ISM - IN CONTROL OF
IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT

The book "The ISM Method: Past, Present and Future of IT Service Management" describes a revolutionary approach on how to successfully implement IT service management (ITSM) in an easier, faster, cheaper, and especially more effective way.

IT management is becoming increasingly important for the business, and the advent of ITIL v3 has only made the gap between theory and practice bigger. Organizations that claim to work according to ITIL often have barely 3 or 4 processes in place (to some level), while ITIL documents more than 30 processes. If we add ASL and BiSL, we have even more than 80 processes.
The polarization in the triangle of functional management, application management, and technical management is counterproductive in the efficient delivery of good services.  Although the differences between these frameworks are not huge, framework experts focus more and more on their own domain, hoping that the rest will join them. Consultants still produce complex and expensive solutions that are repeated every 2-3 years.
ISM is completely different from those frameworks. ISM enables organizations to get in control of their management. In the Netherlands, the popularity of the ISM method is growing fast. The ISM method offers a successful alternative for traditional ITSM projects:

• ITSM can be implemented in a very short period (within 3 months).
• Project costs can be reduced by 40 to 60%.
• Six processes are enough to get in control of ITSM.
• Improvement investments will have a lasting result.

In the book, the lessons of 30 years are used to put an end to the chaos and complexity of ineffective ITSM projects. Based on simple paradigms, a single and compact solution is described for the integrated service management with People, Process and Product. This is not achieved by setting ITIL or ASL aside, but by rearranging the many valuable elements of these frameworks into a simple logical structure, and filling the gaps. Although the paradigms are explained extensively in the book, the solution is very practical and has been proven in recent years in dozens of projects with small and large organizations.
The book describes the implementation method, with a strong focus on quality assurance and cultural change, a comprehensive definition list, and an example of a compact process model.
The ISM method is supported by dozens of vendors, and there is a wide range of support resources and services available.

About the authors
Wim Hoving has over 20 years of experience in introducing and applying process-driven methods. Bottom-up and in a critical and self-educated way, he constantly improves service management by means of innovative practices, improving the coherence between all available support mechanisms.

Jan van Bon is an internationally renowned expert author, chief editor, and speaker. In a top-down approach, he uses his broad knowledge and analytical approach to select knowledge from familiar and lesser known frameworks, and reformats it into logical methods for practical application.

With this book, the authors try to stimulate the professionalization of IT management. The structure and compactness enable the quick and simple implementation, application and understanding of the ISM method. The authors want to provide a new impetus to ideas about ITSM. But above all, they hope that the book will contribute to the improvement of  IT services. After all, that’s what it’s all about.

The book: "The ISM Method" is published by Academic Service, ISBN: 9789012582308. The book can be ordered at bol.com  and many other shops.  Currently, the book is only available in Dutch. An English edition is expected by May 2011.