Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate the maturity level of current IT operations using established models.
• Identify relevant international standards (e.g., ISO, NIST) for their organization.
• Develop and implement a standardized IT documentation policy.
• Design key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics for operational excellence.
• Apply continuous improvement methods (e.g., Six Sigma, Lean IT) to IT processes.
• Implement quality assurance checks across IT service delivery stages.
• Manage and control technical debt effectively.
• Align operational practices with security and compliance requirements.

• IT Operations Managers and Supervisors
• Quality Assurance and Compliance Managers
• Service Delivery and Infrastructure Teams
• IT Auditors and Risk Professionals
• Process Improvement Specialists
• Directors of IT and CIOs focusing on performance

• Maturity assessment workshops and gap analysis.
• Group activities to design a standardized operating procedure (SOP).
• Simulated root cause analysis using Six Sigma tools.
• Case studies on organizations that achieved and sustained excellence.
• Discussions on cultural barriers to adopting new standards.

Unit 1: Foundations of Operational Excellence

• The difference between efficiency, effectiveness, and excellence.
• Maturity models (e.g., CMMI) and their application to IT.
• Benchmarking IT services against industry leaders.
• Establishing a baseline for current operational performance.

• Developing a comprehensive policy for IT standards.
• Best practices for operational runbooks and procedures.
• Creating and managing a centralized knowledge base.
• The role of automation in maintaining standards.

Unit 2: Key Global IT Standards and Frameworks

• COBITs role in aligning IT and business goals.
• The core principles and governance components of COBIT.
• Mapping COBIT processes to IT operations.
• Using COBIT to measure IT value delivery.

• Introduction to ISO 20000 (Service Management).
• Introduction to ISO 27001 (Information Security Management).
• Steps for achieving and maintaining ISO compliance.
• Integrating multiple standards into a unified system.

Unit 3: Quality and Continuous Improvement

• Identifying and eliminating waste in IT processes.
• Value stream mapping in an operational context.
• Applying Lean techniques to deployment and incident resolution.
• Optimizing the flow of work across IT teams.

• The DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) model.
• Statistical process control and quality tools.
• Reducing process variation and defects in services.
• Case studies on Six Sigma in IT operations.

Unit 4: Operational Controls and Risk Management

• Establishing a comprehensive monitoring strategy.
• Defining critical thresholds and effective alerting.
• Proactive monitoring versus reactive troubleshooting.
• Using predictive analytics for service failure prevention.

• Identifying common operational risks (e.g., human error, technical debt).
• Developing preventative and detective controls.
• Conducting regular operational risk assessments.
• Implementing a robust audit and compliance program.

Unit 5: Building a Culture of Excellence

• The role of leadership in driving operational excellence.
• Training and skill development for quality standards.
• Establishing accountability and ownership of processes.
• Recognizing and rewarding adherence to standards.

• Designing a dashboard for operational KPIs.
• Effective communication of performance metrics to stakeholders.
• Conducting post-incident and post-implementation reviews.
• Integrating lessons learned into revised standards.