University of CopenhagenEffective implementation of ITIL

Koncern-it is the University of Copenhagen’s joint IT unit, supplying more than 37,000 students and more than 8,200 FTEs (the number of employees is significantly larger) with a number of central IT services. The challenge of Koncern-it was to create clear roles and responsibilities in processes in order to free time and energy for focusing on delivering customer value.

Koncern-it deals with strategy, guidance, development, operations and maintenance of own and standard applications and (in-house and outsourced) services.

Strategic challenge

The challenge of Koncern-it was to create clear roles and responsibilities in processes in order to free time and energy for focusing on delivering customer value. It was widely believed that too many resources were used in areas that did not contribute to delivering customer value.

The process

One of the key elements in rising to this challenge was to establish a shared perception of processes, including ownership, process language and treatment.

Koncern-it decided to perform a staged implementation of relevant ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) processes. Implement Consulting Group’s task was to facilitate the process, including focusing on giving Koncern-it the responsibility for the processes and the anchoring thereof to the greatest possible extent. The cooperation was named ”Zatopek II” (inspired by the legendary Czechoslovak runner Emile Zatopek).

The processes on which Koncern-it chose to focus were the user- and customer-oriented ones in the first phase of the ITIL implementation as these could very likely be realised with the largest value. In connection with design and implementation of these processes, various tools from the Lean toolbox were used without, however, using Lean as the organising element.

Throughout the project, focus was on involving Koncern-it to the greatest possible extent in order for them to be able to keep the processes alive and develop these in future. In order to ensure the support of the processes, various activities have been initiated with the purpose of supporting process owners and participants in performing continuous improvements of the designed processes.

Result

Over a period of six months, Koncern-it has experienced the following effects:

Process effects:

• There is now a process board which ensures focus and systematics in relation to improvement of processes
• Incidents and changes are treated systematically

Organisational effects:

• Koncern-it experiences a shared positive attitude towards ITIL as the way of operating
• The process work is carried out in a uniform manner across process areas
• Koncern-it has become more focused and mature in their understanding of IT Service Management
• By means of the common language, a basis has now been created for a structured and uniform approach to IT service and process improvements.