thirty-four | book review
Book review
Metrics for IT Service Management
HOW BEST TO USE THEM
by ItSMF International
A recurring problem within IT
Service Management (ITSM) is that
many organisations fi nd it very
diffi cult to use metrics properly.
T
his book is a really good guide to the
design, implementation and use of
metrics. It deals with the diffi culties inherent
in implementing metrics and also discusses
and recommends workable solutions to
combat these diffi culties.
The fi rst half of the book gives the reader
a good solid grounding in the theory behind
metrics, what metrics are, why and where
they are used, who manages them and most
importantly, how to design a ‘good’ metric.
Packed full of useful
metrics for each process
which is an invaluable
reference guide for any
Service Desk now or in
the future
Chapter Seven then goes on to link the theory from the fi rst six chapters to actual practical
metric production, successfully guiding the reader through the development of ‘Danger’ and
‘Target’ levels, clearly explaining how and why certain metrics are implemented.
Interestingly, the authors of this book have chosen to divide familiar ITIL ‘Support’ and
‘Delivery’ into three separate processes: ‘Operational’ (Short Term goals), ‘Tactical’ (Medium
Term goals) and ‘Strategic’ (Long Term goals). This immediately helps the reader identify
which metrics are relevant to each process and subsequently each Service Desk team. For
example, the ‘Operational’ (Short Term) process deals with Incident Management, Confi guration
Management and Change Management metrics.
The appendices are packed full of useful metrics for each process which is an invaluable
reference guide for any Service Desk now or in the future.
There aren’t many IT metrics books that are clearly written and practical; often they take what
is a relatively simple subject and confuse it further. But this book doesn’t do that. If you want
a thorough and straightforward guide to IT metrics then
this is the book for you.
th,
Reviewed by Sally Smi
head of research, SDI
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15%
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This book comes with a special 15% discount from Van Haren Publishing
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exclusively for readers of SupportWorld. Simply use this code: SUPWORLD

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when ordering your title online at: www.vanharen.net
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august.september | 2009 www.supportworld.co.uk
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