Consultants interviewed by Info-Tech offer a word of warning to clients. IT leaders who don’t take care of their own house are the ones most likely to have someone brought in externally to do renovations. IT organizations that don’t professionalize are at risk of having the business make that happen. While the IT service philosophy and industry best-practices have been well defined within various IT frameworks and standards, IT leaders are looking for answers on where to start, gaining buy-in, defining success, and how much process is appropriate. IT Service Management (ITSM) consultants have a unique perspective on this topic. This research note covers:

• Drivers for enterprises to become service oriented.
• Challenges and common mistakes.
• Best practice frameworks and philosophy.

The most difficult part of moving to a service oriented IT department is making a cultural change. Use the expert recommendations within this research to ease implementation of ITSM initiatives.