Architecture and Patterns for IT Service Management, Resource Planning, and Governance: Making Shoes for the Cobbler's Children

Chapter 4 A Supporting Systems Architecture

If you look at the glossy brochures and listen to the sales talk, Service Management tools are indispensable. However, good people, good process descriptions, and good procedures and working instructions are the basis for successful Service Management.

—ITIL¹⁹³

We’ve seen best-in-class portfolio management processes implemented on a shoestring software budget, using spreadsheets and document templates. We’ve also seen worst-in-class practices implemented with million-dollar portfolio management applications.

—Jeff Kaplan¹⁹⁴

VARIATIONS ON THE PRECEDING quotes are de rigueur in most discussions of IT enablement. However, at some point the process architecture is defined and it becomes clear that manual ...