IT Service Management FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do we need to do things differently?

UWS is growing to meet the demands of the Greater Western Sydney community and position itself as an innovative university. Effective, well managed and aligned IT services that support learning, teaching and research are fundamental to this. Based on external process maturity assessments, feedback from customers and our own staff, we believe we can work better together to become the best we can be. Service management is an opportunity to help us achieve this. We've started by implementing a new service management system and new incident, request and change management processes.

What will happen if we don't change?

Technology continues to develop in leaps and bounds. As a responsive IT group we need to anticipate new directions and be agile and flexible in responding to these and the growing needs of the University. To be seen as a business enabler and trusted partner we need to get ahead of the game. To do this we need to have clearly defined services that customers understand, agreed end-to-end business processes that deliver these seamlessly, as well as consistent practice supported by the right skills. If we don't take this opportunity to improve our services our customers will find their own solutions to their technology challenges and we will continue to be reactive.

Is ITIL really the answer?

Information Technology Infrastructure Library or ITIL is simply an industry standard best practice framework for managing and continuously improving IT services. Although tried and tested, it will not in itself take us to where we want to go. We recognise that good service management is more than just a framework. We also need the right toolset, fit for purpose business processes, and more importantly, the commitment of all staff to make this change real. It takes a combination of technology, process and one great ITS team willing to work together and learn from each other, to make a difference. We've already made good progress as part of our stage 1 go-live so we just need to keep up the momentum.

I haven't received ITIL training yet, will that be a disadvantage?

Although the ITIL framework has underpinned our process design, ITIL training is not a prerequisite for getting involved, adding value or making the change. We have engaged an ITIL expert who will guide ITS and the project team to ensure we adhere to best practice principles. It's everyone's role to ensure that our new processes work for UWS. As long as you work with current processes, you'll be able to add value. As we progress, we will continue to ensure everyone has the necessary skills for each process improvement step. Any training that we provide will continue to be aligned to key practice changes so it can be applied in a practical way in the workplace. In addition, our ongoing communications will make sure everyone learns about those aspects of ITIL that are important; like new definitions, principles and practices.  

What does this mean for ITS staff?

Most ITS staff have already been involved in the project in some way throughout the first project stage. ITS staff and other UWS support groups have also done a great job at adapting to new work processes, using consistent language and practice, embracing the new toolset and starting to think of traditional technology offerings as more customer focused services. The next project stage will focus on standard requests that may include an 'on-boarding' service for new staff that incorporates network access, email account creation, access to team drives, phone access, collaboration tools, and other aspects that operate across unit and organisational domains. Although we may provide these technology offerings in a fragmented way now, we will focus on delivering these in a more proactive way by 'joining the dots' on behalf of customers rather than expecting customers to do this.

What's in it for ITS staff?

The benefits of implementing service management for ITS staff, is that over time we will be less reactive in the way we work. Processes will be more clearly defined, consistently understood and communicated both internally and across our customer groups to manage expectations. Support will be more structured and by monitoring volume transactions like incidents and requests, we will be in a better position to anticipate business needs and address these more proactively. The relationships between our infrastructure and application assets will be more clearly understood and monitored so we can focus on preventing rather than just responding to issues. In short, operating effectively will reduce operational effort, and free up staff time for more innovative work. ITS staff will also have opportunities to develop their skills in working within a structured ITIL environment. Our stage 1 go-live is giving us some really useful data to help prioritise the activities that will provide most value to UWS. 

How can we get involved?

The project made extensive use of process design groups during stage 1 and we are currently reviewing the success of these before embarking on stage 2. The project team will also continue to conduct ongoing team briefings to provide updates and seek feedback at key stages. As the project stages progress we will also continue to hold detailed sessions to demonstrate toolset enhancements and new processes, as well as providing training to ensure all staff have the capabilities they need to make each change successful.

How can I find out more?

We will continue to regularly update this site with information as the project progresses. ITS staff can also follow our progress updates in ITS Shares or come to briefings that will be held at key stages throughout the project. UWS resolver groups and ITS staff will also continue to receive regular ITSM Updates - Tips and Tricks. As the impacts of our project touch on the UWS community more broadly, we will also put other communication mechanisms into place to ensure everyone is informed. You can also provide feedback or ask questions via the Service Management Office.

Can I access ServiceNow?

All UWS students and staff can access the ServiceNow portal(opens in a new window) (http://servicenow.uws.edu.au):

• Log IT incidents or request an IT service
• Read IT news or knowledge articles
• Check the status of your incidents or requests
• Chat online with the IT Service Desk to get answers to your questions

UWS resolver groups, or those teams that support students and staff in resolving incidents or requests, can access ServiceNow at the same address http://servicenow.uws.edu.au(opens in a new window) but will have access to a broader set of modules by virtue of their role and permissions. 

Feedback

Do you have questions, feedback or suggestions?