You’ve liked our website, and you are excited by the potential of process training to improve your ability to improve ITAM within your organisation. But now you have to go and sell that vision to someone in control of the purse strings. How does that work? Where can you start? Well look no further! We’ve laid out below some ideas for a business case to help you justify the expenditure of embarking upon training with ITAM Accelerate.
Introduction
The introduction should outline the kernel or mission statement which explains why you wish to undertake advanced ITAM training and why this will benefit your organisation. Keep it punchy, and focus on why advanced training will have specific benefits that the people holding the purse strings need to achieve.
For example:
A recent failed software audit has demonstrated that poor ITAM processes are placing the organisation at financial and reputational risk. A key priority is to identify and implement a series of process improvements to ensure the organisation remains compliant with the terms & conditions of its software licenses.
Current online training has taken me to a base-level of understanding around the discipline of SAM / ITAM, but ongoing training and / or coaching support, focused on improving ITAM processes over a longer time horizon, will be beneficial in helping me understand what process improvements are required and how to implement them.
Objectives
Be specific about what business outcomes or results will be achieved from the training, why these conditions align to organisational objectives and how the objectives will be achieved.
For example:
Recent internal audits assessed ITAM processes as poor and failing to control IT asset related risks. ITAM Accelerate’s advanced ITAM training will enable me to:
- Define and document key ITAM processes Identify required improvements in a range of ITAM and ITSM processes
- Build a process improvement plan
- Work with stakeholders to implement the improvements
- Track the benefits [company] has realised as a result of the improved processes
Or
A recent appraisal identified that although current online training has taken me to a base-level understanding of the discipline of SAM / ITAM, additional professional development will help me develop the skills and capabilities required to improve SAM and ITAM processes within [company]. ITAM Accelerate’s advanced ITAM training will help me develop a deep understanding of SAM and ITAM processes over the next year, provide peer support through their small group training classes, as well as help me produce concrete outputs including documented SAM and ITAM processes that support our ISO27001 Information Security and ISO9001 Quality Assurance accreditations.
Benefits
Relate these back to the objectives.
Examples include:
- The training will allow me to work with stakeholders to improve audit-critical ITAM processes.
- As a result of the process improvements [company] will be better prepared to defend future audits, while improving our ability to maintain ongoing software licensing compliance and identify software related savings.
Or
On completion of the advanced ITAM training, [company] will have documented a comprehensive suite of ITAM policies and processes as well as a detailed process improvement roadmap for implementation over the next x years, allowing “Risk00x IT Asset Management processes and policies” to be closed in the IT risk register.
Or
The policy and processes will also support the Programme 2025 goals by improving IT Asset cost management and supporting the procurement team in their £xxx savings goals for the 2021-22 budget period.
Or
The policy and processes developed through the ITAM Accelerate training programme will ensure [company] complies with the asset management requirements for ISO27001 certification.
Options
Whether your interest in advanced ITAM training is to further your own professional development reasons, or because you are keen to help your company realise the benefits of improved ITAM, there are often many ways to skin the cat. Think about other ways in which you might achieve the same objectives, and then compare them with ITAM Accelerate’s training. Also consider what would happen (or not happen) if you did nothing.
For example:
There is little formal advanced ITAM / SAM training available on the market. Other options for professional development include:
- XYZ training: general ITSM training, treats ITAM as a single process and does not provide subject specific ITAM process improvement training; does, however, provide a detailed understanding of IT service management
- ABC training: is purely focused on one software vendor’s licensing matrix
- ITAM Accelerate: offers in-person (online) training and supporting material built around a world-class / ISO19770.-1:2017 target operating model
- Do nothing: [company] remains reactive to software vendor audits
Or
[Company] has a goal to seek certification against ISO19770-1:2017, the International Standard for IT Asset Management, by the end of 2023. In order to achieve this, we will need to implement a significant programme of policy and process improvements. The options for achieving this are:
Option 1 – engage external consultancy to define an ITAM strategy and implementation roadmap and document ITAM policies & processes:
Pros –
- Benefit from subject matter expertise to identify process improvements
- Existing internal resource can continue focusing on BAU activity
- Process improvements would be identified within a 3 month programme of consultancy work
Cons –
- External consultancy is expensive, particularly if we retained the consultants to support us through the implementation project
Option 2 – ITAM Accelerate advanced ITAM training to provide ongoing process and coaching training
Pros –
- We would have the benefit of subject matter expertise to identify improvement
- This option would also meet the professional development goals for the ITAM team as identified in last year’s appraisal
- The longer time frame means that process improvements are more likely to ‘stick’
- Overall costs are significantly lower
Cons –
- It is estimated that, in addition to identified programme resource, there will be a requirement for 0.5 FTE for two years of dedicated resource to document policies and processes
- There is a risk that the longer time frame means we lose focus on the programme and fail to realise the benefits.
Recommendations
Document your preferred option (we hope it’s ITAM Accelerate!) and summarise why you believe undertaking ITAM Accelerate’s training is the best course of action.
Timescales
Talk about when your business will start to see the benefits.
For example:
ITAM Accelerate’s one to one and small group advanced ITAM training supports a slow and steady approach to process improvement. It is expected that the timeframe for benefits realisation is:
- Within 4 months we will have confidence in the quality of both deployment and licensing data and be able to produce accurate licensing positions
- Within 12 months, our ITAM team will have achieved £xx in software licensing savings through improved procurement and contract management processes
Costs
Compare the costs of the options from Page 1 – the doing nothing option will be subjective, so explain your working as to how you arrive at that figure
For example:
Failure to invest in advanced ITAM training will result in [company] remaining reactive to software vendor audits. [Company name] has trimmed IT training for the SAM / ITAM team for the last 3 years and there is a significant risk that failure to improve professional development opportunities may result in an increase in turnover from the ITAM team, which has already lost 3 team members in the last 18 months.
Or
Success is highly dependent on the ability of the SAM analyst to dedicate 0.5 FTE per week to process improvement over a period of two years. Strong senior sponsorship will be required to ensure the SAM analyst is able to dedicate this time and be back-filled if required;
Or
Meaningful process change will require engagement with stakeholders outside the SAM team, including in IT service management, operations teams and procurement. Strong senior management sponsorship and a formal continual improvement governance wrap will be required to ensure process improvements are implemented and benefits realised.
Final summary:
This final section sums up your reasons why you wish to pursue advanced ITAM training through ITAM Accelerate.
Example:
ITAM Accelerate can be used to provide professional development for our entire team forward through a structured and well-thought out delivery plan; we will be solidly supported through the hard work of process improvement to enable us to achieve our software management objectives.
Keep it punchy, personable and clear. The ultimate acid-test is If someone were to read your business case, would they be inclined to approve the spend with a positive feeling after having read it, or would it result in a rejection?