Unified Service Management (USM) provides the foundation and framework for organizations to adopt and extend service management practices beyond IT, enabling the transition to Enterprise Service Management (ESM). It promotes collaboration, standardization, and customer-centricity, all of which are essential in achieving success in ESM initiatives.
On the 55th Episode of Ticket Volume, our IT podcast, John Worthington took us on a thrilling journey through the world of IT service management and revealed how adopting the USM approach can revolutionize your organization. For him, USM and ESM can drive organizational efficiency, improve customer satisfaction, and enhance the overall service delivery across the entire enterprise.
John Worthington is not your average IT guru. With over 40 years of experience in Information Technology, he's seen it all. From managing sales for a custom app dev team at Unisys to rocking the world of sales and quality improvement at AT&T, John has honed his skills and expertise in the field. But it was his transition into Service Management and business development that truly set him apart. And now, as the founder of MyServiceMonitor, he's on a mission to spread the gospel of Unified Service Management far and wide.
Make sure to tune in to the entire episode featuring Worthington. Get ready to be inspired, educated, and empowered as he shares his insights, strategies, and real-life experiences. And remember, you can sign up for our monthly live recordings and directly ask any questions during the session.
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What is USM and how does it relate to ESM?
Worthington emphasized that USM is not just a framework, but a method that provides a stable foundation for service management across different service providers within an enterprise. He is very passionate about it.
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"I had drunk the ITIL Kool-Aid. (...) Then, I had a life-changing event - my brother passed away. That's when I decided I couldn't keep doing this tool thing anymore. It wasn't healthy for me. So, I remembered that I really enjoyed teaching and the service management space. I started poking around, and I remembered running into Jan Von Bond years ago. I saw and heard about the five processes and eight workflows, and I said, 'Okay, I need to find out more about this.' One thing led to another, and now I've drunk the USM Kool-Aid." John Worthington |
What makes USM so special, you ask? Well, according to him, it's all about achieving standardization of services across the entire organization. But here's the kicker: USM doesn't just rely on IT-based practices, processes, and frameworks. It goes beyond that, embracing simplicity and the ability to support all coexisting frameworks. It's like building a solid and stable foundation for your enterprise to thrive on.
Worthington begins by explaining that USM is a repeatable and learnable method for establishing a service management system. It allows for standardization across the enterprise, providing a common structure for people in different parts of the organization. This standardization simplifies the interface to the governance team and allows everyone to work together consistently.
The USM method is based on a non-redundant process model consisting of five processes and eight standard workflows. It provides a layer of stability in times of rapid change, ensuring that enterprise practices and routines remain consistent. While different teams within the enterprise may use different methodologies, USM acts as a standardized link that allows for collaboration and consistency.
Worthington highlighted how essential it is to understand the difference between service delivery and service management. He explained that there are different value streams for each, and to fully grasp USM, one needs to let go of traditional process-based thinking. USM focuses on systems thinking and value stream mapping, analyzing who does the work and how they do it.
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"When you do Value Stream Mapping, you'll have eight standard value stream maps because USM provides that stability. But at a procedural and working level, the 'who' and the 'how' become important - who's doing the work and how they're doing it, what tools are being used. Value stream analysis still remains crucial. I also want to mention that there are two kinds of value streams - those associated with service management and those associated with services. (...) We should be careful not to mix the two." John Worthington |
When organizations should define and separate the Service Management value streams from the service value streams. This allows for a focused approach to managing and improving each aspect of service delivery, ensuring that customer needs are met while also maintaining efficient and effective service management practices. What you want to avoid with this is the disconnect between the services provided and the customer's expectations.
Therefore, in relation to ESM, USM serves as a method for establishing a generic Service Management system that can be applied across the enterprise. It provides a stable foundation for ESM by offering standardization while still accommodating various frameworks and standards. USM simplifies and improves Service Management in a rapidly changing world, ensuring that the enterprise can adapt and thrive
If your currently on an ESM implementation process or about to start one, remember you can access our free ESM video course on Udemy with valuable insights from experts that can help boost your performance and avoid common mistakes.
Worthington pointed out that in traditional best practices, establishing the process comes first before identifying the tools, as it is important to know what needs to be done and how it will be done. However, often, tools come first, which is problematic.
And because the USM method creates a level of standardization across all providers within the Enterprise, it means they can use whatever framework they want. Also, it's applicable for governance improvement and issues, which is what really appealed to Worthington.
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"I believe strongly that the USM method is something that, particularly as we move towards Enterprise service management, is something that's really needed. A dose of simplification is really, really needed right now. (...) If we don't simplify, our complexities are going to start getting hard-coded into the Enterprise, and that is not a good thing." John Worthington |
Bottom line
This is just a summary of Ticket Volume's episode featuring John Worthington, and not your average IT talk - it's a game-changer. Be sure to listen to the full discussion with Matt Beran to learn more about how does USM relate to ESM.
You can find the full episode on popular platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or any other podcast platform you prefer. Remember to subscribe if you're interested in joining the monthly live recordings!
