Continual Service Improvement

This publication focuses on continual service improvement (CSI) from both an IT service and IT service management perspective. It introduces the concept of CSI at a high level and defines its value before describing common methods and techniques. The guidance is written for managers and practitioners at all levels.

"ITIL® 2011 At a Glance" is an important update to the internationally-recognized ITIL® best practices for IT Service Management. "ITIL® 2011 At a Glance" provides graphical and textual memory joggers for the primary concepts of those best practices. IT organizations worldwide are implementing ITIL® as a vehicle for improving IT service quality and improve return on investment for IT services. This book is an update based on the ITIL 2011 Update. The desk reference’s unique graphical approach will take otherwise complex textual descriptions and make the information accessible in a series of consistent, simple diagrams. "ITIL® 2011 At a Glance" will be of interest to organizations looking to train their staffs in a consistent and cost-effective way. Further, this book is ideal for anyone involved in planning consulting, implementing, or testing an ITIL® implementation.

This guidance is the essential reference text which accompanies the ITIL Practitioner qualification. Fully integrated with the ITIL Practitioner syllabus, this publication is also a practical guide that helps IT service management (ITSM) professionals turn ITIL theory into practice through case studies, worksheets, templates and scenarios.

To remain competitive, businesses need to ensure that their systems are supporting their needs. The role of a continual service improvement (CSI) manager is to align IT services to changing business needs and to identify areas for improvement. This practical and accessible book gives an excellent introduction to the role, covering areas such as purpose, required skills, responsibilities, interface and career progression as well as tools, standards and frameworks related to the role.

This publication focuses on continual service improvement (CSI) from both an IT service and IT service management perspective. It expands the concept of CSI at a high level and defines its value before describing common methods and techniques. The guidance is written for managers and practitioners at all levels.

This volume constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 19th EuroSPI conference, held in Vienna, Austria, in June 2012. The 29 revised papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected. They are organized in topical sections on SPI and business factors; SPI lifecycle and models; SPI assessment and quality; SPI processes and standards; SPI in SMEs; SPI and implementation; creating environments supporting innovation and improvement; standards and experiences with the implementation of functional safety; business process management; SPI in SMEs - a project management perspective.

According to Transforming Health Care Scheduling and Access, long waits for treatment are a function of the disjointed manner in which most health systems have evolved to accommodate the needs and the desires of doctors and administrators, rather than those of patients. The result is a health care system that deploys its most valuable resource--highly trained personnel--inefficiently, leading to an unnecessary imbalance between the demand for appointments and the supply of open appointments. This study makes the case that by using the techniques of systems engineering, new approaches to management, and increased patient and family involvement, the current health care system can move forward to one with greater focus on the preferences of patients to provide convenient, efficient, and excellent health care without the need for costly investment. Transforming Health Care Scheduling and Access identifies best practices for making significant improvements in access and system-level change. This report makes recommendations for principles and practices to improve access by promoting efficient scheduling. This study will be a valuable resource for practitioners to progress toward a more patient-focused "How can we help you today?" culture.