Improving ITSM Maturity – Start with Low Hanging Fruit

Adopting a more mature approach to IT service requires three key aspects working together in harmony: people, processes, and technology. Cornell University’s Central IT division had the first two elements in place but was lacking when it came to the right technology.

Central IT staff wanted to be able to move ahead with initiatives such as enabling self-service and using key performance indicators to improve operations, but the IT service management platform they were using was holding them back.

While the platform included detailed reporting capabilities, these features weren’t very accessible or easy to use. “Our old tool had very sophisticated reporting, but you almost needed programming experience to be able to use it,” says Todd Maniscalco, assistant director for customer service and support within Cornell’s Central IT division. As a result, team members had to spend a lot of time building and scheduling reports that provided the kind of insight that leaders wanted.

The university also didn’t have an easy way to create self-service portals for students, faculty, and staff. Central IT maintained a knowledge base within Drupal, an open-source content management system, but there was no easy way to manage this information. The university was looking for an IT and enterprise service management platform that was simple to use and included robust self-service capabilities that would allow IT staff to take customer service to a new level of maturity. They found that — and more — in TeamDynamix.

Now using TeamDynamix for their IT service management (ITSM) and project portfolio management (PPM) needs, Central IT is leveraging the platform as part of its continual improvement process. “We’re looking to see whether there are workflows we can put into place that will improve service through greater automation,” Maniscalco says.

Although Central IT can’t mandate that other departments follow certain practices, the division is doing what it can to ensure that TeamDynamix is used effectively across the university. “We set up an advisory committee to share processes and practices that we have found to be effective,” Briggs says. “If there are any major incidents that affect multiple units, we coordinate our response to those incidents — and we have gained a lot of efficiencies from this.”

TeamDynamix has quickly become an indispensable tool for driving greater IT maturity campus-wide, which was a major goal behind adopting the system. However, a nice side benefit has been the quality of service and support that Cornell has realized in working with TeamDynamix as well.

“TeamDynamix has been a great vendor to work with,” Maniscalco concludes. “They are genuine, and we really get the sense that they’re listening to our needs, which is refreshing. I have worked with many vendors before, and that’s rare.”