About ITSM simulations

We are very pleased to announce that in affiliation with GamingWorks, we now offer ‘business/ITSM Simulations’ as a new service offering.  ITSM simulations are used to promote the concept of learning by doing.  Simulations could be adapted to organisational situations and used to practically test potential resolutions or train staff perform certain activities. This type of training takes place within a safe environment where staff are encouraged to learn from their mistakes.

We offer a variety of targeted simulations as standalone workshops or in combination with formal or informal training courses. Classrooms become the simulation box where staff are trained on how to implement new processes, or address a problematic situation. Please refer to our The Simulation Games page for more details.

Why use ITSM simulations in training

Organisations invest in training for different reasons:

• Because it is a critical transitioning requirement when implementing new services or processes.
• Training is how organisations learn about best practices they want to align to.
• It is an effective method to teach staff activities they have to perform to deliver successful services or service levels.
• Training is also used to improve an organisation’s service performance.

Unfortunately, despite all the investment and good intentions, the above goals are often missed.  Instead, organisations find themselves facing the following situations:

• Staff are still unable to translate the theoretical concepts they learned during training into practical steps to benefit the business
• Customers are still not satisfied with the service
• The value they hoped to achieve from the training investment is not realised
• Their training budget’s intended return on investments is not achieved
• Their staff still don’t follow the processes
• The organisation is still operating in silos

Why is that?

Our information retention level is one of the major factors leading to these results. Within 20 minutes of learning, our information retention level drops to 58% to reach 33% within one day.  So despite our every intention to applying this information at work, the limitations of our human brain represent a constraint.

Research such as How we Learn and How Much We Remember, by Neil Beyersdorf  and The Forgetting Curve by Hermann Ebbinghaus give us some insight into our information retention capability.

So what can organisations do to deal with this issue?

How can they deal with the limitations imposed by our human brain? After all, service success and improvement efforts depend on our ability to apply what we learn.  How can they improve their training budget ROI?

In 1946 Dale Edgar introduced the Cone of Experience/Learning concept which he revised in 1954 then again in 1969.  The outcome of the research is presented in the following infographic. It confirms that using simulations during training increases information retention level to up to 90%.

Simulation games benefits

Beside the fun-filled side of things, this approach has been used for decades by major organisations and industries. Organisations like NASA and industries such Defence, Aviation and Healthcare use simulations to train their staff. For these industries, staff competency is critical to the success of the service they deliver.  To perfect staff competency, these organisations and industries have embedded simulations at the crux of their training curriculums. Unless staff are successful at applying their competencies during simulation, they are not allowed to perform them in real life.

Some people may say, the above industries use simulations because they deal with life and death situations.  While this is true, isn’t it time to consider the Vital role that ITSM plays nowadays in keeping businesses ‘alive’?

In addition to perfecting IT staff competency, simulation training is very dynamic, very stimulating, and a lot of fun.  Let’s talk organisation change management, if we want to increase buy-in and take-up, we should think differently. By using simulations as part of training, we apply the A and the R of the PROSCI-ADKAR model.  Simulations-based training offers the type of training that staff continue talking about for months after completion.

Participation by key service enablers in business/ITSM simulation training allows them to resolve complex problems using processes they just learned. As organisations commit to their training investment, it is critical to also ensure the value from the investment is realised.

“I see and I forget, I hear and I remember, I do and I understand”  Confucius.

For information about available games and the disciplines they support please go to The Simulation Games.

Should you wish to talk to one of our Business Relationship Managers please complete the Contact Us form.