Foster-Melliar spearheads service management training in Africa

Africa has long been seen as a poor relation when it comes to adopting IT practices - but no longer. Conn Wood and David Anderson, directors of Foster-Melliar - SA`s leader in IT service management (ITSM) - report that an increasing number of African companies have turned to service management as a way of "making IT run better for the business".

Worldwide, companies are reaping the benefits of service management, a practice which seeks not only to instil best practice into operational silos such as incident, problem and change management, but also to bridge the gaps between these silos, creating an interdependency which ensures IT is used to its full potential.

African companies are no different. Wood and Anderson reveal that they have received requests for ITSM training from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana and Kenya, with delegates from as far afield as Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Mauritius also attending training courses. Training varies from foundation level courses, which aim to impart a basic understanding of the fundamental principles of service management, to management certificates facilitating practical application and management. "The demand for training courses from these countries shows the development of service management in Africa," Wood notes. "African companies have started to recognise the benefits and opportunities afforded by introducing a best practice approach to IT." Comments from a recent Zambian trainee delegation, hailing from Barclays Bank, support his opinion - trainees stated that, as in many other countries, the need to improve IT service delivery was driving the adoption of service management in Africa. They added that "the UK has put a lot of pressure on us to standardise IT".

What does this say about the state of IT in Africa - are we finally catching up with our First World counterparts? Said one delegate: "We think IT has taken giant strides in Africa, but a lot of work remains to be done. Many of the banks and other companies that have European bases have already made the move towards service management."

They added, however, that many companies are not adequately exposed to service management, as the concept is still relatively new in Africa. That`s certainly not a positive observation, but there is hope on the horizon: with Barclays Bank selecting Foster-Melliar to deliver training on the basis of word-of-mouth recommendation, news of the benefits of service management is undeniably spreading. Delegates indicated that those benefits included "a definite improvement in service, as well as advice on how to continue implementing such improvements. This is important, as we have very demanding customers who know what they want. Which means we really have to shine."

But how is service management allowing them to achieve their goals? Foster-Melliar`s Madeleine Barnard responds: "A lot of trainees who embarked on the management course have started improving their processes. They have already implemented a configuration management database, and their problem management processes have also improved dramatically."

While these accomplishments are in themselves inspiring, delegates reveal that the benefits of service management go beyond the actual skills acquired during the course. "The most important thing we`ve learnt is how to run IT properly rather than implementing it haphazardly and hoping for the best," said one delegate.

"Service management is not a diet, it`s a lifestyle," says Wood. "It`s about getting the right hand to know what the left hand is doing, maximising IT delivery by gaining an understanding of an organisation`s people, process and technology, and how these factors interact."

Clearly, African countries have much to gain from adopting this practice - especially if they hope to earn a spot in the competitive global marketplace.

"Service management is a global concept, so it`s not surprising that it is being readily adopted by African countries intent on improving their service," Wood acknowledges.

The fact that Foster-Melliar has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Zimbabwean representative to provide training in that country is indicative of the growing popularity of service management throughout Africa.

However, Anderson informs that it`s not only African countries keen to avail themselves of the company`s services - British organisations, too, have approached Foster-Melliar. "With mature markets selecting our services, it`s clear that our offerings are of a world standard. Why would international companies choose a South African training provider? We are competitively priced and deliver a quality product."

Foster-Melliar was the first company to introduce SA to the IT Infrastructure Library`s Information Technology Service Management in 1994, and since then has developed arguably the widest range of service management training in the country.

The only South African company to be accredited by the United Kingdom`s Information Systems Examination Board, Foster-Melliar offers 15 training courses, including practitioner`s courses, security courses and service desk training. These training programmes aim to highlight the benefits of implementing service management and demonstrating practical application while delivering service excellence.

Foster-Melliar has specifically targeted ITIL`s ITSM because it is regarded worldwide as a comprehensive, consistent, best practice approach to service management. Furthermore, it is linked to ISO 9000 and Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT).

Foster-Melliar has received accreditation from the ISETT SETA (sector education and training authority), and has recently been named one of the top ICT companies in SA.