Pragmatic use of standards and frameworks
We offer a range of services relating to standards, frameworks and best practice guidance, and our input can be tailored to meet your specific needs. Three of the most commonly useful – ISO/IEC20000, ITIL and SFIA – are assessed briefly below, but we can also provide guidance on many other useful frameworks, including CMMI, COBIT and others.
It's important to use the right tool, in the right way
The various standards, best practice frameworks and guidance all need to be used appropriately rather than just implemented straight from the book. There is a tendency to focus on the guidance/framework (e.g. ITIL) rather than on the job that needs to be done and the required business objectives/outcomes.
ITIL is a good example. Many organisations say that they are implementing ITIL, whereas they should instead be using ITIL as one of many potential tools that could help them to achieve specific outcomes and benefits.
ITIL was designed to be used in an “adopt and adapt” way, so that you use the elements that are useful and adapt them to suit your unique situation, but ignore elements that are not helpful. Just because you have a certain tool in your toolkit doesn’t mean you have to use it on every job.