1. Introduction to Continual Service Improvement

You will gain an understanding of:

• The purpose and objectives of Continual Service Improvement
• The scope of Continual Service Improvement
• The approach to Continual Service Improvement
• The interfaces with other ITIL Lifecycle stages

2. Continual Service Improvement Principles

• How the success of CSI depends upon an understanding of change upon an Organisation
• How CSI drives the adoption of, and is influenced by, Service Level Management
• How the Deming Cycle is critical to both the implementation and application of CSI
• How CSI can make effective use of the various aspects of Service Measurement
• How Knowledge Management is a mainstay of any improvement initiative
• How CSI can make effective use of internal and external Benchmarks
• How CSI can be used to ensure good governance where goals are aligned and good management is achieved.
• How frameworks, models, standards and quality systems fully support the concepts embodied in CSI

1. Continual Service Improvement Process

• The 7-step improvement process
• How CSI integrates with the other stages in the Service Lifecycle
• Service Reporting and articulate reporting policies and rules
• Service Measurement
• The importance of properly defining metrics and measurements
• The concept of return on investment for CSI
• The various business questions for CSI
• The relationship between CSI and Service Level Management

4. Continual Service Improvement Methods and Techniques

• What to assess and when to use assessments
• How a gap analysis can provide insight into the areas that have room for improvement
• Benchmarking
• The measuring and reporting frameworks such as the Balance Scorecard and the SWOT analysis
• The Deming Cycle and its uses for service improvement
• The relationships and interfaces between CSI and the other service management processes
• How availability management techniques such as CFIA, FTA, FSA, TO and the expanded Incident Lifecycle can be used by CSI
• How capacity management techniques such as business, service and component capacity management, workload and demand management, the iterative activities of capacity management can be used by CSI
• How CSI needs to take IT Service Continuity Management requirements into consideration and how CSI can use Risk Management to identify areas for improvement
• Problem management supports the activities of CSI

5. Organisation for Continual Service Improvement

• The nature of the activities and the skills required for the 7-step improvement process
• The responsibilities, skills and competencies for:- Service Manager- CSI Manager- Service Owner
• How authority matrices (RACI) can very used when defining communication procedures in the CSI process

6. Technology for Continual Service Improvement

How the following tools can be used to assist some or all of the activities of the Continual Service Improvement process:

• IT service management suites
• System and network management
• Event management
• Automated incident/problem resolution
• Performance management
• Statistical analysis tools
• Project and portfolio management
• Financial management
• Business intelligence reporting

7. Implementing Continual Service Improvement

Understanding the key considerations in implementing CSI, and to be able to justify the steps needed and justify the application of the key steps:

• Where to start
• The role of governance to CSI
• The effect of organisational change
• Communications strategy and plan

8. Critical Success Factors and Risks

Positive and negative factors affecting the Continual Service Improvement process as well of the effect of CSI upon the organisation:

• The effects on an organisation of the challenges facing Continual Service Improvement
• The appropriate critical success factors for Continual Service Improvement
• The potential impact if the risks associated with implementing CSI
• The potential value to business, benefits and costs

9. Summary and Exam Preparation

This unit will summarise the material covered in the previous units and prepare delegates for the examination.