In this edition of our Process Management Minute Series, David will provide an overview of the Service Management Office and how your ITSM program will benefit from having one.
So, what's a Service Management Office? More importantly - do you need one?
Absolutely! There is no better way to bring structure and focus to your ITSM program.
A Service Management Office (SMO) is a team mandated to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of your IT services.
The SMO brings together specialties in process design, process governance, organizational change, training & communications, and ITSM tools, along with the process owners and process managers.
There are several ways to organize your Service Management Office. In our experience, It's typically a hybrid team with some full-time specialized resources and some matrix members.
This specialization can benefit the entire IT organization with the knowledge and skills to make them more effective.
Think about it this way. Your IT team is subject matter experts in their respective fields, for example, software development, server management, networking, or IT security. But are they experts in process management?
Can they facilitate process improvement workshops, design clear and concise documentation, establish process governance, implement process automation, or deliver process training? Do they even have the time to do it?
The Service Management Office is a cross-functional team that brings these skills to the entire IT organization.
Working closely with IT specialists, the SMO develops, implements, automates, and governs the processes that will improve your entire IT organization's productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness.
One word of caution. The Service Management Office is not your ITSM Platform team. We see lots of companies that say they have an SMO when, in fact, it's just the team responsible for implementing and administering the ITSM tools.
Remember, an SMO goes beyond tools and has the skills necessary for complete lifecycle business process management.
So do you need a Service Management Office? Absolutely!
The SMO brings focus and accountability to your ITSM program.
It helps break down silos and is one of the best ways to improve the quality of your IT services.
Looking to delve deeper into the service management office and its potential benefits for your organization? Be sure to explore these informative articles:
- What is a Service Management Office? Everything you need to know
- Implementing a Service Management Office Organizational Structure
- Expanding the Role of the Service Management Office
- [Webinar] Enterprise Service Management Office: Lessons from Columbia University
