CIS5308 Management of Information Technology Services
Topics studied An introduction to IT service management services and organisations IT service management frameworks, standards and models The IT service lifecycle Service strategy Service design Service transition Service operation Continual service improvement International standard: ISO/IEC 20000
CIS5308 Report 2 Case Study Report
Assignment 3
Learning objectives
This assignment partially addresses three of the learning objectives of this course:
- LO3: synthesise the nature and contribution of the IT service management standards and good practice frameworks such as IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), ISO/IEC 20000 and IT4IT in providing good practice frameworks for IT service management
- LO4: evaluate the objectives, activities and associated roles and responsibilities to enable effective planning, management and improvement of IT service processes
- LO5: appraise implementation of selected IT service management6 standards and good practice frameworks in case studies including aspects of IT service strategy, service design, service transition, service operation and continual service improvement.
Team work
Students are encouraged to work in teams to complete the assignment as teamwork is an important skill required by industry. You may choose to work alone.
USQ provides an online team building workshop that includes strategies to build a team and effective management of teamwork. Students are encouraged to study this workshop before attempting this group assignment.
If you opt to work as a team:
- The same marks will be awarded to both students.
- No team can exceed more than two students.
- It is up to you to find a team-mate and this can usually be achieved in classNameor through a request on the Study Desk.
- Only one team member should submit the assignment.
- You must provide the student names and student numbers of both team members on the title page of the report.
![CIS5308 Management of Information Technology Services](/australia/usq/cis5308-management-of-information-technology-services.jpg)
Referencing Requirement
References are required and the Harvard AGPS standard of referencing must be used. This standard is detailed on USQ Library Site http://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing.
Ensure that your reports are fully referenced, including any reference to the text book. Your report should include in-text references and a List of References.
Do not repeat verbatim large slabs of information from other sources such as the text – you must put the ideas/information in your own words.
Report 2 Specification
Report 2 requires you to read the following case study, and then draw on the course materials and other academic resources (e.g. journal/ conference papers, books) to answer the following questions.
For the purpose of this assignment, assume the role of consultant(s) who have been hired by the case organisation (Zurich) to contribute to a review of ITIL service improvement at the organisation. You will prepare a report for the CIO of Zurich.
Allen, L 2016, IT service management leaps ahead at Zurich https://pinkelephant.co.uk/about/case-studies/service-improvement-zurich/
Report: Case Study Report
Report Structure and Presentation
Your report should include a title page, letter of transmittal, executive summary, and Table of Contents. The presentation of the report should be professional, resulting in clarity of message and information.
Note: Make sure to state the name(s) and student number(s) on the title page. If you are working on a team, name and student number of both students must appear in the title page. State the word count of the report (Introduction to Conclusions)
Report Introduction (approx. 500 words)
Your report should include an introduction to the report. This introduction should provide an overview of the relevant case study.
Report sections (Each section – approx. 1000 words)
Section 1: The case study demonstrates that process maturity assessments reported Zurich’s service improvements. Based on the examples in the case study, identify three ITIL processes where improvements can be verified. Discuss the selected ITIL processes and their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for successful implementation as identified in the case study.
Section 2: The Head of Service Management at the European Centre of Excellence states: “The first step in our [improvement] journey was to understand where we stood today.” Which ITIL service lifecycle can undertake this requirement and how is this typically executed according to ITIL best practices? With references from the case study, give examples of how Zurich executed this service lifecycle.
Section 3: The case study argues that: “process improvement = service improvement”. A strong evidence is provided for this position based on PinkElephant’s consulting journey with Zurich. Identify one reference (case study, academic article, or industry report) that challenges this position, and present at least two key arguments to suggest that “process improvement ≠ service improvement”, i.e. service improvement is more than just process improvement.
Report: Conclusions & Recommendations (approx. 500 words)
Summarise the key lessons you learnt from this case study. Include recommendations for further service improvement at Zurich based on your review.
Report: Referencing and Appropriateness of Sources
References are required and the Harvard AGPS standard of referencing must be used. This standard is detailed on USQ Library Site http://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing.
You must use at least ten (10) academically sound sources other than the textbook in completing this report. Academic references include peer-reviewed journal/conference papers and books published by recognised publishers.
Report: Appendix 1 Journal
Prepare a journal that records your activities and progress related to completing this assignment. In date order, clearly list the following:
- Date of research activity
- Full description of activity / discussion (e.g. websites visited, other references accessed in library)
- Time duration of the activity
If you are working in a team, clearly state the activities of each team member.
Submit this journal as Appendix 1 in the Report. Any references to web pages and other articles, such as white papers, that were used to complete this journal but did not feature in the List of References, should be listed at the end of the journal.