HBZS Mining Rescue Services

ITIL® In a Small to Medium-Sized Business

Tomáš Gurný

AXELOS.com

Case Study
October 2015
Contents
Introduction 3
Adopting and adapting ITIL 5
ITIL’s Continuing Use 8
What are your recommended Best Practices? 9
About AXELOS 10
Trade marks and statements 10
 HBZS Mining Rescue Services 3

1 Introduction
1.1 WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO?
My name is Tomáš Gurný. I work as an IT manager for OKD, HBZS, a.s. a medium-sized company
based in the Czech Republic which specializes in mining rescue services. I have over twenty years of
experience within the field of IT from system administration to programming to management. Over the
last four years, I have overseen the adoption of ITIL® within my company and I am currently working on
building a service catalogue. I achieved my ITIL Expert Certificate in June 2015.

1.2 DESCRIBE YOUR ORGANIZATION AND THE WORK YOUR TEAM DOES
OKD, HBZS, a.s. is a joint-stock company. The parent company and sole shareholder is OKD, a.s. the
only producer of hard coal in the Czech Republic.
HBZS’ primary responsibility is the rescue of workers and materials from underground or from
non-breathable environments such as underwater. Additionally, we have a wide range of ancillary
commercial activities.
We provide a non-stop emergency service. Our permanent rescue team consists of 26 rescuers who are
permanently on call at our headquarters, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (After seven days, they
are rotated). To supplement that, we have an additional reserve of eight rescuers who must be able to
reach headquarters within an hour. In 2014, we performed 384 rescues, during which the rescue teams
worked a combined total of more than 15,000 hours. On top of that, our rescuers carried out 2,521
non-emergency responses, with a cumulative total of 77,368 working hours.
The expertise of our technical team is also utilized in a wide range of commercial activities, for example,
determining the safety of underground buildings, fire prevention, working at height or underwater.
Another important task we are involved in is training new rescuers, both for the mine-based rescue
services of our parent company, and for external organizations.

Image 1.1 The team conducting a rescue.

Our IT department is a typical internal IT service provider. Our main role involves supporting the
activities of the rescue team and providing the system responsible for assembling the correct
configuration of staff for each rescue.
In addition, we support the company’s commercial activities through the development of a large scale
internal information system based on IBM Notes.
Numerically speaking, we support 184 employees located in one headquarter and ten branches, and
overall we ensure the sturdy operation of more than 180 computers, servers and net devices.
4 HBZS Mining Rescue Services

2 Adopting and adapting ITIL

2.1 WHY ITIL?
Our ITIL story began in 2011. As I recall, at that time, the IT department was in a situation typical of
many small to medium-sized businesses, (SMBs).
Even though we had implemented some tools for event and alert detection, and for inventory registration
etc. our activity was mostly reactive and ad hoc.
Increasing demands on the IT department led to the need to make our activities more effective.
Structuring our activities in a consistent manner was the way forward.
Around that time I became acquainted with the ITIL framework.
I liked it very much, I recognized its power. But I had doubts: does ITIL make sense for an SMB? Is ITIL
worth it?
My concerns were that I didn’t have a big team at my disposal and I could not count on the support of
upper management at the beginning of our journey.
What convinced me was the fact that the software tools we’d previously developed in-house were very
close to the ITIL recommendations.

2.2 HOW DID YOU PLAN ITIL’S ADOPTION?

2.2.1 First phase

We chose a tool-based approach to ITIL adoption, assuming that structured processes supported by our
tools would save both time and resources.
I hoped that the outcome would not only allow a more efficient IT operation, but also convince upper
management that ITIL was worth pursuing.
In a short time, we managed to implement six ITIL processes: Event and Incident Management, Request
Fulfilment, Change Management, Service Asset and Configuration Management and
Knowledge Management.
Even though this phase was mostly IT internal orientated it gave us a solid base for the future. A
proactive approach was underway. We had moved from free activities into well-defined, measured and
evaluated processes.
But the most important result was that we began to regularly report to upper management. At that time,
IT was part of the Education and Training department. The results achieved in the first phase impressed
the CFO so much that he asked for regular reports. Although the reports were very simple, this was
huge progress.

Image 2.1 OKD, HBZS headquarters.

 HBZS Mining Rescue Services 5

2.2.2 The main constraint

Soon, a major limitation to future advancement became apparent. It was not the lack of resources or IT
staff skills. The main constraint was low business maturity. Despite all the goals we had reached, IT was
not yet considered a business partner.

2.2.3 Second phase

2.2.3.1 New challenge
In 2012 a change in upper management meant a new opportunity for improvement. Consequently, the
IT department faced four new challenges:
Firstly, how to explain to the new management what IT does? The first attempt was not successful. It
was obvious that we concentrated too much on explaining the technical aspects of our work, which
were incomprehensible to the rest of the business
Secondly, the change of management was a great opportunity to change our communication strategy
and achieve a partnership with the business
Thirdly, the business perceived the activities of the IT department in a company-wide, homogeneous
fashion. So how to document the fact that different parts of the business have different demands
with regards to IT resources?
Lastly, IT was paralyzed by competency disputes. Individual departments had conflicting
requirements and the IT department was asked to resolve this. Since conflict management is not the
role of IT, I wanted the business to accept responsibility for setting priorities and requirements.

2.2.3.2 Solution
ITIL offered us a simple solution: the establishment of a service catalogue. This tool resolved all four
challenges:
Dividing the activities of the IT department according to the business activities and using business
terminology made it more easily understandable to the business
Setting regular service review meetings established invaluable communication channels
Assigning tickets from the Service Desk, linked to the appropriate service definition within the
Service Catalogue, provided metrics that are comprehensible to the business
Finally, competency disputes could be resolved by establishing a dedicated business representative
for each service who was responsible for defining and approving requirements.

2.2.3.3 Realization
It was apparent that for us to succeed, we needed the support of upper management. I chose the CFO
as an ally and together we committed to a pilot project of ten main services. We realized very quickly
that a critical issue was going to be the choice of an appropriate common language, which we hadn’t
needed to address in the first phase.
The involvement of upper management was a clear success, and the IT department was moved to the
direct control of the CFO. The use of the catalogue was mandated within the company rules and its
content has been slowly but surely completed. Despite my fragile optimism, the move was very well
received and, currently, our service catalogue contains 59 businesses and 10 technical services.

2.2.3.4 Benefits
When I asked customers what the catalogue brought them, there were two frequently-cited benefits. The
first was the elimination of the abstraction of IT’s activities. The second was the ability to influence the
direction of IT services via our service review meetings.

Users appreciated a clearer overview of what they could and couldn’t request from the IT department,
and what service level they could expect. Previously, we had a complicated lengthy document called
“Rules for using Information and Communication Technologies”. It was difficult to understand, even for
IT staff. We replaced it with a simple list of common principles, containing just 4 pages of bulleted text.
Specific rules relevant to a particular service can be found in the service catalogue, which means users
only need to study the rules that are relevant to them.
6 HBZS Mining Rescue Services

There is no doubt that the implementation of a service catalogue was the greatest qualitative shift for
the IT department. We stepped away from an outlook that centred purely on technology and started to
perceive our activities from the point of view of service provision.

2.2.4 Third phase

2.2.4.1 Coal crisis
But our ITIL story did not finish there.

The sharp drop in coal prices in 2013 and 2014 caused great difficulties for our parent organization.
Although our company, in itself, was in good shape, the problems of the parent company had a huge
impact on us. The result was increased demands on the IT department and, at the same time, a
reduction in available resources.

Thanks to our previous experience, upper management now better understood the capabilities of the IT
department. Since the new constraints were external and, as neither the business nor IT departments
were able to affect them, we came to an agreement on the reduction of service quality.

2.3 FOUR YEARS LATER

So, does ITIL make sense for an SMB? Is ITIL worth it? Absolutely!
By moving from a technological point of view to a service point of view, our IT department has a
much clearer understanding of the needs of its customers. The business discovered the advantages of
communicating with IT.
Our goal was not to create a perfect, 100% compliant process. Our goal was to take the first steps on
our journey and, above all, to establish a partnership with the business. As we discovered, ITIL was the
perfect tool for that.

2.4 WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES? WHAT PUSH-BACK DID YOU
GET?
There is no doubt that the biggest challenge was establishing communication with the business and a
sense of partnership.
Learning to switch from a technical perspective to speaking solely in business language was more

Image 2.2 OKD, HBZS, a.s. team member working underground.

 HBZS Mining Rescue Services 7

difficult than I had anticipated. I faced this challenge again and again for a long time.

2.5 WHAT ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

Beyond all question, establishing communication and a partnership with the business were the
biggest achievements. I know this achievement is not permanent and belongs in the category
‘Never-Ending Stories’. Just a change of management or organizational structure will bring about a new
round in that fight.

3 ITIL’s Continuing Use

3.1 WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT CHALLENGES?
Due to the reality of the coal crisis, we are confronted with plans for the total outsourcing of the IT
department. So the biggest challenge at present is undoubtedly how to demonstrate the value of IT to
the business. It is a really tough nut to crack. Fortunately, the ITIL framework is strongly orientated
to providing and demonstrating value and so my hope is we will be able to prove that an internal IT
department is beneficial.

Image 3.1 OKD, HBZS working with State emergency services.

3.2 DID THE SIZE OF YOUR ORGANIZATION AFFECT HOW YOU ADOPTED
ITIL AND, IF IT DID, HOW DID YOU ADAPT ITIL TO ENSURE IT WORKED?
The organizational size was essential when approaching our main strategic goal. Although our first
motivation for adopting ITIL was to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the IT department, it
soon became apparent that the major objective was communication and building a relationship with
the business.
Communication between IT and the business is (and will be) a big issue for every company, but I
expect it is more sensitive in an SMB due to the relative immaturity of both the organization and the
organization’s IT department. Often, IT is not aware that it could or should speak with their business,
or how to go about it! Whilst, from the other angle businesses frequently adopt aggressive and
confrontational approaches when dealing with their IT department.
That is why every step in our ITIL adoption had to answer the question, ‘How it will help to establish
and maintain a partnership with the business?’
8 HBZS Mining Rescue Services

3.3 WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE FUTURE?

The next step is to improve the maturity of our processes. I finished the ITIL Expert Certification
in June 2015. I am keen to utilize my new knowledge and experience within the revision of our
existing processes.
Although there is only a small space in which to expand, due to personnel constraints, I plan to
establish formalized continual service improvement process.

3.4 HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS?

The simplest way to measure success was through processes because IT staff are used to
working with critical success factors (CSFs) & key performance indicators (KPIs).
How to measure success in the case of services proved to be a more complex discussion. Most
of the metrics suggested by IT were unintelligible to the business. Finally, we found a few
metrics that were of interest: including the level of user satisfaction, the number of incidents
caused by negligence, and the number of major incidents.
Another question was how to measure the success of our ITIL adoption and the quality of our
IT service management. I decided to use an IT Quality Index® assessment as a baseline for
evaluating the intended process revision. This is designed to help verify whether we manage
our IT in line with Best Practices and to determine the most important areas for improvement.
The results of the audit are compliant with ISO/IEC 20000, and might be contributing to the
increased credibility of our IT department.

3.5 HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WHAT YOU DO TO THE

ORGANIZATION’S EMPLOYEES?
We organize regular quarterly occupational training, which is mandatory to attend. Each session
takes two hours, during which the service users are acquainted with IT’s innovations and
achievements. We put time aside to practice important working procedures which have been
identified by the service desk as services or skills which need to be brushed up on. The content
of the training is published in advance and every user can suggest additional topic.
For operational purposes or in the case of major incidents, we have worked out a suitable
communication policy, which mandates tone of voice etc. Our service users receive alerts via
our automated information system and email.

3.6 HAVE ITIL TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION BEEN USEFUL IN

ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS?
ITIL training and certification were essential, not only for acquiring new knowledge but equally
for the discussions and meetings with our counterparts in other companies, which allowed us to
compare our experiences and expand our point of view.
 HBZS Mining Rescue Services 9

4 What are your recommended Best Practices?

4.1 TOP ITIL DO’S
Keep it simple. This should be written three times with a massive exclamation mark! Don’t be afraid
to cut off anything that proves useless or is rarely used
Communication is key
Collect and share knowledge
Celebrate and publicize successes and achievements.

4.2 TOP ITIL DON’TS

Don’t be over-creative. ‘Adapt’ doesn’t mean ‘do what you want’
Your way is not the only way nor is it necessarily the best. Don’t be afraid to look further than
the horizon
Don’t build your own kingdoms. You are a provider, not a dictator!

Image 4.1 A team member working underwater

10 HBZS Mining Rescue Services

5 About AXELOS
AXELOS is a joint venture company, created by the Cabinet Office on behalf of Her Majesty’s
Government (HMG) in the United Kingdom and Capita plc to run the Global Best Practice portfolio.
It boasts an already enviable track record and an unmatched portfolio of products, including ITIL,
PRINCE2®, and RESILIATM – the new Cyber Resilience Best Practice portfolio.
Used in the private, public and voluntary sectors in more than 180 countries worldwide, the Global
Best Practice products have long been associated with achievement, heightened standards and truly
measurable improved quality.
AXELOS has an ambitious programme of investment for developing innovative new solutions, and
stimulating the growth of a vibrant, open international ecosystem of training, consultancy and
examination organizations.
Developments to the portfolio also include the launch of PRINCE2 AgileTM, the ITIL Practitioner
qualification and a Professional Development programme, fully aligned to AXELOS Global Best Practice,
for practitioners.
Latest news about how AXELOS is ‘Making organizations more effective’ and registration details to join
the online community can be found on the website www.AXELOS.com. If you have specific queries,
requests or would like to be added to the AXELOS mailing list please contact Ask@AXELOS.com.

6 Trade marks and statements

AXELOS, the AXELOS logo, the AXELOS swirl logo, ITIL, PRINCE2, MSP, M_o_R, P3M3, P3O, MoP and
MoV are registered trade marks of AXELOS Limited. PRINCE2 Agile and RESILIA are trade marks of
AXELOS Limited.
Reuse of any content in this Case Study is permitted solely in accordance with the permission terms at
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A copy of these terms can be provided on application to AXELOS at Licensing@AXELOS.com.
© Copyright AXELOS Limited 2015.
Permission has been granted for imagery to be used and images 1.1, 2.1,2.2, 3.1 and 4.1 are
© Copyright OKD, HBZS, a.s.
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