How does IT provide a consistently effective service? (Part II)

When implementing standards, businesses have a number of frameworks and models that can be used as references such as:

• Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL).
• Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI).
• Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK).

These reference models provide guides based on processes, tools, roles and responsibilities that can be used to define in-house standards and methodologies. These in-house standards should be defined around:

• Business objectives such as quality standards and response times.
• Business processes that require improvement and consistent levels of service.
• Metrics that will be used to measure and control the behavior of processes.

Once in-house standards and methodologies have been defined with clear objectives, processes, tools, metrics, roles and responsibilities, the business can start training and implementation. If the business so chooses it can carry out a series of tests and audits to demonstrate that it has achieved varying levels of industry accepted standards.