The IT Experience Podcast

By HappySignals

Podcast for those who want to take IT Experience Management (ITXM) in use and improve Employee Experience of IT Services in large enterprises. We talk about Human-Centric IT, how does it change the cu... more

· Business

5

11 ratings

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about The IT Experience Podcast:

How many episodes does The IT Experience Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 121 episodes available.

The IT Experience Podcast episodes:

December 12, 2024120. IT Trends 2025 with Roy Atkinson
In this episode, we explore the anticipated trends for 2025, focusing on budget predictions, the role of AI in IT support, and the importance of human experience in a rapidly changing technological landscape. The conversation highlights the contradictions in budget expectations, the challenges of AI adoption, and the productivity paradox that arises from new technologies. Practical takeaways for IT leaders are also discussed, emphasizing the need for a human-centric approach in technology implementation.
Takeaways
2025 may present contradictory trends in IT.

40% of IT leaders expect only modest budget increases.

AI is becoming a standard part of software solutions.

AI can enhance both hard and soft skills for agents.

Generative AI usage has doubled in the past year.

High value work needs to be redefined in the AI era.

Human experience will remain vital in technology adoption.

The productivity paradox raises questions about AI's effectiveness.

Usability of technology is often overlooked in favor of features.

Listening to employees is crucial for effective change management.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to 2025 Trends
01:57 Budget Trends and Contradictions
05:12 The Role of AI in Budgeting
11:56 AI Adoption and Its Implications
18:40 The Value of Human Experience
27:05 The Productivity Paradox
32:47 Practical Takeaways for 2025
37:34 Introduction to the Conversation
37:35 Exploring Key Themes in the Discussion

To connect with Roy Atkinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/royatkinson/

To learn more about HappySignals, go to happysignals.com
...more
38min
November 28, 2024 119. ITXM Insights - November 2024
In this episode of the IT Experience Podcast, Pasi , Sami, and Sakari discuss the latest trends in IT experience management, insights from recent industry events, and the importance of aligning priorities for improvement. They explore how AI is transforming the service desk, the significance of experience management in various business functions, and the challenges of implementing these changes. The conversation also touches on the watermelon effect in IT and looks ahead to upcoming trends for 2025.

Takeaways

- AI is significantly changing the landscape of IT and service desks.
- Experience management is becoming a critical focus for organizations.
- Clear communication and understanding of experience management are essential for success.
- The watermelon effect illustrates the disparity between perceived and actual performance in IT.
- Organizations must prioritize removing barriers to improve user experience.
- Experience management can be applied beyond IT to HR and finance.
- Simplicity in metrics can help organizations focus on what truly matters.
- Networking and discussions at industry events are crucial for understanding market readiness.
- The maturity of discussions around experience management is increasing among customers.
- Looking ahead, organizations should prepare for significant changes in IT experience management.
...more
20min
November 07, 2024 118. How PepsiCo is Transforming IT and Global Business Services with Experience Management
How PepsiCo is Transforming IT and Enterprise Services with Experience Management
Presented by Prashant Arora, PepsiCo, Inc.
Prashant discusses the transformative strategies PepsiCo has implemented to streamline its services and enhance the end-user experience. Their journey has been one of innovation, leveraging the brightest talent, digital platforms, and streamlined processes while shifting their focus from outputs to outcomes.
...more
36min
October 31, 2024 117. Tiger Teams and Watermelons? ITXM Monthly
In this episode of ITXM Insights, Pasi Nikkanen and his team celebrate the 10th anniversary of HappySignals, reflecting on their journey and the evolution of experience management. They discuss the importance of shifting from IT support to a people-centric approach, highlighting recent blog posts that emphasize this theme. The conversation also covers upcoming events where the team will engage with the community and share insights from the XLA Institute UK event, focusing on the need for a shared language in experience management.
Takeaways
- Celebrating 10 years of Happy Signals is a significant milestone.
- The journey has seen the evolution of experience management concepts.
- A people-first approach is essential in IT support.
- Recent blog posts highlight the importance of understanding user perception.
- Forming specialized teams can help address challenges in experience management.
- The future of IT service quality will focus on user perspectives.
- Engagement in events is crucial for community building.
- The XLA Institute is vital for standardizing experience management practices.
- Unclear roles are a major challenge for customers implementing XLAs.
- Experience management is still developing as a discipline.
Links
Blog Posts Mentioned in this episode:
https://www.happysignals.com/blog/why-it-support-is-really-people-support
https://www.happysignals.com/blog/top-tips-for-introducing-and-adopting-itxm
https://www.happysignals.com/blog/it-experience-management-see-your-image-not-your-reflection
https://www.happysignals.com/blog/what-it-service-quality-means-in-2025-and-beyond
...more
20min
October 24, 2024116. AI in ITSM: Avoiding the Hype with Stephen Mann
In this episode of the Happy Signals IT Experience podcast, Stephen Mann discusses the evolving landscape of IT Service Management (ITSM) with a focus on the impact of generative AI.
He highlights the significant shift towards AI technologies in 2024, emphasizing the need for cautious adoption and a user-centered approach.
Mann stresses the importance of understanding the outcomes of AI implementations rather than just the technology itself, urging IT professionals to focus on solving real problems for users. He shares insights on successful AI strategies and common pitfalls to avoid, ultimately advocating for a holistic approach to integrating AI within organizations.

Key takeaways
Generative AI has become a dominant theme in ITSM content.

Caution is necessary when adopting new technologies like AI.

Successful AI implementations often go unnoticed by users.

Focus on user experience and outcomes, not just efficiency.

Understanding the demand side is crucial for effective solutions.

Many organizations struggle to achieve expected benefits from self-service technologies.

AI should be integrated holistically across business functions.

Vendors must align their offerings with actual user needs.

The importance of learning from past mistakes in technology adoption.

Metrics should reflect user satisfaction and business value, not just operational efficiency.

Stephan Mann on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenamann/

ITSM Tools website
https://itsm.tools/

--
To learn more about IT Experience Management (ITXM) Framework™, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.happysignals.com/itxm-framework-it-experience-management⁠⁠⁠⁠

To learn about our Built-in XLA Management features: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/product/xla-management⁠⁠⁠⁠

Read our Practical Guide to XLAs: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/the-practical-guide-to-experience-level-agreements-xlas⁠
...more
27min
July 04, 2024115. David Barrow - What the TV show Ted Lasso can teach us about Service Management
In this conversation, David Barrow discusses his experience in IT service management, drawing parallels between the principles of service management and the themes in the popular TV show 'Ted Lasso.'
The conversation delves into the importance of learning from failure, building communities of practice, and the human aspect of leadership and team dynamics. The same findings are present in David Barrow's book "An education in Service Management", which is also discussed.

Takeaways
Learning from failure is a key aspect of service management and leadership.

Building communities of practice and fostering a culture of experimentation and iterative improvement is essential for success in service management.

The fear of failure is often worse than the failure itself, and it's important to embrace a mindset of learning and growth.

The human aspect of leadership and team dynamics plays a significant role in the success of service management initiatives.

David Barrow on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/solsevenstudio/

His book "An education in service management"
https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/an-education-in/9781787784697/
--
To learn more about IT Experience Management (ITXM) Framework™, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.happysignals.com/itxm-framework-it-experience-management⁠⁠⁠⁠

To learn about our Built-in XLA Management features: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/product/xla-management⁠⁠⁠⁠

Read our Practical Guide to XLAs: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/the-practical-guide-to-experience-level-agreements-xlas⁠
...more
47min
June 20, 2024114. David Stewart - Breaking Free from Ticket Queue Silos
If your decisions or work impact the way IT support tickets are managed in your workplace, then this episode is for you.
In this episode, David Stewart goes into depths of what his experience in IT has taught him about weaknesses in the current way of dealing with support tickets.
He addresses the constraints of ticket queue silos, the challenges of prioritization, and the need for an improved approach to support ticket management.
David introduces the concept of activity prioritization, which emphasizes the activity and progress of tickets rather than merely the number of tickets closed.
He also explains the significance of meaningful statuses and progression thresholds in guiding ticket management. The conversation underscores the benefits of this approach for both support teams and end users.

Takeaways
Ticket queue silos are a major constraint in IT support, as tickets are usually assigned to individual team members, creating silos of responsibility.

Activity prioritization, which focuses on the activity and progress of tickets, rather than just the number of tickets closed, can improve support team efficiency and effectiveness.

Meaningful statuses and progression thresholds provide guidance for ticket management and help prioritize tickets based on urgency and importance.

Implementing a structured and consistent approach to support ticket management can improve the end user experience and ensure timely resolution of support needs.

To get in touch with David Stewart:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davestew/
David's company Opimise: https://www.opimise.com/

--
To learn more about IT Experience Management (ITXM) Framework™, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.happysignals.com/itxm-framework-it-experience-management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

To learn about our Built-in XLA Management features: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/product/xla-management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Read our Practical Guide to XLAs: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/the-practical-guide-to-experience-level-agreements-xlas⁠
...more
37min
May 23, 2024113. Addressing the Watermelon Effect? ITXM Monthly - May 2024
In this episode of ITXM Monthly, the Sakari, Sami, and Pasi discuss the watermelon effect and how to address it. They share their experiences from the SITS Expo in London and highlight the increasing interest in experience management. They also discuss the importance of focusing on the end-user experience and productivity, rather than just traditional SLA metrics. They provide practical examples of how to use experience data to identify and address watermelons in IT services. They also share customer case studies from Alhstrom, Campari Group, and Cargotec, who have successfully tackled the watermelon effect. The episode concludes with a reminder to measure the human-centric side of IT and to watch the Human-Centric IT webinar for more insights.
Takeaways
The watermelon effect refers to the discrepancy between the outward appearance of IT services (green on the surface) and the actual user experience (red on the inside). Traditional SLA metrics may not capture the true user satisfaction and productivity.

To address the watermelon effect, it is important to focus on the end user experience and productivity. This can be achieved by measuring and analyzing experience data, identifying areas of lost time and frustration, and taking proactive steps to improve those areas.

Customer case studies from Ahlstrom, Campari Group, and Cargotec demonstrate the successful implementation of human-centric IT practices to tackle the watermelon effect. These companies have incorporated experience level targets, regular data analysis, and continuous improvement processes.

Measuring and addressing the watermelon effect requires a step-by-step approach, starting with measuring the human-centric side of IT and gradually cracking the watermelon piece by piece.

The Human-Centric IT webinar provides further insights and practical tips for addressing the watermelon effect and improving the end user experience in IT services.

Links
https://www.happysignals.com/blog/death-by-watermelon-how-will-your-it-organization-avoid-it

https://www.happysignals.com/blog/lessons-from-old-school-metrics-the-limits-of-utilization

https://www.happysignals.com/blog/practical-tips-for-addressing-the-watermelon-effect

https://www.happysignals.com/blog/watermelon-effect

https://www.happysignals.com/what-is-human-centric-it

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Recap of April Events
04:34 Introducing the Watermelon Effect
11:07 Using Experience Data to Expose Watermelons
19:41 Taking a Step-by-Step Approach to Addressing the Watermelon Effect
20:45 Conclusion and Reminder to Watch the Human-Centric IT Webinar
...more
21min
April 25, 2024112. Future of IT Support - ITXM Monthly
In this episode, Pasi and Sakari discuss the future of IT support. They start by talking about the recently released Global IT Benchmark Report, which highlights the importance of understanding the experience of end users. They then explore various themes related to the future of IT support, including the importance of experiences and productivity, increased people centricity, proactivity, technical competency, increased reliance on ITSM tools, and new technologies. They emphasize the need to use AI as a tool and to combine the strengths of machines and humans to improve IT support services.

Takeaways
Understanding the experience of end users is crucial for organizations

The future of IT support involves combining the strengths of machines and humans

Increased people centricity and proactivity are important trends

Technical competency and reliance on ITSM tools are key for improving support

New technologies, such as AI, can enhance IT support services
Links
Future of IT Support- Crowdsourced view:https://www.happysignals.com/blog/the-future-of-it-support-a-crowdsourced-view
Why your service desk won’t be there tomorrow:https://www.wipro.com/infrastructure/why-your-it-service-desk-wont-be-there-tomorrow/
6 Service Desk Trends to Look Out For in 2024:https://blog.invgate.com/service-desk-trends
Blog from Adaptavist:https://www.theadaptavistgroup.com/resources/insights/digital-etiquette/generational-gap

Subscribe to our newsletter:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/it-experience-insights-6996053129205026816/
Email: https://happysignals.com/itxm-insights
...more
22min
April 11, 2024111. Claire Agutter - How hard can SIAM be?
Claire Agutter, founder of Scopism, discusses the evolution of service management and the role of Service Integration and Management (SIAM). SIAM emerged from the outsourcing practices in the UK public sector and has become increasingly important as organizations work with multiple service providers. The focus of SIAM has shifted from managing large outsourcing contracts to developing a strategic approach to sourcing and managing services. The key to successful SIAM implementation is building a culture of communication and collaboration across all levels of the organization. The conversation discussed the options of setting up a service integration and management (SIAM) model internally or outsourcing it. It emphasized the importance of independence for the service integrator and the need for open communication between service providers and the customer organization. The option to outsource SIAM to large service providers was also mentioned, highlighting the benefits of their experience and guaranteed independence. The conversation highlighted the challenges of building relationships and trust in a SIAM model, especially in a remote working environment. It emphasized the need for cultural alignment, clear contracts, and a focus on results rather than blame.
Claire Agutter has spent her career in the service management arena and founded Scopism to support service management professionals.

SIAM evolved from the outsourcing practices in the UK public sector and has become increasingly important as organizations work with multiple service providers.

The focus of SIAM has shifted from managing large outsourcing contracts to developing a strategic approach to sourcing and managing services.

Building a culture of communication and collaboration is crucial for successful SIAM implementation. The decision to set up a SIAM model can be made internally or outsourced to a service provider. Independence for the service integrator is crucial in both cases.

Cultural alignment, clear contracts, and a focus on results are important foundations for a successful SIAM model.

Building relationships and trust is a continuous process in a SIAM model, and regular communication is essential.

Skills required for a service integrator role include communication, relationship-building, and the ability to have difficult conversations.

A background in customer service or hospitality can provide valuable skills for a service integrator role.

Transparency, psychological safety, and a blame-free culture are key elements of a successful SIAM model.

Senior management commitment and ongoing attention are necessary for the success of a SIAM transformation.

Resources and assessments are available for organizations interested in implementing a SIAM model.

--
To learn more about IT Experience Management (ITXM) Framework™, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.happysignals.com/itxm-framework-it-experience-management⁠⁠⁠⁠

To learn about our Built-in XLA Management features: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/product/xla-management⁠⁠⁠⁠

Read our Practical Guide to XLAs: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.happysignals.com/the-practical-guide-to-experience-level-agreements-xlas⁠
...more
48min

FAQs about The IT Experience Podcast:

How many episodes does The IT Experience Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 121 episodes available.