Compass: ITIL, COBIT Compliance Do Not Equal Process Maturity

Client engagement, accountability required to achieve operational efficiency

Focus on rules, guidelines creates 'hot potato' culture, says benchmarking advisory firm

News provided by

Nov 30, 2011, 08:00 ET

STAMFORD, Conn., Nov. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass, an Information Services Group company (ISG) (NASDAQ: III) and the premier independent global provider of business and information technology benchmarking, performance improvement, data and analytics services, said today that process improvement tools commonly relied upon by CIOs to enhance operational efficiency often yield limited – and potentially negative – results.

Based on an analysis of recent client engagements, Compass found that frameworks such as ITIL and COBIT are often implemented by the service provider in isolation from the business, simply to achieve a certain level of compliance. In such cases, the business may not be sufficiently engaged and users may not feel enough of a sense of ownership and accountability in the initiative for it to succeed.

"We've observed many instances where process improvement is limited to defining rules and guidelines," said Chris Pfauser, Principal Consultant. "This can lead to a 'hot potato' culture that focuses on documenting activity, following the rules, and passing tasks down the line, rather than on getting things done. True enterprise-wide process maturity is characterized by clear activities, functions, roles and responsibilities, which enable the IT organization to quickly address performance issues, identify root causes and prevent recurring problems."

Many organizations have pockets or islands of process maturity, Pfauser said. But, like chains, enterprise-wide processes are only as strong as their weakest links. End-to-end documentation and transparency into process flow are needed to identify where and why problems and issues occur and how best to address them.

"Without this clarity," said Pfauser, "IT defaults to its traditional silo-based approach of managing the desktop or the mainframe, without an understanding of the overall system and end-to-end service. Top-performing organizations are refining their metrics and key performance indicators to measure the end-to-end process and improve results rather than simply track activity. "

Process discipline is also essential to effective demand management and flexible, usage-based pricing – essential components of cloud and utility computing models.

A clearly defined service catalogue that provides a specific understanding of the composition and cost of each unit of IT service allows the business to see what's being consumed and enables IT to see what's being delivered. Once service units are clearly defined and priced, it becomes possible for the business to see the cost implications of their choices regarding IT usage.

"This visibility serves as an incentive to drive smarter consumption decisions by the business," Pfauser said, "and more efficient delivery by the service provider."

TPI, an ISG company and the leading independent sourcing data and advisory firm in the world, can evaluate the service or sourcing maturity of an organization to help identify opportunities where skills enhancement, training, process and organization redesign can improve performance and increase satisfaction of business stakeholders. For more information, visit http://www.tpi.net/web/services/maturity-assessments/.

About Compass

Compass, an Information Services Group company, is the premier independent global provider of business and information technology benchmarking, performance improvement, data and analytics services. Compass Benchmarking and Analytical Services and Compass Fact-Based Consulting® get to the root cause of cost efficiency, productivity and service quality gaps. This deep understanding of clients' performance provides an unrivalled ability to evaluate the current state and quantify improvement opportunities, understand the market price of services and identify future options, and ensure rapid and sustainable performance improvement. Founded in 1980, Compass revolutionized the identification of the root causes of problems within businesses with its pioneering approach to performance improvement. For more information, visit www.compassmc.com.

About TPI

TPI, an Information Services Group company, is the founder and innovator of the sourcing advisory industry and the leading independent sourcing data and advisory firm in the world. TPI advisors are expert at a broad range of business support functions and related research methodologies. Drawing on their deep functional domain expertise and extensive practical experience, they collaborate with organizations across all major industries to help them advance their business operations through the best combination of business process improvement, shared services, outsourcing and offshoring. For additional information, visit www.tpi.net.

About Information Services Group

Information Services Group (ISG), founded in 2006, is a leading technology insights, market intelligence and advisory services company. ISG has three go-to-market brands: TPI, the leading independent sourcing data and advisory firm in the world; Compass, the premier independent global provider of business and information technology benchmarking, performance improvement, data and analytics services; and STA Consulting, a premier independent information technology advisor serving the public sector. The company has nearly 700 employees and operates in 21 countries. Based in Stamford, Conn., ISG has a proven leadership team with global experience in information-based services and a track record of creating significant value for shareowners, clients and employees. For additional information, visit www.informationsg.com.

SOURCE Compass