Aligning Six Sigma and ITIL to Improve IT Service Management

Abstract

Organizations are implementing IT Service Management (ITSM) and creating quality standards to design, deliver, and manage IT services to meet or exceed an agreed level of quality. ITSM uses the best practices of IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) that informs IT management what needs to be done and how it will get done from the process perspective. However when undertaking an ITSM a project to implement ITIL, ITIL does not provide a method for measuring quality or identifying and completing process improvement projects. By integrating the Six Sigma quality methodology, IT management will have the methodology and tools for measuring quality and improving processes. Adopting Six Sigma principles also helps IT managers focus on their business strategy and customers, manage proactively based on facts, and reinforce collaboration across the enterprise. The framework in our exploratory experience based research has been built upon a deductive study which has been developed through a literature review and synthesis and an exploratory inductive research which has been developed using a qualitative case study methodology in the e-services and mobile applications field. [Article copies are available for purchase from InfoSci-on-Demand.com]