IT Service Optimization (ITSO) Process
ITSO follows a logical process of planning and provisioning for IT services, managing the performance of those services and adapting to changes along the way.
- Understand business objectives
ITSO begins with an understanding of business objectives and the priority of the objectives. This enables IT to align with business priorities and determine where time is best spent.
- Prioritize services and assess risk levels
Prioritizing IT services helps IT focus attention and resources where they are most needed in order to generate business value. Business-critical services should receive more attention and planning to minimize risks and ensure consistent delivery of those services.
- Establish service levels
IT and the business units must agree upon service-level objectives. A good service definition aids communication and ensures that expectations are in line with reality.
- Plan and provision services
Proper planning, testing and provisioning ensure optimal performance once the service is launched, while controlling costs through optimized resource utilization. Pre-deployment scalability testing is important to understanding how services will perform under varying demands.
- Manage service performance
After the service is launched, performance management tools and techniques ensure service levels are met and reported on an ongoing basis. Services are monitored and problems are detected and resolved before service-level requirements are jeopardized.
- There is NO step six!
However, it is very important to revisit steps one through five routinely for ongoing performance and capacity management; many variables that affect services are in constant flux.
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