Maturity is a measure of an organisation’s ability to deliver predictable outcomes, including on-time delivery, productivity, quality, compliance, and customer satisfaction. Crucially, it has a proven link to organisational success. The higher your level of maturity, the more likely you are to achieve your service management and organisational objectives.
Members often ask us about benchmarking to determine how their ITSM maturity compares with that of similar organisations. This topic is regularly discussed on member forums and was recently flagged as a priority by our own Leadership Council.
Axelos recently launched their ITIL Maturity Model platform; and itSMF UK – in our new role as an Axelos Consulting Partner (as required in order to use the platform) – are pleased to be able to offer an assessment service to members based on this Model.
By providing this service we will be able to help our member organisations understand clearly where they need to focus in improving their overall level of maturity. And over time the anonymised data we collect from these assessments, in addition to the benchmarking data Axelos publishes, will allow organisations to see how they compare with their peers.
Why an ITIL Maturity Model?
Over the last 30 years ITIL has established itself as the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world, and the ITIL Maturity Model has been developed by Axelos in response to popular demand for a service management-focused assessment.
Unlike some similar services, the assessment looks at more than just process. Instead, it looks across the entire service management system, exploring the interactions between practices, tools, management information and the competency of key personnel to give a truly objective and integrated picture.
Although the ITIL Maturity Model is based on the architecture and concepts of ITIL 4, it is NOT designed to assess the extent or success of implementation of the ITIL guidance. Both practices and service value system (governance structure and management system) components can be assessed in organisations that have been developing their service management capabilities and management systems using any relevant guidance and sources of good practice.
How does it work?
A certified assessor will work with you to:
- Identify the appropriate level of assessment
- Scope the project and plan the interview schedule
- Conduct the interviews and review supporting documentation
- Draft your customised report
- Present final report to key stakeholders and discuss your future roadmap.
Members can choose whether to focus on a Capability Assessment for service management, which looks at a choice of 34 management practices, or a Maturity Assessment that includes your service value system (SVS).
If you opt for the Maturity Assessment, you can choose between a High-level Maturity Assessment with up to 6 practices (including Continual Improvement) + SVS or, for the most holistic picture, members may wish to undertake a Comprehensive Assessment based on 7 or more practices (including Continual Improvement) + SVS. It’s all designed to provide a service management improvement roadmap that helps you prioritise activities and resources.
Assessment Scope
There are many ways to scope the assessment so that it reflects the organisational context and objectives; organisations should adopt an approach which meets their requirements and is directly applicable to them.
To support the process of scoping maturity assessments, however, an objectives based cascade model can be utilised to support constructive discussion around such scoping. Objective-driven scoping is based on the predefined set of generic objectives an organisation might pursue. These objectives are grouped into four areas of strategic focus which are closely related to each other and typically require the same or overlapping sets of capabilities.
Each objective is mapped to a set of primary and supporting practices. Primary practices are directly involved and necessary to achieve the objectives of the SVS in the scope of assessment. Supporting practices are needed for the primary practices to effectively achieve their objectives and to function at the higher capability levels.
However, the final scope is always on the member organisation’s/assessor’s side. For example, if certain functions and practices are outsourced, it is acceptable that they might be excluded from the scope of assessment.
Outputs and certification
The assessor will prepare a formal report identifying where you currently sit on an increasing scale of maturity, and will also advise on what you need to do to build in additional resilience and progress to the next level of maturity (where improved quality and reduced risk await).
A maturity level certificate is also available, issued by Axelos for an additional fee, for comprehensive assessments including seven or more practices. The number and list of the practices is explicitly stated on the certificate.
This independent verification can really help member organisations differentiate themselves when responding to proposal requests and bids. Certificates are valid for a 3-year period and subject to annual surveillance to either maintain or change the maturity level.
Further Information
For more information please contact the office via [email protected] or +44 (0) 118 918 6500.
