According to IDC’s 2015 report, the overall spending in the ICT sector will reach USD 3.8 trillion. The major chunk of this spending will go into the third platform technologies such as cloud, mobile, social, and big data solutions.
This steep growth has resulted in IT service providers turning to Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) for its framework and best practice guidance, to control and monitor IT services for providing a quality output that matches customers’ expectations.
ITIL enables enterprises to use IT services to provide value to their customers, and at the same time eliminate unambiguous costs and risks.
A recent report by Forrester concluded that 52% of the ITSM (IT Service Management) improvement programs fail due to some or the other internal barriers or resistance to change in the organization. These failures have caused monetary loss and increased business risks.
Below are some of the barriers to ITIL adoption in organizations and the solutions to them.
6 Biggest Barriers to ITIL Adoption
1. Resistance of Senior Management
Be it an organization or your home, nothing can move unless the head or senior management agrees to it. In several enterprises, senior management is not adaptive to change. The managers who nod their head for a “Yes”, would mean a “No”.
Senior management must be explained the benefits of ITIL by ITSM managers in terms of the change that will be seen in the enterprise post-implementation. Once their approval is gained, top management should be committed and should analyze the results on a timely basis, rather than getting frustrated if results do not show up quickly.
2. Misconception About ITIL
Some believe that ITIL is conceptual and should what is written in the books must be followed to a ‘T’.
There is no such thing as a standard or a rule book when it comes to any form of management. Almost all rules have an exception, and hence, as a facilitator, you need to analyze the organization’s existing processes and then adapt the ITIL framework to see how well they blend. Starting altogether a new wave of changes would worsen the problem. ITIL will help you to manage your services, but these global best practices need a tweak to work for your organization.
3. The ITIL Project Comes with a Closing Date
ITIL adoption is a continuous process; you simply can’t plan, execute and then stop.
Organizations should know that ITIL is not just a project that will end on a scheduled date. It is a continuous evolution of best practices and standards from both public and private sectors across the globe. As strategic decisions are taken to grow the business every year, these plans need to be considered in the framework of ITIL processes to check if the results will be positive for the business.
4. No Training or Skilled Resources are Required for ITIL Adoption
An ITIL handbook is not enough to get through the ITIL adoption process successfully.
If you are thinking of implementing the ITIL framework in your organization, ensure that you involve people who are skilled and proficient in ITIL knowledge and people who would be working on it. There are qualifications for ITIL that employees can get certified in, to help them to understand the nuances of the framework and become adept in its implementation.
5. All Verticals at Once
Are you trying to accomplish the ITIL strategy for all departments at once? That would certainly not be a good idea.
Devise a step-by-step plan and let the implementation start from one department (the least risky one). Then move on to the next one. This could be time-consuming but it will result in cost savings in the long run and you will not commit the same mistakes across departments. Following this gradual process would also let you know if the adoption is successful or not.
6. Adoption of ITIL for Wrong Reasons
Do you need to implement ITIL because it is trending? Or is it because your competitor did it and was successful?
Be clear about why you need to adopt the ITIL 4 Foundation Online. Peer pressure and new technology are not the good reason for a switch. If your existing processes are flawless and working smoothly, you may not need the ITIL framework. Hence. analyze and check your existing processes and if you find any loopholes, check how ITIL could help you. If you find ways in eradicating your flaws, you can go ahead with the implementation.
Organizations around the world are relying on ITIL and its robust framework to achieve higher ROI and IT services that align with the organizational business strategy. The above-mentioned points are some of the major barriers while implementing ITIL.
Do let us know what else constitutes the biggest barrier to ITIL adoption in organizations.
