5 Keys to Improving K-12 IT Maturity: Change Management

Improving IT Maturity in K-12 Districts: Change Management

In Parts 1-4 of our series on improving IT maturity in K-12 districts, we’ve discussed how self-service, Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS^®), cybersecurity, and ITIL can play vital roles in that effort. In Part Five, we’re going to focus on the final piece of the puzzle, and one that certainly ties into all the others as well—change management.

With proper change management, we can alleviate the ongoing drain on IT departments that results from reacting and responding to issues that were completely avoidable in the first place. Implementing ITIL’s change management process can significantly reduce the negative impacts and downtime that stem from improper (or non-existent) planning and controls. By managing and documenting changes, districts can stop the onslaught of major—and often avoidable—issues.

41% of participants rank the effectiveness of their change management process as low, and according to the IT Process Institute, 80% of unplanned downtime is caused by IT itself. Implementing ITIL’s change management process helps mitigate these unforeseen consequences through proper planning, documentation, testing, resource management, and communication.

If you missed any of our previous blogs in the series, you can find them here:

Overview
Part 1: Self-Service
Part 2: Knowledge Centered Support (KCS)
Part 3: Cybersecurity and Endpoint Control
Part 4: Adopting the ITIL Framework

The TDX 2018 K-12 Pulse Study is now available and you can get your copy here!

KCS^® is a service mark of the Consortium for Service Innovation™.