Shows
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best Practices10 Principles of Kaizen
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, Cherwell, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
What is Kaizen, you may ask?
Kaizen as you may suspect, is Japanese for "Improvement". It's a concept of business activities to continuously improve all functions for all employees of a company. Mostly used in supply-chain,. Kaizen has been applied to healthcare, life coaching, government, manufacturing, and banking.
IMHO Kaizen is the unwritten bible of...
2024-05-0113 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesIs iPaaS the future for Ivanti Integrations?DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, Workato, Zapier, BMC Remedy. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of the fact that we have experience with the mentioned ITSM and CRM products
Although the term Integration Platform as a Service was invited in 2011, the first such services didn't surface in the Ivanti Neurons for ITSM/ITAM world until about 5 years ago with Zapier, a company that provides integrations for web applications.
At that time API was, and to a degree still is, very difficult and time-consuming to im...
2024-03-1411 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesWhen to consider a freelance contractor for your Ivanti Neurons ITSM/ITAM system
If you would have asked that question 28 years ago, the answer would likely have been quite different. You see ITSM has come a long way since the early Helpdesk days. Back then most helpdesk systems were very basic ticket systems that recorded employee information, symptoms, ticket categories, and allowed you to prioritize and assign tickets. Sure you had some basic business automations like alerts and escalations, and perhaps even some scheduled reports.
2024-02-1311 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesIvanti ITSM Project FAQ by Service Desk ManagersDISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
FAQ
Do you really need a dedicated Ivanti Consultant?
How important is Ivanti Certification?
What time zone are you in?
What is the better approach, onsite or remote implementation?
What is the typical time frame of an Ivanti ITSM Project?
What is your approach?
2024-01-1619 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesOnsite vs Remote Ivanti Consultant/Developer?Back in the day before Zoom, before Goto Meeting, before the Internet, onsite visits were the only approach. Nowadays you hardly find anyone requiring an onsite and if you do. You really need to ask yourself, why?
2023-11-2804 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesWhat is Ivanti Certification? And is it important?Lately on various Social Media Sites there have been quite a few proud posts of Ivanti "Consultants" getting their Certification for Ivanti ITSM.
What is Ivanti Certification? And is it important?
2023-11-2105 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesHow many Ivanti Consultants and Developers do you need for your ITSM Project?Ivanti ITSM has come a long way in the 27+ years I have implemented the various products from HEAT, HEAT ITSM, Ivanti Service Manager, Ivanti Asset Manager, and now Ivanti Neurons for ITSM/ITAM.
Surprisingly the Ivanti Professional Services approach has also changed. From in-house consultants, now outsourced to Ivanti Business partners.
Is that good, is it bad? How many consultants/developers do you really need for your ITSM Project?
2023-11-0705 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesChatGPT and ITSM
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
ChatGPT by definition is a large language model trained by OpenAI based on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) architecture, designed to understand and generate human-like language, which allows ChatGPT to have conversations with people and answer their questions on a wide range of topics. The purpose of ChatGPT is to assist and provide helpful responses to users.
On the surface it looks...
2023-03-2802 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesQ & A. Separate Ivanti Service Manager (ISM) instance for AP?Question from an ITSM client regarding their Ivanti Service Manager tenant:
If needed, are we able to create a separate instance for the AP ticketing?
2022-08-1009 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesDo you really need a Project Manager for your Ivanti Neurons for ITSM/ITAM Implementation?
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
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 for project manage for many...
2022-05-1808 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesWhat makes a great Ivanti HEAT Neurons Administrator/Developer/Consultant?
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
One of the most common Ivanti HEAT Neurons Implementation challenges identified by clients is "Admin Training". What seems like an easy quick fix is actually more complicated. It takes more than just Ivanti Training Academy access, Ivanti Business Partner training, and guidance from a seasoned professional.
With 26+ years Implementation experience and 100+ ITSM implementations, with products such as but...
2022-04-0711 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesDeveloper or Consultant?DISCLAIMER: "Ivanti Consultant", and "Ivanti Developer" refer to job description, experience, and skill set with Ivanti's products.
There is a very important distinction between Ivanti HEAT ITSM Developers, Consultants, and Architects, and of course there are Ivanti Freelancers too.
You also need to evaluate competency vs skill and number of years experience and number of Ivanti HEAT Implementations.
2022-02-1903 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesIs Ivanti a Professional Services Provider?DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
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. This should matter to you. Tune in to find out why
2022-01-1912 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesAbout your ITSM PodcasterDISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
Meet your Podcaster
CV: Gregor has been providing ITSM Best Practices, Latest Solutions, Development, Consulting, Architecture, and Design since 1996, that's 27+ years, 100+ ITSM implementations, worldwide, in the UK, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, USA with products such as but not limited to Ivanti Neurons, Ivanti Service Manager, Saleslogix CRM, HEAT ITSM. Plus some ServiceNow, Remedy, and SageCRM experience.
...
2022-01-0503 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesDashboard Reporting & Christmas LightsDISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
Jingle bells, jingle bells.. WAIT, say what? Christmas Lights? What do Christmas Lights have to do with ITSM products such as Ivanti HEAT Neurons?? EVERYTHING!!!
https://itchronicles.com/business-metrics/itsm-esm-christmas-lights/
If your dashboards aren't lighting up like a Christmas tree, and yes I mean green for good and red for bad, for your KPIs and Metrics, including Hours of Operation Calculations, Averages, Percentages, Tre...
2021-12-0103 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesSoftware Asset Management 101Software asset management (SAM) is a business practice that involves managing and optimizing the purchase, deployment, maintenance, utilization, and disposal of software applications within an organization. Sounds great, but where do you start?
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
2021-11-1908 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesWhat is IT Asset Management (ITAM)?We will be covering the history of ITAM (IT Asset Management), how ITAM has evolved in the last couple of years, and what you need to know.
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
2021-10-1907 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesLessons learnt from Dragons' Den UK and Shark Tank AustraliaI started watching Dragons' Den in Canada and then the US version of Shark Tank. When I ran out of episodes to watch I tuned in to Dragons' Den UK (The Original) as well as the Shark Tank Australia Spin Off. Another German Spin Off that I tend to watch is "Die Höhle der Löwen" (The Lions' Den)
What does all this have to do with ITSM? More than you think!
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skills...
2021-10-0105 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesPassword Resets – Incident or Service Request?Incidents (Break/Fix) and Service Requests (New/Change to Service) are often long debated by companies new to ITSM (IT Service Management).
Password Reset Requests do not make the differentiation any easier. Are they a break/fix or service request? Can Password Resets even be logged by a user? Of course!
There are many passwords besides your Single Sign-On (SSO) password.
Self Service Customer Portals can be configured to allow anonymous Incidents and Service Requests.
You could always ask a colleague to log a ticket for you.
You could just pick up the phone and us...
2021-09-1607 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesTypical ITSM Implementation TimeframeThis question came in through my Podcast Question/Topic Form from Andre in Frankfurt, Germany.
What is the typical Implementation Timeframe?
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
Ivanti Service Manager (HEAT ISM) Implementations really vary based on business requirements. There is no quick silver bullet or cookie-cutter Scope of Work, and Estimates can vary greatly between Ivanti Business Partners, and independent consultants.
2021-09-0711 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesSLAs red headed step childWhen it comes to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) there is one important configuration that's overlooked or forgotten.
Holidays and Exceptions
You've likely seen me post Holiday message on Instagram for the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Europe, Singapore, etc. Make no mistake about it, Holidays are important. Your SLA clock is likely ticking away when Incident, Service Request, and Task SLAs should be paused!
It's somewhat of a straight forward process to configure SLA Holidays & Exceptions.
There are two types of "Exception" configurations for your Hours of Operation (HOP) Calendar, aka Business Hou...
2021-08-2506 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesIvanti Cloud Status Updates & Maintenance NotificationsIvanti Cloud Status Updates consist of important Maintenance Notifications and Operational Status Updates for Ivanti Neurons, Ivanti Service Manager, and Ivanti Asset Manager Cloud Platforms.
The Ivanti Status Cloud Page is a great way of staying on top of notifications. Only snag is that there isn't an easy way to see landscape specific updates for your Data Centre.
For Ivanti Maintenance Notifications specific to your tenants be sure to visit status.a19consulting.com
Ivanti Cloud Maintenance Notifications for Ireland | IRL
Ivanti Cloud Maintenance Notifications for London UK | LDZ
Ivanti Cloud Maintenance Notifications for Frankfur...
2021-08-0305 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesWhat is the difference between an Incident, Problem, Service Request, and Change Requests?In this podcast Gregor covers the differences between Incident, Problem, Service Request, and Change Requests from a perspective of ITIL definition, helpdesk implementation, Ivanti Service Manager architecture, perception, and reporting.
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
2021-07-2914 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesUAT Test Script Case ExamplesDISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
One of the biggest issues with writing UAT (User Acceptance Testing) test cases, is knowing where to start and insisting on building your test script around the software. The fact is, you do not need access to the software system.
2021-07-0710 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesWho owns UAT Test ScriptsThis ITSM Podcast Episode clears up some misconceptions about UAT Test Scripts
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
2021-06-1703 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesIvanti Neurons Tenants - Holy TrinityOn-Premise (Self hosted) and Cloud Ivanti Neurons, Ivanti Service Manager (ITSM), and Ivanti Asset Manager (ITAM) customers have 3 tenants (environments) that I like to call the "Holy Trinity".
https://blog.a19consulting.com
STG - Stage Environment for Development and System Testing by the Ivanti Consultant / Administrator only
UAT - User Acceptance Testing Environment for End User validation of business requirements by the UAT Test Team
PROD - Production Environment
Any configuration changes to Ivanti Neurons ITSM/ITAM should always follow the SDLC (System Development Life Cycle), that is...
2021-06-0806 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesEmail SummariesDISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
It is no secret that I strongly believe Email is a productivity tool from the last century and recommend against enabling one-off email notifications unless absolutely necessary. A much better way and extremely advanced configuration is to create email summaries.
Do you have a Podcast Topic or Question? Submit it at podcast.a19consulting.com
2021-06-0107 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesIvanti Neurons UpdateIvanti Neurons is the latest name change and rebranding of Ivanti’s Product Line.
What was launched as a separate product, “Ivanti Neurons”, and replaced Ivanti Cloud, now has become the new name for the Ivanti Products for ITSM, ITAM, UEM, etc. You could call it a “shift left name change”.
for more information visit neurons.a19consulting.com
2021-05-2801 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesEmail: Productivity Tool or Time-Waster?DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
Do you have a Podcast Topic or Question? Submit it at podcast.a19consulting.com
2021-05-2505 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesCommon UAT PitfallsGregor share his experience with ITSM Implementations, more specifically Common User Acceptance Testing pitfalls.
CV: Gregor has been providing ITSM Best Practices, Latest Solutions, Development, Consulting, Architecture, and Design since 1996, that's 27+ years, 100+ ITSM implementations, worldwide, in the UK, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, USA with products such as but not limited to Ivanti Neurons, Ivanti Service Manager, Saleslogix CRM, HEAT ITSM. Plus some ServiceNow, Remedy, and SageCRM experience.
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software...
2021-05-1827 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesIvanti Self Service PortalOne of the most under utilized features of Ivanti Service Manager (HEAT Call Logging System) is the Self Service Portal.
Some organizations are hesitant to roll out Self Service, other companies simply don't know where to start, and then there is the huge price tag from Ivanti Business Partners that lack a consultative approach and are prone to utilize scope of work templates and a cookie cutter Ivanti implementation plan.
Based on the ITSM Blog Post at https://ivantiservicemanagerconsultant.wordpress.com/2021/05/11/self-service-portal/
WHERE TO START WITH SELF SERVICE?
First and foremost y...
2021-05-1207 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesWhat is Regression Testing?CV: Gregor has been providing ITSM Best Practices, Latest Solutions, Development, Consulting, Architecture, and Design since 1996, that's 27+ years, 100+ ITSM implementations, worldwide, in the UK, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, USA with products such as but not limited to Ivanti Neurons, Ivanti Service Manager, Saleslogix CRM, HEAT ITSM. Plus some ServiceNow, Remedy, and SageCRM experience.
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
2021-05-1103 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesWhat is the difference between UAT Testing and System Testing?It never ceases to amaze me how many people mistake UAT Testing and System Testing.
CV: Gregor has been providing ITSM Best Practices, Latest Solutions, Development, Consulting, Architecture, and Design since 1996, that's 27+ years, 100+ ITSM implementations, worldwide, in the UK, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, USA with products such as but not limited to Ivanti Neurons, Ivanti Service Manager, Saleslogix CRM, HEAT ITSM. Plus some ServiceNow, Remedy, and SageCRM experience.
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of...
2021-05-1003 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesWhat is Edge Computing? Shift Left Paradigm?What is Edge Computing? Shift Left Paradigm?
Nirvana vs Realistic Expectation
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review ITSM/ITAM/ESM/Discovery products.
2021-05-0508 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesIvanti Bar Code Scanning for Assets, Packing Slips, and moreWhat is Barcode Scanning? How to use Bar Code Scanners with Ivanti Service and Asset Manager?
What is available out of the box and how can you take your implementation to the next level with the a19 Asset Scanner Wizard?
Scanning Assets with Ivanti Service Manager and Ivanti Asset Manager just got easier!
No expensive clunky hardware required!
All you need is an Android Device, iPhone, or iPAD. An Ivanti ITSM first!
Works with ANY Ivanti Role, not just Ivanti Asset Scanner Role
http://mobile.a19consulting.com/
More on I...
2021-04-2909 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesITSM News: Ivanti to Acquire Cherwell to Enable End‑to‑End Service and Asset ManagementDISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM and CRM products.
This is exciting news! Looking forward to reconnect with former Bendata/Frontrage HEAT Employees that went to the dark side and joined Cherwell! As well as former Change Control / Burntsand and present Avante Solutions / Kifinti Solutions Consultants!
2021-04-2603 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesWhat is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?This ITSM podcast episode focuses on UAT, Test Cases, Scripts, common UAT mistakes and problems, and how to overcome them.
CV: Gregor has been providing ITSM Best Practices, Latest Solutions, Development, Consulting, Architecture, and Design since 1996, that's 27+ years, 100+ ITSM implementations, worldwide, in the UK, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, USA with products such as but not limited to Ivanti Neurons, Ivanti Service Manager, Saleslogix CRM, HEAT ITSM. Plus some ServiceNow, Remedy, and SageCRM experience.
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or S...
2021-04-2208 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesITSM Implementation MilestonesToday'spodcast is on the topic of Implementation Milestones.
CV: Gregor has been providing ITSM Best Practices, Latest Solutions, Development, Consulting, Architecture, and Design since 1996, that's 27+ years, 100+ ITSM implementations, worldwide, in the UK, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Canada, USA with products such as but not limited to Ivanti Neurons, Ivanti Service Manager, Saleslogix CRM, HEAT ITSM. Plus some ServiceNow, Remedy, and SageCRM experience.
DISCLAIMER: Not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Ivanti, ServiceNow, Remedy, Infor, or Sage. Any use of the software product names is descriptive of product experience/skillset or used to review the ITSM...
2021-04-2111 min
ITSM Podcast covering Latest Solutions & Best PracticesFormer Kifinti Solutions Consultant releases a19 UAT Test Scripts Module for Ivanti Best Practices SystemThis episode is also available as a blog post: https://ivantiservicemanagerconsultant.wordpress.com
Gregor, a former Kifinti Solutions Consultant, is without doubt a unique and distinctive authority in the Ivanti ITSM space with his consulting and development experience and extensive insight to best practices going back over 24 years with the HEAT and now Ivanti ISM/IAM products.
Providing HEAT Best Practices and now Ivanti Best Practices, since 1996, with his tested and true implementations and upgrades, Gregor now focuses on his company a19 Consulting which provides Ivanti Professional Services and Ivanti Best Practices.
A19 UAT TEST SCRIP...
2021-04-2108 min