V2 Service Manager

I am getting ready to teach what is likely to be my last V2 Service Manager class. It's a bittersweet time - I have fully embraced V3 and the logic of the service lifecycle. To my mind, V3 puts V2 in context and introduces some interesting concepts such as the Service Knowledge Management System. I am enjoying building the V3 intermediate courses and initial feedback from our learners has been very positive.

But I will still miss Service Manager - it has always been my favorite class to teach. For those of you who have gone through it, you know that it is likely one of the most challenging and stressful courses ever taken. Despite this, most learners confess that it was an incredible and enlightening professional experience. Service Manager teaches ITSM leadership at a level that is still unsurpassed. The exam is extremely difficult, but it does provide an opportunity to showcase your advanced knowledge and application of ITSM in a mock environment. When you receive that red pin, you know that you have truly earned it.

So I am looking forward to this next class and welcoming new Service Managers. For them, V3 does not yet exist but, once done, they have a continuing path. That's exciting!

Having said all this, I would also recommend that existing Service Managers plan to take their Service Manager Bridge Courses. It's a great opportunity to refresh your skills and fast-track to ITIL Expert. The exam is not as difficult and results to date have been excellent. But most important, it is a chance to become better Service Managers by applying the same level of strategic thinking and leadership to V3.

The Foundation Bridge Class Moves to Two Days

Based on the advice of the Foundation Syllabus Review team that met in late 2008, the required syllabus hours for V2/V3 Foundation Bridge course will be increased to 9.5 hours, effective May, 2009. The result will be a two day Foundation Bridge course instead of the current single day. I am extremely supportive of this decision because it will better meet the needs of our learners, both from a certification and knowledge perspective. We want individuals and organizations who have already invested in ITIL V2 education to explore and leverage the new processes and lifecycle context from ITIL V3. However, we want them to gain that knowledge in a meaningful way, not just as a means to pass an exam. Now they can.

While our pass rates for Foundation Bridge have been very high, we have been concerned about the standard of the one day course. At ITSM Academy, we have never been "all about the certification". The one day structure crams a lot of information into a short span of time, with little to no time to assimilate the materials or study for the exam. The two day course allows for a better pace, a night to study, and an opportunity for practical advice, dialogue and exercises. Learner feedback repeatedly recommends spreading the material over more time.

Similarly, the one day Bridge course has not effectively prepared learners for Intermediate courses. Our instructors have noticed that learners entering the Intermediate courses (Lifecycle or Capability) with Foundation Bridge certification have not been as prepared as those who completed the full V3 Foundation course. The two day format will allow more time for assimilation and improve a learner's success in advanced courses - while also respecting their V2 Foundation knowledge and existing certification.

So, if our learners can have a better experience, get certified and come away with actionable V3 knowledge, why wait until May? At ITSM Academy, we have decided to move to a two day Foundation Bridge format, effectively immediately. And the best news is that, for a limited time, we are happy to offer the higher quality two day course at the one day price.