Guess what? The title says it all!!!! Today I expose a really REALLY easy way to help people understand the Business and IT alignment issue. Really I do! Have a listen!!!

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Helooooooooo everybody! Here it is day 3 of the ITSMF and because we had to get out of here on time yesterday (business calls) I wasn't able to inject you with the normal SMU goodness. SO......here it is! Enjoy!!!

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Hey all! Here I am at the ITSMF Conference in Melbourne. Good times to be had by all and I've even had some podcast/vodcast fans approach the booth and give some fantastic feedback! I'll be reporting to you "live and pre-recorded" from the conference and filling you in on all the juicy details. Enjoy!!!

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I've been sitting at home correcting Mock Manager Exams allllll day and guess what? I've got a little story to tell all of you. Enjoy!!!

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To help polish off yesterday's podcast (and give more understanding of the v3 concept of a service) of Service Life cycle goodness, Mr. Announcer Guy and I decided to pre-record in from of a live pre-recorded studio audience (????) a conversation between the Ops Mgr and the Strategy Mgr. It just so happens that said conversation follows loosely the conversation held within the Service Strategy book but...hey....it's for educational purposes. :D Enjoy!!!

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Heloooooooooooooooooooooooo loyal podcast listening public. Sorry I've been gone so long. Thanks to ALL of you who have contributed to us being so over-the-top busy for the next few months. We really appreciate your support and your thirsty minds. To make up for the long absence, today we are going to be doing a straight comparison between v2 and v3 in regards to what a service is. There is soooo much juicy info in them thar new books that I can't wait to share it with all of you. So, sit back ,relax and enjoy the education!!!!

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Today is a STRAIGHT FROM THE BOOK MONDAY about the often confusing shades of gray found in Incident Management. While riding on one of countless planes during my recent travels I reacquainted myself with the Foundations of IT Service Management based on ITIL book and I came across something I had forgotten about that could help all of you who are still a bit leery about the gray areas of Incident Management. Enjoy!!!

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Today's SMU was inspired by many hours spent reviewing and correcting several Manager Level mock exams that I am grading while on my travels. Yes an end to end view of your SERVICES is good at times but when we are talking about the activities within a process there is a tremendous amount of clarity that can be gained by FOCUSING on a SINGLE activity and drilling down into what happens and the benefits of that single activity before even thinking bout what will happen at the end.

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DANGER!!!! In this podcast you will be entering the "So common sense it might KILL you zone". While surfing around the net this past week I came across a so-good-it-shouldn't-be-LEGAL article entitled "10 tips on how to be a great IT manager". All throughout this fantastic piece of work are points that I often bring up at all levels of certification. I'm not going to go through all 10 points, I'll leave that up to you to read. HOWEVER (comma) I will give you the 4 points I like best. You can find the article here: http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/features/0,1000002000,39288078,00.htm Enjoy!!!

• ZDnet.co.uk :: Today's amazingly simple and effective article

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So just couldn't wait for the weekend to end eh? Well, here it is folks. One of the simplest, easiest ways to map your REAL WORLD to the ITIL activities and processes. Oh, and a little bit of relationship understanding between the processes thrown in for good measure. Why? Because we LIKE you. M-O-U-S-EEEEEEEEE.

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What is "Process Mapping" well, you are going to have to wait until Monday to find out the full story but today we're going to give you a quick, easy assignment in preparation for what we're going to do to "Close the loop" on what Process Mapping is. Enjoy!!!

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You can't even FATHOM how much fun we are having on our current 12 member in-house ITIL Manager/Masters course. Wall to wall framework bliss! SERIOUSLY! Today's SMU focuses on a little tip I like to give to help ease the strain of the Manager's exam. It's a "first step" tip that can help not only Manager focused people but Practitioner and Foundation level folks as well. Enjoy!!!!

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Today's "internationaly flavored" (you'll see) SMU comes from an article that I just can't WAIT to share with the world. Why? Well because not ONLY does it show how a government agency sucessfully deployed ITIL but it ALSO shows how one of the benifits was.......are you ready for this. It was a KEY to RETAINING staff. Has the world gone mad???? Nope, it's just gone ITIL. Enjoy!!!!

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Hello all! Today's SMU came from an observation I made while giving the ITIL Practitioner Relase and Control course this week. Of course, we were talking about Release Management today and of COURSE most people's eyes were glazed over like a Krispy Kreme donut! Many said "meh" to the concept of a Release policy. That was of course, until after I gave them a "back to basics" definition and then....well....forced them to do an exercise on it. Today's SMU focuses on that one word that gives oh-so-much clarity into the core of the Release Management process: Policy. Trust me. You need this. ;-)

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Original brodcast date 11/27

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WOW! One of my favorite over-priced but worth it cable companies is doing ITIL. And reaping BIG benefits. Monster Cable. That's right THE Monster Cable. The beginning of today's article deals with a Telco company that has over 50k customers and is in year 3 of ITIL and reaping HUGE benefits. Tough, but worth it. Real world. En.....joy.

• Today's Article :: SearchCIO.com

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So today is day 2 of our Manager program exam prep. There was a particular question on the mock exam that seemed to cause some discomfort with our attendees. The speech I gave them has been condensed into today's SMU. So, if you wondered what kind of questions you can expect to see on a Manager exam or you are curious as to how they mark the exams or you just want some info on how to study, today's tip is just for YOU. Enjoy!!!!

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Today's SFTB (Straight from the book) podcast comes once again from what looks like might just be my favorite v3 volume. Continuous Service Improvement. Last week Wednesday we talked a bit about the "Zero step" as I liked to call it of Identifying the vision, strategy, tactical and operational goals. Today, we recap some of that info and start talking about step 1 which states: "Define what you SHOULD" measure. Sit back relax and enjoy!!!!!

• Continuous Service Improvement :: Today's Tome of ITIL goodness

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Hey all! We had a great ITIL awareness course today. During today's course I promised the class that I would post this podcast on the main page so they could find it easier. It deals with the issues and problems of working in silos and contains some great info. Enjoy!!!

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In the new ITIL tomes there is some really cool information. I've just started my quest to read, digest and present to all of you some of the cool "new" things in the new v3 text. Today, I talk about something near and dear to my process loving heart. CONTINUOUS service improvement. Something most if not all of you forget about. Enjoy!!!!

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Hey all! It's late, I'm not tired and I'm STILL buzzing with excitement from the Apollo 13 course I ran today. It's just you, me, a glass of water, some leftover cornbread a laptop and a story!!!! Enjoy!!!

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Hey all! Retro-cast today. Apollo 13 has got me away from the office and I didn't pack my headset. During the building the rocket stage of the Apollo 13 simulation there are some critical ties back to a good CMDB. I thought this podcast from December of last year was a good one to re-post for you latecomers to the SMU. Enjoy!!!!

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So we finished up round 2 and 3 today of the Apollo 13 training session. Wow, what an absolute blast it was. Especially since you need a minimum of 8 to play and we had...........3!!!!!!!!!! My multi-tasking ablilities were taken to the MAX and boy did I learn a lot more. A great experience all around! Have a listen for details!

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The title says it all folks. I'm going through the simulation now (FINALLY) and I gotta tell you.....THIS is REALLY cool stuff!!!! How cool? Well, you are going to have to listen.

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So, thanks to the powers of ITIL geek-blogs we were made aware of what I think will be a very cool idea. A points based certification structure that allows everyone with an ITIL certification to not only go from V2 to V3 quickly and easily. But also the idea of a new ITIL Diploma and for people with insatiable framework appetites an "Advanced Service Managements Professional Diploma". It would seem that APMG is lending some more credibility to the already sought after ITIL certifications by making it more "University friendly". The link to the blog : http://itilimp.blogspot.com/2007/06/itil-refresh-v3-qualification-scheme.html

• ITILimp blog :: WOW! Have a look at THIS!!!!!

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Today's ITIL SMU is a snippet from the Release & Control Course we are running this week. In it we talk about the role that Change, Release and Configuration Management play in requirements, design and build phases of ICT Mgmt and Application Development. You questions answered. Enjoy!

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Today's SMU is quick, short and full of info regarding our latest edition to our extensive framework education service catalog. I can't believe I didn't talk about this earlier. So, I am now. enjoy!!!!

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Today's SMU exposes the myth that you have to get approval to start implementing ITIL.........Kinda... It shows how one man, working for Ancestry.com managed to implement ITIL on his own terms WITHOUT approval from upper management. Guess what? He wasn't fired or nuttin! LOL. Another "Grade A" real-world-ITIL-in-action article for you, the loyal podcast listening public. Enjoy!!!

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For today's SMU we revisit the SOA/ITIL perfect union. In today's SMU we get a bit deeper into the details of what SOA offers to your organization and how ITIL aligns PERFECTLY with SOA to ensure your SOA implementation is actually.....successful! Listen closely loyal podcast listeners. Today's SMU is chock full of mulit-framework goodness. Enjoy!!!

• Today's Article :: SOA World Magazine

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No long drawn out text here folks. See yesterday's podcast for info. See? Told you!!!

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Ahhh the inspiration of a freshly revamped Foundation course. Brings a tear to my eye. New students, newly updated materials, new adventures and a "new" education specialist taking the helm of the course (while I scrutinize at the back of the class). Part one of this 2 part series takes a look at what ITIL is all about: Effective and efficient processes. But, what the heck do those 3 words REALLY mean? Well, we turn to the ITSMF book Foundations for ITSM based on ITIL for the answer. Gather all your "ITIL n00bs" supposed "experts" around the radio for this one. You may be in for a shock!!! Enjoy!!

• Today's book :: MMMMMMMM tase-TAY!

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Today's SMU focuses on some cool ways to keep your Incident management fresh like the morning dew. It comes from ITSMwatch.com (of course) and not only do you get some cool ideas, but you also get a quick tie-in by me to Capacity management. Enjoy!!!

• Today's article :: ITSMwatch.com

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Orignally posted October 18th. School is in session! Today was day one of our in-house ITIL Foundations Open course and as per usual I'm all fired up and excited about introducing ITIL to the masses. Because we have a course going, I thought I would try and do an SMU that covers some of the things we talked about in class. Only problem is, we don't talk about Availability Management until tomorrow morning so, it looks like I'm a tad bit early. Ah well!!!! Today's SMU is all about once again debunking myths. The myth that we're debunking today: Unattainable high availability. This is a long SMU and I had intended to break it up into 2 parts but, well, I just couldn't do that to you loyal podcast listeners out there. There's some amazing stuff in here!!!! Get it while it's hot!!!!

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Today's SMU is all about returning to where we started. Driving home the basic concepts that many seem to have forgotten when it comes to IT Service Quality. Not only that, but you get a great non-IT analogy thrown in to boot! Now how's THAT for consistent quality? Hmmmmmmm??????

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Hey folks! Burning the midnight oil tonight getting our new V3 materials in order. So, we're pulling a podcast out of the archives for your enjoyment. Today's SMU Retro-cast dates back to last year November. One of the biggest obstacles people new to ITIL have to overcome is how to apply the framework in their business. Today's SMU gives a great real-world way of showing how mature your ITIL implementation is. For anyone who wondered just what CMM (Capability Maturity Model) was, today you get a definitive answer. Not only that but you'll learn how it applies to your ITIL rollout and how it can help you go to the next level.

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Ohhhh you are going to LOVE today's podcast. Real world discussions/arguments on the CMDB. Versions/Variants. A sneak peek into what we do in our Manager's course (or at least the kind of discussions we have) and an easy-to-digest-real-world-answer on what the heck the difference is between a Version and a Variant. All rolled into one! Enjoy!!! http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/networking/guide/archives/what-a-cmdb-is-not-8945

• Today's Article :: blogs.ITToolbox.com

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Last week, I had the participants of the Support and Restore Practitioner course do an ARCI diagram on their organization. It was amazing how much clarity it brought to the Incident Management process for them. It was SO informative that I decided to run it today during the Managers' course. Guess what.....same results. What's an ARCI diagram you ask? How will it help me with implementing my processes? Well....I guess you are going to have to listen aren't you? Or....just click the link below this podcast. Either way. I guarentee you'll learn somehting.

• ARCI (RACI) Diagram explanation :: Wikipedia....is there anything more fun????

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Today's SFTB (Straight from the Book) goodness is lifted from the "Frameworks for IT Management" book and it deals with something we get a LOT of questions about. Application Management. Many an application developer has asked many a question during our courses regarding "What does ITIL say about applications" which is ......well....not much. That's what the Application Services Library Framework is for. So, you are wondering HOW to manage your applications better? Listen in for a quick overview of how ASL might be able to cure the insatiable appetite of your favorite "code monkey". Enjoy!

• ASL Info :: Applications Services Library
• Today's Book :: Frameworks for IT Managment

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Enjoy this tasty little retro-cast from last year concerning ideas for communicating the value of your Interactive Voice Response System (IVRs) to your customers and users. As well as a great idea of HOW you can use it to give you valuable metrics for your IT Service Management initiative

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It's a bit of an old article but about 12 days ago the 16 strong international examination panel released some info on the new qualifications. What changes will they bring......um......we'll tell you once we finish reading over V3. ;-) Also, be sure to check out the IT Skeptic's article on the Service Catalogue. Good stuff as usual.

• Today's Article :: ITSM Watch.com
• The cranky-yet-cool IT Skeptic :: Another great article from the non-believing believer

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One thing we love here at Service Management Central is to hear people's opinions. Whether good, bad or indifferent we embrace people's thoughts about ITSM and encourage discussion and criticism. While trolling the Internet we came across an interesting opinion on ITIL V3 and thought we'd share this perspective with all of you? How do you feel about the new version? Feel free to leave us a comment on our website or send us an e-mail. Enjoy!

• Today's Blog :: ITpreneurs.com

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Today's SFTB goodness is an excerpt that CLEARLY and EASILY demonstrates the difference between "old world" factory based organization structures and "new world" ITIL bliss process based organizations. It comes from the new Release and Control book by the ITSMF and man oh man is it good. It's amazing how 2 small pages can open up such a wealth of clarity. Enjoy!!!!

• Today's Book :: IPRC a Practitoner Guide

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WOW!! The ITSMF have released a new book based on the ITIL Practitioner Release and Control exam!!! It is CHOCK FULL of easy to digest information. Last year, I did a podcast about the difficult-to-understand topic of variant vs version/CI. Well, you'll be happy to know that the ITSMF has given up some new, cool info on the topic. Plus, my own level of understanding has increased too so after we give you the "Straight from the book" explanation I give you my own spin on it. I hope you enjoy the new light we are shedding on the subject!!

• Today's Book :: Get it while it's......er...room temperature
• The ITSM community forum :: based on today's SMU

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hey folks! I have to post a retro podcast today. Loooong days of training foundation and helping to finish up a Managers course in the same day make for a tired, cranky entertrainer. LOL!!!!

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One of the things I know from experience. ITIL is VERY VERY difficult to implement in a University environment. One of the BIGGEST factors is the at times extreme kingdoms that are built within a University. Silo's are not only used, they are used as a wall to keep "the others" out. So, why did UPenn pack the house at a recent conference in Las Vegas? What did they do? Luckily, we sent our own Bobby William Coooningwoodge to investigate. The UPenn rep. Robert "Buck" Buffington was on hand to give us a peek. Enjoy!!!!

• Today's Article :: Mmmmmm Ivy Leage Goodness.

File Download (11:58 min / 11 MB)

One of the heated discussions that happens in EVERY course no matter what level of ITIL certification we train is that of defining Impact, Urgency and Priority and how they can be used to aid the escalation of Problem records. Today, we take a look at the "purist" definitions within ITIL and reveal a single critical sentence that is often overlooked. Then, we flesh it out a bit with the usual "EnterTrainer" enthusiasm. Enjoy!

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WOW! I'm getting flooded with ITSM questions and requests. Look out next week for me to answer them as promised here on the SMU. For now, I have a very interesting homework assignment for all of you that you can do to people whenever they bring up the word "bureaucracy". Trust me, you are going to love it. Take care@!!!!!

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Just got back from the IPAD (ITIL Practitioner, Agree and Define) release party. The IPAD exam tests your knowledge (and endurance) of Service Level Management, Financial Management and the relationships the processes have between each other and with other ITIL disciplines. Today, I give a bit of a "rant" on the positioning of the exams and the importance they could and well SHOULD have with all of you. Enjoy!!!

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Today is Anzac Day (Australia New Zealand Army Corps). For those not in the know it is like Memorial Day in the U.S. The whole of Australia pauses to remember those that have fallen before us so that we can take advantage of the freedoms we hold today. Like Memorial Day last year, I'd like to take time out in this podcast to remember those people. Thank you to all of you. We shall return tomorrow with the usual SMU. You'll find a quick history lesson inside. Enjoy!!!

• Anzac Day :: Brief history of Anzac Day

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Today's SMU deals with something that happened today during the custom one day Service Level Management course we ran for a MAJOR player in the construction materials business. They have some really REALLY cool "SLAs" and statistics already but want to do things....BETTER. Today's SMU is a small snippet of what we spoke about and something that a lot of you out there probably forget when it comes to implementing this framework. Enjoy!!!

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One of the activities of today's ITIL SMU:Straight from the book edition is simple, fair AND realistic. So why are so many of you not doing it? What is it? Well, you have to listen to find out....MWA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!

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WOW! I have finally found an article that REALLY drives home the ideas and passion that I have about my favorite little framework. The weird thing? This article has NOTHING to do with ITSM. Or DOES it?????? Today's ITIL SMU comes from an article written about why Toyota is such a successful car company. About why Toyota is CREATING jobs in my old home country of the U.S. of A. It gives some insight into WHY it is crushing its competition. Compelling, interesting and.....er.....groovy man. Enjoy http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/111/open_no-satisfaction.html

• Today's article :: Fastcompany.com

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Today's SMU comes to us from ITSMwatch.com. It's just a quick excerpt from an article called "Bringing ITIL to Life:Automating Capacity Management". I decided to focus on the getting started section but there is some really cool info on Capacity Management automation in the article as well. Check the links below this podcast at our podcast site (www.theartofservice.com/podcast) to view the entire article. Enjoy!

• Today's article :: ITSMwatch.com

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As promised the final part of yesterday's ITIL Service Agreement Goodness. I think....wait.....I KNOW you are going to enjoy the clear, concise specifications that ITSMF Netherlands suggests as guidelines for Too Long, Too Short and Just Right. Now, who loves you ITIL heads more than us? That's right no one! Enjoy!!!

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Not only do you get some cool, "straight from the ITSMF horse's mouth" info today on things that could adversely affect the creation of your SLAs but you also get to here me sing a bit. Badly. For a millisecond. LOL!!! Today's SMU comes from the excellent ITIL supplementary tome written by the ITSMF called "Service Agreements: A Management Guide". Today, we focus on the 7 areas that could help to derail your SLA initiative. Tomorrow, we give you SPECIFIC TIMEFRAMES that this book considers to be "too long, too short, or just right" for the development of your Service Agreements. Yes, and it's still free to you. (But yes it would be nice if you clicked the link and bought the book as there are 82 pages of goodness waiting for you). ENJOY!!!!

• Today's Book :: It's small, cheap and GOOD like a stick of gum!

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Next week we're giving a 1 day Service Level Management workshop for one of our customers. While refreshing our material I decided to do some research into some of the newer ITSMF publication to see if there was something cool I could use as a reference. I thought you all would enjoy this. It's called "5 Myths of Service Management". Some good stuff. Enjoy!!!!!

• Today's book :: Service Agreements: A Management Guide

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Today's ITIL SMU is so full of useful AND useless information I just don't know what to do with myself. So, I guess I'll just tell you why I'm all excited: 1. It contains a "Straight from the book" example on what an IT service is. (No really it does!!!_ 2. Today's podcast was initiated by me taking/reviewing the mock exam for the new ITIL Practitioner:Agree & Define Exam. 3. It gives you some straight from the book & straight from the exam info on how you will be tested AND how to apply the information you find in the books to the exam 4. We've done over 100 podcasts! 5. This number comes after 4 6. This number is between 5 and 7 7. See? Told you the previous number was between 5 & 7!!!! Enjoy!!!

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We'll be back with the regular podcasts tomorrow. Here's an oldie but goodie that went OFF THE CHARTS last year. Due to the OVERWHELMING response to our last SOA/ITIL article we decided to give you more of what you want. Not only does this article once again show how well these two frameworks work together but specific examples are given by a real world SOA implementer. Remember folks, this article WASN'T written by an "ITILhead" but from the perspective of someone who is an SOA guru. ENJOY!!

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Ahhh what the heck!! It's Friday, we're on a 4 day weekend and we've got HEAPS of new listeners. Here's an old school favorite. The ITIL Gump sketch.

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Today's ITIL SMU is yet another fantastic, outstanding, poignant, etc etc example of how 5 little ideas can create a powerhouse effect on the lack of communication between IT and the business. Yes, that's right 5 easy to follow steps....AND a badly imitated french accent....AND...a cool movie quote. All wrapped up in today's SMU. ITIL heads REJOICE!!! The humor is BACK!!!!!!! And STILL not funny!!! LOL

• Today's article :: CIOupdate.com

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Hey you crazy ITIL podcast kids!!!! There were some throrough discussions today dealing with workarounds. It was such a good "question grilling" session that I decided to dedicate today's podcast to the subject. Enjoy!!!!

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Today's ITIL SMU article excerpt comes from a place I haven't visited in quite some time. SearchCIO.com. In it, it lists some ideas you can use to get those stubborn non-believers on board. Not only does it contain some cool information but you get a little past history on me the EnterTrainer. Enjoy!!!

• Today's article :: Searchcio.com

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You read the title correct loyal listeners. There is a "best practice" approach to buying software. No, I'm not reading from the ITIL books. Yes, it is a Prince 2 methodology. Yes, it's full of "common sense-isms" just like ITIL. Yes, it's just a highlight. Yes, we are giving a 5% discount for this book at our website just by using the coupon code "cast07" (no quotes). So for those of you who have been wondering how to find the right tool for your ITIL implementation, here's a great methodology to use to get you started! Enjoy!!!

• Git yer software here! :: Today's excerpt
• ITIL Software perspective ::
• MMMMm more software frameworks :: ASL

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Oprah gave away free cars.....we're giving away LOADS of do-it-yourself templates and fact sheets and books for those who attend our courses here at Service Management Central. Today was the first day we did it and MAN does it feel good!!!!

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It's officially official. Micro$oft have finally have a name for their Service Desk/ITSM software suite. We'll be seeing it (in beta form) in about 30 days. http://presszoom.com/story_126723.html

• Today's info ::

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WOW! Today's ITIL SMU is chock full of real-world goodness. Not only does today's article highlight a success story with a typically bureaucratic government agency, it also sneaks in a bit of ITIL while doing so. A government agency in Australia recently changed their ENTIRE Novell based back end to Microsoft! Talk about a headache!!! So, why is the branch manager smiling about it? Ohhh, I think you know why..... ;-)

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Implementing an IT framework? ITIL, Cobit, SOA, LMNOP, QRSTUV, WXYZ??? STILL having problems? Wish there was some way to manage all of your IT frameworks? Well, today we have a suggestion that you might like....A LOT!!!!! In today's highly informative podcast, we not only talk about common challenges (root causes even!!!) to all IT departments but how ITSMP can be the solution!!! Oh, and it's all for free!!!!!! Why? Because we love you?

• The book highlighted today :: The IT Strategy Management Process
• But wait!!! There's more!! :: Implementing Leading Standards for IT
• Now how much would you pay! :: Managing Successful Programmes

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Special thanks to the loyal ITIL podcast listeners who have stepped out of the ITIL shadows to ask some good ITIL questions. Today's SMU answers the questions sent in by several loyal listeners about the role Capacity Management plays when bringing in new systems to the infrastructure. Not only do you get my usual semi-entertaining ramblings, but you also get another straight from the ITIL Service Delivery book answer! All for FREE!!! Why? Well, because we love you that's why. Enjoy!!

• Get your own! I've got my own! :: The gloriously cook "red book"
• Little fish? Big pond? NO problem :: We've got you covered
• What's Operations Management :: Find out now. Click here!!!

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Today's straight from the book ITIL SMU comes courtesy of Availability Management. A hot topic in all level of ITIL Certification courses we provide is on how to calculate "how we're doing" when it comes to Availability issues. Fear not my ITIL loving loyal podcast listeners. There actually ARE some suggestions WITH ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES right in the book. That's right folks, you read me correctly. Right in the book! Enjoy!!!

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Today's ITIL SMU is a quick, short, less than two minute bundle of joy. It's time for the weekend folks and your homework assignment is light, fluffy and low calorie! Enjoy!

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I was inspired by yesterday's ITSMF quarterly meeting in which both presentations focused on organizational change and the people aspect of ITSM. Enjoy!!!

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Hey folks...this is it. Part 2 of our....uh...2 part ITIL series of the dividing line between Project Management and ITIL Change Management.

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WOOO HOOOO!!!! Today we do our first official "ITIL burning questions" episode and I'm really, REALLY excited. Today's ITIL SMU helps to bring a little more clarity to the question "Where does Change Management end and Project Management begin?". A fantastic question from a fantastic regular listener. For those of you who have the blue ITIL Service Support book, go and get it. We've got something special to show you!!!

• Come visit us :: Stay a while, have some coffee...buy some books!

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Guess who's back???? Fresh from a motivating and relaxing fast track ITIL Managers course, we hit the ground running today with a Capacity Management concept that is overlooked far too many times. It amazes me that even the most seasoned ITIL veteran forgets how the monitoring activity in Capacity Management can help them be more proactive in providing services to the customers. How so you might ask? Well my ITIL-heads, have a listen to find out!

• Bust a cap in your implementation... :: Capacity Management that is...
• Gotta catch em all :: The entire series

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Thank you very much for those of you who sent your ITIL questions to us at podcast@theartofservice.com. Many of you have asked where you can find some free information about ITIL implementations. More specifically, HOW do OTHER people in the market do it? Well, that is a huge challenge but, if you listen to this podcast of ITIL goodness, we'll give you a direct link to real ITIL people answering real ITIL questions. Enjoy!!!!

• ITIL Community :: Real people, real info, real good.
• ITIL Community Forum ::

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For those of you not in the know, there is an official ITIL Refresh newsletter that is going out via e-mail and hard copy via snail mail. In it contains vital information as to the truth behind the ITIL refresh. In today's SMU, we take an excerpt from the last page of the first newsletter that went out concerning the ITIL refresh. We present to you the to 5 myths of the ITIL refresh.

• Today's Article :: Get your news straight from the source
• Get a head start :: V3 books...NOW
• Pre-order :: Service Strategy
• Pre-order :: Continual Service Improvement

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Confused about what information you should put into your Service Agreements? Well wonder no more. Today we give you a quick, easy, 7 point response to that common ITIL question straight from an ITSMF publication that focuses on Service Agreements. After which we break down EACH point (6 out of 7 anyway) and give you more FREE info to aid you in reaching ITIL nirvana! And to think, all you had to do is give up 10 little minutes of your time! Who love ya???? WE DO!!!

• Today's Article :: MMMMMM knowledge. Tastes like freedom!
• Get the kit :: 'Cuz you need that.....

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This podcast is special for 2 reasons......both of which mean you will actually have to LISTEN to the podcast to know what that is. Homework Friday will never be the same again!

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Today's SMU comes from ITSMwatch.com. One of my favorite places on the web for real word info on the "How to do ITIL". It discusses several ITIL safety tips based on the Service Support processes. Not only is there some amazing information, in today's podcast, but there is also a blooper that I decided to leave in for your amusement. Podcasting on the road has some unique ambient noise challenges... .......... Enjoy!!!! Today's Article:http://www.itsmwatch.com/itil/article.php/11700_3657446_1

• Today's Article :: ITSMwatch.com
• Get some perspective :: Clues are easier to find than you think
• A house is nothing :: Without a good foundation......
• Got plans? :: So does this!!!

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Today's ITIL SMU is all about open source service catalogs. It would seem that a major player newScale Inc. has decided to sponsor an open source website that encourages people to submit and critique service catalogs and templates. For those of you out there who are struggling with this, your ITIL prayers have been answered! How cool is THIS???

• home.businesswire.com :: Today's article
• More than just a service catalog :: All the templates you need for Service Level Management....and then some!
• Mindmaps :: Made in the mind....displayed on paper

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Today's snippit of ITIL goodness comes from Gridtoday.com. It highlights a new service offering offered by Novell that is "blueprinted" or based on ITIL principles. Following the article is a white paper that explains what they are trying to achieve. I have to tell you, it sounds pretty cool. Not only does the white paper have some good basic info on their ITIL based product(s). But you could also use it to help communicate to your business the value of ITIL for your own implementation.

• Gridtoday.com :: Today's article
• The whitepaper :: Novell's infamously cool whitepaper.
• Frameworks for ITSM :: Cobit? CMMi? ITIL? LXMFD?? What to chose?
• Learn to speak "Microsoft ITIL" :: MOF pocket guide

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A hot topic lately in our ITIL Foundation courses is on the meaning and value of Application Sizing. It seems that this ITIL term confuses a lot of people. Well, to help clear the air, we decided to dedicate today's straight from the book podcast on that very topic. You know, it's amazing what you learn about ITIL when you actually READ the books!

• Half the calories of the book form :: Same great taste!!
• Capacity Managment with an ISO20k perspective :: Nothing like a good book!
• This kit is better than K.I.T.T. :: Knight Rider reference aside, some good stuff here!!!!
• Informative AND it makes a good hand to hand weapon :: The original

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Saving the best for last, today's SMU retrospective is a podcast that went mostly unnoticed due to the newness of podcast site. Today's real-world-do-it-yourself article gives you yet another fantastic six step program for reducing incidents in your organization. Had problems trying to figure out just how to reduce your MTTR (Mean Time To Repair)????? THIS is the article for you. Another egg-sa-lent article that not only shows HOW to do it, but it also shows how the processes are dependent upon each other. Not many people realize or understand how important Availability Management is in relation to Incident Management.

• Today's Article :: ITSMwatch.com
• For the die-hard incident manager in all of us :: Incident Management Kit
• The whole shebang!!! :: ITIL Service Support
• Increase your availability NOW!!! :: Availability Management Kit

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Our favortie "Elf from the hood" stops in to help us out for today's podcast retrospective. It's all about questions you should ask to build your business case for ITIL or ANY other framework. What do you get when you mix a great article riddled with sarcasm, guest voice Mr. Announcer guy, and dash of EnterTrainer wit???? Why, you get today's SMU that's what! Today's article deals with IT governance in general. There is nary a framework acronym found in it. What it DOES contain is some of the best "focus on what the business needs are" information I've ever seen. This article is bursting at the seams with real-world-honest-to-goodness thought process that each and EVERY one of you loyal listeners NEEDS to ask yourselves. Whether it's ITIL, Cobit, CMM, Six Sigma, or whatever you are doing or plan on doing. Before you even get started you MUST read/listen to this article. And you know what? It tastes even sweeter cuz it's FREE!

• The article from today's podcast :: Computerworld.com

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Hello all! Mr Announcer Guy here! The EnterTrainer is out doing an in-house course and due to increased commitments, (and lack of internet access remotely) he has been unable to bring you your daily dose of podcast goodness. Over the next 3 days I will be bringing you some "best of" podcasts that we feel hit the mark on some of the hot topics out in the market. For those of you who are regular listeners, you may have heard this material before. For those of you who are new, WELCOME! These podcasts will save you from having to drill down in our website to find all their real world goodness.

• The original article from where this podcast came from :: IT business edge

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The title says it all!!!

• Today's homework assignment ::

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Today's SMU is an excerpt from a lengthy article found in the dark corners of the Internet. It is an ITIL article written for an Insurance website. I know, ITIL & Insurance???? What do they have in common? A lot more than you think. The focus of today's slice of ITIL goodness is on overcoming resistance. A perfect compliment to yesterday's culture change focus. Real world people, with real world ideas about ITIL. Makes you feel all warm inside doesn't it??

• Today's Article :: Insurancenetworking.com
• Enabling Change :: Feed the need for knowledge
• Change....NOW :: Adapt...overcome...succeed. Get a fat raise!
• Managing Successful Programs :: Sure beats managing failure programs!!!

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Today's SMU is a triple whammy. Short, sweet and chock full of real-world ITIL info from people who have done it. Culture change is one of the hardest things about implementing our favorite little framework. Today's article brings it to light, albeit briefly.

• Today's Article :: Computerworld.com

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On the 29th of January a press release went out from EXIN and the ISEB about their decision to align with the APM Group (the new torch bearers of ITIL). Today's SMU deals with what I think is the most important paragraph in the press release!

• The Press Release ::

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Guess who's back? Back again? We are back! Tell a friend! It is the return of the SMU and all of us here are delighted, excited and several other words that end in "ed" to be back!!! Today, it's back to normal with "Straight from the book" Monday. This ITIL SMU is comes from the Service Delivery book. It is a case-study scenario that shows how charging can hurt a business if not done properly. Enjoy!!!

• Go all the way with it :: Finance for ISO20k
• Everything you need :: And a few things you don't
• Service Level Management Kit :: All the documents. And I mean ALLL of them

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We apologize for the delay in podcasts, we were doing some server migrations and upgrades and some of our podcasts were lost in the shuffle. For the next few days I'll be re-posting some of the information. Enjoy!!!

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If I had to come up with a title for today's SMU it would be: "The Art of Service....ITIL Unplugged". Why? Well, because this is just a stripped down short, no intro, no filler podcast. What does that mean? Well, listen and see...er....hear. ITIL! ITIL! ITIL! OI! OI! OI!

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Sorry for the delay. As you will here from today's SMU we're doing some data migration getting ready for some changes here at The Art of Service (you special ITIL place on the web). As such, we had a complete ban on uploading new files to the server. FEAR NOT!!! We are back on the air and I've also just finished taking my ITIL Manager Service Delivery exam today. My brain.....hurts. Anyway, picking up where I left off from here is part 2 of our 3 part Forrester research paper. Enjoy!!!

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