Are your internal audits adding value? Organizations hoping to comply with any of the International Standards for management systems (e.g. ISO9001, ISO27001) must carry out internal audits. However, the requirements set down by accreditation bodies for auditor courses make little distinction between internal and external audit programs. As a result, many organizations instruct their internal auditors using resources designed for external auditors. Such internal audit programs often fail to develop beyond simple compliance monitoring, and risk becoming 'box-ticking' exercises, adding little value to the organization. This book provides a model for the management and implementation of internal audits that moves beyond simple compliance to ISO requirements and turns the internal audit into a transformational tool that the organization can use to assist with the management of risk, and implement improvements to management systems. It shows you how you can transform your internal auditing process to become a tool for development and continual improvement in your management systems. Buy this book and start adding value to your internal auditing program.
Uses the principles of IT service management to create a framework for professional development.
What if you suffer an information security breach?Many titles explain how to reduce the risk of information security breaches. Nevertheless breaches do occur, even to organisations that have taken all reasonable precautions. Information Security Breaches - Avoidance and treatment based on ISO27001:2013 helps you to manage this threat by detailing what to do as soon as you discover a breach.Be prepared, be prompt, be decisiveWhen your organisation's security is compromised, you cannot afford to waste time deciding how to resolve the issue. You must be ready to take prompt and decisive action. Updated to cover ISO27001:2013, this second edition gives you clear guidance on how to treat an information security breach and tells you the plans and procedures you have to put in place to minimise damage and return to business as usual.A recovery plan will help you to:recover, and resume normal operations, more quicklypreserve customer confidence by quickly resolving service disruptionsecure evidence to help with any criminal investigation and improve your chances of catching those responsible.Read this guide and find out how to manage in the face of a data breach.
Bridges the knowledge gap between ISO27001 managers and Windows(R) security specialists. Covers Windows(R) 8 and Microsoft(R) Windows Server(R) 2012.
The story of fictional ITSM practitioner Chris as he faces the challenge of transforming behaviour to achieve business goals. Previously published as "No One of Us is as Strong as all of Us".
Agile Productivity Unleashed: Proven approaches for achieving real productivity gains in any organization introduces every industry sector to the Agile approaches that have dramatically improved the IT, product development and manufacturing sectors over the past two decades. Agile Productivity Unleashed clearly explains how the key principles of Agile approaches can be used to significantly increase productivity, quality and customer satisfaction in any organization. Written in non-technical language specifically for business professionals, this book is an essential tool for anyone whose job it is to deliver high-quality results on time and on budget.
Deconstructs many of the major disasters from the last thirty years, giving essential insights for anyone involved in business continuity planning or disaster recovery.
CyberWar, CyberTerror, CyberCrime and CyberActivism encourages cybersecurity professionals to take a wider view of what cybersecurity means and to make the most of international standards and best practice to create a culture of cybersecurity awareness that complements technology-based defenses.
Establish a disaster recovery plan and minimise the risks to your business.
Practical guidance on COBIT(R)5 implementation COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and related Technology) is the latest release of the popular framework for the governance of enterprise IT. It links controls, technical issues and business risks, enabling managers to manage the risks associated with business goals.Covers all key concepts of COBITWritten for IT service managers, consultants and other practitioners in IT governance, risk and compliance, this practical book discusses all the key concepts of COBIT, and explains how to direct the governance of enterprise IT (GEIT) using the COBIT framework. The book also covers the main frameworks and standards supporting GEIT, discusses the ideas of enterprise and governance, and shows the path from corporate governance to the governance of enterprise IT.Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in the IT sector, the author explains crucial concepts, including:the key elements of COBIT, the 5 principles, 7 enablers and the goals cascadethe structure of the 37 COBIT processesthe implementation of GEIT using COBIT and an implementation lifecyclethe COBIT Process Assessment Model (PAM) - the approach to process assessment of COBIT processes based on International Standard ISO/IEC 15504.Prepare for the COBIT Foundation examFor those studying for the COBIT qualifications,Governance of Enterprise IT based on COBITcovers all the material needed for the COBIT Foundation course, making it invaluable to anyone planning to take the exam.Read this book and get to grips with COBIT today.
Effective time-management techniques to revolutionise the way you workDo you struggle to get everything done in the time you have available? Are you deluged with interruptions to your work flow? Do you find it difficult to prioritise your tasks and wish you were more organised?Today's working environment moves at a very fast pace and, at times, it can be difficult to keep up. Expectations are high, and there are so many things competing for our attention. On top of the workload, we're interrupted by the phone ringing, e-mails landing in the inbox, people dropping in the office and, before we know it, the day has passed and we've only achieved half of what we intended to do.If any of this sounds familiar, then this book is for you! Essential Time Management and Organisation will help you transform the way you work and regain control of your working day. This clear and concise guide offers tried and tested techniques for organising your time and achieving your goals.Be more productiveDrawing on current best practice and personal experience, Sarah Cook shows you how to:accomplish more in the working dayreduce your stress levels by being more organisedget things done efficiently and effectivelyenjoy a reputation as a highly-efficient member of the team.Improve your working practicesWith the help of clear diagrams, checklists and models, this pocket guide will enable you to:transform your methods of workingprioritise your tasksfollow the 4D model for dealing with e-mailstake full advantage of your most productive time of daymanage interruptionseliminate timewastersdelegate effectively - including upwards!Buy this pocket guidetake charge of your working day
The truth about integrating Cloud services and ITSM Cloud functionality increases flexibility and capacity in IT systems, but it also adds complexity and requires a combination of business, financial and technical expertise to make it work effectively. Moreover, organizations often confuse availability with capacity, and assume incorrectly that using cloud services reduces the need to manage these factors.Lessons from real projects in a narrative format In Availability and Capacity Management in the Cloud: An ITSM narrative, Daniel McLean's fictional IT service management practitioner, Chris, faces the challenge of integrating cloud services into an ITSM structure. Based on the real-life experience of the author and other ITSM practitioners, this book tells the story of a cloud services implementation, exposing potential pitfalls and exploring how to handle issues that come with such projects.Tips to help you through your own project The end-of-chapter pointers give useful advice on dealing with the challenges organizations face when considering cloud services. Read this book and see how Chris meets the challenge of integrating cloud services with ITSM, and how you can do the same. Learn from the successes. Avoid the mistakes
How can you ensure that IT problems do not damage your business?IT is integral to modern organisations, and the way you manage it can make or break your business.IT service management - not just for the IT directorIt is not enough for the IT manager to understand the latest technical developments. For your company to succeed, everyone in the IT department must also understand their role in achieving overall business goals.IT service management questions answeredWritten in a friendly question-and-answer format, Practical ITSM explains how to set up a technical service management structure, using the best practice framework established by the latest version of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL 2011).ITIL framework for structured ITSMThe ITIL system is the most widely adopted approach to technical IT service management worldwide. It shows technical support staff how to provide the efficient IT services that are vital to your company's success. Learn how ITIL can help you to:Protect your company's reputation If you system goes down for any length of time, you might not be able to process an order or honour a contract. ITSM helps your business meet customer deadlines and expectations.Safeguard vital information and recover from IT setbacks Without adequate IT service management you could risk losing vital information, like payroll, billing and sales data.Retain momentum With a structured IT service management in place, routine maintenance issues can be quickly resolved, minimising delays and improving productivity.Read this book to see how ITIL can help your IT function support business goals.
This guide, updated to reflect ISO27001:2013, presents the compelling business case for implementing ISO27001 in order to protect your information assets.
The perfect introduction to the principles of information security management and ISO27001:2013
The perfect introduction to the principles of information security management and ISO27001:2013
If the goal of an Agile project is to deliver the highest business value solution possible, why is the business user the least supported member of the Agile team?It's good to be an Agile developer. The Agile community provides Agile developers with countless supporting resources including books, websites, forums, and conferences where Agile development issues can be raised, discussed, and jointly addressed by the group. The interesting thing is that, where Agile approaches go to great lengths to provide developers with the foundation they need to deliver high-value software solutions, there is relatively little equivalent support provided for the business users.In most Agile methods, the business user is solely responsible for the identification, requirements gathering, clarification, and assignment of priorities for their requested system capabilities. Agile development teams rely on business users having sufficient knowledge, vision, objectivity, and time to ensure that these capabilities provide the best possible solution.The Power of the Agile Business Analyst: 30 surprising ways a business analyst can add value to your Agile development team challenges whether Agile projects are truly positioned to deliver the highest-value business solutions without offering business users the equivalent level of support, validation, and collaboration that is provided for the Agile development team. To address this challenge, The Power of the Agile Business Analyst proposes including an Agile business analyst on the development team to provide business users with the support they need, as well as a valuable resource to assist the Agile developers in their analysis, design, testing, and implementation work throughout the project.30 ways an Agile Business Analyst can help your teamDrawing on more than 20 years' experience as a senior business analyst and international solutions consultant, Jamie Lynn Cooke details 30 achievable ways in which Agile business analysts can increase the relevance, quality, and overall business value of your Agile projects. Read this book and learn how to:Maximize the business value of your Agile solutions.Leverage the skills, experience, and opportunities an Agile business analyst can bring to your project.Find the most qualified Agile business analyst to complement your team.Identify how an Agile business analyst can help you address the most critical challenges on your Agile project.Use the strengths of an Agile business analyst to position your projects for ongoing funding and executive support.The Power of the Agile Business Analyst also provides guidance for business analysts who want to transition their skills to work most effectively in Agile environments.Bridge the gap between the business users and the Agile development teamThe Power of the Agile Business Analyst explains how having a skilled business analyst on the Agile team provides business users with peer support for their most critical business requirements, and provides the Agile development team with a business-knowledgeable resource who is available to work hands-on with them throughout the project. These are only some of the ways in which Agile business analysts empower development teams to deliver the most successful Agile solutions.Read this book and discover how an Agile business analyst can significantly increase the value of your solution.
An agile, adaptive approach to business management that embraces change
Taking you through the ITIL Foundation exam and beyond. ITIL is the best practice methodology for IT Service Management, developed by the UK government and globally adopted in both the public and private sectors. An official ITIL-Licensed product, ITIL Lifecycle Essentials covers all of the vital material required for the entry-level ITIL Foundation Certificate, and gives candidates a solid grounding in the key elements, concepts and terminology used in the ITIL service lifecycle.The book includes:An introduction to ITIL and why it is considered to be best practice for IT Service Management.An overview of the key components of a service management capability, including; processes, functions and generic roles.Specific chapters then cover the purpose, objectives, scope and value of the five phases of the service lifecycle that form the ITIL core; from strategy and design, through to transition, operation and continual service improvement (CSI).A summary of the ITIL qualification scheme and the Foundation level, together with some guidance on preparing for the exam.The essential link between your ITIL qualification and the real-world. This book doesn't just cover the information required to pass the foundation exam, but goes beyond this in providing practical guidance for when newly qualified practitioners enter the real-world. By addressing processes and concepts not covered in the syllabus, this book guides practitioners as they go beyond Foundation level. It features practical tips on using service management and, for each process, the author adds to the theory with lessons from her own real-world experience.The book is ideal for self-study candidates, training delegates and itSMF/BCS members, and V2 Foundation Certificate holders who have not yet taken the upgraded exam. Project managers looking to broaden their qualifications will find it a helpful companion to their studies and a practical aid for their professional development. Contractors or consultants with limited study time will also find this book essential to their part-time education.The Vital ITIL title - before, during and after your ITIL training.This product is accredited by AXELOS, the licensors of official ITIL products.ITIL is a Registered Trade Mark of AXELOS Limited.
Understand Metrics and KPIs for IT Service ManagementWhen companies look to identify opportunities for improvement, they often turn to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure their current performance in achieving business strategies and objectives.There is a common misconception, however, that KPIs are simple measurements that are easy to create, and that the mere act of this measurement will cause people to change their behaviour and improve their performance without additional intervention.Learn to implement an ITSM KPI management system Integrated Measurement - KPIs and Metrics for ITSM is the third title in a series designed to explain, at an operational level, how to implement new processes within an organisation, and how to facilitate the necessary changes to people's behaviour, in order to make that implementation a success.Real-world KPI experience Through an engaging narrative story, this volume in the series looks at the implementation of a KPI management system. Through the central character, readers witness (and learn from) real-world conversations and situations that are commonplace in an everyday business environment. The characters are fictitious, but the story comes from the author's own experience and real accounts.Each chapter ends with valuable lessons and conclusions drawn from events in the narrative, giving the reader a wealth of real-world, practical advice on what works, what fails, and the common traps and pitfalls to anticipate and avoid during an implementation project.People with little or no ITIL experience, or even a limited IT background, will find this book interesting, entertaining and, above all, extremely useful in understanding the means to a successful implementation of a KPI management system.
The essentials of Business Continuity Management in a nutshell. ISO22301 - A Pocket Guide will help you understand the Business Continuity international practice and provides guidance on the best way to implement a fit for purpose BCMS.
In corporate governance environment, where the value and importance of intellectual assets are significant, boards must be seen to extend the core governance principles - setting strategic aims, and overseeing and monitoring the performance of executive management - to the organisation's intellectual capital, information and IT.
It'll never happen to us ...Or will it? There are no guarantees. Disasters happen. Can you be sure they won't happen to your organisation? And are you prepared if they do?No two businesses are the same. They all have different objectives, different values and different ways of working. Crucially, no two people are the same either, and that can be significant. External factors always have an effect - good or bad - and the impact is different for every company. In times of crisis, the effectiveness of 'one-size-fits-all' plans and checklists is, therefore, limited.Change your thinking on resilience managementResilient Thinking discusses the importance of thinking laterally about potential impacts on your organisation and examines a 'thinking' approach to resilience management. As you read this book, you will learn how to:optimise profitability by thinking about how to make the right decisions for your organisation in the current business climaterecognise potential risks and threats to your organisation and minimise impact, should the worst happenunderstand the drawbacks of 'silo' operations and obtain the buy-in of all employees and departments to your resilience planningimprove your efficiency and profitability, as you critically assess your organisation's strengths and weaknessesput plans in place which are cost-effective, relevant, workable and reality-based, and which will enable a return to 'business as usual' as quickly as possible after an incidentprotect your organisation's assets and key stakeholder relationshipsmaintain your competitive edge, as you draw on knowledge gained through your experience and that of your competitors.Resilient Thinking will revolutionise your approach to risk analysis and crisis management. Even if the worst does happen, you will be fully equipped to handle it.Be equipped. Be prepared. Be ready with thisvital guide to organisational survival.
Deliver your projects on time and to budgetThe use of Agile methods to implement SAP is a relatively new approach and one that has proven to be very successful. Agile techniques can greatly improve your SAP implementations, reduce risks, and help you bring your projects in on schedule and within budget.Invaluable practical adviceMany SAP projects use waterfall methodologies, but these often run into budgeting and scheduling problems. In this unique book, Sean Robson presents ways of improving SAP implementations and offers practical advice on the most effective way to see a project through from beginning to end. Basing his strategies on the twelve principles of the Agile Manifesto, and drawing on his vast experience, he particularly focuses on the use of Scrum and Kanban and their suitability for certain types of projects, enabling you to select the most appropriate method for the task in hand.Apply it to your projectsAs you read this book, you will understand how to:Bring your SAP projects in on time and within budgetBuild more flexibility and transparency in to your implementations, enabling you to adapt more quickly to your clients' needsRealize cost savings as you analyze your expenditure, reduce waste and increase efficiencies in the delivery cycleIncrease customer loyalty as you adopt 'best practice' in order to maintain consistently high standardsWork more effectively as you increase collaboration within the company and reduce the stress that so often accompanies large-scale projectsImprove clarity of requirements and eliminate unnecessary paperwork.Buy this book and bring your SAP projects in on time and on budget
The ultimate reference guide to IT Service MetricsCo-published by IT Governance Publishing and itSMF USAIT service metrics: Manage them. Measure them. Make them work for you.Measuring success is crucial, but how do we do it? How can we be sure that the IT services we offer are adding real value to our business?Used just as they are, the metrics in this book will bring many benefits to both the IT department and the business as a whole. Details of the attributes of each metric are given, enabling you to make the right choices for your business. You may prefer and are encouraged to design and create your own metrics to bring even more value to your business - this book will show you how to do this, too.How to measure the effectiveness of your IT service provisionMetrics are an invaluable tool for measuring the effectiveness of IT service provision. Used effectively, metrics enable businesses to:Ensure economical use of resources through greater understanding of current performanceIdentify areas for improvementJustify (or otherwise) and manage expenditureInform the decision-making process and drive change within the organizationSave money by reducing waste (resource, time, money, etc.)Fine-tune the services offered, thereby strengthening customer loyalty.Based on ITIL and other service management frameworks and standardsUp-to-date, based on the ITIL framework, as well as COBIT, PMI, ISO/IEC 20000 and ISO/IEC 27000, The Definitive Guide to IT Service Metrics will show you:How to integrate metrics into your businessWhat to consider when gathering and reporting informationHow to maximize the usage of metrics in order to ensure value for money from the systemHow to secure and protect your company's metrics.
Deliver exceptional results from your IT department using Agile approaches.Everything you want to know about Agile comprehensively addresses the issues that IT departments face when they try to implement Agile approaches within the constraints of their traditional organizations, including existing project frameworks, budgeting structures, contracts and corporate reporting. It is an essential resource for IT departments that want to deliver successful Agile results, even in the most challenging environments.Making Agile work in your organization:The book is written specifically to address the challenges of implementing Agile within the unique structures, constraints and culture of your organization. It describes Agile methodologies in clear business language specifically written for business professionals, providing you with the information that you need to:assess whether Agile is right for your departmentselect the Agile methodologies and practices that are best suited to your worksuccessfully implement these approaches in your department, andmonitor and measure the outcomes.Most importantly, this book gives you a range of strategies for aligning Agile work within the reporting, budgeting, staffing and governance constraints of your organization, which is arguably the biggest challenge.Written for IT decision makers (and those who want to influence them):Everything you want to know about Agile is written for executives, IT department managers and other senior decision makers, yet is equally valuable for IT project managers, team leaders and management consultants who want to deliver successful Agile results.If you are an IT professional already familiar with the benefits of Agile, this book can also help you to address management concerns that Agile approaches may not work within the traditional business practices and constraints of your organization.Agile methodologies and practices have been proven over the past two decades to increase the relevance, quality, flexibility and business value of software solutions. The IT departments of many large and successful organizations (including Google, Microsoft, Yahoo! and BT) have all delivered productivity gains through the adoption of Agile approaches. It worked for them, but will it work for you?Read this book and start delivering results right away.
A summary of the challenges facing today's IT project managerDiscussions on project management forums highlight many of the challenges facing a project manager during the course of a project. Unclear requirements, scope creep and undefined roles are well-trodden issues that can derail a project. Other challenges are less obvious, often more subtle, but equally destructive.Facing up to the challengesThis book offers a focused and concise summary of 50 challenges facing today's IT project manager. The authors draw on years of practical experience (rather than classroom theory) to outline these challenges and offer useful tips and advice on how to deal with them.Challenge and responseReaders of this book will be better equipped to respond to key project management challenges, includingBuilding the team - getting the right resources, matching skills/knowledge, defining roles and responsibilities.Project scope - clarifying assumptions, avoiding ambiguity, getting the time/cost estimates right.Politics - communicating with management and stakeholders, dealing with conflict, handling interference and micro-managing.Risk awareness - identifying inside/outside influences, recognising inbound and outbound dependencies.Time management - using the right planning tools, balancing work versus meetings.Failure - handling the blame game, protecting the team, rescuing the project.This book condenses into a handy summary much of the information and advice that can be found in project management related books and discussion forums. It is an ideal reference for anyone involved in IT project management, from professional service organisations (PSO) and project management offices (PMO), through to active project managers and studying graduates.Buy this book and deliver your next project on time, on budget and to specification
Business disruption: how will you survive? Fail to plan and your business may fail.Would your business survive a major incident? What if your key staff were suddenly unavailable? What if your premises were to become uninhabitable? What if your systems and data failed altogether? Would your business ever recover? At what cost?Business Continuity Management: Choosing to survive shows you how to systematically prepare your business, not only for the unthinkable, but also for smaller incidents which, if left unattended, could well lead to major disasters. A business continuity management (BCM) program is critical for every business today, and this book will enable you to develop and implement yours to maximum effect.An effective BCM program will have a positive impact on your business, not only enabling you to carry on 'business as usual' in the event of an incident, but also in its day-to-day running. You will realize:improved organizational performanceimproved stakeholder confidence (including shareholders, customers, supply chain)competitive advantagesfinancial savingsincreased profits.With specific reference to ISO22301, ANSI/ASIS SPC.1-2009, ISO27031 and ISO/IEC 24762, this up-to-date, practical resource will guide you through all the elements of a BCM program, plans and implementations. It covers all the critical elements of your business, from people and premises to technology and facilities management.
Learn the secrets of an award-winning IT function and apply them to your businessGlobal management, technology and outsourcing company Accenture has achieved incredible results through the transformation of its IT function. It has doubled its revenues in ten years, significantly decreased its IT spending despite an increase in workforce of nearly 300%, and its number of satisfied customers is growing and growing. Discover how it has achieved this, and how you can realize similar benefits in your organization.The key to unlocking your IT function's hidden potentialRunning IT like a Business will show you how your IT function can provide much more than products and services and add real value to your business. With clear strategies, helpful diagrams and real-life examples, this book will give you the keys to unlocking your IT function's hidden potential.The benefitsThis book will show you how your IT function can:use the latest technology developments to help your organization to do things better, faster and more cheaplytake advantage of communication and collaboration technologies to facilitate networking across the enterprise, leading to greater synergy and higher productivityidentify and analyze business risks and apply measures to reduce these risksimplement technologies to diversify and grow your businessdevelop vital communication skills and techniques to facilitate the change processrealize cost savings across the organization.The secretsRobert E. Kress will let you in on some of Accenture's secrets to its award-winning way of running IT like a business, including:the seven key elements of its IT strategymany of its 'tricks of the trade'the building blocks and core capabilities of Accenture and other high-performance organizations.See how Accenture's strategies can work for you.
Defend your business, protect your livelihood, safeguard your future.How safe are you online?Is your information protected?What risks are you taking with your data?How do you protect yourself from cybercrime?Cybercrime is on the rise, and it is becoming easier and easier for criminals to steal your personal information. Toolkits to create viruses, spyware, and other forms of malware are now readily available to anyone wishing to defraud and do damage, and you could be leaving yourself open to attack.It is estimated that standard computer-based defence systems catch only 25% of malware attacks. Do you know the risks you're running online? Are you protected? An Introduction to Hacking and Crimeware answers your concerns and provides a foundation-level overview of the dark world of cybercrime.Know your enemyAn Introduction to Hacking and Crimeware is a comprehensive pocket guide to more serious online threats. Knowledge of these threats will help you understand how to ensure that your computer systems are protected and make sure that your business is safe, enabling you to focus on your core activities without fear of attack.Fight backIn this pocket guide, the author:identifies terms and defines exactly what crimeware is, both intentional and unintentionalgives specific, up-to-date examples to help you identify the risks so that you can protect your businessexplores the increasing use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hacking tools, exposing the enemy's tacticsgives practical suggestions of active defence, so you can fight backprovides a valuable list of up-to-date, authoritative sources of information, so you can stay abreast of new developments and safeguard your business."e;Everyone who uses the internet should read and use this handbook!"e; Helena Keeley, CEO, CompsimEnsure your online safety: buy An Introduction to Hacking and Crimeware now.
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