05 August 2015
Following ODEON Cinemas’ decision to introduce a new IT service management framework based on ‘ITIL’ best practice, IT educator and consultant Sysop is working with the company’s IT service desk to help it manage through change and upskill its people.
The service desk, which has been in place for 18 months supports over 120 cinemas in the UK and Ireland (with over 850 screens) as well as two large offices and a number of fieldbased users.
“The IT department is keen to see the service continue its growth and development, to support the wider needs of the business” says ODEON Cinemas Service Desk Manager Colin Birnie. “It was founded to drive down costs, improve control and deliver a better service for our cinemas. Beginning with the service desk, we are upgrading our IT service management environment and upskilling our people to optimise our support for the business.”
Colin Birnie has already installed a new IT incident management system and attended Sysop-run major incident, service continuity and business relationship management workshops, identified by Sysop consultants as the way forward.
ODEON service desk staff are attending a mix of Sysop IT service management, ITIL Overview and Foundation courses to support the same IT-business objectives.
“ODEON was founded in 1930. Today film is delivered not by projectors but by digital hard drives. There have been dramatic technology changes in our industry in recent years. They look set to continue, but as with all business expenditure, IT has to justify itself – so it is important to demonstrate the ways in which our function can help the business manage change” Colin Birnie observes. “Investing in services such as Sysop’s is central to that process, and to our journey.”
“Training for the sake of training is meaningless – so we work with our clients to ensure that our IT education adds value to their business. As a result they typically achieve a significantly higher return on their investment” says Sysop consulting lead and Managing Director Stuart Sawle.