Ticket Volume - IT Podcast

ITSM is all about serving the people. And that counts for both sides of the equation. IT industry veteran James Gander walks us through the power of simulations in ITSM training and service desk environments. He highlights their ability to encourage communication and collaboration amongst teams, and real-life experiences over pure books and theory. He also shares some recent projects, such as The Project Phoenix and MarsLander, and examples of remote simulations.

James Gander has over 30 years working in the IT industry. In 2010 he left full-time employment and started serving as Managing Director of Gander Service Management. He worked in the past in many IT roles at different companies like Xansa, Waikato District Health Board, Genesis Energy, the University of Auckland, Northpower, and Carter Holt Harvey. James is also a contributor to VeriSM and has made appearances on other IT media channels, like The ITSM Crowd, Karen Ferris's Conversations, and more.

There's no point denying that IT Asset Management is a vital business process. However, implementing a strategy and improving it is no easy task. Matt Beran and David Foxen go over the most common ITAM challenges (and how to solve them). Plus, David's vast experience on the topic helped him collect (and share!) some epic fails, stories, and learnings.

Co-founder of the ITSM Academy almost 20 years ago, Lisa Schwartz knows a thing or two about how to effectively train help desk staff in their jobs. Here, she goes through the training approach that went from classroom to microlearning, highlighting however the importance of not losing the sense of community. She also shares some practical strategies to stay relevant in teaching, such as adapting to different learning types and undergoing simulations and role changings. Finally, for the company's side of things, Lisa goes through advice on how to make sure they really are getting value out of the training investment.

How do you build a strong team culture? And what makes up solid leadership to do so? Gregg Gregory, a practiced expert, provides some key points on teamwork and guiding positions, and how to keep up both productivity and morale across the workplace. He goes through the foundations of what makes up an efficient team: teamwork, team culture, leadership, ground rules, and shared core values. He also shares some advice for leaders, such as the importance of sharing the whys, adapting to changing scenarios, and consulting behavior models to organize your team’s positions.

Hardware and Software Asset Management are the two sides of the IT Asset Management equation. This means, one simply can’t exist without the other. ITAM professional David Foxen takes us through the importance of IT Asset Management and where both practices stand today, especially after the pandemic, the steady movement towards remote work, and the supply chain issues that were faced along 2021. He points out how central being mindful about HAM has become for cost saving opportunities and the current shift of focus in SAM from compliance to a customer service mentality.

Building upon his own work at Power Design and his years of research on the topic, Joshua Nelson dives into the world of Experience Management (XM) and the different processes it works along. He goes through some key components to put it into practice and develop an XM strategy, such as the single point of contact for end-user experiences, XLAs, the relative importance of metrics (and which ones are worth looking out for), and the value of relationship building.

There are various phases of improving Service Management. However, the path might not be entirely clear. But worry not because in this Ticket Volume live episode, Doug Tedder shares an ITSM implementation roadmap! He and Matt discuss where to start, how to mature, and what "good" looks like. Get ready to dive into IT value maximization!

Frameworks are very popular in the Service Management world, and Organizational Change Management (OCM) is no exception. Karen Farris, an expert in the matter, explores the field in the current landscape, where change is becoming more frequent and faster. Based on the guidelines of her published – and recently updated – book, she goes through the OCM framework, explores the OCM process, and provides advice to leaders looking to implement change successfully.

How to measure knowledge in IT in a standardized way? Where does experience outside formal education chip in on this equation? Mathew Burrows brought his years of experience with the global skills and competency framework SFIA and with his company SkillsTX to unfold some possible answers to these points. Whether you’re recruiting, managing teams, or looking to stay relevant as a professional, he goes through successful learning processes, including both theory and applied learning, and encourages all professionals to create both a skills profile and a development plan.