IT Service Level Transformation –

From a lack of transparency to controllable service quality in IT service management!

As part of the project, an internationally active industrial company with more than 6,000 employees across more than 100 locations in over 40 countries professionalised its IT service management. This was set against the backdrop of a comprehensive realignment of the IT organisation's Target Operating Model. 

Challenge

• No transparency on response and resolution times: service quality could neither be objectively assessed nor specifically improved
• No unified, market-appropriate SLA/OLA standards
• ITSM processes with no tool support; communication conducted exclusively via email
• Unclear responsibilities between the ITSM teams
• Service descriptions only partially available, technically framed, and barely comprehensible to end users

Holistic Solution: Four-Stage Approach Model

From developing the target vision to company-wide rollout: a deliberately chosen pilot area (IT Workplace) validated the approach before it was scaled to other IT areas.

• Target vision & analysis: Together with the IT steering committee, the target vision for the ITSM organisation was developed. The existing service landscape was systematically captured and benchmarked against market standards, with a focus on service offerings, customers, responsibilities, reporting, and processes.
• Solution concept: Together with the core team, service offerings and the associated SLAs and OLAs were defined. Key element: concrete response and resolution times per task that are acceptable from the customer's perspective, derived from internal OLAs per service action.
• Implementation: Final alignment of SLAs and OLAs with the responsible business units and IT management, company-wide communication of the binding target figures, and establishment of SLA reporting for ongoing governance.
• Company-wide rollout: Transfer of the approach to further IT areas (e.g., Security), along with support for cross-functional IT governance via the established SLA reporting.

Benefits for the Customer

Outlook

The methodology developed in the pilot area has proven practical and has long since grown beyond its original use case: four additional service areas, including IT Security, were professionalized following the same approach. Going forward, further automation of SLA reporting is planned, as well as the introduction of a coordinated penalty concept for non-compliance with SLAs and OLAs.