Information Technology Service Management
Course Syllabus
INSTRUCTOR AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Instructor: LING Zong (凌棕)
Mr. Zong Ling, Ph. D., is currently a Senior Software Engineer / Scientist in IBM Software Group at Almaden Research Center, located in the San Francisco Bay Area (Silicon Valley) of Northern California, USA.
Dr. Ling has been working at IBM for about 20 years, with primary focus on performance evaluation of data storage products and cloud systems. Dr. Ling engages in customer services globally through troubleshooting storage performance issues, providing technical training classes, and publishing IBM white-papers. Dr. Ling has also presented performance tuning topics on IBM's storage products at IBM's Global e-Business University, Software University, Tivoli Pulse and Tivoli Academy. Dr. Ling's current interests are in the areas of Big Data Analysis, Cloud Computing Architecture, Service Science, Internet of Things, and Information Technology Service Management.
As an IBM University ambassador and an evangelist of IBM corporate culture along with many years of expertise on information technology engineering and services, Dr. Ling has not only provided academic lectures locally at Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, and San Jose State University, but has also taught credited courses overseas and hosted numerous seminars at China's top universities, including: the University of Science and Technology of China, Nanjing University, Zhejiang University, Northeast University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Renmin University of China, Nankai University, Shandong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) University, Beijing Jiaotong University, Yunnan University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Peking University, Tianjin University, Jilin University, Fudan University, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Dalian Institute of Technology, Beijing Normal University, and etc.
In recognition of his contributions to the community, Dr. Ling has continuously received the US President's Volunteer Service Award in past 10 years.
Instructor Availability: preferable using the Course Email, for emergence using phone or other methods.
Instructor Contact Information:
Course Email /
Personal Email /
IBM Email /
Linkedin / www.linkedin.com/in/lingzong
Facebook / www.facebook.com/lingzong
Website / software.nju.edu.cn/lingzong
Mobil Phone / 13522330283 (CHINA)
1-408-859-6158 (USA)
QQ/WeChat / 1493426776
WORDS OF WELCOME
Welcome to the course of Information Technology Service Management!
First of all, I'd like to congratulate you on your decision to take this course! I've been affiliated with some Information Technology (IT) related classes for years over the world to IBM professionals, business partners, and key customers.This is a good chance for me to bring my industry experience to you -- the bright college students, with such a hot topic. I believe that you have made a wise choice to explore this colorful world and I am excited about the opportunity I've been given to work with you during the course period. Please use OUR valuable time together well through this course duration, and ask for more information or for help when you need. My hope is that ALL of you will pass this course with flying colors!
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Course Prerequisites:
A basic understanding of computer knowledge and information technology from service perspectives is essential for this course.
Overview of Course:
This course is designed to introduce IT service systems in a variety of enterprise and service industry settings. The IT history, components, and infrastructures will be reviewed. The hot IT service systems in the context of the firm, industry, and economy will be discussed. The reading materials and class room lectures will be integrated with IT service system concepts, operational strategies, practical experience, and organizational issues. The management of IT service systems will be introduced from the system architectures and service principles, through the case study, towards the better job preparation for IT service system design and operation.
Course Objectives:
After completing the course, students will be able to:
1. Grasp "breakthrough" service concepts from the origin and trend of IT industry
2. Gain an appreciation of the management complexities associated with implementing IT services
3. Perceive new service development from both product and process perspectives
4. Understand operations of successful IT service firms as benchmarks for future management practices
5. Develop a service mindset along with an understanding of "state of the art" IT service management
6. Become aware of the service opportunities for enhancing competitiveness
7. Realize the organizational significance of managing the IT services to achieve internal and external customer satisfaction
8. Extend knowledge scope from Technique to Management and from IT Engineering to Service Science
Methods of Instruction:
· Classroom Lectures
· Homework Assignments
· Final Exam
COURSE OUTLINE
IT Services, as an area of study, is multidisciplinary in nature drawing from the disciplines of management, information technologies, engineering and science. The strong interest in developing this area is shared among major industry entities and academia thereby giving it an applied focus. This course will take multiple perspectives on service science: design, management, delivery, and evaluation. The course describes in a readily understandable way on how IT Services should be managed. The course covers:
· IT Service Management Overview - scanning the research fields of service science, management, and engineering
· IT Infrastructure, and Cloud Computing - reviewing the concepts and histories of computer platforms and operating systems, network, data storage, and applications; envisioning the trend of software development
· Internet of Things, Big Data, Smart Computing/Cities, Cognitive Computing– talking about some hot IT service topics
· IT service strategy, methods, and case study – demonstrating the practical and successful approaches for IT services
· IT Project / Service Management overview – illustrating the IT project linkage between the physical world and the service fields, in comparing with ITIL
· IT Service team building – introducing the mechanisms for building up an effective IT service team
· Soft Skills in IT Service Management – discussing the methods for communicating inside and outside of the IT project/service teams, and the skills for effective negotiation and presentation for the IT services
· An introduction to IBM – exhibiting the structure and culture of IBM from the perspectives of IT Service Management
BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS
As the foundation of the training sessions in IT service programs, this course will leverage the students into a much stronger position in further job market due to the training sessions of doing more than pure technique, more complex, and higher-valued work. The students will be prepared to provide solutions to the problems in a wide range of service activities, including information technology, customer service, technical support, and project/service management. The students completed this course will be trained simultaneously from business process analysis, career development and organizational behavior to develop IT service solutions. These should be highly rewarding careers, in terms of both compensation and job satisfaction.
COURSE MATERIALS
Primary Readings:
For completing this course, the basic requirement of the reading materials is the set of lecture notes (PowerPoint files, PDF files, Videos, and Word files, about 2 GB in total size) that are available through the course period.
Supplemental or Optional Books / Readings:
Service Management, Fourth Edition, J.A. Fitzsimmons and M.J. Fitzsimmons, McGraw Hill.
Services Marketing, Valerie Zeithaml, Mary Jo Bitner, and Dwayne Gremler, McGraw-Hill.
Introduction to Operations Research, Hillier and Lieberman
Service modeling, Principles and Applications. Vilho Råisånen, Wiley
Understanding Service Business, S.E. Sampson, Wiley.
Managing Services, Alan Nankervis, Cambridge Press.
Principles of Service Marketing and Management, Christopher Lovelock and Lauren Wright, Prentice Hall.
Blue Ocean Strategy, W. Chan Kim and R. Mauborgne, Harvard Business School Press.
Development as Freedom, A. Sen, Anchor Books.
Websites and Links:
http://www.almaden.ibm.com/asr/SSME/
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/ssme
http://researchweb.watson.ibm.com/journal/sj47-1.html
http://service-science.info/
http://service-science.info/archives/1931
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/cn
http://researchweb.watson.ibm.com/ssme/oxfordworkshop.shtml
http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/ssme/
http://www.epmbook.com/
http://w3-3.ibm.com/transform/project/
http://www.pmi.org
http://www.maxwideman.com/pmglossary/index.htm
(Additional) Search for jobs at IBM:
http://www-03.ibm.com/employment/
REQUIREMENTS – ASSIGNMENTS, EXAMINATIONS
Course assignments are listed as below, including required readings and homework questions, as the extension of classroom lectures. It is always encouraged to take advantage of online searches since the assignment coverage may be slightly out of the scope of course lectures and reading materials. Please submit the answers for each question in 200 or less words, to instructor’s course-email, by EOD (End Of Day, preferable) or before next lectures (optional), with the subject of student number + full name + assignment index.
Unit 1: Course Introduction; Overview of Service Science, Management, Engineering
Objective:
v To provide an overview of this course
v To illustrate the basic concepts of Service Science, Management, and Engineering
Required reading
ITSM course_syllabus.doc, ITSM Course Introduction.ppt
SSME Overview.ppt, Google as a Service.pdf
Assignments
Please read this Course Syllabus. This is the document you will refer to throughout this course so please be sure you read it and refer to it often.
Please prepare a brief autobiography and send it to Instructor’s COURSE-Email.
Write the autobiography in the first person (I) with an emphasis on your educational background, achievements or professional experience, and further expectations, balanced with personal information that helps create the tone you desire to impress others.
Please respond to the following questions.
1) What is ITSM (Information Technology Service Management) based on your online search results?
2) What is your understanding on the profit chain in IT Industry? And why?
3) Why it’s said Google as a Service?
4) How could you effectively measure the benefits of an IT service from the service-profit triangle?
Unit 2: IT Infrastructure; Cloud Computing
Objectives:
v To review history, innovation, and concepts of Information Technology
Required Reading
IT Infrastructures.ppt, Cloud Computing.ppt, GTOxxxx.pdf
Web Services.doc, Web Development Technologies.doc, Wireless.doc
Assignments
Please respond to the following questions.
1) What could be major differences between UNIX and Windows? (hint: online searching)
2) What is incremental backup in Data Backup and Recovery management?
3) What may be the pros and cons of SSD (Solis State Disks)?
4) What may be the pros and cons of Cloud Computing?
Unit 3: IT Service Strategy, Approach, and Practice e-Business Case Study
Objectives:
v To describe an IT service strategy: Architecture Thinking
v To exhibit an IT service approach: IBM e-business patterns for system design and implementation
v To study a practical case: IT service report of IBM e-business at Ford Motor
Required Reading
Architecture Thinking.ppt, Patterns for e-Business Service.ppt
Applying Patterns.ppt, IBM e-Business at Ford Motor.ppt
Assignments
Please respond to the following questions.
1) What should be the job responsibility of an IT Architect?
2) To apply the patterns for e-Business, what would be the key steps to integrate business architecture and IT architecture?
3) Among those e-Business patterns, which one may be more helpful to enhance customer satisfaction? And why?
4) What are the key factors for the success of IBM’s IT services in Ford Motor?
Unit 4: The Internet of Things and Big Data Basics
Objectives:
v To discuss Big Data concepts, processes, and sources
Required Reading
Big Data Basices.ppt, The Internet of Things.ppt
Assignments
Please respond to the following questions.
1) What are the major limitations when applying RFID technology?
2) What is Cognitive IoT?
3) What techniques are critical to Big Data analytics?
4) What would be the challenges that Big Data brings to software developers?
Unit 5: Smart Computing/Cities; IBM Bluemix
Objectives:
v To examine the scenarios of Smart Computing and Smart Cities
v To explore IBM Bluemix and demos
Required Reading
Smart Computing.ppt, Smart City.ppt, IBM Bluemix Overview.ppt, MP4 Videos
Assignments
Please respond to the following questions.
1) Why do we need Smart Computing now?
2) Why IBM brings Smart Planet to this world?
3) What could be the key factors to successfully implement Smart Cities?
4) Have you practiced IBM Bluemix? What’re your experience and comments?
Unit 6: IBM Watson, Cognitive Computing
Objectives:
v To discuss the new era of computing world – Cognitive Computing with IBM Watson
Required Reading
IBM Watson.ppt, CognitiveComputing.ppt,
Assignments
Please respond to the following questions.
1) What may be the pros and cons of IBM Watson?
2) Why and how we will need Cognitive Computing?
3) What are the key features of IBM Watson Software?
4) Why large enterprises may need the power of IBM Watson?
Unit 7: IT Project Management; IT Infrastructure Library
Objectives:
v To bridge IT service management and IT project management
v To examine the principle of IT service processes: IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
Required Reading
ITIL.ppt, IT Project Management.ppt, Planning Estimating Resourcing.ppt,
Change Management.ppt, Quality Issue Risk Management.ppt, Communication.ppt
Assignments
Please respond to the following questions.
1) What are the different focuses between IT project management and IT service management?
2) What are the differences between service support and service delivery in ITIL?
3) What may be the relationship between problem management and incident management?
4) What is the relationship between ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) and ITSM (IT Services Management)?
Unit 8: Team Building and Emotion Management in IT Services
Objectives:
v To build up the effective IT service teams
v To scrutinize the practical approaches for emotion management
Required Reading
Team Building.ppt, Build Your Confidence.ppt, Emotion Management.ppt
Assignments
Please respond to the following questions.
1) How do you plan to build good team spirit in a small IT service organization?
2) What is your opinion on the "good guy" and "bad guy" roles of an IT project manager?
3) How would you handle the emotional situation that you made a presentation at work and received a significant amount of critical feedback, much of it negative?
4) How would you prefer handle conflicts in a small team with stronger technical backgrounds?
Unit 9: Soft Skills in IT Service Management
Objectives:
v To explore the soft skills in IT services: presentation strategies, negotiation skills and job interview insights