Build an ITSM Tool Implementation Plan

Nail your ITSM tool implementation from the outset.

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Your Challenge

An IT service management (ITSM) tool implementation can be a complicated task, requiring customized templates and workflows and correct integration with other tools that can be challenging to get right the first time to ensure the tool delivers value.
If an RFP is required to select a service provider to implement the tool, it is critical to clearly structure the project tasks and service desk processes and services to develop the RFP.
Managers without a project plan are often pressed into making decisions during the implementation without fully understanding their impact.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Buying a new tool is not a silver bullet for service desk woes. Your project needs to incorporate both a review of service desk processes and a product implementation to ensure the tool will support your current processes and any future processes you plan to implement.
Whether or not you rely on professional services, there is a lot of work to do to ensure the project will be successful. It’s important to develop and manage a detailed plan to avoid hasty decisions that could undermine the tool’s value in the long run.
Customization of the solution can hinder its performance down the road, but configurations can ensure the tool will deliver the value you need. However, there’s nothing wrong with an out-of-the-box solution if that’s what works for your organization.

Impact and Result

Build an implementation plan to ensure the tool continues to meet business requirements in the long run. Make key decisions about configuration, integrations, and data migration before the implementation begins and you’ll have time to forecast the impact of your decisions.
Include a service desk process review into the implementation plan to ensure you are not carrying over poor data and bad habits. The new tool doesn’t need to recreate your old service desk environment; it needs to create one that meets business requirements.
A detailed implementation plan can help you decide whether your team can do the tool implementation in-house and identify requirements for the RFP if you choose to draw on professional services.

Contributors

Rod Weir, Founder and Managing Director, PRD Software
Nicklas Fredriksson, CEO and ITSM Magician, Penguin Consultants Brasil
Kamal Roz, IT Operations Manager, USO
Gautam Bangalore, Business Analyst, Optus
Michelle Hoyt, Enterprise Application Supervisor, Matanuska-Susitina Borough School District
Anusha Das, IT Governance Analyst-ITIL, Oregon Lottery
Ravi Prakash Singh, MS IS Student, Stevens Institute of Technology
Brett Andrews, Managing Director, BAPTISM Consultancy
Marty Miller-Crispe, Manager – Service Management Office, Griffith University
Vlad de Ramos, General Manager, AIM Corporate Solutions, Inc.
Pete Langlois, Systems Administrator, Century Bank
Scott Walling, Co-founder, Monitor 24-7
Pedro Soto, Managing Director, TOPdesk
Roeland van Rijswijk, Service Management Consultant, TOPdesk
Yev Khovrenkov, IT Consultant,
Lucas Gutierrez, End-User Services Manager, City of Santa Fe
Dave Smith, IT Trainer, Quanta Training Ltd.

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Get to Action

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should build an implementation plan for your ITSM tool, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.

Plan for the implementation

Determine the implementation project scope and goals, and get buy-in for the change.
Organize the approach and resources

Establish the approach to the implementation phases as well as the resources needed to complete the project, both internal and external.
Design, build, and test the ITSM tool

Plan and build the solution, including decisions on all necessary configurations to support service desk processes.
Deploy, monitor, and maintain the ITSM tool

Communicate any changes and train the users to adopt the solution before deploying it.

Guided Implementation

This guided implementation is an eleven call advisory process.

Guided Implementation #1 - Plan

Call #1: Document goals, strategy, and business requirements. Identify and address potential objections.
Call #2: Formalize an engagement strategy. Identify metrics to measure progress towards your implementation goals.
Call #3: Set up diagnostic and receive results.

Guided Implementation #2 - Organize

Call #1: Identify and document the scope of the implementation. Define and document existing and future processes the tool will need to support.
Call #2: Evaluate pros and cons of different implementation approaches. Define what each phase will contain.
Call #3: Develop and issue an RFP for professional services for implementation. Define roles and responsibilities of implementation team.
Call #4: Track implementation tasks, timelines, and resources.

Guided Implementation #3 - Build

Call #1: Identify and document functional tests to be performed.
Call #2: Develop a UAT plan and test case scripts.

Guided Implementation #4 - Deploy

Call #1: Develop a plan for communicating changes associated with the new tool.
Call #2: Develop a plan to ensure the transition to the new tool and the go-live run smoothly.

Schedule Your First Call

Onsite Workshop

The Purpose

Document goals and objectives of the implementation project and develop a plan to get buy-in for the change.

Key Benefits Achieved

Clear understanding of the project goals, objectives, and success metrics.
Understanding of pain points with current solution and end-user satisfaction.
Plan to engage stakeholders and get buy-in for the project.

Activities:		Outputs:
1.1	Document goals, strategy, and business requirements from tool.	Project Charter
1.2	Review pain points with current/previous solution, evaluate end-user satisfaction.
1.3	Identify potential objections and create a plan to address them and get buy-in for the change.
1.4	Formalize an engagement and communications strategy.
1.5	Identify metrics to measure progress towards implementation goals.

The Purpose

Define and document the scope of the implementation project, including the processes the tool will need to support now and in the future, as well as the approach to the implementation.

Key Benefits Achieved

Understanding and definition of the scope of the implementation project as well as the scope of the solution.
Understanding and definition of the current and future service management processes the tool will need to support.
Overall approach to the implementation project (i.e. linear vs. phased), and defined project phases, if applicable.

Activities:		Outputs:
2.1	Discuss, identify, and document the scope of the tool implementation.	Project Charter
2.2	Define and document the existing and future processes that the tool will need to support.
2.3	Choose an approach to the implementation (i.e. linear vs. phased).
2.4	If the implementation will take a phased approach, define what each phase will contain.

The Purpose

Decide whether to hire professional services to assist with the implementation and develop an RFP, then organize your internal resources with tasks and timelines for the project.

Key Benefits Achieved

Decision whether to hire professional services for the implementation.
RFP for a consultant to assist with the implementation.
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the project.
Project plan with tasks, ownership, and timeline.

Activities:		Outputs:
3.1	Evaluate and decide whether to hire professional services for the implementation.	RFP for Professional Implementation Services
3.2	Develop and issue an RFP to hire professional services to assist with the implementation.
3.3	Define the roles that will form your implementation project team and their responsibilities.
3.4	Assign and document roles and responsibilities for the implementation project.
3.5	Track your tasks, timelines, and resources for the project.	Project Planning & Monitoring Tool

The Purpose

Make all necessary decisions to design and configure the tool to meet your needs, then develop a plan for testing the tool and training your users before deployment to ensure successful adoption.

Key Benefits Achieved

Decisions on configurations, integrations, and data migration.
Testing plan to ensure technical and performance requirements are met and the solution functions as designed.
Training and communication plan to ensure both users and staff adopt the solution.
Deployment plan to ease the transition to the new tool and release to users.

Activities:		Outputs:
4.1	Use the implementation checklist tool to determine whether you’ve made all of the necessary design decisions to build the tool.	Implementation Checklist
4.2	Identify and document tests to be performed.	User Acceptance Test Plan Template
4.3	Develop a UAT plan and test case scripts.	UAT Results Template
4.4	Develop a plan for communicating changes associated with the new tool.	Communication & Training Plan Template
4.5	Develop a training plan and allocate training modules.
4.6	Develop a deployment plan to ensure the transition to the new tool and go-live run smoothly.	Deployment Plan Template