IT Service Management with FitSM Version 3

The complete knowledge about FitSM is available in two books. Written by Dierk Soellner and Anselm Rohrer.

Book 1: A practical and lightweight framework for IT

The first book focuses on IT Service Management (ITSM) using FitSM, as a practical and lightweight framework for IT. It provides a comprehensive introduction to FitSM and describes its application in small and medium-sized organizations. Both authors have decades of experience implementing IT service management in small and midsize organizations.

The foreword by Paul Wilkinson highlights that many organizations struggle to gain the expected benefits from ITSM best practices like ITIL. FitSM is presented as a solution based on 82 concise requirements, integrating elements from ISO/IEC 20000, COBIT, and ITIL. The motto of FitSM is “keep it simple,” focusing on 14 core processes to reduce the size and complexity of ITSM implementation.

The authors emphasize the importance of continual improvement and employee involvement in the process. FitSM values systematic IT service management with principles like “Service and customer orientation,” “Process orientation,” and “Continual improvement.” These principles are supported by FitSM’s basic principles: “Practical, Consistent, Sufficient, and Expandable”.

This book describes the target audience of FitSM, including IT managers, IT staff, and leaders of IT service companies. It offers a complete compilation of various FitSM components and practical tips for implementation.FitSM consists of four main documents (FitSM-0 to FitSM-3) and three supplementary documents (FitSM-4 to FitSM-6). FitSM-0 provides an overview of the entire FitSM construct and defines all technical terms. FitSM-1 contains requirements for a functioning IT service management system. FitSM-2 recommends principles and activities to implement the requirements of FitSM-1. FitSM-3 describes a role model based on the requirements of FitSM-1. FitSM-6 offers an assessment tool to evaluate the maturity level of an organization’s IT service management. These elements are brought together in a meaningful and understandable manner in this book.

In summary, the book provides a comprehensive introduction to FitSM and its application in small and medium-sized organizations. It describes the various components of FitSM, the target audience, the principles, and the practical implementation of the framework.

Book 2: A practical implementation guide

The second book aims to provide a pragmatic approach to IT Service Management (ITSM) for small and medium-sized IT service providers and IT departments. The guide is structured to help organizations implement essential ITSM processes while maintaining flexibility and avoiding unnecessary complexity.
The book begins with an introduction and overview, explaining the need for a user-friendly ITSM framework like FitSM. It targets IT managers, employees, and managing directors of IT service companies who want to establish high-quality, lean, and efficient IT processes. The purpose of the book is to explain the practical introduction of straightforward processes using FitSM, focusing on the challenges of practical implementation rather than theoretical understanding.
The structure of the book includes several chapters that cover different aspects of FitSM implementation.

• Chapter B explains the FitSM role model, describing the roles required for the introduction of the service management system and individual processes.
• Chapter C describes the introduction of simple processes in a very small IT department based on the fictitious company Bikes & more.
• Chapter D describes a more extensive implementation for the fictitious IT service provider EnableIT.
• Chapter E provides advice on practical implementation, pointing out pitfalls and how to avoid them.
• Chapter F deals with continuous improvement and the constant adaptation of processes to a changing organization.
• Chapter G shows how FitSM has developed since its introduction.
• Chapter H explains and evaluates samples, templates, and guides available on the internet by the FitSM working group.

The book emphasizes the importance of continual improvement and auditing14. It suggests introducing structures in small, feasible steps to avoid overburdening those involved. Quality assurance is carried out after the introduction to check whether the implementation is working and whether the desired benefits can be realized15. The book also highlights the usefulness of conducting audits to determine the current situation and provide documented verification of the service provider’s work.
The FitSM role model presented in the book is structured generically, describing fundamentally necessary roles that are then transferred to concrete use cases. The roles include SMS owner, SMS manager, process owner, process manager, and process participants. The book also introduces the RACI model, which helps clarify the involvement and responsibility for specific activities and tasks within the IT organization.
As a practical highlight for better understanding and successful use in practice, the book uses two example companies, Bikes & more and EnableIT, to illustrate the practical implementation of FitSM. Bikes & more is a small internal IT department facing significant resource constraints. EnableIT is an external IT service provider specializing in managed services for small and medium-sized enterprises. The examples show how these companies implement various components of IT service management step by step.
In conclusion, “IT Service Management with FitSM Version 3” provides a comprehensive guide for implementing ITSM processes in small and medium-sized IT service providers and IT departments. It emphasizes practicality, consistency, sufficiency, and extendibility, offering a pragmatic approach to achieving effective service management without excessive overhead.

Book 2 will be available soon.