Service Management Specialists Blog

Our blog explores the real challenges leaders face in Service Management and Service Delivery - from visibility and decision-making, to self-service, knowledge, AI, and operational improvement. We share practical insights, proven frameworks, and real-world perspectives to help organisations move from reactive operations to confident, scalable service delivery.

How to Build a Business Case for ITSM that Actually Gets approved.

Building a Business Case for ITSM Improvement (That Actually Gets Approved)

23 Feb 2026

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Most ITSM business cases fail for one simple reason.

IT Service Management, service delivery improvement, IT Operations Improvement, ITSM Improvement, IT Operational Excellence, Problem Management, CMDB Improvement, CIO Leadership, ITSM Business Case, ITSM Strategy

Why Dashboards Fail: How Leaders Create Decision Clarity with Effective Visibility

Visibility as Decision Clarity: Why Dashboards Fail and What Leaders Actually Need

28 Jan 2026

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Leaders need decision clarity: a precise, contextual understanding of operational trade-offs that...

IT Service Management, Service Performance, IT service Delivery, ITSM Improvement, Operational Effectiveness, Continous Improvement, IT Leadership, Service Operations

Why Shift Left Fails Before It Starts: The Real Role of Self Service & Knowledge

28 Jan 2026

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

“Shift Left” in IT sounds simple: move prevention, detection, and resolution earlier - closer to...

Service Management, service delivery improvement, IT Operations Improvement, Self Service, Knowledge Management, Enterprise Services, Service Desk, Shift left

AI Isn’t Intelligent Without Structure | Why AIOps Automation Fails

AI Isn't Intelligent Without Structure: Why Automation Fails in IT Service Operations (and How to Get It Right)

24 Jan 2026

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

AI in IT service operations is being sold as a shortcut: fewer tickets, faster resolution, less...

IT Service Management, Service Management, #Automation, Service Operations, Knowledge Management, AIOps, AI in IT Operations, Intelligent Automation, Incident Management, Observability

Hidden IT service delivery challenges and diagnosis

You Know Something's Not Right - But You Can't Put Your Finger on It: Diagnosing and Resolving Hidden IT Service Delivery Challenges

11 Jan 2026

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

You can’t quite put your finger on it - but you know something isn’t right.

IT Service Management, Service Performance, IT service Delivery, ITSM Improvement, Operational Effectiveness, Continous Improvement, IT Leadership, Service Operations

SMS branded blue gradient banner for the article ‘Why Your Service Desk Is Overwhelmed or Underperforming - And How to Fix It’.

Why Your IT Service Desk Feels Overwhelmed or Underperforming - And How to Fix It

15 Dec 2025

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

If your Service Desk feels constantly behind or struggling to deliver, you’re not alone. In this...

IT Process Improvement, IT Operations Improvement, IT service Delivery, ITSM Improvement, Service Desk Performance, Operational Efficiency

AI & Automation

28 Nov 2024

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Future-Proofing with AI and Automation Governance

#AI, #Automation

Cyber vs IT Incidents:

19 Nov 2024

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Cyber Security vs IT Incidents: Why Classification and Separation Matter

#modernservicemanagement

Is ITIL Losing Momentum?

25 Oct 2024

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

➡️ Is ITIL Losing Momentum? A Look at Its Evolution and Relevance in Today’s IT Landscape

Dashboards & Reporting

24 Oct 2024

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

How can Service Desk Managers and Service Delivery Managers create 'At a Glance' Dashboards &...

Service Provider Transition Success:

23 Oct 2024

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Over the past 20 years of working with organisations to improve their Service Management, one...

#ServiceLevelAgreements, #serviceproviderpartnerships, TRANSITION SERVICES

5 Tips for Simplifying Complex Process while Balancing your Day Job

3 Jul 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Let’s face it: time is money. It sounds cliche, but there are few statements about time that...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

5 Tips for Developing Service Specific SLA's

2 Jul 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

In recent years, businesses have raised their expectations for IT performance, key inputs into...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

8 Quick Win Techniques for ITSM Success

1 Jul 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Are you looking for ways to identify and kickstart your quick win activities? Here are some...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

Developing an Effective ITSM Process Model: Key Steps and Best Practices

30 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Developing an IT Service Management (ITSM) process model is a crucial step in implementing an...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

Top Tips for a Successful ITSM Implementation: "Insights for Implementers"

29 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

As an IT Service Management (ITSM) implementer, your job is to ensure that IT services are...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

Striking the Balance ITSM: Demarcations Between Building Baseline Capability and Continuous Improvement

28 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Building Baseline Capability and Continuous Improvement are two essential components of an IT...

#ITIL, ITSM, Service Management

Unlocking Service Management Growth: Strategies for Success

27 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

As businesses grow, their IT Service Management (ITSM) needs evolve and become more...

#ITIL, ITSM, Service Management

SIAM: 5 Considerations for Meaningful Service Provider Partnerships

26 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

The Service Integration and Management (SIAM) framework is not new, however, in recent years,...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #SIAMfoundations, "ITSM Transition & Process Implementation", #serviceproviderpartnerships

5 tips for developing an Innovation Culture

25 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

While the idea of an annual hack-athon or company ideation competition can appeal as a great...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #SIAMfoundations, "ITSM Transition & Process Implementation", #serviceproviderpartnerships

25 Reasons Why Modern Service Management is the essential element to Digital Transformation

24 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

While it’s only natural for corporate leaders to get excited about the latest and greatest...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

11 Charateristics of a High Performing Team

23 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

A ‘High Performing Team’ is commonly used within the corporate environment. It's often used as...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

How Modern Service Management can help to retain High Performing Talent

22 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

The latest foundation of young Australians (FYA) 2018 report reveals that only 50% of...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

Digital Transformation - Marathon or Sprint?

21 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

So your Digital Transformation strategy is set and your Transformation objectives are clear:

•...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

Out of the box IT Service Management Solutions

20 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

I recently worked with a client who had previously decided to purchase an out of the box Service...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

Dropping Technology Alone, won’t be enough for the future

19 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Technology is a broad term today and in the future the word 'Technology' will become even...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

Dealing with the ego when implementing Service Management

18 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

When dealing with any type of change especially significant change within an organisation,...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

Process Improvement is a Journey

17 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Business Process Improvement is a journey, and one every organisation should be committed to, if...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

IT Service Management - are you a Visionary or a Doer?

16 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

What role are you playing in implementing or enhancing your IT Service Management...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

Don’t Implement ITIL - Commit to Process Improvement

15 Jun 2023

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

If you have ever walked away from a conference, read a magazine article or had a colleague,...

#ITProcessImprovement, #digitaltransformation, #modernservicemanagement, #ITIL, #Innovation, ITSM, #ServiceManagement, #SimplifyingComplexProcesses

Kirk Penn, Principal Advisory Consultant

Service Management Specialists Blog

More Information