Topic: Service Improvement Programs (SIP)

Question:

I'm currently setting up the Continuous Service Improvement Programme (CSIP) according to ITIL guidance, and will be looking to integrate the Service Improvement Plans (SIP's) in the future. Have you any tips on making this as smooth as possible and things I need to be looking out for - both positive and negative.

Thanks

Mandy

Response:

Hi Mandy, thanks for this question, its a good one!

The ability to execute a Service Improvement Program (SIP) depends on several ITSM processes being in place and at a sufficient level of capability to support the effort.

Similarly, a Continuous Service Improvement Program (CSIP) requires that the Problem, Availability and Service Level Management (SLM) processes be in place and that periodic reviews of service level achievements be part of the normal review activity for each Service Level Agreement (SLA) in effect.

IT can initiate a SIP to improve service to meet current or changing business/IT capability requirements, or to correct a chronic breach of SLA targets. The former is normally dealt with via the activities of the Availability Management process, and the latter via the Problem Management process. In both cases, closely integrating both Availability and Problem management will result in faster resolution of the systemic infrastructure errors causing the service shortfall.

Tips:

  1. Issue a clear policy stating the intent, management support and overall guidance for an SIP, specific to the SLA.
  2. Clearly identify process integration points, and document process inputs and outputs required to support an SIP:
    1. SLM
    2. Problem
    3. Availability.
  3. Establish Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) among the respective process owners and technical functional groups to ensure consistency in handling and prioritizing SIP initiatives.
  4. Review Critical Success Factors and Key Performance Indicators (CSF/KPIs) for the respective processes involved to ensure you are able to identify the proper metrics and are capturing, reporting and reviewing the appropriate data.
  5. Identify specific SIP-related activities in the relevant roles of the respective process staff members.

Thanks again, and I hope this helps -- David Nichols