Standard + Case: A visual primer

Standard + Case is a new approach by Rob England, bringing Case Management discipline to Service Management. It is not restricted to IT work service response and allows people to concentrate on what really matters.

A visual primer follows.

For well known, business as usual, responses, you use Standard.

For exceptions and complicated, complex responses we will need a Case. We can certify Case workers.

Most of organizations deal with standard responses and invoke case only if needed.

Standard + Case work together for all responses. Sometimes cases become standard.

Plus! The Standard+Case Approach (book review)

Plus! The Standard + Case Approach: see service response in a new light is a fast, complete and clean read introducing Standard + Case approach by Rob England. It applies to any kind of service response, not only IT.

Standard + Case brings Case Management approach discipline to Service Management. Because the world is not standardized.

It covers basics, practices, knowledge management, metrics, people competencies and clearly defines what is Standard (business as usual) and what is a Case (unexpected situation to resolve, probably never dealt with before – a potential future Standard candidate).

I like the small, though quite readable, introductions to topics one usually can’t  easily reference in the context of service management books, like the art of making and using checklists and organizational change management.

The book format (size and paper bound)  is perfect for having near by on top of your desk and needs no book spine title (Rob dixit it, really. I kid you not).

Disclaimer (fair play by keeping this post text only): No mushrooms were hurt during the writing of this post.

Staring at Venus late afternoon – from PMO to SMO

Staring at Venus late afternoon

A though provoking post from Rob on Service Management Office (SMO) prompted me to thinking about what is essential to establish a SMO, a professional office dedicated to “doing the right things and doing them right” in IT.

An SMO is…

• a function – dedicated part of the organization
• fully competent – acting and seen as source of expertise on Service Management
• an adviser – more than a policy maker
• an owner of knowledge – making sure the organization is educated and up to date on practices and tools
• measuring – defining, collecting and reporting on metrics for services. Also measuring underlying processes.
• managing stakeholders – top management, CIO, process and service owners

An SMO might be:

• a shared service – with a Project Management Office (PMO) the organization may have specialized PMOs covering projects only for part of the organization. I think that if we have an SMO supporting IT then it is not shared. It it supports Service beyond IT castle, then it is shared
• extending a PMO – with a mature Project Management Office in place, beyond maintaining Service Management disciplines, projects in this area and subcontracting parts of service can be supported by scaling existing people and resources
• a quality assurer  – verifying and evaluating how service is being delivered. Sometimes there’s already a function for this

[Like Peter Drucker used to do when dealing with a new subject, it’s helpful defining what is NOT an SMO. He did not say it was easy :)]

An SMO is not:

• a PMO – sure can work with one. We have Service Management projects, but SMO is not meant for projects
• a transferable competence – outsourcing this competence makes top management and business alignment hard. In such a scenario then way not outsourcing IT altogether and maintain controlling capabilities on our side?
• a bunch of people under different organizational functions
• for all – a business case should ensure this additional structure brings more value than its costs (thinking on small organizations)

An SMO, like Venus chasing the Sun, can follow right behind a PMO. Or be a star on its own.

Sources:

Project Management Office – Role, Function & Benefits , by Maria Erland

The Value of the Project Management Office, CA’s take on PMOs based upon a survey

100th

Seth has written more than 5000 posts ranging from great to… remarkable 🙂

To get a more specific perspective, Rob England said not long ago we wrote more than 1100 posts…

I have now reached my hundredth post.

Humbling.

Life is short. I do what I want: Draw, share, explain for you.

Obrigado.

Thank you.

Gracias.

Merci.

Kiitos Paljon.

Terima Kasih.

You guys and gals rock.