A template-based solution to support knowledge reuse in IT change design

Abstract

Capturing and reusing the experience of operators in implementing IT changes is an important aspect of IT service management, as it may result in fewer incidents (upon change execution) and faster specification of change plans, to mention just a few potential advantages. Nevertheless, in practice, changes are usually described and documented in an ad hoc fashion, due to the lack of proper support to assist the design process. This hampers knowledge acquired when specifying, planning, and carrying out previous changes to be reused in subsequent requests. In order to address this issue, we propose the use of change templates as a mechanism to formalize, preserve, and reuse the experience accumulated within organizations in relation to IT changes. Our solution is analyzed through a prototypical implementation of a change management system and a case study based on a real-life scenario.