ITIL and Six Sigma Make a Winning Combination for IT

IT services have evolved from functionality to quality assessment from the point of view of the end user. Every IT professional now works from the approach of delivering what the customer wants as priority. It is easy to say that quality service is needed but this alone cannot achieve it. There are currently two methods in the market that are effectively being used for effective quality service management. Six Sigma and the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) can both be used individually because they possess desirable merits important for achievement of an organization’s goals.

While ITIL provides a defined structure in the delivering and supporting of IT-based services, Six Sigma is a process of quality management that is based on statistics. Six sigma is a powerful tool of qualify improvement that aims to reduce costs of operation at the same time. These two methodologies if put together can revolutionize the manner in which information technology (IT) services are delivered among software developers.

The distinct differences between the Six Sigma and the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) make them a resource that organizations can use to make use of their key strengths in service delivery. The ITIL lays down a framework for delivery and support of IT-based services. This framework involves many aspects that can either be used individually or incorporated with each other in a single project. Six Sigma, was conceived in a manufacturing setup as a way of driving quality improvement while keeping down the operating costs. This is made possible through use of consistent procedures in processes.

To have a tool that tells an organization what needs to be done and another that shows how to do it puts a management team in a position of making informed decisions about time limits and budgets. This is the main reason why these two systems can be allowed to work together for a common goal.

Since most organizations already have existing systems of which might be following ITIL framework, six sigma can be introduced as a solutions generator model. To make the combination of the ITIL and Six Sigma systems a reality, an IT based organization that had been using an old model of project management is migrating using the DMAIC roadmap of Six Sigma that is characterized by Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. If properly implemented, the adaptation of a Six Sigma methodology will result in an Itil-compatible process.