continuous improvement cycle
Imagine the situation: your team has just released a new version of the product, and a week later technical support is inundated with tickets from dissatisfied users. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Today it is not enough just to develop high-quality software – you need to be able to effectively support it and quickly respond to changes in user needs.
In this article, we'll look at how integrating IT Service Management (ITSM) and Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) approaches can help create a cycle of continuous product improvement. Let's figure out why combining these practices is not just a fashionable trend, but a necessity for companies seeking to be one step ahead of their competitors.
Why is it time for food companies to become service companies?
Remember the times when it was enough to release software, burn it to disk and forget it until the next major release? Those days are long gone. Today, users expect constant updates, instant response to problems, and a personalized approach. And this is a game changer for food IT companies.
Increasingly, we see software developers transforming into end-to-end service providers. What does this mean in practice?
Expansion of the range of services:
Not just the sale of licenses, but full implementation and configuration;
User training (and not just for show, but really useful);
Technical support that does not get off with phrases from the FAQ;
Constant updating and development of functionality (a patch every six months no longer counts).
Business model change: From “pay and forget” to long-term cooperation. SaaS solutions and service agreements (SLAs) are becoming the norm.
Focus on the complete product life cycle: Now you can’t just throw the product “in production” and wash your hands. We need to think about its development and support for the years ahead.
It is important to understand that a product can exist without a consumer. However, in order to convey its value to the user, the product must be “packaged” into a service, creating a service offer. At the same time, not all of the product’s functionality is available to end consumers, but only that part of it that is presented in the service offer.
Suppliers create service offerings by combining one or more services based on their products. Several different service offerings can be created from one product, and one service offering can combine several products or their components – it all depends on the needs of the users. Such offers can be of three types:
Goods (alienable products) – physical copies that are transferred to the ownership of the consumer. For example, a mobile phone. After transfer, the consumer is responsible for their use.
Access to resources — temporary right to use the supplier’s resources on agreed terms. For example, access to a mobile network or cloud storage. Resources remain under the control of the provider and are only available for a specified period.
Service actions — services performed to solve consumer problems. For example, technical support. These actions are carried out by the supplier in accordance with agreements with the client.
Service offerings can be targeted at both internal and external consumers. Based on one product, you can create different offers for different user groups. For example, a software service is often offered in two versions: a limited free version and a full paid version, both based on the same product.
To effectively manage such service offerings, IT Service Management (ITSM) practices are applied, based on the recommendations of the current version of ITIL 4 and the standard IT4IT. These practices make it possible to transform the product into a comprehensive service that not only solves the user’s problems, but also provides support throughout the entire path of use.
But why is this necessary? Let's look at the benefits:
Understanding users to a new level
When you continually interact with customers through support, implementation, and training, you begin to see your product through their eyes. This is invaluable for development.
Customer loyalty is growing
Quality service is what keeps customers coming back again and again. Even if a competitor has a cool feature, your users will think twice before leaving.
Competitive advantage
When everyone offers similar functionality, the one who takes better care of customers wins.
Sounds great, but how to put all this into practice? How to combine development and support processes into a single system without turning it into organizational chaos? We will talk about this in the following chapters.
SDLC and ITSM – a single value stream
At first glance, SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) and ITSM (IT Service Management) may seem like two parallel universes. Some write code, others respond to user requests. Let's dig deeper.
SDLC is about creating a product. Planning, development, testing, release – everything that turns an idea into working software.
ITSM, in turn, focuses on the provision and support of IT services, and in the modern world, any “digital” services in general. In an environment where almost every business relies on information technology, the service approach becomes relevant for any organization, including product teams and companies. The main goal of ITSM is to ensure that users work effectively with the software and help them get the maximum benefit from the product.
It would seem that everything is logical: first we create a product using the SDLC methodology, and then we support it using ITSM practices. But what if we try to combine these approaches? Spoiler alert: the result is more than the sum of its functional parts.
Key points of contact between SDLC and ITSM:
Feedback from users
ITSM collects a huge amount of data about how real people use the product. This information is a goldmine for development teams.
Change management
The introduction of new product versions is not only a technical process. It is important to consider the impact of changes on users and existing business processes.
Incident and problem management
Bugs and glitches are inevitable. But how can you turn them from headaches into opportunities to improve your product?
Continuous improvement
Both SDLC and ITSM strive for continuous improvement. By joining forces, a synergistic effect can be achieved.
Integration of SDLC and ITSM allows you to create single value stream. Instead of disparate processes, a holistic system is obtained, where each stage of the product life cycle is associated with the real needs of users.
But what does this look like in practice? Imagine that an incident reported to the help desk automatically turns into a task for the development team. And new functionality released by developers is immediately reflected in the technical support knowledge base. Beauty, isn't it?
Of course, implementing this approach requires major changes. It is necessary to reconsider processes, tools and, most difficult, the thinking of teams. But the results are worth the effort: a better product, satisfied users, and efficient use of company resources.
How to make friends between SDLC and ITSM teams?
Theory is great, but how to implement SDLC and ITSM integration in practice? Let's look at specific steps that will help establish effective communication between development and support teams.
Unified information space
The first and, perhaps, the most important step is the creation of a common information environment. When developers and support people use different systems, it leads to data loss, duplication of work, and ineffective communication.
Solution: Implementation of an integrated platform that combines the functionality of development and support service management systems. This can be either a single solution or a combination of several specialized tools via API.
Transforming incidents into development tasks
Often, user problems remain in the technical support system and do not reach developers in a structured form.
Solution: Setting up automatic conversion of incidents into tasks for the development team. At the same time, it is important to maintain the context: description of the problem, reproduction steps, impact on users.
Involving developers in the support process
The classic scheme, when developers are completely fenced off from users, leads to a loss of understanding of real problems.
Solution: Rotation of developers in the support service. This can be either full-time duty or participation in the analysis of complex cases. The main thing is to give developers the opportunity to “feel the pain” of users.
General knowledge base
Knowledge about a product is often fragmented: developers know something, support specialists know something, and something is stored in the heads of individual experts.
Solution: Creation of a unified knowledge base accessible to all participants in the process. It is important not only to collect information, but also to ensure that it is relevant and easy to use. This is where KEDB (Known Error Database) can help.
Collaborative release planning
Often, support specialists learn about new features at the last minute, which leads to an unwillingness to answer user questions.
Solution: Involving support representatives in the release planning process. This will allow you to better prepare for possible questions and problems, as well as convey to developers the real needs of users.
Performance metrics
Without common metrics, development and support teams may be optimizing for conflicting metrics.
Solution: Implementation of end-to-end metrics that reflect overall process effectiveness. For example, “time from problem detection to full resolution” or “user satisfaction with new features.”
Product Responsibility Culture
Perhaps the most difficult aspect is creating a shared culture where everyone feels responsible for the end result.
Solution: Conducting general meetings, sharing experiences, encouraging cross-functional interaction. It is important that both developers and support specialists understand that they are working towards one common goal – user satisfaction.
Implementing these practices is not a quick process and is not always smooth. It will take time to overcome organizational inertia and established stereotypes. But the result is worth the effort: a better product, faster problem resolution and, as a result, satisfied users.
In the next chapter, we'll look at how ITSM user requests can and should influence the SDLC development backlog, thereby creating a cycle of continuous product improvement.
From tickets to features: the role of requests in backlog formation
Every day, the support service receives dozens, or even hundreds of requests from users. At the same time, product teams are making ambitious plans for functionality development. How to connect these two streams of information? How to turn everyday user problems into product development drivers? Let's look at how user requests can become a valuable resource for development planning and backlog building.
Why is this important?
Real needs: Users talk about what they really care about;
Prioritization: The frequency and criticality of requests help to understand what needs to be fixed first;
Validation of ideas: Feedback may confirm or refute our assumptions about how the product is used.
How it works in practice:
From incidents to problems
Incidents are symptoms, problems are their causes. It is important to learn to see behind the stream of similar incidents a common problem that needs to be solved at the development level.
Practice: If you're constantly getting “can't download file” messages, it might be time to think about redesigning the entire download process rather than just fixing individual bugs.
Requests for improvements – a direct path to the backlog
Users often suggest new features or changes. They should not be taken literally, but they perfectly show the direction for development.
Practice: Create a process whereby enhancement requests are automatically reviewed by the product team. Let every such request receive feedback – even if it’s just “thank you, we’ll take it into account in the future.”
Trend analysis
Individual calls may seem small, but collectively they form important trends.
Practice: Use analytical dashboards that show the dynamics of requests by category. A sharp increase in requests of a certain type is a signal to action.
Involvement of support specialists in planning
Who knows users' pain points best? That's right, first-line support specialists.
Practice: Invite support representatives to sprint planning meetings regularly. Let them talk about the most common and painful problems of users.
Feedback on implemented improvements
Close the loop: After implementing ticket-driven changes, collect feedback from users.
Practice: Create a special tag for requests related to new features. This will help you quickly evaluate how successful the change was.
Data-driven prioritization
Use quantitative metrics to make decisions about development priorities. For example, you can use the following formula:
(Frequency of requests) * (Criticality of the problem) * (Difficulty of the temporary solution) = Priority of the problem
Implementing this approach requires changes not only in processes, but also in team thinking. Developers will have to learn to “hear” users through the prism of support requests. Support specialists need to think more strategically, seeing current problems as opportunities to improve the product.
But the result is worth the effort: a product that actually solves user problems, constantly improving based on real data. And this is a true cycle of continuous improvement.
Integration of processes based on a single platform
Theory without practice is dead, and practice without tools is ineffective. Implementing an integrated approach to SDLC and ITSM requires not only changes in processes and team thinking, but also an appropriate technological foundation.
Andrey Vishnyakov, director of business products at SimpleOne, ITIL ® SL, MP, Expert, comments:
“Disparate systems and tools used by different departments often become an obstacle to building a single value stream. The solution to this problem can be the implementation of an integrated platform that ensures seamless interaction between processes and teams.”
Such a platform must meet the following requirements:
A unified information environment for all participants in the process;
Tools for customizing and automating work processes;
Analytical capabilities for data-driven decision making;
Scalability and ability to adapt to business needs.
The platform approach to SDLC and ITSM integration opens up a number of opportunities:
A unified object model that allows you to create a single data view for all processes;
End-to-end tracing and object linking, which is critical for tracking the full life cycle of a request – from user request to release;
Deep customization and expanded functionality using low-code tools;
Built-in collaboration and knowledge management tools to simplify communication between teams;
Advanced analytics, including machine learning capabilities to automate routine tasks and predictive analysis.
An example of such a solution is products SimpleOne SDLC And SimpleOne ITSMworking on the basis of a single low-code platform. They provide all the capabilities described above, allowing organizations to build a single value stream.
It is important to understand that the choice of a specific solution should be based on a thorough analysis of the needs and characteristics of your organization. The platform approach is not a panacea, but it can be a powerful tool for companies seeking to integrate SDLC and ITSM processes.
The Path to Continuous Improvement
Let's take stock and outline practical steps for organizations ready to embark on the path to creating a single value stream and continuous product improvement.
Key findings:
Integration SDLC And ITSM – this is not just a trend, but a necessity for modern IT companies seeking to constantly improve their products and services;
Successful integration requires change at three levels: processes, people and technology. It is not enough to simply implement a new tool – you need to restructure the thinking of teams and optimize work processes;
User feedback through support channels should be a key driver of product development. This requires establishing effective communication between the development and support teams;
The technological basis for integration can be a single platform that ensures seamless interaction between SDLC and ITSM processes.
Practical steps to start transformation:
Conduct an audit of current development and support processes. Identify breakpoints and inefficiencies;
Form a cross-functional team that will be responsible for the integration project. It is important to include representatives from both development and support;
Define key metrics that will help you measure the success of the integration. This could be the time to resolve incidents, the speed of implementation of improvements, user satisfaction;
Start with a pilot project. Choose one product or direction where you will test a new approach;
Invest in employee training. New processes and tools require new skills;
Review your results regularly and make course corrections. Remember that building an effective continuous improvement system is an iterative process.
Final Thoughts:
Integrating SDLC and ITSM is a journey, not an end point. The technology world is constantly changing, and our approaches to developing and supporting products must evolve with it. Companies that can build a truly effective cycle of continuous improvement will gain a significant competitive advantage.
Remember that the main goal of all these changes is to create products that solve user problems and provide value to them. Technologies and processes are only means to achieve this goal.
What experience do you have in integrating SDLC and ITSM? What difficulties have you faced and what successes have you achieved? Share your thoughts in the comments – let's learn from each other and move the industry forward together.
