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Effective service management is crucial for maintaining operational excellence and ensuring customer satisfaction – just ask Corey Donovan, Director of Service Operational Excellence at Indiana University’s Global Network Operations Center (GlobalNOC).
I had the opportunity to sit with Corey as part of a recent webinar that explored the transformative power of ITIL® 4 Foundations training in enhancing IT service management. As part of the session, we talked about actionable strategies that can elevate your IT service management function and support team capabilities.
Here are some of my key takeaways from the session:
- ITIL can be a powerful tool to establish a common language for your IT team, fostering better collaboration and efficiency.
- Leadership buy-in is extremely important; Corey shared some effective ways to secure organizational support for ITIL, including a training budget.
- Everyone is busy, so flexible training delivery methods that accommodate demanding schedules without disrupting operations need to be a key consideration in training.
- And finally, the most successful training programs within any organization are those that build a culture of continuous improvement and professional development.
Are you interested in uncovering valuable insights and practical tips on leveraging ITIL training to create a common language and improve IT service management in your organization?
Why ITIL?
Corey helped us kick off the webinar by sharing some insight into Indiana University’s GlobalNOC: “We provide managed services for network operations support, serving a diverse range of customers globally. With a team of 45 people dedicated to front-line tier one support, our goal is to deliver the best quality service at the best price. One of the critical challenges we faced was how to effectively manage change within our operations.”
GlobalNOC had evaluated and tried other frameworks and methodologies, but found many to be too restrictive for their IT support environment. ITIL® (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) stood out as it offers a flexible framework that serves as a guide on what to consider when implementing changes, rather than dictating specific actions.
“It’s an approach which aligns well with our dynamic operations at GlobalNOC,” he said.
Building Expertise with ITIL
Although the GlobalNOC service desk team is comprised of many ITIL experts, they recognized the need to deepen their ITIL experience. So, they embarked on an Instructor-Led Training (ILT) program to enhance the team’s skills.
A key goal was to to standardize communication across 35 disparate networks. Corey presented the case to the organization’s leadership council, comprised of managers and directors, and emphasized the long-term benefits of ITIL training.
He confirmed, “The council understood our vision and approved the initiative.”
Choosing ILT for Training
“We opted for ILT because we believe in leveraging experts to deliver the best results,” he said. “With 45 staff members to train, partnering with experienced trainers ensured regular, high-quality sessions. We had previously worked with Skillsoft Global Knowledge and decided to collaborate with them again.”
The ILT sessions enabled rapid upskilling, bringing everyone onto the same page. The private training format allowed the GlobalNOC team to learn collaboratively, making connections and sharing insights.
“While private training might seem expensive, we found it to be cost-effective for larger groups. The savings justified the investment, and the impact on our operations was significant.”
The Impacts of ITIL
One of the most profound impacts of ITIL training was the creation of a common language within GlobalNOC which had been a key goal for the project. Misunderstandings were reduced, as specific terms now had a consistent meaning throughout the organization. This improved the documentation process and standardized support across all clients.
Not to mention, the team benefitted from an opportunity for continuous improvement through professional development. Corey said, “We want to help our staff grow into their desired roles. Continuous improvement is a core principle at GlobalNOC, and ITIL training was just the beginning.”
Today, GlobalNOC continues to encourage the team to pursue further certifications and training, fostering a culture of growth and learning.
Overcoming Challenges
Implementing ITIL was not without challenges. Corey confided, “We underestimated the preparation required for the training sessions and struggled to maintain operations while staff attended training.”
Breaking old habits and using new terminology was difficult, but persistence paid off as skeptics became converts.
“Importantly, we learned that we can’t boil the ocean. We learned the importance of starting small and focusing on incremental improvements. Attempting to overhaul everything at once led to burnout. Instead, we chose specific areas to improve and built on those successes.”
Audience Insights: Is Implementation Worth It?
During the interactive webinar, we asked attendees to answer a couple of questions about their own experiences with ITIL.
First, we asked them why they would consider ITIL implementation. And while there were a variety of responses, an overwhelming 75% of respondents said it was to streamline and standardize IT processes, leading to greater efficiency, reduced costs, and minimized downtime. This was a key objective for GlobalNOC and one they feel they largely realized. More than 16% of respondents said they would choose ITIL to ensure IT services directly support business objectives.
Next, we asked the audience what their biggest challenges were in implementing ITIL. More than 58% cited insufficient training and expertise. Other challenges included process silos and poor communications (33.3%) and misalignment with business objectives (8.3%).
Yet, implementation is worth it. While measuring the impact of ITIL can be challenging due to its integration into daily operations, GlobalNOC observed improved response times and reduced employee turnover rates – from 20% per year to around ten percent.
“ITIL has helped us create consistency and a common language within our team,” said Corey. “For anyone looking to build a robust framework, ITIL is a valuable tool. Start small, commit fully, and watch your team grow into the best versions of themselves.”
Watch the 30-minute webinar to garner additional tips.