security.”

He went on to note the success of Callcredit’s in house infosecurity initiative, Safe Hands, which concentrates on educating employees to integrate security measures in everything they do, This provides assurance not only for the company, but to its partners and customers as well.

“At Callcredit we have an absolute focus on

people — from raising general awareness through to giving specialist training. We combine this focus with a clear information risk management strategy built to the industry standard ISO 27001 and we only deploy the appropriate technology once the need is fully understood,” Eggleston said.

John Hughes, Senior Manager, IT Advisory, KPMG, was keen to point out that in the complex security environment of governmental departments, “penetration testing of IT systems is not enough to gain assurance.” He took the audience through the range of external security standards with which an organisation can choose to comply: CTAS, CHECK and ISO 27001/27002. He drew attention to the overlap between different parts of the different certifications to enable the audience to see which standard would be most appropriate for their own organisation and noted the need for harmonisation of the standards to simplify the compliance process.

Some lively debate from the floor ensued, chaired once again by John McAndrew and the panellists and audience members engaged on a number of infosecurity subjects that had been touched on throughout the afternoon.

They discussed how it is necessary to balance service improvements with protecting consumers and the strength of the penalties for getting this balance wrong. Ultimately though, out of the presentations and debate came a strong sense of the potential secure data sharing has to improve service levels and productivity in the commercial, public and charity sectors alike.

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VITAL PEOPLE AND PROFESSIONS

The human touch Using technology doesn’t have to mean dumping what comes naturally, says John Hancock

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OME MONTHS ago I was in a meeting where, as with so many meetings these days, the underlying sound was the clicking of delegates entering notes to their handheld devices (what an inelegant term) or dragging up information from the silicon depths of those machines’ address books, email managers and straightforward notes and charts. But one delegate, instead of clicking away manically at a tiny keyboard, was writing… yes writing, with a pen, onto paper! I cornered him at the coffee break; I just had to discover why he was ‘persisting with such an old and outmoded system’ when there is such an array of glittering technology based systems available.

His answer was interesting and it didn’t start with, ‘I can’t get on with all that new fangled techno stuff.’ On the contrary, he had in his bag a laptop and a Blackberry but his response to my question was, “I find keying, while I can do it perfectly well when I have to, does not come so naturally to me as writing. Keying into

VitAL : July / August 2008

a PDA at a meeting [and having to focus on the range of options that technology offers] might cause me to miss some points, divert my concentration at a crucial time, whereas I can easily write and think and talk all at the same time [because I’ve been doing it all my life].” In fact, on the occasions when it was his contact that everybody needed or when he had to refer to other pages in the paper based organiser that he used, he usually managed to access and extract the information faster than others. He wasn’t being a Luddite; he was simply employing what was for him the most efficient combination of systems for the task at hand. So: would technology be of more use to us if it was able to link seamlessly with normal human capabilities like writing and talking? I had to find out for myself.

Back at the office, I dusted off my Filofax, inserted new stationery, obtained software to print my Outlook into an A5 format and set about finding whether, in this keyboard and small screen world, there is a place for more

tangible systems, which, in turn led me to wonder whether there might be some more natural ways than clicking at a keyboard, to harness human ingenuity and creativity with technological capability across a wider range of tasks.

Starting with the paper based personal organiser. People think first of Filofax, whose product name became the generic term for paper based personal organisers, although there are actually a number of systems including Daybook, Franklin Covey, Day Runner, Time Manager and others. But Filofax did pioneer the system which, surprisingly, considering that their product first entered the common parlance during the 1980s, has a history stretching back to the First World War; the name was coined in London in 1921 as a derivation from ‘file of facts’.

A couple of years ago, the firm conducted research showing that, while 16% of the UK adult population used their paper personal organiser, only 4% used a PDA – those figures

VITAL PEOPLE AND PROFESSIONS will have moved since then but perhaps the reason for the disparity can be found in the results of a survey conducted at about the same time among 1,000 top level managers: 55% said they found it quicker and easier to write things down and 57% said they found it quicker and easier to find information using a paper personal organiser. 62% felt that being seen to write notes made them appear trustworthy, serious minded and professional while 58% ‘write everything down’ when it comes to taking notes, meetings and appointments. Put simply, paper and pen are more natural than a keyboard. And there are even a growing number of people who abhor the very idea that the arrival of emails might be brought to their attention at any time (think evenings and holidays) through their handheld device (Blackberry, Palm etc.). Having a mobile phone is enough.

Also, dare I say it among Service Managers, there is to the minds of some management disciplines still a whiff of the geek about people who rely heavily on IT. Unfair; certainly: a dwindling outlook; probably but nevertheless still a live attitude.

But what if, like me, you are a heavy user of Microsoft Outlook and a handheld device?

How can you use paper also? Would you have to manually transfer all appointments and contacts to your paper personal organiser?

The short answer is ‘no’. Most paper organiser manufacturers have developed simple address book and appointment software to make their system work with a PC. But even more easily, just print from Outlook or whatever organiser system you use. For the diary select ‘Print’, then ‘Weekly style’ and A5 paper (for most paper organisers) then in the Printer ‘Properties’ select ‘two sided’ or ‘double sided’ and ‘side flip’. This will enable you to print the PC based diary on double sided A5 blank stationery for the system that you use. It’s much the same with contacts although I advise printing each letter group discreetly so that you can still use the index cards provided with the organiser.

Diary pages can be reprinted every week or so with completed weeks also reprinted after the event to ensure that the record accurately reflects what happened, not what was planned to happen. It also carries over the colour coded label and time definition that make Outlook so easy to use. Any additions or amendments to the diary can be written in at the time, to be keyed in later, via your PC based system. New contacts can be written in to the address book or their business cards filed in the system’s business card holder to be written up at a more convenient time and then included in the next print update. Indeed within the ample folders provided, paper organisers offer a useful and secure filing and

storage system with a range of inserts offered for every use including maps, a calculator, a ruler, even a CD/DVD holder. Filofax offers a portable hole punch that can make odd single pages fit the system (a desk based punch for large quantity use is also offered by all manufacturers). And, importantly for the already burdened executive,he A5 format used for most such systems is convenient, not too bulky and capable of holding most paper

would technology be of more use to us if it was able to link seamlessly with normal human capabilities like writing and talking? based information – many information leaflets and timetables use the format and can be punched to fit into a paper based organiser.

For those who would like to employ their human capabilities as well as their technology but really cannot be comfortable without some electronic gadget, paper based system suppliers now emphasis the value of their system as a hand held ‘office’, storage and record system to work with a mobile phone and/or handheld device. I can affirm that the two systems combined do offer more functionality than the sum of their parts.

After some months of use, I find that my paper based system has evolved into a very personalised A5 ‘office’ with my own index, street and travel maps, a year planner, the diary, a number of filing dividers and the address book. It even has a locked in calculator and several useful clear envelope files at the back as well as a notebook with tear out, ready punched stationery. The paper has not replaced my Blackberry or Outlook but I find that what the gentleman in the meeting that opened this article said has proved true; I do find writing and making notes easy and do like the utility of a system that can store and organise (using the portable hole punch) all of the paper based information that I receive when out in the field.

But once you start thinking about natural inputs to technology, a number of systems spring to mind. What about the digital pen.

The two main offerings are from Nokia and Logitech whose io2 Digital Writing System uses a pen no larger than, say, a Mont Blanc, incorporating a small camera alongside the writing tip to record everything that is written using specially manufactured digital writing paper. The system works well (it can recognise

my handwriting!) and offers stationery that integrates with Filofax personal organisers as well as a range of notebooks and other stationery such as Post-it® notes.

It will also record sketches and other drawn or written material which can then be either filed onto a PC as an image of the user’s drawing or, in the case of writing, converted to plain text and then to a suitable program such as Microsoft Word or Outlook. Once you have mastered its idiosyncratic ways with organising text blocks, the digital pen is a great way to make notes at a meeting or sketch out an idea and the notes can later be uploaded through text bridge software onto a PC. It seems particularly apposite for a services manager who may well have to devise workflows and processes whose first step from his or her head into the world will often be through a drawn chart.

Having come this far, I could not resist trying a system that has been trying to make our minds the principle input device for technology for some years. Dragon Naturally Speaking, although not the only Speech Recognition software, is probably, like Filofax, the best known and these days it really does perform well. Although it is possible for speech recognition to work straight from the box with little in the way of training, a regular user of my acquaintance (a marine lawyer) found that by going through the training programme he was able to refine his own system to handle quite complex and technical dictation and, of course, speech recognition systems can be extended to include new words in their dictionary. They’ll also accept input from a digital dictating machine – a great help for the traveller between meetings but not really able to use the full laptop paraphernalia.

And do bear in mind that, just like the gentleman who found writing more natural in the meeting at the start of this article, most of us speak about three times faster than we can type. Speech recognition software can even be configured to execute routine but complex tasks from just one spoken word.

Paper will not replace technology and, for some, the lure of the keyboard may be too much to resist. Also, holidays and weekends aside, the opportunity to receive and deal with emails while on the move can not only save time but also avoid the risk of missing out on decision critical information. But for others, the idea that the methods of work with which they are most comfortable, speaking and writing, can be accommodated in the technology age and even enhance the functionality of their technology, will come as an immense relief: if it can save time and avoid the risk of RSI, so much the better. We should try not to lose the human touch.

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VITAL PEOPLE AND PROFESSIONS

Working at working together As Camilla Dunwell suggests, people are key collaborators in the business; the Economist Intelligence Unit has reviewed how that works It cannot develop a relationship with other 52

parts of the process with which it works. And that’s where humans have the advantage VitAL : July / August 2008

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F THE main theme for this issue has been functionality, the sub theme has been human intelligence, not as an alternative to but as complimentary to the capabilities of IT. Technology is a tool (well, a range of tools); very powerful and very capable but never more than the means to attain an end, not an end in itself. One of the computer’s limitations is that it cannot, yet, consider events and facts beyond its brief and then judge whether they might or might not impinge on the task it has been set. Even less can it evaluate those

outside factors unless it has been specifically programmed to do so. But that ‘limitation’ is also one of IT’s great strengths. It can concentrate on the task at hand and apply its massively fast processing ability to complete the process – no side issues, no diversions, no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’.

However, not all tasks or processes are clearly defined at the outset; their definition often evolves as the subject is explored and as experience of the task or process is accumulated. Here, a computer can ‘learn’

VITAL PEOPLE AND PROFESSIONS

service managers will be involved in an increasing number of collaborative programmes with the other parts of the business

a little (think predictive word processing or spreadsheet entry) based on past actions that it has executed; but it cannot be creative, it cannot question the definition of the task in the light of experience. It cannot develop a relationship with other parts of the process with which it works. And that’s where humans have the advantage.

People have the capability to notice, evaluate and discard or incorporate new information into whatever task they are doing. They also have the creative ability to consider not only how to fit the new information into what they are doing but also to consider whether it opens up new opportunities to enhance the job in hand or, indeed, whether it renders some part of the job redundant. This ability is improved if more than one person is involved (two heads really are better than one). But, again,

the effectiveness of people working together varies according to how they feel about each other, how they feel about the job and how they feel about their joint brief.

Despite the predominance of IT in modern business processes, the intellectual heart of a business still relies on human functionality which not only provides the business’s direction but also is able to ensure that the IT performs at its best; I say ‘is able to’ because, of course, while people have that capability, there is no guarantee that they will apply it. A recent briefing paper from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), sponsored by Cisco Systems, seeks to improve understanding of collaboration and, in particular, as the paper’s title puts it, ‘The role of trust in business collaboration’.

It’s a 30 page report and makes fascinating reading about the most powerful computers in any business, the people.

As the role of IT in business processes expands, service managers will be involved in an increasing number of collaborative programmes with the other parts of the business whose own plans must increasingly look to what IT can do to improve their ways of working and what new opportunities for their part of the business it can uncover or create. So, working with others will become, if it is not already the case, an important part of service management practice. There is not the space to reproduce the whole 30 pages of the EIU paper in a magazine, but here are the Preface and Executive Summary sections of the paper. If you wish to go on and read the whole paper, go to www.eiu.com where you can order a copy.

THE ROLE OF TRUST IN USINESS COLLABORATION An Economist Intelligence Unit briefing paper sponsored by Cisco Systems

Preface In 2007, the Economist Intelligence Unit published a paper entitled, Collaboration: Transforming the way business works, one of a family of papers produced since 2006 as a result of ongoing research sponsored by Cisco Systems.

The paper reported that there is a widespread imperative to adopt collaborative business models and noted that trust is a critical

building block in collaboration. However, those seemingly simple conclusions can quickly become complicated in today’s business world, where the forces of globalisation and the knowledge economy are converging with technology and demographics to change the face of business interactions.

The Economist Intelligence Unit and Cisco therefore decided to join forces again to explore the concept of trust in 21st Century business collaboration.

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s editorial team executed the survey, conducted executive interviews, and wrote the report. The findings and views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor; the Economist Intelligence Unit bears sole responsibility for this report.

Executive summary Many businesses today extol the concept of collaboration, though few seem to define collaboration in exactly the same way. It is not without irony that the term ‘collaborators’ has, at times, been used to describe both traitors and teammates. In current business vernacular, though, the focus is on partners.

Today, businesses have come to see the whole world as their domain, and technologies are converging to facilitate communication, so collaboration is seen as a way to glean new insights, reach new markets, outwit competitors, reduce costs and raise revenues.

Research shows the term ‘collaboration’ is used to cover the gamut – from projects designed to cut costs, increase efficiency and improve compliance to those involving working with outsiders to develop new products. Most often, collaboration is achieved through the use of early 21st Century technology to enable 20th Century processes. Collaboration is usually focused internally on producing derivatives of, or improvements in, existing activities. It is rarely seen as a total success.

While value can be derived from many different types of cooperative activities, the research suggests companies may be doing themselves a disservice by categorising every such initiative as collaboration.

In fact, the research indicates that companies might benefit from a more disciplined approach to defining and executing a

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VITAL PEOPLE AND PROFESSIONS

but labelling every initiative as ‘collaboration’ creates a misnomer that robs companies of the ability to deploy resources efficiently and effectively to create the most value collaboration strategy. Increased rigour could enable organisations to attain greater success and value from collaborative ventures—and better prepare them for the increased challenge of collaborating as the business environment becomes more globalised, communication becomes more virtualised, and the workforce absorbs an increasingly tech savvy demographic.

The research shows that few businesses adequately articulate the value and need for trust, or share and formalise the critical components of trust; rather, they have

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VitAL : July / August 2008

focused more generically on codes of corporate governance and ethics. Moreover, few companies give trust a paramount role in internal efforts, though the research suggests that trust is far from complete even among people in the same function or organisation.

Admittedly – and importantly – the need for trust varies among projects and depends on the make up of the constituents and the goals of the project.

For example, people who coordinate on an internal cost cutting initiative are unlikely to need to trust each other in the same way

as collaborators in two separate companies, working together to develop a new product (see Figure 1).

The cost cutting project will be helped by teamwork, but is essentially a ‘get it done’ directive that is likely to be achieved regardless of who trusts whom. Product R&D with outsiders, however, requires each party to contribute (upfront and on an ongoing basis) time, money, and proprietary information to fulfil the question, ‘I wonder if we could…?’

These partners must trust each other.

Somewhere in between these extremes

VITAL PEOPLE AND PROFESSIONS lies much of what is currently deemed collaboration – the ‘we need to…’ space in which the goals are mandated and driven by a clear business need and where trust between counterparts clearly helps get the job done.

Trust in this domain needs to be higher than among coordinators working on one time, short term, finite goals, but not as high as in the R&D example.

The term ‘collaboration’ is often used when individuals are merely involved in coordination or cooperation.

Why does it matter how these initiatives are categorised? The labels themselves are not important, but labelling every initiative as ‘collaboration’ creates a misnomer that robs companies of the ability to deploy resources efficiently and effectively to create the most value. Understanding the difference between collaboration and cooperation or coordination can help companies fashion effective collaborative partnerships and invest in building the requisite level of trust.

Businesses need to approach collaboration strategically, and – as with any business strategy – seek to align people (culture), processes and technology with the project goals. In the case of collaboration, that alignment must take adequate account of the

level of trust required to improve the chances of success in each form of collaboration (see Figure 2).

The research shows that those who describe themselves as being very good at collaboration are more likely to report completely successful collaborations, tend to do more due diligence to verify whether potential partners are trustworthy, and have higher standards of trust than those who perceive themselves to be less capable at collaborating.

However, the dispersion of results suggests that few companies are focused on collaboration itself as a capability, or on instituting the kind of trust standards that can speed and ease collaboration, or on properly aligning corporate culture, processes and technology around the collaborative strategy.

Furthermore, few companies have built high trust levels even within their own organisations, or invested in creating trusted individuals – who can, as the research shows, be powerful agents of collaboration.

In short, despite the widespread desire to be ‘collaborative’, and the concomitant use of such buzzwords as ‘collaboration’, many companies are probably recreating the wheel on every collaborative project they undertake.

This ad hoc approach not only wastes resources: It makes it difficult for organisations to sell themselves as collaborative partners, thereby limiting their ability to exploit the potential of collaboration to generate unique and discrete innovations, especially as the forces of globalisation, virtualisation, and demographics grow.

About the survey OF THE 453 business executives surveyed, more than three quarters were located in North America, Europe or the Asia Pacific region. Just over one half worked for companies that had annual global revenues of more than US$1bn and about one quarter worked for companies with revenues of US$10bn or more. The executives had a variety of formal titles and functional roles, but all had participated in a collaboration effort in the prior year, and nearly 80% described themselves as participants in formal or informal virtual collaboration efforts.

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VITAL PROFILE

Data for good or data for grabs?

Chris Dean reckons that the ‘Big Brother’ Database could become a white elephant

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HE GOVERNMENT’S plans to help prevent and detect crime and protect national security by introducing a national database under the Communications Bill, to be published in November, has unsurprisingly attracted much criticism from many quarters. The concept of collecting and retaining details of every email, phone call and web page visited in the UK in a national database has forced the Assistant Information Commissioner to describe it as ‘a step too far’, warning that we are ‘sleepwalking into a surveillance society’.

The reasons stated as being behind

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unless a proper balance is struck between privacy and protecting the public and unless the project is handled with due diligence, it could be a disaster the creation of such a database, are, of themselves, understandable (after all there do seem to be some significant threats around in the world and communications are a key to their execution) but unless a proper balance is struck between privacy

and protecting the public and unless the project is handled with due diligence, it could be a disaster in the making.

The Internet has fundamentally enhanced the way we communicate, however on the flip side it has provided criminals with a new avenue to

VITAL PROFILE

the HMRC data disk debacle and the MoD laptop theft, have done the Government no favours in winning public confidence that it could protect the data Brother connotations and further indications of a ‘surveillance society’ are bringing the Government under fire. Some suggest that civil liberties are being removed and an Orwellian era is upon us. However, objections to the database do not stop with calls to protect our civil liberties. The recent high profile lapses in security, for example the HMRC data disk debacle and the MoD laptop theft, have done the Government no favours in winning public confidence that it could protect the data held in such a database. In a data rich world, cyber criminals prey on citizen information held by the Government and very few of us have escaped the media’s reporting of identity theft via lost, stolen and traded information, costing billions of pounds and creating lasting problems for its victims.

It would also be naïve not to question the feasibility and logistical complexities of such a project from an IT perspective. Creating a national database on this scale would require a very large and costly IT project. Fujitsu’s departure from the NHS e-Records project recently illustrated the Government’s poor record of running such IT projects within the agreed timescales and to budget. As well, this is not just a question of implementation; there is also the whole issue of managing the database once it has been created.

Concerns over managing the database converse globally. Keeping track of criminals in this digital world has proved challenging and time consuming. Hence, the motives behind creating a ‘Big Brother’ database are clear. Fighting terrorism by using information collated through a range of electronic media could be a very powerful tool and prove crucial to certain investigations. This will, for the first time, provide law enforcement agencies with on demand, instant access to information that will support their investigations. At the discretion of the courts, the law enforcement agencies will be able to retrieve information from a centralised repository, rather than having to approach hundreds of individual service providers. The time saving benefits in intelligence gathering will be significant.

Proposals under fire Understandably sound in concept, the logistics of the database as well as the Big

Undoubtedly, much time and thought is going into how the Government will handle and manage a database of this scale once it is rolled out. One of the key concerns must be the exponential growth of ‘unstructured’ data. In 2007, 57 billion text messages and 3 billion emails were sent every day. The huge amount of information generated by emails, phone calls and web browsing will make the task of collating and retrieving information on demand almost insurmountable. Unless this project is carefully designed it could become a white elephant, diminishing any benefits it might bring and leaving the service providers as the quicker route to sourcing information.

One of the stumbling blocks will also be the system’s ability to search for data in a variety of ways — a task often complicated by the unstructured nature of the data and a situation that could be exacerbated by the sheer data volumes. Equally challenging are the required timescales for the data retrieval under the

proposals, getting results in time will prove challenging. Data accuracy could also become a fundamental concern, particularly if the data is to be considered in a court of law. Proof of data accuracy will be necessary, as will completeness. Entire email trails will need to be retrieved and recorded, otherwise crucial information may be missed.

Securing the database from unauthorised eyes has generated the most public scrutiny and has excited the greatest concern. The idea that our emails or web surfing habits can be accessed by Government personnel without our knowledge or approval is not a palatable thought for some. Combine this with the lapses in security in the public sector and it is understandable why concerns have been raised. The Government must be able to lock down the database to ensure only authorised personnel can access this information. This is not just to protect citizens’ data, but also to ensure that no piece of data can be changed maliciously. Robust proof that data has not been changed in any way will limit accusations of ‘framing’.

In conclusion The success of the project will rely on the Government coming up with a cost effective way to manage the storage, movement, and retrieval and deletion of data. It must also clearly define the processes by which an employee could be given access to information.

The British public will no doubt be more supportive of the project if the Government can prove just cause before eavesdropping on our every email and mobile phone call.

The challenge will be to build robust security around rules that are not easily codified.

The pressure on the Government to make this project successful will be immense. Despite the project’s scale making the task onerous, the Government must overcome its poor reputation in delivering IT projects on time and within budget. It must also allay concerns about its own and its employees’ fitness to be entrusted with such sensitive and powerful information about the population. And these requirements must not simply be tackled with a PR campaign or spin; only real and demonstrable actions will do. A meticulous design, carefully managed roll out and vigilant safety policies will create success. Anything less and the critics waiting in the wings will have a field day.

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VITAL PLANET

IT, the green engine for business Camilla Dunwell surveys the corporate social responsibility landscape and finds it created and maintained using IT services

M

ANAGERS IN any discipline can hardly fail to be aware of the swelling green tide of practice, legislation and expectation currently sweeping the business world.

But who are the people most involved; the ones at the heart of this corporate social responsibility (CSR) trend? As with so much that has to be implemented today, the people on the front line are service managers and the IT structures that they lead. So how will CSR affect IT and what can IT contribute to the achievement of a responsible business process? It’s mainly about complexity and IT’s ability to handle and communicate large quantities of complex information, to work to strict criteria and to retain records that are, to all intents and purposes, limitless.

Let’s start with the people. There are so many stakeholders involved with a business and while some are people as anybody would recognise them, some are more corporate than corporeal; but they all have to be dealt with in an honest, transparent and ethical manner. From the shareholders who need the information on which to base decisions to buy and retain stock, to the suppliers who need clear orders and prompt payment, there are people and sometimes institutions on whose capital or goods supplied the business relies and they must be dealt with honestly in order for their commitment to continue. While those relationships might once have been maintained using written records communications, it is no longer possible to do that given the volumes of transactions, the need for real time information and the regulations that govern a business’s relationships. Without technology, the honest, transparent and timely provision of information would not be possible.

And then there’s staff and customers. Some might call staff suppliers, selling their labour and skills to the business but the thing that binds staff and customers together is the need for the organisation to retain information about them in a secure manner. It’s not just a need; it’s a legal requirement for a firm to protect the data it holds about its own people and people with whom it conducts business.

And yet, there are also obligations to retain vast volumes of data and to be able to call on records of actions and transactions at any time in the future to demonstrate that the right thing was done, whether it was a step in the disciplinary process or the advice given to a customer. The only medium that can handle

how will CSR affect IT and what can IT contribute to the achievement of a responsible business process the volumes of data involved, provide security and run a modern payroll scheme is IT. At the heart of CSR are ethics, the principles that inform our actions; and while you might think that ethics is a subjective concept, I’m afraid that these days, nothing so simple is the case. Ethics are every bit as prescribed as the way we keep accounts and the regulations require the same levels of knowledge about the business’s ethical position as about its financial standing. It is also necessary for every step in the business process to comply with a plethora of regulations and directives, the omission of any one of which can bring down the whole panoply of enforcement bureaucracy. How to ensure that every ‘i’ is dotted and each ‘t’ is crossed? You must have guessed; IT. When it comes to the environment, how else can you monitor, manage and record the firm’s energy and raw material inputs, and outputs of services, products and waste except by using the technology available?

Again, it’s all prescribed in law, even down to being able to track a product throughout its life and, ultimately, arrange for its safe disposal or recycling.

And these examples are just the simple ones.

A modern business needs a responsibility audit and that will not only encompass the business itself but also the web of relationships that make up the chain of value in which it operates.

Without supply chain management that would not be possible and without IT, supply chain management would really be no more than an informed guess. While storing the vast quantities of data needed to demonstrate responsible behaviour would require vaults the size of small towns if IT based storage was not available.

Corporate social responsibility relies on knowledge and the incorporation of a plethora of regulations and best practice principles into the business process overall and at each stage along the way. That’s why IT really is the green engine for business.

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DIRECTORY

Address Management & Database Solutions CAPSCAN

Grand Union House, 20 Kentish Town Road, London NW1 9BB T: +44 (0)20 7428 1255 F: +44 (0)20 7267 2745 W: www.capscan.com C: Kate Overton, CRM Manager E: enquiries@capscan.com Capscan is a leading supplier of international addressing software and data integrity services. The company’s award-winning solutions enable you to capture, verify and enhance name and address data. They help organisations to lower costs, reduce fraud and improve customer service.

Customer Service & Call Centre Solutions CUSTOMER SERVICE NETWORK

Creative Industries Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton, WV10 9TG T: 01902 311641 F: 01902 311637 W: www.customernet.com C: Chris Walker E: chrisw@customernet.com Customer Service Network are experts in Customer and Employee perception measurement. We work with many of the UK’s leading names to help them better understand what their customers and people want. Contact us to find out how we can help.

EGAIN COMMUNICATIONS

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258 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 4DX T: +44 (0) 1753 464646 F: +44 (0) 1753 464647 W: www.egain.com E: ukinfo@egain.com eGain is a leading provider of customer service and contact centre software.

Over 800 enterprise customers worldwide have relied on eGain to transform their traditional call centres, help desks and web customer service operations into multichannel customer interaction hubs.

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Enterprise Software Configuration Management MKS SYSTEMS LTD

Duke’s Court, Duke Street, Woking, Surrey, GU21 5BH T: 01483 733 900 F: 01483 733901 W: www.mks.com/uk C: Lara Sparkes, Marketing Manager E: lara.sparkes@mks.com Founded in 1984, MKS’s ALM solution and its single architecture, drives high levels of user productivity, facilitates rapid deployment, issue management and process standardisation while delivering a complete view of application development activity through real-time metrics, trends and reporting.

General Training UKCMG

Suite A1, Kebbell House, Carpenders Park, Watford. WD19 5BE T: + 44 (0) 20 8421 5330 F: + 44 (0) 20 8421 5457 W: www.ukcmg.org.uk C: Laura Goss, UKCMG Secretariat E: ukcmg@ukcmg.org.uk UKCMG is an independent, non-profit, user group organisation targeted at improving members’ knowledge, skills and abilities in Capacity Management and related IT service management disciplines.

We achieve this through a combination of events including, a three-day Annual Conference and networking between endusers, consultants & suppliers

Helpdesk Internal/External IBERTEK

ICCM SOLUTIONS

Unit 4 Charlton Business Park, Crudwell Road, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9RU T: + 44 (0) 1666 828 600 F: + 44 (0) 1666 826103 W: www.iccm.co.uk C: Jessica Yeung E: info@iccm.co.uk ICCM supply Service software solutions & ITIL V2 & V3 training and consultancy to over 400 global clients in both the private and public sector. e-Service Desk is PinkVerify™ Service Support Enhanced, proving compatibility and pedigree for organisations seeking to align their business with industry best practice.

HelpDesk Internal/External RICHMOND SYSTEMS

West House, West Street, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 2AB T: +44 (0) 1428 641616 F: +44 (0) 1428 641717 W: www.richmondsupportdesk.com C: Simon Armstrong E: info@richmondsys.com Richmond Systems service management solution, Richmond SupportDesk enables rapid implementation of enterprise wide support based on ITIL® best practices.

Richmond SupportDesk maximise the efficiency of your support operation and raises service levels for internal IT Service Management and Managed Service Provider environments.

Industry Body / Association BCS

Venture House, Arlington Square, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1WA

North Star House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FA

T: F: W: C: E:

T: W: C: E:

01344 742835 01344 742935 www.ibertek.com Nigel Todd Nigel.todd@ibertek.com

IBERTEK specialises in delivering successful ITIL compatible Service Management and complimentary Solutions to organisations of all sizes in all ranges of vertical markets.

+44 (0) 1793 417596 www.bcs.org Suky Kaur Sunner suky.kaursunner@hq.bcs.org.uk

BCS is the leading professional body for those working in IT. We have over 65,000 members in more than 100 countries and are the qualifying body for Chartered IT Professionals (CITP). Please go to www.bcs.org to learn more.

DIRECTORY

IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT FORUM

150 Wharfedale Road, Winnersh Triangle, Wokingham, Berkshire. RG41 5RG T: 0118 918 6503 F: 0118 969 9749 W: www.itsmf.co.uk C: Ben Clacy E: ben.clacy@itsmf.co.uk The itSMF is the only internationally recognised and independent organisation whose sole focus is on the on-going development and promotion of IT Service Management ’best practice‘, standards and qualifications.

The forum has 14,000 UK members and official itSMF chapters in 44 countries.

IT Asset Management BMC SOFTWARE

Assurance House, Vicarage Road, Egham, Surrey. TW20 9JY T: +44 (0) 1784 478 000 F: +44 (0) 1784 430 581 W: www.bmc.com/uk C: Michelle Sunnick E: michelle_sunnick@bmc.com BMC Software is a leading global provider of enterprise management solutions that empower companies to automate their IT and increase its business value. Delivering Business Service Management, BMC solutions span enterprise systems, applications, databases and service management.

IT Service Management Consultants FGI

Warwick Innovation Centre, Warwick Technology Park, Gallows Hill, Warwick, Warwickshire, CV34 6UW T: +44 (0) 1926 405 777 F: +44 (0) 1926 405 778 W: www.fgiltd.co.uk C: Jayne Neal, Sales Manager E: jayne@fgiltd.co.uk FGI are leading suppliers of ITIL®, PRINCE2™ and ISO20000 training and consultancy. Our dedication to these core competencies allow us to provide the highest quality service. We work with your organisation to understand and develop the most effective training programmes.

IT Service Management Consultants ICORE

IT Service Management Consulting Training CONNECTSPHERE

60 Lombard Street, London. EC3V 9EA T: +44 (0) 207 464 8414 F: +44 (0) 207 464 8888 W: www.icore-ltd.com C: Jane Tweddle — iCore Sales & Marketing Director E: info@icore-ltd.com The UK’s largest independent service management consultancy, this year iCore celebrates ten years in operation. Our services include maturity assessment, process design and development, service improvement and more. iCore has consultants who are fully qualified in ITIL, COBIT, ISO20000 and PRINCE2.

Business and Technology Centre, Bessemer Drive, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2DX T: +44 (0)845 838 2345 F: +44 (0) 845 838 2346 W: www.connectsphere.com C: Shirley Lacy E: shirley.lacy@connectsphere.com ConnectSphere has a great track record in delivering in successful service improvement programmes that deliver value. Let ConnectSphere help you to plan and apply ISO 20000 and ITIL service management practices using our assessment, consultancy, implementation and training services.

PINK ELEPHANT

G2G3

Atlantic House, Imperial Way, Reading. RG2 0TD

Panama House, 14 The High Street, Lasswade, EH18 1ND T: + 44 (0) 131 461 3333 F: + 44 (0) 131 663 8934 W: www.g2g3.com C: David Arrowsmith E: info@g2g3.com

T: F: W: C: E:

+ 44 (0) 118 903 6824 + 44 (0) 118 903 6282 www.pinkelephant.com Frances Fenn info.emea@pinkelephant.com

Acknowledged worldwide as niche, independent, IT Service Management Education and Consulting providers.

Having trained more people than any other company in ITIL related subjects since 1987, we have contributed to all 3 versions of the ITIL books.

WARDOWN CONSULTING

Prudence Place, Proctor Way, Luton, Bedfordshire. LU2 9PE T: F: W: C: E:

01582 488242 01582 488343 www.wardownconsulting.co.uk Rosemary Gurney rosemary.gurney@wardownconsulting.co.uk

Wardown Consulting was established to help businesses capitalise from the substantial benefits that IT Service Management can deliver. Our consultants boast a wealth of industry experience and are accredited to deliver ITIL v2 and v3 training.

G2G3 is the leading provider of communication tools, gaming solutions and simulations that propel enterprise IT and business alignment. Headquartered in the UK, G2G3 has a strong global network of partners supporting the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

IT Service Management Consultants KEPNER-TREGOE

Quayside House, Thames Side, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1QN T: +44 (0) 1753 856716 F: +44 (0) 1753 854929 W: www.kepner-tregoe.com C: Steve White E: swhite@kepner-tregoe.com Kepner-Tregoe provides consulting and training services to organizations worldwide. We collaborate with clients to implement their strategies by embedding problem-solving, decision-making, and project execution methods through individual and team skill development and process improvement. Clients build competitive advantage by using our systematic processes to achieve rapid, targeted results and create lasting value.

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DIRECTORY

IT Service Management Systems EMC

HORNBILL SYSTEMS

IXIF LIMITED

Tower, Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9AN, UK T: +44 (0)208 758 6750 F: +44 (0)208 758 6751 W: http://uk.emc.com/smarts/itil C: Suhela Dighe, Marketing Director E: EMCsmartsEMEA@emc.com As part of EMC’s Resource Management solutions, EMC Smarts for ITIL process automation and CMDB strategy empower customers to roll out their ITIL initiatives with minimum risk, automatically populate their CMDB with real-time information on Network, Server and Application resources.

Ares, Odyssey Business Park, West End Road, Ruislip, HA4 6QD T: 020 8582 8282 F: 020 8582 8288 W: www.hornbill.com C: Sales E: info@hornbill.com Supportworks’ Enterprise Support Platform (ESP) provides a fully integrated platform for automating and managing Service Management related processes.

Supportworks ESP is the foundation of Hornbill’s ITIL, Helpdesk, Customer, HR and Industry Support solutions.

Supportworks ITSM is certified Pink Verify Enhanced.

Connect House, 21 Willow Lane, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 4NA

EPICOR

HOUSE-ON-THE-HILL SOFTWARE

NETSUPPORT SOFTWARE

: 1 The Arena, Downshire Way, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG21 1PU T: 0800 3161155 F: 01344 468020 W: www.epicor.com C: Rachel Barber-Kebby E: Euromarketing@epicor.com With over 20 years experience and 15,000 customers, Epicor is a leading provider of ITSM Solutions.

Epicor ITSM provides a robust set of service management features that supports the key IT processes outlined by the ITIL.

127 Stockport Rd, Marple, Cheshire SK6 6AF T: +44 (0) 161 449 7057 F: +44 (0) 161 449 7122 W: www.houseonthehill.com C: Tim Roche E: info@houseonthehill.com Specialists in providing comprehensive solutions for any size business on time, in budget and uniquely tailored to your needs, House-on-the-Hill produces SupportDesk; the most flexible service management solution on the market. House-on-the-Hill provides comprehensive solutions for over 500 businesses worldwide.

Towngate East, Market Deeping, Peterborough, PE6 8NE

FRONTRANGE SOLUTIONS

INFRA CORPORATION

TESSERACT

Connaught House, Portsmouth Road, Send, Surrey GU23 7JY T: +44 (0) 148 321 3200 F: +44 (0) 148 321 3201 W: www.infra.co.uk C: Lindsay Potter E: Lindsay.potter@infra.co.ukm Infra is the international developer of 100% web-based ITSM solution infraEnterprise - including Incident, Problem, Change, Configuration, Release, Availability and Service Level Management. infraEnterprise supports industry best practice methodology such as ITIL and KCS, delivering best value for comparative depth of functionality.

1 Newmans Row, Lincoln Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP12 3RE T: +44 (0) 1494 465066 F: +44 (0) 1494 464756 W: www.tesseract.co.uk C: Mark Montgomery E: websales@tesseract.co.uk With over 20 years experience, Tesseract’s Service Centre manages field service operations in over 350 companies worldwide. Service Centre is a leading browser based system and can be accessed entirely across the web.

Increasing flexibility enables Service Centre to be hosted, decreasing IT hardware and maintenance costs.

T: F: W: C: E:

020 8274 3359 020 8274 3393 www.ixif.net Royston Adamson-Green rag@ixif.net

IXIF’s MidGuard is a critical component within the ITIL framework Best Practice for Service Delivery and Service Level Agreement reporting.

IXIF is also a Jacarta Platinum Reseller for environmental monitoring products, essential for lowering your carbon footprint in the Datacentre.

T: F: W: C: E:

+44 (0) 1778 382270 +44 (0) 1778 382280 www.netsupportsoftware.co.uk Colette Reed colette@netsupportsoftware.co.uk

NetSupport are developers of desktop management and remote control software packages. The product range comprises NetSupport Manager Remote Control, NetSupport DNA Helpdesk (providing a web-based ITIL-compliant helpdesk), NetSupport DNA Asset Management Suite and NetSupport Protect desktop security and recovery.

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100 Longwater Avenue, GreenPark, Reading, RG2 6GP T: +44 (0)870 401 7300 F: +44 (0)870 401 7301 W: www.frontrange.co.uk C: Chantelle Mearing E: chantelle.mearing@frontrange.com With over 8500 customers worldwide, FrontRange are the leading provider of consolidated IT Service solutions, including: • HEAT Service & Support — Award-winning Incident Management & Helpdesk Automation • FrontRange ITSM — Fully integrated, scalable, ITIL aligned IT Service & Infrastructure Management.

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DIRECTORY

TOUCHPAPER SOFTWARE

CUSTOMER MAGAZINE

Dukes Court, Duke Street, Woking, Surrey GU21 5RT T: +44 (0) 1483 744444 F: +44(0) 1483 744401 W: www.touchpaper.com C: Louisa Maguire E: intouch@touchpaper.com With over 20 years’ experience, Touchpaper is one of the most established international providers of IT Business Management (ITBM) solutions (covering IT Service Management, Customer Service Solutions and Network & Systems Management). Touchpaper serves 1,800 customers and 3 million users.

31 Media, Crawley Business Centre, Stephenson Way, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1TN T: +44 (0) 870 863 6930 F: +44 (0) 870 085 8837 W: www.31media.co.uk C: Grant Farrell E: grant.farrell@31media.co.uk Customer is a UK based magazine for senior professionals who are committed to ensuring their businesses are totally customer centric. With a pragmatic editorial approach Customer aims to bring clarity and vision to a sector that has become increasingly complex.

IT Support Training STI

Qualifications and Accreditations AIM ACADEMY

Recruitment BALE IT SERVICES

Wincombe Business Centre, Shaftesbury, Dorset. SP7 9QJ T: W: C: E:

0845 680 2253 www.baleit.co.uk Wayne Bale wayne.bale@baleit.co.uk

We specialise in your IT Service Management Permanent and Contract recruitment requirements. We have distinctive differentiators for both Candidates and Clients alike setting us apart from other agencies. Please contact us now to discuss your requirements.

Advertiser index Customer Magazine.......................11

Lewes Enterprise Centre, 112 Malling St, Lewes, E Sussex, BN7 2RJ T: F: W: C: E:

01273 890922 01273 890513 www.sti-ltd.co.uk John Fahey enquiries@sti-ltd.co.uk

STI has been presenting Helpdesk courses since 1989. They are the longest established in the UK and probably Europe. We present at 7 UK public venues and frequently on-site. We are also an Authorised Training Partner for Help Desk Institute.

Station House, Stamford New Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 1EP T: 0161 942 2121 F: 0161 941 4873 W: www.aimacademy.com C: Paul Flanagan E: paul.flanagan@aimacademy.com Aim Academy specialises in accredited training in: Prince2, ITIL, APMP, MSP. We are committed to offering the highest quality end to end service with courses delivered by experienced practitioners. Whatever your needs we can make your learning enjoyable and successful.

Publications, Events, Conferences VITAL FOCUS GROUPS

FGI....................................................47 G2G3................................................58 Helpstar...........................................34 Hornbill.................Inside Front Cover ICCM.................................................55 Infra..................................................09 Infravision........................................25

ISEB

itSMF................................................65 MKS .................................................04 31 Media, Crawley Business Centre, Stephenson Way, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1TN T: +44 (0) 870 863 6930 F: +44 (0) 870 085 8837 W: www.31media.co.uk C: Grant Farrell E: grant.farrell@31media.co.uk The VitAL Focus Groups are peer to peer discussion forums that take place at regular intervals throughout the year and provide a solid platform for senior IT professionals to discuss, debate, and hopefully resolve some of their key challenges.

Block D, North Star House, North Star Avenue, Swindon. SN2 1FA T: +44 (0) 1793 417530 F: +44 (0) 1793 417570 W: www.iseb-exams.com C: Stephen Daniels E: Qualsmarketing@hq.bcs.org.uk ISEB is a worldwide IT exam body.

ISEB have provided 165,000 exams in the last 3 years to IT Professionals worldwide, covering eight major subject areas including ITIL, Software Testing, Business Analysis, Project Management, Systems Development and IT Law.

Netsupport......................................17 Pink Elephant...................Back Cover Subscriptons...................................06 The Stationary Office .....................28 UKCMG ............................................39 Wardown Consulting.....................12 May / June 2008 : VitAL

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VITAL ENDING

CEO, CFO, COO... and now SEO?

Being there is not enough, says Glyn, you’ve got to be seen and that’s a job in itself

A

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NEW job has been appearing in the recruitment pages — that of Search Engine Optimiser. Internet marketing is now big business so Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay per Click (PPC) take up plenty of blog and web space — and with a combined UK revenue of around £2.2bn, advocates for both camps have a lot to fight over.

“But what the ***** is it good for?”

This may be a quote from an IBM engineer talking about the microchip back in 1968, but it could just as easily be a modern day warning to anyone ignoring the growth in Search Engine Marketing (SEM). At £1.97bn, the paid search market has by far the lion’s share, but spend on optimisation is growing at a faster rate.

While Optimisation works on that elusive top of page ranking, Pay per Click removes

VitAL : July / August 2008

some of the guesswork in driving people to your website by making sure you are clearly advertised on the search pages. The downside is that research shows that users are more likely to focus on the ‘free’ listings than the more obviously sponsored ones, which could account for the significant growth in SEO in recent months.

users are more likely to focus on the ‘free’ listings than the more obviously sponsored ones, which could account for the significant growth in SEO

Ranking vs. Advertising SEO demands intelligent use of keywords if your prospects are to find you for the right reasons (there is little to be gained from high traffic flow if there is nothing of interest once there). This means you need to understand what terms your prospects are likely to use when searching for products like yours. Too vague or commonplace and your name won’t dent the big guns’ rankings, too specific and you may rank highly but many people will miss you altogether.

By contrast, fans of PPC like the control they have over placing their sponsored link. But both methods gain over more traditional marketing when it comes to accountability, in other words ‘I spend (£x) per month and get (y) number of hits, of which (z) enquiries become orders’. The downside is that it is clearly positioned as an advert and often overlooked as such.

But one thing that SEO and PPC have in common is how they can devour marketing budgets, with some larger consumer focused companies spending as much as £50k each month to raise their Internet presence.

Whichever your preference, SEM is becoming as important to B2B vendors as for B2C and, like the microchip, is going to be around for quite a while.

x ~{ { x{ | ~{ { x{ The only internationally recognised and independent organisation dedicated to IT Service Management. It is a non-profit-making organisation wholly owned and principally operated by the members. itSMF is global with chapters around the world, giving members access to a network of industry experts and peers all ready to exchange ideas and experiences to avoid duplicating mistakes and improve service management.

Regular regional meetings and an Annual Conference & Exhibition plus web-based facilities combine to provide a rich and rewarding learning experience. Plus there are huge savings to be made when purchasing best practice materials.

The itSMF benefits IT service professionals at all levels within an organisation. It provides the latest industry information, facilitates knowledge sharing and helps members during every phase of the IT

helping develop & promote best practice & standards in IT Service Management

Tel: +44 (0) 118 918 6500 Fax: +44 (0) 118 969 9749 Or visit our website

www.itsmf.co.uk

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