Houston, We’ve had a problem

Those historic words were the beginning of a thriller that lasted a couple of days and where process (and service) management beat the mathematical odds of life and death.

For those who have no clue what I’m talking about, see the classic movie (Apollo 13 featuring Tom Hanks and on VT4 this Friday).

And although ITIL, Service Management and the likes still had to be invented/discovered (this story happened in 1970 were ITIL came into play after the Falkland war in 1982), it is exactly the ITIL Foundations that saved those men (probably helped by a good guardian angel).

A dutch company (Gaming Works) has used this theme in a great simulation game for companies.

– The game is fun to play and experience learned me that even the most reluctant participant gets caught up in the action and is very soon deeply involved in making sure the astronauts are saved.

– The game is all about teamwork, communication learning and (process) improvement. This makes it the ideal combination between a team event (HR) and a training.

– Because it is a simulation, the people involved are drawn away from the day-to-day organization, hierarchical structures and sometimes even their own inhibitions. This often leads to open and profound discussions about processes and the way they are being followed/used. Of course this reflects the issues, frustrations, pitfalls and opportunities of the real world situation, making the game an excellent learning experience for the people involved and their management.

– The game introduces process and service thinking (ITIL V2 or V3, ISO 20000) without any need for prior knowledge or understanding of these frameworks. Hence it is an ideal ‘get everyone on the same page’ exercise to help overcome resistance when introducing Service Management in your organization.

– Oh and did I already mention that it is great fun !

If you are interested or want more info, do not hesitate to contact me.

Credits:
ITIL is owned and registered by the British OGC
Apollo 13 an IT Service Management simulation game is owned and registered by Gaming works bv, The Netherlands.