We live in an era of technical disruption which means we have to change the way we view Service Management.
Get fit and lean for 2019
According to the Executive Perspectives on Top Risks 2019 Report by Protiviti the number one nightmare for 2019 as cited by 825 C-Suite respondents is that existing operations can’t compete against born digital firms. And if that’s not enough to keep us awake at night, a second wave of night terrors stems from a risk of not being able attain and retain top talent.
These two risks are intrinsically linked. Digitally native companies are not just concerned with technology. They employ highly skilled humans working with the aid of technological advancement. It’s still Service Management, but not as we know it.
In 1989 Service Management was codified in 30 volumes of ITIL to help IT departments align their services with the needs of the business. The main focus of the ITIL Service Design module is more concerned with the process of service delivery than the design of technology itself. A digitally native company catalogues customer’s lifestyles and habits and bakes it into their business model. This philosophy is why AgilePM has hit a record high.
With digitalisation virtually every business process is now defined as a service supported by a range of specialisms and job titles that didn’t exist a few years ago. As digitalisation continues to grow there will be more specialisms in the future. Chiara Mainolfi cited in her recent blog that half of all current jobs will disappear in the next 25 years and new specialisms will arrive. This is a problem large enough to increase the heartrate and dilate the pupils of your entire Board.
To stop the skills-shortage nightmare from become a reality itSMF UK has developed a Skills Framework that takes a holistic view of the skills and competencies a rounded Service Manager may require. It’s most unlikely that a single individual will be competent in all, but it is highly relevant for everyone who wants to play a role in digitalisation to have a working understanding of each.
For professionals in Service Management the general management skills cover marketing, sales, finance, operations, commercial management and team management.
For General Managers, the competencies cover the core itSMF practice areas.
Using PSMF, businesses and individuals can identify the skills they require to expand their capabilities to play an active role in the digitalisation of their organisation.
As digitalisation drives efficiency, and efficiency requires organisations to take a lean approach to everything they do, there are some courses ideally mapped to the itSMF Framework.
To enable people to gain the knowledge required, the two lean products that APMG offer are:-
- PS Professional - which covers all the general management areas identified by itSMF UK.
- FitSM - a lean streamlined Service Management approach developed by ITEMO.
We live in an era of technical disruption but the benefits delivered by developing new skills should allow you to have a good night’s sleep for a few years.
