Improving Information Technology Infrastructure Library Service Delivery Using an Integrated Lean Six Sigma Framework: A Case Study in a Software Application Support Scenario

Abstract

Increasing competition in service businesses (eg: Information Technology, Healthcare, Education, Logistics, Distribution, Hospitality Financial and other services) is compelling corporates to adopt business improvement philosophies and methodologies for addressing customer demands for better quality service and organizational demands for improving the profit margins through cost reduction. Many companies around the world have already implemented Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) as a way to manage and control their Information Technology (IT) Departments more effectively. These companies are now willing to improve their ITIL processes in order to become even more efficient. Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that has been suggested as a means to resolve these problems, reducing costs and improving quality. Its application in the IT Services area is becoming increasingly popular among researchers and academicians and can be used to conduct these improvements. Despite the application of lean six sigma approaches to different contexts in the service sector, the application of Lean Six Sigma approaches in service delivery specific to Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) remains largely untested. The purpose of this paper is to implement Integrated Lean Six Sigma for Software application support services and evaluate the benefits of continual service improvement over ITIL.