ITP partners discover new insights
ITpreneurs held its second Global Partner conference in Rotterdam during the week of September 2-6, 2013. This unique event brought Industry experts, best practice framework owners and partners of ITpreneurs together. The goals of the event were to demonstrate thought leadership, build partner capabilities, and to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking among the participants.
The thought leadership aspect of the conference focused on the sharing of visions, insights more and trends in both consulting and training developments within the IT Best Practice industry. Peter Hepworth, CEO of Axelos shared insights into what is happening in the best practices realm, including a closer relationship working with other frameworks. Sukhbir Jasuja, Co-founder and CEO of ITpreneurs shared ITpreneurs’ vision on the adoption of new frameworks into their portfolio, as well as new learning developments and training solutions, such as blended learning and gamification (simulation games) into their portfolio of offerings.
GamingWorks was invited to participate in the Consulting Leadership Track and to show how customer organizations have been gaining a demonstrated Return On Value (ROV) from investing in business simulation games to support organizational change initiatives and best practice implementation programs.
The Consulting Leadership Track began with an executive panel discussion with members including
Stephan Brahmer (Kepner-Tregoe), Rene Bravo (IT ERA), Christian Nissan (CFN People), and Henry Franken (BiZZdesign). The panel discussed trends and opportunities in the IT sector.
Key findings from the panel discussion revealed the following:
- A need to learn to practice, the “how to”. We have done the “what” (certifications), now, the need is for improved deployment capabilities.
- The need for service orchestration skills and capabilities as more external sourcing models arise.
- The need to shift from a technology and process focus, to a service focus and service culture.
- The need to align with, engage, understand, and demonstrate business value and business results from the investment in frameworks.
- The need to focus on the behavior, as well as the process; end-to-end collaboration, not a departmental or “silo” approach to implementing processes.
- The need for an integrated approach. Process is NOT enough, Tooling is NOT enough, the Theory and Certificate is NOT enough. Behavior and Culture are, in fact, the glue to integration.
- The need to develop continual service improvement capabilities. Business needs are continually changing, emerging technologies are continually changing. IT capabilities need to continually adapt and mature. CSI (Continual Service Improvement) is in fact a core IT capability.
The GamingWorks presentation showed an increasing uptake in simulation games to support organizational change and best practice implementation initiatives. A recent survey conducted by GamingWorks revealed, how business simulation games addressed many of the key needs identified in the panel discussion. Top findings of the survey are:
When Are Simulations Most Effective:
To support culture change initiatives
To create understanding and buy-in for a best practice (such as ITIL, Prince2, PMI, BPM, CoBIT)
Translating theory into practice
Breaking down silos and creating end-to-end team work
Empowering people to capture improvements in their own work
What Are the Benefits of Using Simulations:
Improved quality of services resulting from the change in behavior—behavior as seen, felt and experieced in the simulation game, and that delegates agreed to take away and apply
People started applying the behavior they had experienced in the simulation game
Reduces time, cost and effort to implement since people have a better understanding of how to apply the principles or theory following a simulation
After the simulation game, people were motivated and eager to analyze and improve their work together
GamingWorks also showcased how a business simulation entitled, “Apollo 13 – An ITSM Case Experience” can help add value to both training and consulting offerings.
A group of thirteen ITpreneurs Partners, including ITIL experts took part in the business simulation and were challenged by the customer in the game to demonstrate value using ITSM best practices. The initial game round was characterized by chaos, confusion, frustration and dissatisfied customers as the team was ineffective in translating ITIL theory into practice. Between game rounds, the team was facilitated in reflection and improvement, focusing on the critical success factors to realize success. At the end of the game they had achieved their service targets and the customer was happy.
Delegates were asked, “What where the key take-aways for you?” and “What was a critical success factor that the game enabled you to discover?”
- Despite having ITIL experts in the room, a simulation shows that a certificate isn’t enough. The simulations helps translate the theory into practice.
- The simulation helps focus on the essential, critical success factors for applying ITSM, i.e.,
V,O,C,R ( Value, Outcomes, Costs, Risks: the core definition of a SERVICE in ITIL), The 5 P’s (People, Process, Product, Partner, aimed at delivering the fifth P, Performance), CSI (Continual Service Improvement, a CORE capability for IT Service organizations in these times of continual change), and Behavior.
- Helps translate the “what”, the theory of ITIL, into the “how”. In the game the team must apply ITIL and demonstrate the results achieved in terms of value, outcomes, costs, risks.
- Helps show the pain of current ways of working, helping to create a sense of urgency for change.
- Because the Simulation is played in game rounds, it also helps people develop pragmatic
- CSI skills. Getting together to evaluate and agree on improvements that will add real value, or improvements to mitigate wasted costs and manage risks.
- The game is a good test for ITIL experts, showing what you can actually do with all the ITIL theory.
- Shows the importance of getting together to agree on roles, responsibilities, accountability and authority in order to embed desirable behavior in the organization.
- Brings people together from different departments and silos, and helps break down barriers and create buy-in for end-to-end practices.
It was clearly evident that the simulation exercise had helped people translate THEORY into PRACTICE.
The ITpreneurs Global Partner Summit fulfilled its ambitions on showing thought leadership, helping Partners develop new capabilities to better help customer organizations embrace frameworks to solve business problems. ITpreneurs also accomplished its goals for networking and sharing new knowledge, by helping to create new knowledge and insights.
I will definitely be signing up for next year’s conference!