What are ITSM, ITIL, and Ivanti?

Creating a successful and efficient IT service management (ITSM) model is key to any modern business.

ITSM began with the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), which provides best practice guidance and an extensive set of processes and policies for improving IT service delivery and customer satisfaction.

However, there have been many advances in ITSM since the emergence of ITIL. Ivanti is one of the leading ITSM solutions that has been popular not just in recent years, but for almost 3 decades. Bendata brought us HEAT (Helpdesk Expert Automation Tool) with it’s Call Logging application for DOS and then HEAT for Windows. Later on the company went through name changes from Bendata to HEAT Software, and finally Frontrange Solutions (FRS), plus there was a spin-off company, Cherwell, before finally both were acquired by Ivanti, bringing us Ivanti Neurons for ITSM (formerly Ivanti Service Manager).

Ivanti integrates multiple best-in-class tools into a single unified platform and allows organizations to customize the tools to meet their specific business needs. With Ivanti, organizations can reduce their total cost of ownership, simplify IT service management processes, and reduce manual effort. This platform also helps organizations better manage their IT assets and more efficiently manage their IT service delivery processes. Ivanti also provides a secure, compliant environment for storing sensitive data and provides built-in reporting tools to easily track IT performance goals.

In summary, Ivanti is an innovative ITSM solution that can help organizations to improve the quality of their IT services, reduce operational costs, and maximize operational efficiency. It is the perfect solution for organizations looking to optimized IT service delivery and ensure customer satisfaction.

Next time you’re considering an Ivanti Consultant or Developer, it’s helpful to remember the history as there are too many junior Ivanti Developers/Consultants/Project Managers that give themselves the title “senior” with only a few years experience and only a few implementations. Even 15+ year veterans are often junior. How do I know this? After 100+ Ivanti Implementations and consulting and developing for over 27+ years with Ivanti/Frontrange/HEAT around the world, I have encountered too many “senior” consultants/developers that just don’t measure up to what you’d expect. So if you’re serious about getting the most out of your Ivanti Implementations be sure to talk to me first.

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Why you shouldn’t use Word for HTML

It’s tempting to use Word for HTML. After all it’s easy to use Word, even easier to copy and paste into word and make formatting changes.

However the downfall is that Word adds a lot of redundant HTML code which is not only irrelevant and difficult to follow but it may be completely unreadable and not work on your web page, HTML viewers, or with Ivanti Email Notifications. In other words, it won’t be WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get).

You will want to use a WYSIWYG HTML editor such as Brackets and clean up your HTML if you’re using word as the source with https://wordhtml.com/

Do you really need a Project Manager for your Ivanti Neurons for ITSM/ITAM Implementation?

Short Answer is NO, you don’t need a project manager. In fact, one of the most common mistakes made by companies implementing Ivanti Neurons for ITSM/ITAM aka Ivanti Service Manager (HEAT) is to assign a Project Manager.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many great project managers out there and there is a need to project manage many hardware type of implementations and large scale software development projects. For Ivanti HEAT Neurons ITSM however, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is assigning a Project Manager.

Do you really need a Project Manager for your Ivanti Neurons for ITSM/ITAM Implementation? – Independent ITSM Podcast covering Ivanti Service Manager ISM HEAT Latest Solutions & Best Practices

Short Answer is NO, you don't need a project manager. In fact, one of the most common mistakes made by companies implementing Ivanti Neurons for ITSM/ITAM aka Ivanti Service Manager (HEAT) is to assign a Project Manager. https://ivantiservicemanagerconsultant.wordpress.com/?p=2425 Don't get me wrong, there are many great project managers out there and there is a need for project manage for many hardware type of implementations and large scale software development.  For Ivanti HEAT Neurons ITSM however, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is assigning a Project Manager. From 26+ years Ivanti HEAT ITSM Implementation experience and 100+ Ivanti HEAT Neurons implementations globally for Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies in the UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, APAC, Asia, Canada, and the USA, I can tell you without a doubt that less is more, and 99% of the time, project managers are not needed and typically get in the way of getting things done.

Why are Project Managers NOT needed? Ivanti Projects require subject matter experts with years of Ivanti experience and competence. We’re talking Ivanti Service Manager, HEAT ITSM, not Project Management. We’re talking the kind of skills & competence a seasoned Ivanti HEAT Developer and Consultant has with at least 15 years Ivanti Implementation, Consulting & Development experience and at least 50 Ivanti Implementations as a lead, not a project manager, not assisting. It’s not unlike seeking medical advice from a professional. If you go to your local doctor, they’ll want to do tests or prescribe medication. If you go to a surgeon, they’ll want to cut you open. In other words, people tend to stick to what they know, what they were taught. Project Managers by nature are all about Scheduling, Status Calls, Status Updates, Targets, etc. Ivanti Architects/Consultants/Developers/Freelancers should be about results and getting things done. Without any red tape, back-seat drivers, or micro (project) managers. Lets face it, when you go to your doctor, there is no project manager needed either. Why? Because when you’re dealing with a professional, they don’t need baby-sitting. Sounds blunt? Well it is what it is. There are far too many projects that take 2 to 3 times as long due to the project management overhead that wants to talk about what’s being done without really helping the effort.

Project Managers are NOT subject matter experts

This is the biggest problem is that project managers want to act like subject matter experts when they simply are not. The old saying, a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous, is so true here. Especially when things get technical. Project managers have a tendency to want to make decisions or answer subject matter related questions. It’s not unlike going to the doctors office and the receptionist who manages bookings wants to give you medical advice… RUN!

When do you need a project manager? The only time you arguably could benefit from a project manager is when there are tasks that are outside of the technical scope of the Ivanti HEAT Neurons Implementation. Such as communications, end-user training, scheduling of resources, deciding on org structure and ticket routing/business processes, SOPs. And even that is better taken care of by the decision maker, which typically is the Service Desk Manager or IT Department Manager.

What if you have a large Ivanti Development Team? Arguably this could be an exception as well. If there are more than 5 Ivanti Developers or you are managing multiple Global Production Tenants, then there will be a need to coordinate & plan. But the better question would be..

1. Why is there such a large team in the first place?
   Most truly senior Ivanti Developers/Consultants/Architects can do the work of 5 junior developers.
2. Why doesn’t the most senior Ivanti Architect take charge and manage the project?
3. Why doesn’t the project owner, service desk manager, or IT Department manager oversee the project instead?
4. If you’re working with a business partner or Ivanti, why isn’t the assigned consultant senior enough to manage the big picture?

From 26+ years Ivanti HEAT ITSM Implementation experience and 100+ Ivanti HEAT Neurons implementations globally for Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies in the UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, APAC, Asia, Canada, and the USA, I can tell you without a doubt that less is more, and 99% of the time, project managers are not needed and typically get in the way of getting things done.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, including project managers with 10 years experience wanting to learn more about Ivanti and just not getting simple basic concepts or trying to take part in the decision making process with their limited Ivanti knowledge that they of course perceive different. Ultimately it should be the Project Decision Maker that drives the project and works closely with the Ivanti Architect.

When you want to get things done, you go to an Ivanti expert with hands-on-roll-up-your-sleeves-in-the-field experience. A professional Ivanti Architect or Consultant that can manage your project.

Are you getting the most from your Ivanti resources?
You are NOT. Not until you talk to me. Guaranteed!

Ivanti Integrations: Flat File or API?

Ivanti Integrations with Ivanti Service Manager (HEAT) aka Ivanti Neurons for ITSM/ITAM are a hot topic.

Since direct database connections are not available with cloud and the majority of customers are in the cloud vs on-premise, the questions is….

Flat File or API?

File-based Integrations have been around for a long time and for that reason are great not only for older and legacy systems but also because they are simply easy to create, maintain, and troubleshoot. Flat files are usually in CSV format, although some of you might remember the pipe delimited HAF files and heat structure files, I believe HSF. These files are scheduled typically daily, hourly, or as needed.

API (Application Program Interfaces) Integrations have been a buzz since they first emerged in 2005. Still a great buzz word thrown around in sales presentations. But are they worth the effort? API integrations require a much greater technical effort to create, maintain, and troubleshoot. Arguably once set up, the API should be easy to support. Key word is “should”.

APIs are secure and real-time. This is a clear advantage, but Flat Files too are secure and can be “near” real-time. Just schedule more-frequently and push flat files for time-sensitive needs such as HR Terminations for example.

Where the lines get blurry is with support, troubleshooting, and compatibility.

Flat files are straight forward, easy to support & troubleshoot, and compatible with legacy systems. Arguably flat files are backward and forward compatible provided the structure doesn’t change. If structure changes on either end of the system (Source, Target) then flat files and APIs need to be updated. Arguably Flat Files win here too because flat files are easy to maintain and support.

But are APIs forward compatible? What if the Application changes? The API changes too. There aren’t any API standards per se across different applications. Applications change, APIs therefor change too and then there are dreaded “bugs” or “features” Something you don’t get with Flat Files. Flat files are based on structure. APIs are code. Development.

Until Codeless Integrations are available, something Ivanti is rumoured to have in the works, the hands down winner for me is Flat File Integrations!

What are your thoughts?

Ivanti Freelancer or Ivanti Business Partner?

Recently I wrote about the difference between Ivanti Developers and Ivanti Consultants. Today we’re going to dive a little deeper.

There are really 3 routes to go for your Ivanti Servicer Manager (powered by HEAT) aka Ivanti Neurons for ITSM/ITAM project:

Ivanti Professional Services

While you’d expect to get the best professional services from a vendor, you have to realize that Ivanti is in the sales business and Ivanti outsources all their professional services. In fact most of the so called “Consultants” and “Systems Engineers” are sales people with a couple years, 4 years at best experience with Ivanti Sales and ZERO hands-on implementation experience. How is that possible? Ivanti decided to disband their professional services group and outsource all their professional services work to Ivanti Business Partners. More on that here: Is Ivanti a Professional Services Provider?

Ivanti Business Partners

Choosing the right business partner is not an easy task either. It has more to do with the consultant than the business partner. There are lots of good and great business partners out there, but ultimately who will you engage with? Who will drive the implementation and guide you? And will it be the same pre-sales consultant? Will there be a hand-off? How many chefs will be in the kitchen?

It’s not easy to find experienced Ivanti HEAT ITSM Neurons consultants. Don’t I know it, with 26+ years Ivanti HEAT ITSM experience, and 100+ implementations going back to the HEAT for DOS days in 1996, I can tell you that some consultants with 15+ years experience may not have the competencies or skill set of what I’d consider a Junior “Developer”.

Ultimately the goal of an Ivanti Business Partner is to create a large team and even larger revenue model. Great for them, bad for you, because you are now dealing with too many people that likely have just a few years experience and could never handle an implementation on their own.

Ivanti Freelancer

There is no better alternative for RESULTS DRIVEN engagements than an Ivanti Freelancer that’s hands-on, intimately familiar with the Ivanti HEAT ITSM/ITAM products and can handle an implementation/project on their own.

You want someone with now just the right skill set, but more importantly competency, in areas like Project Management, Architecture, Design, Development, Consulting, Best Practices, Implementation, Support, Advice, to take you to the next level!

You’ll want an Ivanti Consultant/Developer that can back up their work with testimonials. Here are mine:

• Night and Day Compared to Ivanti and other HEAT Consultants 
• Five stars for Ivanti HEAT Experience, Technical Knowledge, and Consultative Approach
• a19 Consulting took our Ivanti HEAT ITSM System to the Next Level
• Unique & Distinctive Ivanti HEAT ITSM Authority
• Every other Ivanti HEAT Consultant said it couldn’t be done!

Are you getting the most out of your Ivanti HEAT Neurons Implementation?
You are NOT. Not until you talk to me. Guaranteed!

Save yourself the time, energy, money, and disappointment of working with Ivanti or Ivanti Business Partners! Contact me for a FREE Discovery Session to learn more:

the spirting of giving

Is it Christmas already?! With Covid and the lockdowns, it either felt like it took forever to get here, or it went by so quickly. One thing is for sure, Christmas is never forgotten. There is another holiday though that’s in the shadows, at least its origin is. It’s far too commercialized now… IMHO

Did you know that boxing day, a statutory holiday in many parts of the world, was established the day after Christmas to “box” up old clothes and items for donations that were replaced by Christmas gifts?

Christmas really is a time to be giving rather than receiving. With that in mind, I have donated to various charities, not just today, but over the last year. See pictures below.

You might ask, what does this have to do with Ivanti, HEAT, and ITSM? What is your Ivanti Service Manager spin?

Over the last couple decades implementing HEAT, Ivanti Service Manager, and now Ivanti Neurons for ITSM/ITAM, the most successful projects were those with collaboration & sharing information, that’s right, giving is the key to a successful partnership and implementation.

Does it feel like you’re giving more than you’re getting? Sometimes internal politics or past bad experiences with a vendor, partner, or consultant, can lead to mistrust and reservation. Sometimes it is just a lack of knowledge, expertise, or skill that makes people freeze up. Other times, it is not having the right people (SMEs, Decision Maker) part of meetings, or perhaps a Project Manager reluctant to listen to subject matter experts (SMEs). I have always said that:

“Ivanti HEAT Neurons ITSM Implementations are simple. People make things difficult.”

Gregor Anton
ivanti HEAT Best Practices
Consultant since 1996
Project Management, Architecture, Design, Development
25+ years, 100+ implementations

Sometimes you have to share a lot to get back a little. Whether that’s free ESM advice. Implementation Templates. A show & tell of frequently requested functionality. A Lunch & Learn. Admin Tips & Tricks. Ivanti Best Practices. Relevant business examples of what has, and has not worked for other Ivanti clients. Or perhaps the Ivanti HEAT Neurons Blog you are reading now or my Ivanti HEAT Neurons Podcast.

Other times you just need to take a break and regroup. Holidays are great for recharging your batteries and getting back into things, refreshed and perhaps with a new perspective, re-evaluating how you got to where you are today, what hurdles you overcame, and all the great things you have accomplished.

With that said, I wish you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

What’s new in 2021.4

• Visual Warning for Opened Records
  • Global Constants
    • EnableRecordLocking
    • RecordLockingTimeout
      
• Ivanti Neurons for Ticket Classification
  • Machine Learning to analyze ticket subject / summary and recommend Service, Category, and Subcategory
    
• Improved Compatibility for Screen Readers 
  

• Improved Logging & Reporting for Data Access
  • Allow Administrator to enable auditing of “View” events
    
• Compatibility Update
  • Internet Explorer 11 Support Ending
  • Starting with the 2022.1 release, Ivanti will discontinue support for Internet Explorer (IE) 11 and non-chromium Edge browsers. 

See the detailed PDF here

Ivanti Cherwell Convergence

The long lost prodigal son has returned. That’s right. Cherwell, the Frontrange (HEAT) spin-off.

For Cherwell Customers, Shift-Left is the focus. No Surprise here. Ivanti is an IT power house. 78 of Fortune 100 are using Ivanti.

The goal is to take the best out of Cherwell and converge it into Ivanti. No surprise here. You could look at Cherwell as a Frontrange HEAT development branch.

The exciting part for Ivanti Customers, from a functional and technical perspective:

• No-code builder for expressions (already possible now, will be improved)
• Expanded API capability
• Enhanced expression capabilities
• Advanced workflows – interactivity, improved integration scenarios, navigation, branching logic
• Variables
• Modifiers, manipulate data without requiring code
• Delegation of Approvals (already possible now, ask me how, will be improved)
• Trusted Agent – access to private network resources without requiring a VPN
• Better incoming email parsing and actions
• Localization Workbench
• All LoB (Line of Business) Content and Custom Content Maps available

2022 indeed will be super exciting and expect to see some of these changes in the first half of 2022 with a goal to complete convergence and upgrades by the end of 2022.

Video can be found at videos.a19consulting.com

Is Ivanti a Professional Services Provider?

Ivanti is an IT powerhouse and supply software systems that require professional services. That is not the same as a professional service provider. Ivanti is in the sales business straight and simple.

A while back, in the Frontrange days for HEAT, there was a Professional Services Group, however that group disbanded and replaced with Sales, Project Managers, and Customer Service Managers.

Most if not all Ivanti Professional Services that are delivered today, for example for Ivanti Service Manager (HEAT) aka Ivanti Neurons for ITSM, are not delivered by Ivanti but delivered by Ivanti Business Partners and managed by an Ivanti Project Manager.

This should matter to you when you approach Ivanti for Product Support and Professional Services. Remember what I said earlier, Ivanti is in the Sales business. Sales as in products sold take priority, with Professional Services outsourced to Business Partners, not far behind. Of course by selling more product, more professional services are needed.

With that said, you need to be very careful of a) choosing the right business partner & implementation consultant and b) deciding on what products are a good fit for your company’s direction and business needs.

Case & Point, reporting. I just recently created dashboard reports and analytic metrics for a client that was told it couldn’t be done with out-of-the-box tools and other technology was needed. This is where you need to be careful.

Why purchase and invest in new software product, development resources, training, and additional services for non-native technology like Xtraction (a LANDesk Product), Reports (yep, that’s right, reports are not native and use the Microsoft SSRS engine), and Power BI (again Microsoft), when you can deliver all your reporting needs out of the box with Dashboards and Analytic Metrics.

More on Reporting CLICK HERE

Case & Point, professional services. Given the choice between and Ivanti Lead Implementation and Business Partner Lead, I would not choose Ivanti. Too many chefs in the kitchen, and too many agendas, constraints, and momentum lost in the red tape and project-micro-management. Choosing the right business partner is not an easy task either. It has more to do with the consultant than the business partner. There are lots of good and great business partners out there, but ultimately who will you engage with? who will drive the implementation and guide you? And will it be the same pre-sales consultant? Will there be a hand-off? And again, how many chefs will be in the kitchen?

It’s not easy to find experienced Ivanti HEAT Neurons consultants/developers/freelancers. Don’t I know it, with 25+ years Ivanti HEAT ITSM experience, and 100+ implementations going back to the HEAT for DOS days in 1996, I can tell you that some consultants with 15+ years experience may not have the competencies or skill set of what I’d consider a Junior Developer. And I’m looking for a Junior Developer right now….

The best advice I can give you is to have a discovery session with the candidates to determine which consultant/developer/freelancer is the right fit and has the skill set, and more importantly the competency, in areas like Project Management, Architecture, Design, Development, Consulting, Best Practices, Implementation, Support, Advice, to take you to the next level!

You also want to check the consultant’s testimonials. Here are mine:

• Night and Day Compared to Ivanti and other HEAT Consultants 
• Five stars for Ivanti HEAT Experience, Technical Knowledge, and Consultative Approach
• a19 Consulting took our Ivanti HEAT ITSM System to the Next Level
• Unique & Distinctive Ivanti HEAT ITSM Authority
• Every other Ivanti HEAT Consultant said it couldn’t be done!

Are you getting the most out of your Ivanti HEAT Neurons Implementation?
You are NOT. Not until you talk to me. Guaranteed!

PS: Be sure to read Ivanti Developer or Consultant?

How do you add SLA Metrics such as Compliance, Average Duration, Percentages, and Hours of Operation Calculations to Dashboards?

With skill and finesse!

They said it can’t be done with Dashboards. But they are WRONG…. So Wrong!

• Yes, you can add Hours of Operation Calculations to dashboards!
• Yes, you can add averages to dashboards!
• Yes, you can add aged groups to dashboards!
• Yes, you can add percentages to dashboards!
• Yes, you can display data from multiple business objects on one dashboard!

That’s right. DASHBOARDS. Not Reports, not Xtraction, not Power BI, not some other non-native Ivanti Add-On.

SLA Compliance Dashboard

Resolution Timeframes Dashboard Part

SLA Compliance Pivot with Percentage Dashboard Part

Why dashboards and not reports?

• Reports are ugly outdated third-party with many limitations and no development effort committed to by Ivanti. In fact in 2017 Rapid Reports was introduced for native reporting to replace Reports. Dashboards are sexy and here to stay!
  
• Reports are not native, meaning you can not drill-down to the record in Ivanti Service Manager (HEAT). With Dashboards you can!
  
• Reports are OK for distribution. If you’re stuck in the 90s!! In today’s shift-left world, the focus is on enabling the Analyst, Manager, Executive with meaningful, timely (LIVE), interactive information in an easy to use simple intuitive interface. With Dashboards you get LIVE interactive meaningful well presented statistics!

With dashboards you can add Hours of Operation Calculations, averages, aged groups, and data from multiple business objects (Incident AND Service Request for example) and much much more.

Are you getting the most out of your Ivanti Reporting?
You are not! Not until you talk to us!