Introduction and Overview

• Identifying, planning and managing the key activities of the Agree and Define processes
• Service Level Management
• Financial Management
• Optimising the Agree and Define processes

Planning the Key Financial and Service Level Management Activities

Delivering IT services with Service Level Management

• Planning to implement Service Level Management
• Identifying potential costs, benefits, risks and issues
• Determining the objectives and scope
• Creating the Service Catalog

Managing IT assets and resources with Financial Management

• Defining IPAD roles and responsibilities
• Budgeting, IT Accounting and Charging
• Financial Management support tools and techniques

Exchanging Information and Initiating Actions

Establishing information exchange with the other processes

• Organising the information exchange with customers, end-users and suppliers
• Service Level Requirements (SLR)
• Managing Service Improvement objectives: Plan, Do, Check, Act

Monitoring and Reporting

• Monitoring the Agree and Define activities
• Reporting the effectiveness and efficiency of the activities using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Establishing metrics to monitor effectiveness

Maintaining the Procedures

Developing the procedures of the Agree and Define processes

• Ensuring activities within the Agree and Define processes meet the objectives set
• Defining KPIs and CSFs
• Identifying audit requirements
• Examining weaknesses and associated resolutions

Administering Service Level Management

Agreement formats and supporting documents

• Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Underpinning Contract (UC)
• Operational Level Agreement (OLA)
• Aligning contracts with services
• Defining the type and format of the SLAs: Multi-level, Service based and Customer based
• The impact of OLAs and UCs on the overall agreement

Negotiating for various agreements

• Identifying the Service Level Requirements for each service
• Negotiating with the customer to match requirements to services available
• Reviewing language within the SLAs
• Maintaining the Service Catalog

Establishing Financial Management for IT Services

Planning future IT expenses with effective budgeting

• The budgeting cycle and inputs into the budgeting process
• Creating a budget for IT services
• Monitoring, reviewing and reporting on budget performance

Financial analysis with IT accounting

• Developing the IT Accounting System
• Identifying and documenting cost types
• Performing an Investment Appraisal: cost benefit analysis, return on investment, return on capital employed

Assigning costs with charging

• Constructing the Charging System
• Identifying Charging policies and Pricing options
• Considering variable costs and charges

Creating financial reports

• Accounting reports
• Annual plans
• Balance sheets
• Charging policies
• Data analysis and collection

Optimising the Agree and Define Processes

• Identifying and proposing service and process improvements
• Planning and conducting audits
• Managing the ongoing financial operations and performance
• Participating in ongoing service improvement through service review meetings