1. Optimize and Automate
1.1. Definition
1.1.1. Organizations must maximize the value of the work carried out by its human and technical resources.
1.1.2. The four dimensions model provides a holistic view of the various constraints, resource types, and other areas that should be considered when designing, managing, or operating an organization.
1.1.3. Technology can help organizations to scale up, However, technology should not always be relied upon without the capability of human intervention.
1.1.4. Before it can be effectively automated, activities should be optimized. To optimize means to make something as effective and useful as it needs to be, within a set of constraints.
1.2. Road to Optimization
1.2.1. The practices of continual improvement and measurement and reporting, are essential to this effort. Improve and optimize performance may draw upon guidance from ITIL, Lean, DevOps, Kanban and other sources. Regardless of the specific techniques, the path to optimization follows these high-level steps:
1.2.1.1. Understanding and agreeing the context and the overall vision and objectives of the organization.
1.2.1.2. 2. Assessing the current state to understand where it can be improved and which likely to produce the biggest positive impact.
1.2.1.3. 3. Agreeing what the future state and priorities should be, focusing on simplification and value. This typically also includes standardization of practices and services, which will make it easier to automate or optimize further at a later point.
1.2.1.4. 4. Ensuring the optimization has the appropriate level of stakeholder engagement & commitment.
1.2.1.5. 5. Executing the improvements in an iterative way, using metrics and other feedback to check progress.
1.2.1.6. 6. Continually monitoring the impact of optimization to identify opportunities to improve methods of working.
1.3. Using Automation
1.3.1. Automation typically refers to the use of technology to perform a step or series of steps correctly and consistently with limited or no human intervention.
1.3.2. For example, in organizations adopting continuous deployment, through to live, and often automatic testing occurring in each environment.
1.3.3. In its simplest form, however, automation could also mean the standardization and stream-lining of manual tasks. Efficiency can be greatly increased by reducing the need for human involvement to stop and evaluate each part of a process.
1.3.4. Opportunities for automation can be found across the entire organization to automate standard and repeating tasks can help save the organization costs, reduce human error, and improve employee experience
1.4. Applying the Principle
1.4.1. Simplify and/or optimize before automating • Take time to map out the standard and repeating processes as best as possible, and streamline where possible (optimize). From there you can start to automate.
1.4.2. Define your metrics • Use the same metrics to define the baseline and to measure the achievements. Make sure that the metrics are outcome based and focused on value.
1.4.3. Use the other guiding principles when applying this one • Progress iteratively with feedback Iterative optimization and automation make progress visible and increase stakeholder buy-in. • Keep it simple and practical Things can be simple, but not optimized, so, use the principles together. • Focusing on value Selecting what to optimize and automate and how should be based on best value. • Start where you are Make use of what is already there, but untapped or underutilized, to implement opportunities for optimization and automation quickly and economically.
2. Think and Work Holistically
2.1. Definition
2.1.1. No service, practice, process, department or supplier stands alone: The outputs that the organization delivers to itself, customers and other stakeholders will suffer unless it works in an integrated way to handle its activities as whole, rather than as separate parts. All the organization’s activities should be focused on the delivery of value.
2.1.2. Services are delivered to internal and external service consumers through the coordination and integration of the four dimensions of service management. Taking a holistic approach to service management includes establishing an understanding of how all the parts of an organization work together in an integrated way. It requires end-to-end visibility of how demand is captured and translated into outcomes.
2.1.3. In a complex system, the alteration of one element can impact others and, where possible, these impacts need to be identified, analyzed and planned for.
2.2. Applying the principle
2.2.1. Recognize the complexity of the systems. Different levels of complexity require different heuristics for decision-making. Applying methods and rules designed for a simple system can be ineffective or even harmful in a complex system.
2.2.2. Collaboration is key to thinking and working holistically If the right mechanisms are put in place for all relevant stakeholders to collaborate in a timely manner.
2.2.3. Look for patterns in the needs of and interactions between system elements to identify what is essential for success. With this information, needs can be anticipated, standards can be set, and a holistic viewpoint can be achieved
2.2.4. Automation can support end-to-end visibility for the organization and provide an efficient means of integrated management.
3. Keep it simple and practical
3.1. Definition
3.1.1. Always use the minimum number of steps needed to accomplish an objective. Outcome based thinking should be used to produce practical solutions that deliver valuable outcomes.
3.1.2. If a process, service, action or metric provides no value or produces no useful outcome, then eliminate it.
3.1.3. Although this principle may seem obvious, it is frequently ignored. When creating a process or a service, designers need to think about exceptions, but they cannot cover them all. Instead, rules should be designed that can be used to handle exceptions generally.
3.2. Conflicting objectives
3.2.1. When designing, managing, or operating practices, be mindful of conflicting objectives.
3.2.2. When designing, managing, or operating practices, be mindful of conflicting objectives.
3.2.3. For example: The management of an organization may want to collect a large amount of data to make decisions, whereas the people who must do the record-keeping may want a simpler process that does not require as much data entry. Services should only generate data that will truly provide value to the decision-making process, and record keeping should be simplified and automated where possible to maximize value and reduce nonvalue-adding work.
3.3. Applying the principle
3.3.1. Ensure value - Every activity should contribute to the creation of value.
3.3.2. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
3.3.3. Do fewer things, but do them better - Minimizing activities to only include those with value for one or more stakeholders more focus on the quality of those actions
3.3.4. Respect the time of the people involved - A process that is too complicated and bureaucratic is a poor use of the time of the people involved.
3.3.5. Easier to understand, more likely to adopt - To embed a practice, easy to follow.
3.3.6. Simplicity is the best route to achieving quick wins - Whether in a project, or when improving daily operations activities, quick wins allow organizations to demonstrate progress and manage stakeholder expectations. Working in an iterative way with feedback will quickly deliver incremental value at regular intervals.