Education and Training

At all stages of the initiative, ISM provides or facilitates the ongoing education and training of the initiative team. The majority of this education takes place during the workshops as the details of business rules, metrics, and process flows are discussed. Additionally, if training is required on the use of the selected automation software, ISM will facilitate that training, working directly with the software vendor.

Any significant Service Management initiative will introduce change into the client’s organization, and managing that change can be the most difficult part of the job. As part of its Service Management offerings, ISM works closely with the client to ensure that the initiative is supported by senior management and that the initiative team includes people with the necessary abilities to lead the initiative. It’s not enough to simply manage an initiative; there must also be leadership.

Ensuring effective leadership and management will go a long way towards a successful implementation, but the job isn’t done just because the deployment was successful. Unless the departments and people affected by the Service Management initiative fully “buy in” to the resulting change, it’s possible, perhaps even likely, that people will revert to “the way we used to do it”.

Beginning at the very early stages of the initiative, ISM works with the client to develop a comprehensive Marketing and Communications Plan. Whenever possible, this is done in close coordination with the client’s Marketing Department. The plan has the following objectives:

• Identify the primary stakeholder groups, including those departments and business units that will be impacted by the initiative.
• Identify the communication channels that work well within the client. We often find that one channel works well for one stakeholder group, while a different channel works better for another group.
• Identify the messages that will be provided to each stakeholder group, as well as to the enterprise as a whole.
• Develop the communication plan including the timing and frequency of communication to each group and to the enterprise.
• Develop the necessary budget for continuing communications efforts.

It is difficult to over-emphasize the need for a comprehensive communications plan. If change is to become ingrained within both the departmental and corporate cultures, continual, effective communications, targeted to specific stakeholder groups is essential. ISM has the tools and expertise to assist the client in implementing change.

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