Just trying an agile ITIL Manifesto

ITIL is a synonym for bureaucratic and complex processes and forms, slow and bad service. In a few words the opposite of is what is needed to run agile organization and satisfy agile minded developer and satisfy their customer. So lets try to use the agile manifesto to be adapted for ITIL, how would it be like….

Satisfy the customer through quick and continuous delivery of small changes
Business people, developers and support must work together daily
Build simplified process around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and knowledge they need, and trust them to get the job done
The most efficient and effective method of solving problems to and within a support team is conversation
Speed of changes is the primary measure of success
Simplified and automated processes promote sustainable service deliver
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good practices enhances agility
The best quickest and service emerge from self-organizing teams
The team reflects on how to become more effective

Keeping this manifest in mind this ITIL overview is looking in general useful but unbalanced. In an agile word doing things is more important than planning things. So strategy, design and transition are still needed but need to be massive simplified. Everyone must easily understand them.

  • The strategy is needed as a vision for all team members to go in the same direction. It’s supporting people not the other way around
  • Service need to be designed of cause, but for example in cloud environments capacity management is just a slider to be moved. Again, massive simplification is needed to speed up the service implementation.
  • Service Transition need to be highly automated. There is no need of service boards reviewing test strategies and test cycles. In an agile word transition is a highly frequented motorway.
  • Service operations including all the functions like service desk and application management, technical management and operations is getting much more important. Here are the motivated people to build processes around.
  • Continuous service improvement must be part of all operational processes. That’s the key driver for excellence.

    • To summaries the shift of attention in an agile world in one sentence (Simplify). An integrated service delivery and improvement is the Core on top of a highly automated transition.

    This approach reminds very much on DevOps, which is not really a surprise if you enter the a higher level of complexity. One very importance remark can be done, looking at the cynefin model. In the simple and complicated domain best practice has an important value to find the right way. In complex environments best practice has only the value of a source for inspiration. Every solution has a part of novelty inside. So better don’t call in ITIL and use it only as a part of inspiration, otherwise misunderstandings are very likely 🙂