IT Service Management Case Study

Navy Process Reference Model (NPRM) Toolkit 

A valuable reference model was not being utilized mainly due to its substantial size and complex content. Falconwood overcame this challenge by creating user-friendly tools to make it accessible and understandable. 

Business Challenge 

The DoD CIO released DoDI 8440.01 IT Service Management, which established policy for the effective use of enterprise standards in the management of the Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN). The NPRM is the Navy’s response to DoDI 8440.01, and it is a valuable model that reduces variance and promotes standardization in Practice design and improvement activities leading to improved efficiency in operations for DoDIN-Navy organizations. 

The main challenge is that the NPRM is massive, totaling 550 pages in the latest version. Additionally, each Practice is divided into separate enclosures, making the table of contents unusable. Consequently, the extensive nature of the NPRM coupled with its fragmented organization has led to significant time investments in learning and navigating its content. This kept most practitioners from actively using it to their advantage and per DoDI 8440.01.  Falconwood’s Solution 

The Falconwood ITSM COE’s approach to solving the problem was to break down the NPRM into a suite of easy-to-use tools. Four tools were developed, with each one focusing on specific aspects of the model. Each tool contains applicable instructions, and the main tab utilizes selectable slicers to quickly navigate from one practice to another without the need to flip through numerous pages. 

1. NPRM Practices Overview Tool: offers overviews of each practice where the user can select one or more practices using slicers to review high-level information and compare specific aspects like purpose, scope, and outcomes.  

2. NPRM Practice Activities Tool: breaks down each practice and their respective activities. The individual tasks associated with each practice activity is also included. 

3. NPRM Practice Roles and Skills RACI Tool: combines several different aspects of the NPRM. The user selects a practice; once a practice is selected, all practice roles will be displayed. From there, the user can select a specific role to review its responsibilities, its unique RACI table, and the SFIA skills necessary to perform the role effectively.  

4. NPRM Interfaces & Work Products Tool: focuses on work products (inputs and outputs) and practice interfaces. The user can select a practice to view all of the inputs coming to a practice or outputs coming from a practice. Each input or output represents a potential interface with another practice, and it helps show practitioners who they should be working with to execute their practice.  
   

Figure 1: NPRM Practice Roles and Skills RACI Tool

Results 

While the NPRM can be intimidating, the NPRM analysis toolkit serves to simplify its comprehension and application, aiding in the establishment and enhancement of ITSM practices. By leveraging these tools, Navy organizations can streamline their understanding of the model, thereby saving significant time in grasping its structure and content. This efficiency not only accelerates the implementation of best practices but also facilitates quicker adaptability to changing requirements. Ultimately, the time saved allows ITSM practioners to focus more on strategic initiatives and innovation, driving overall operational excellence within the organization. 

Each tool has a focused and practical use, and numerous practice stakeholders have been and continue to be taught how to use them to their advantage. As a recent example, a Government Practice Owner used the Work Product Analysis tool to discover work products and interfacing practices that had been overlooked in the past.