Case Studies

Explore My Work

Real-World ITSM Case Studies That Deliver Results

These ITSM case studies provide insight into how I apply IT service management practices to solve real-world problems. Each one highlights specific projects I’ve undertaken, the challenges I faced, and the outcomes I achieved. By exploring these ITSM case studies, you’ll gain insight into my approach, methodologies, and the measurable benefits delivered to customers. As an IT professional, I believe providing reassurance of my capabilities and technical understanding is crucial. These examples offer a comprehensive view of how I turn IT challenges into success stories.

incident control center for ITSM case studies

Redesigning Critical Incident Management

A global mining organisation revamped its Critical Incident Management process. Enhancements included better categorisation, streamlined communication protocols, and fatigue mitigation strategies. These changes led to faster resolution times, reduced downtime, and greater operational stability. The transformation improved resilience and enabled the business to manage major incidents with greater structure and confidence, delivering safer, faster outcomes across complex, high-impact technical operations with measurable results.

Costing Business Services for TBM

This initiative laid the foundation for TBM by identifying and mapping Business and Technical services. Linking infrastructure layers to business capabilities created a usable cost model. The project enhanced cost transparency, supported smarter service alignment, and fostered a shared understanding of consumption and value. IT and Finance gained insights to drive efficiency, accountability, investment decisions, and ongoing optimisation across the organisation.

Two people looking at a Kanban board pinning notes relative to the service catalogue for ITSM case studies

Rebuilding the Service Request Catalogue

In this project snapshot, I detail the rationalisation and redesign of a legacy ServiceNow request catalogue. The effort improved user experience, streamlined request fulfilment, and introduced governance to prevent future bloat. By transforming a decade of unmanaged growth into a structured, business-aligned asset, the catalogue now enables faster approvals, greater visibility, and a foundation ready for automation, scalability, and ongoing service evolution.

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A network switch plugged into the network for ITSM case studies

Achieving $1.5 Million in Savings

This case study explores the redesign of enterprise network maintenance using a hybrid support model. By combining proactive monitoring, vendor collaboration, and automation, the company reduced costs without compromising performance. The initiative delivered $1.5 million in annual savings, improved uptime, and boosted reliability. Operational efficiency and system continuity were strengthened, supporting long-term infrastructure stability, business alignment, and measurable financial returns.

Ravensthorpe Infrastructure Rebuild

The Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine executed a comprehensive IT infrastructure rebuild to address ongoing system instability. This transformation introduced resilient architecture, modernised key systems, and enhanced cybersecurity protocols. The initiative restored critical functions, improved uptime, and enabled scalable digital operations. By aligning IT capabilities with production objectives, the mine achieved stable, secure, and future-ready infrastructure to support continuity in remote and demanding environments.

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Redesigning Critical Incident Management

📋 Executive Summary

A global mining organisation with 57,000 employees faced operational disruptions due to an inefficient Critical Incident Management (CIM) process. Delays in incident response and resolution led to costly downtime and miscommunication among stakeholders. By redesigning the CIM process and introducing smarter categorisation, stronger communication protocols, and fatigue management, the organisation significantly reduced response times and improved stability.

🏢 Background

The organisation is a global leader in mining operations, with activities spanning multiple continents and employing over 55,000 staff. The complexity of its operations required robust incident management to minimise disruptions and maintain productivity. Inefficiencies in the existing CIM process were hindering business operations and necessitated a complete overhaul

🚧 The Challenge

The existing CIM process suffered from several critical flaws and these challenges collectively resulted in extended downtime, increased costs, and diminished operational efficiency.

Inaccurate categorisation Delayed triage and prioritisation.
Ambiguous ownership Multiple hand-offs and confusion.
Weak communication Stakeholders left out of the loop.
Fatigue risks Poor handovers during prolonged incidents.
Vendor detachment Slower time to resolution.

🔍 The Problem Solved

The redesigned Critical Incident Management process addressed key operational bottlenecks by introducing smarter categorisation, clearer ownership, structured communication, and fatigue protocols. These improvements dramatically reduced resolution time, restored trust among stakeholders, and enhanced the organisation’s ability to manage prolonged, high-impact incidents with consistency. The changes brought measurable results and ensured the CIM process was scalable, sustainable, and aligned with operational resilience goals.

🛠️ The Solution

System-Wide Diagnostic and Service Blueprinting (Coordinate & Specify Processes)
Standardised CIM Process Design (Specify & Realise Processes)
Integrated Communication and Stakeholder Engagement (Deliver Process)
Proactive Fatigue Management (Realise & Verify Processes)
Vendor Service Integration (Coordinate & Deliver Processes)
Comprehensive Training and Cultural Alignment (Coordinate Process)
Data-Driven Continual Service Improvement (Verify Process)

📊 Results at a Glance

⏱️ Reduced downtime and faster incident resolution
🧭 Clearer ownership and categorisation improved prioritisation
📣 Consistent updates increased stakeholder trust
💤 Fatigue controls improved safety and team performance
🤝 Engaged vendors accelerated resolution timelines
🏢 Organisation wide adoption boosted compliance and stability

💡 Insights and Lessons Learned

The project offered valuable takeaways for any organisation managing critical incidents at scale

Clear communication strategies and defined roles are essential.
Accurate categorisation is key to prioritised, effective responses.
Fatigue management must be part of any prolonged incident protocol.
Reinforced understanding of CIM fundamentals helps embed process compliance.

👤 My Role

As the Global Service Manager, I was accountable for the overall success of the Critical Incident Management (CIM) process redesign. This role involved leading the teams, managing stakeholder expectations, and driving the vision of the initiative. I ensured the alignment of resources and coordinated efforts across teams to identify weaknesses, design solutions, and implement changes effectively. By overseeing the delivery of a comprehensive training program and updating key documentation, I played a central role in embedding the new process into the organisation. My leadership ensured that the redesigned CIM process was not only operationally robust but also poised to deliver lasting value to the organisation.

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ITIL Incident Management Process – Learn more about ITIL Incident Management
Mining and Technology – The article is 5 years old but still relevant today
Mining Fatigue Management – Learn More

Achieving $1.5 Million in Savings

📋 Executive Summary

Amidst a company wide $5 billion cost-saving drive triggered by a collapse in iron ore prices, I led a strategic initiative to reduce soaring network maintenance expenses. A CMDB audit uncovered a 229% cost increase tied to previously un-tracked assets, demanding urgent action. I designed and implemented a hybrid support model combining Cisco and third-party vendors, balancing risk and cost. This solution exceeded its $1.5 million savings target over three years while maintaining operational reliability, laying the groundwork for sustainable network management.

🏢 Background

Mining operations relied on a vast global network of infrastructure that supported critical mining activities across remote and central locations. Following the 2014 commodities crash, the organisation needed innovative ways to reduce IT costs without risking operational stability. A full asset review exposed serious gaps. Many infrastructure items were missing from the CMDB, and associated maintenance contracts would cause a 229% rise in support costs. Traditional approaches to cutting costs weren’t enough, so a new model was needed.

🚧 The Challenge

📈 A 229% increase in expected maintenance costs caused by unregistered assets
💸 Legacy reliance on full Cisco support proved financially unsustainable
🔄 Resistance to third-party vendor models due to operational risk concerns
🌐 Need to ensure reliable support for remote mining operations without introducing new risks
🤝 Aligning diverse stakeholders across IT, Operations, and Commercial teams

🔍 The Problem Solved

There was no sustainable way to control rising network maintenance costs without risking service outages or business disruption. Relying solely on expensive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) support had created a financial burden disconnected from operational risk profiles. By designing a hybrid model that used third-party vendors where appropriate and preserved critical OEM coverage where needed, we realigned network support to business needs and financial goals. This approach delivered true cost transparency, accountability, and long-term resilience.

🛠️ The Solution

Comprehensive Cost Review

Analysed Cisco contracts to identify high-cost areas and redundancy
Partnered with IoT infrastructure teams to prioritise assets for OEM vs third-party support based on correct criticality

Hybrid Support Model Implementation

Built a hybrid strategy combining Cisco support for critical assets and third-party maintenance for others
Conducted a competitive RFP process and negotiated flexible, scalable contracts
Introduced escalation protocols and structured asset management to support the model

Stakeholder Engagement and Buy-In

Led workshops and communication sessions with key operational leaders and finance teams
Addressed concerns proactively through risk assessments and business case presentations

Ongoing Monitoring and Optimisation

Established review cycles to track vendor performance, savings realisation, and operational impacts
Updated the CMDB to ensure better asset visibility and lifecycle tracking (Separate Project)

📊 Results at a Glance

💰 Projected $1.5M in savings exceeded over three years
🔒 Critical assets maintained under Cisco support with zero operational disruptions
🗂️ CMDB accuracy dramatically improved, reducing future financial risk
🔄 Embedded a flexible, cost-efficient model for sustainable network maintenance

💡 Insights and Lessons Learned

🧩 Maintaining an accurate, living CMDB is essential to avoid hidden costs
🛠️ Breaking OEM dependency requires careful change management and vendor selection
🗣️ Early communication and operational alignment builds trust in new support models
📉 Long-term cost management must account for post-implementation support realities
🤝 Strategic third-party partnerships can strengthen, not weaken, operational resilience

👤 My Role

As Service Manager, I was accountable for leading this critical initiative end-to-end. I drove the review and analysis of network maintenance contracts, designed the hybrid support strategy, and managed vendor negotiations. I led cross-functional collaboration across IT, Operations, and Finance teams, oversaw stakeholder communication, risk mitigation, and change management, and ensured successful implementation, performance monitoring, and long-term sustainability. This work demonstrated the power of balancing innovation with operational needs, delivering measurable savings while protecting core business outcomes.

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Rebuilding the Service Request Catalogue

📋 Executive Summary

Facing years of accumulated technical debt, the legacy ServiceNow request catalogue at this organisation had grown into an unstructured, confusing experience for users. As part of a broader IT transformation program, I led a targeted initiative to audit, rationalise, and redesign the customer-facing service request catalogue using clear, business-friendly language. The goal was to create a logical, intuitive service catalogue that improved user experience, reduced friction, enabled better demand reporting, and set a strong foundation for a future modern ITSM environment. This work became a key enabler for future ServiceNow development, streamlined service delivery, and better customer satisfaction.

🏢 Background

Over a decade of unmanaged growth had left the ServiceNow request catalogue bloated with redundant, outdated, and poorly structured service items. Request forms were inconsistent, terminology was technical rather than user-friendly, and navigating the catalogue had become a frustrating experience. As a result, if users couldn’t easily find the right service item, they often submitted generic “help” requests instead. Over time, around 85% of all service tickets became generic requests, either due to difficulty navigating the catalogue or user frustration. As the organisation sought to modernise its ITSM platform and improve operational efficiency, a clear, business aligned Service Request Catalogue became essential to restoring structure, improving reporting, and reducing manual workload.

🚧 The Challenge

👉 A decade of technical debt. Over 10 years without governance led to duplicate, redundant, and unclear requests.
👉 Poor user experience. Requests were buried under technical naming conventions and inconsistent formatting
👉 No business language alignment. Users struggled to understand the services being offered.
👉 Lack of categorisation. There was no logical grouping of requests, resulting in inefficient navigation.
👉 High volume of generic requests. Around 85% of tickets were submitted as generic help requests, making service demand reporting unreliable.
👉 Resistance to change. Some teams were attached to “the old ways” of presenting requests.

🔍 The Problem Solved

Prior to this project, users faced a cluttered, confusing catalogue filled with hundreds of outdated or duplicate requests. Technical jargon made it difficult for employees to find what they needed, leading to an over reliance on support teams and manual workarounds. Worse, the lack of a structured, logical catalogue meant reporting on service demand was severely compromised, with 85% of incoming tickets submitted as generic “help” requests rather than properly categorised service requests. There was no consistent structure, making governance and reporting difficult. By auditing, rationalising, and rebuilding the catalogue around clear business language and logical categories, I delivered a clean, usable Service Request Catalogue that empowered users, reduced support overhead, improved demand reporting accuracy, and prepared the organisation for future ITSM improvements.

🛠️ The Solution

Conducted a full catalogue review to identify outdated, redundant, and unused service items.
Rebuilt the structure around logical business categories with customer-friendly language.
Focused on request rationalisation, consolidated and standardised service items to reduce clutter and improve clarity.
Introduced Governance Framework and standards plus templates to control future catalogue growth.
Ran workshops and demos to validate improvements and secure adoption across teams

📊 Results at a Glance

✅ Reduced request items by 60%, eliminating redundancy and improving navigation.
✅ Improved user satisfaction by creating an intuitive, business-friendly catalogue.
✅ Enabled faster request fulfilment through better categorisation and clearer definitions.
✅ Restored meaningful reporting on service demand by reducing generic requests.
✅ Laid the groundwork for future ServiceNow modernisation.
✅ Introduced a governance model to maintain catalogue integrity over time.

💡 Insights and Lessons Learned

🔍 A deep audit is essential before any redesign; assumptions miss hidden complexities.
💡 Business language is not optional; it is critical for user adoption.
💬 Early and frequent stakeholder engagement minimises resistance and speeds adoption.
🛍️ Governance must be embedded from the start to prevent future technical debt.
🤝 A large consultancy was engaged but lacked internal organisational context, often making broad assumptions. My hands-on guidance helped correct scope drift, realign priorities, and bridge cultural understanding, ensuring the solution was tailored, not templated.
✅ The catalogue must evolve with the business; it is a living asset, not a one-time deliverable.

👤 My Role

As the lead for this initiative, I was responsible for auditing the existing request catalogue, designing a new logical structure and service categories, and defining business-friendly naming standards and templates. I engaged stakeholders through workshops, demos, and feedback sessions to ensure alignment and adoption. By governing the catalogue’s integration into future ServiceNow development, I helped transform a decade of technical debt into a modern, efficient, customer-aligned Service Request Catalogue.

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Costing Business Services for TBM

📋 Executive Summary

As part of the broader IT strategy, I led a foundational initiative to define and cost Services across the infrastructure landscape. The objective was to support the transition toward true Business Service costing by establishing a robust financial model that linked technical service consumption with infrastructure components to enable full business service cost transparency. This work laid the essential groundwork for IT financial management maturity and marked the first phase in introducing Technology Business Management (TBM) to the organisation. A key insight from this phase was the realisation that effective Business Service costing could not proceed without first understanding and structuring the technical & other service layers that underpin and support them.

🏢 Background

The organisation’s shift towards costing Business Services required breaking down services by underpinning & supporting layers. The business required service costings and clarity around supporting technical & application services, and configuration items needed to be defined & linked correctly. Historically, understanding Service cost drivers and consumption patterns was difficult. Costs were fragmented across businesses and lacked connection to outcomes. A structured approach to costing, aligned to defined underpinning services, was needed to inform future charge-back models, improve financial visibility, and gain business confidence in IT.

🚧 The Challenge

📉 No standardised or documented technical services or their infrastructure relationships
💸 Inability to trace financial spend back to service outcomes or consumer units
❓ Fragmented understanding of service consumption and lack of accountability
🧩 Difficulty aligning IT outputs with business expectations and cost visibility
⛔ TBM adoption blocked due to lack of foundational service structure

🔍 The Problem Solved

There was no unified understanding of what constituted a Business Service, how it was delivered, what it should cost, or how it should perform. Financial cost pools were not clearly linked to service outputs, and accountability for those costs was fragmented or absent. As a result, cost bundling and assumptions varied across business units, making it difficult to shape charge-back models, deliver meaningful reporting, or demonstrate the true value of IT. By introducing a formalised model for Business Services and aligning them with their underlying costs and consumption, this initiative provided the foundation for transparency, consistency, and trust. It marked a crucial step toward cost-aligned services and enabled the future success of Technology Business Management (TBM) across the organisation.

🛠️ The Solution

Structured Technical Service Costing Model
Developed a repeatable model to define and cost technical services across infrastructure components
Mapped relationships between infrastructure, technical services, and business consumption units
Created a master catalogue of services, their consumers, and associated cost pools
Financial Alignment and TBM Readiness
Connected service consumption to cost data, forming the basis for future charge-back capabilities
Developed unit cost models for each technical service
Designed visual reporting to demonstrate service cost transparency to key stakeholders
Positioned the playbook as the de facto standard for all new service introductions going forward

📊 Results at a Glance

✅ First formal model connecting infrastructure to services and cost data
📈 Created transparency across many core technical services
💡 Enabled IT, Finance, and Business collaboration through a shared view of cost and consumption
🧱 Positioned the organisation to begin true Business Service costing with a solid technical foundation
🔄 Reusable framework adopted as a reference for future TBM initiatives

💡 Insights and Lessons Learned

🔍 You cannot cost what you haven’t defined, meaning, clear service definitions are the foundation of any financial modelling effort.
🧭 Aligning IT, Finance, and Business on a shared view of service consumption builds trust and drives accountability.
🧱 Starting with technical services before jumping to business services ensures cost transparency is rooted in operational reality.
📊 Visualising cost data in business terms improves stakeholder engagement and reinforces the value of TBM.
♻️ A repeatable framework becomes a powerful accelerator for future TBM efforts, reducing start-up friction and increasing adoption.
🚦 A “big bang” rollout is unsustainable, hasing the work by prioritised services reduces fatigue, improves focus, and delivers value incrementally.

👤 My Role

As the Global Service Management Principal, I was responsible for leading this foundational costing initiative. I authored the service definition framework, facilitated cross-functional workshops with service owners, business partners, and senior leadership, and developed the financial mapping model. I also managed vendor input and internal reporting, ensuring deliverables aligned with the broader TBM goals. My leadership ensured this framework was embedded in the organisation as the first phase in achieving full TBM maturity.

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Ravensthorpe Infrastructure Rebuild

📋 Executive Summary

When First Quantum Minerals acquired the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine in 2010, the IT infrastructure was in a state of disrepair. The previous operator’s abrupt departure had left critical systems dismantled and unsecured. I led the end-to-end rebuild of the mine’s infrastructure, restoring core systems, rebuilding segmented networks, and delivering a secure, resilient foundation that supported the site’s return to commercial production by December 2011.

🏢 Background

Originally built by BHP Billiton, the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine had been mothballed just a year after commissioning. Following its closure in 2009, IT infrastructure was neglected, with core components stripped out or left non-functional. When First Quantum took over, the business priority was to re-establish stable operations, placing IT recovery at the centre of the mine’s restart strategy.

🚧 The Challenge

🧱 Infrastructure was partially dismantled; key hardware was missing
🌐 Site networks (GM, Process Control, Fleet, Mining) were segmented and non-operational
🔓 There were no firewalls or network segmentation—posing significant security risks
📞 Essential services like IP telephony, CCTV, WLAN, and fuel systems were down
🔁 The data centre had no redundancy; failure points were everywhere
🌵 Harsh remote conditions demanded robust and resilient solutions

🔍 The Problem Solved

Reinstated operational capacity across all core IT systems
Rebuilt and secured network segmentation aligned to enterprise architecture
Eliminated single points of failure to meet enterprise resilience standards
Reconnected critical systems for communications, safety, and operations
Enabled the mine to resume production with full IT support

🛠️ The Solution

Network Reconstruction

Rebuilt segmented networks to isolate operational domains
Deployed enterprise-grade firewalls for boundary protection
Connected Ravensthorpe back to First Quantum’s global WAN

Critical Systems Restoration

Reinstated Cisco IP telephony across the site
Reconnected CCTV, radio comms, wireless access, and fuel systems

Data Centre & Redundancy

Rebuilt server infrastructure to include fail-over and recovery paths
Eliminated all single points of failure

Security Hardening

Installed and configured access control systems
Integrated monitoring solutions to detect and respond to threats

Team Coordination

Led a cross-functional team of engineers, vendors, and contractors
Oversaw delivery under compressed timelines and operational pressure

📊 Results at a Glance

🏁 Full production resumed by 28 December 2011
🔐 Delivered a secured, fully redundant infrastructure environment
🔄 Enabled operational resilience across all essential systems
🧯 Improved site safety through restored surveillance and communications
✅ Met business goals and strategic outcomes with technology stability

💡 Insights and Lessons Learned

🧠 Adapting to missing or dismantled infrastructure requires agile thinkin
🪨 Resilience is non-negotiable in remote, high-risk environments
🤝 Success depended on collaborative teamwork and clear communication
🔒 Security-first architecture proved essential for long-term operational stability

👤 My Role

I was accountable for the complete rebuild. I assessed the damaged landscape, led a multidisciplinary team, and coordinated the work of external vendors to restore operations. I made critical architectural decisions, handled tight delivery windows, and took a hands-on role, configuring switches, deploying systems, and verifying every element of the rebuild. The infrastructure I delivered not only met the operational deadline but laid the groundwork for ongoing stability and support.

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Business Services Definition Playbook

📋 Executive Summary

In response to inconsistent service definitions and a lack of ownership across departments, I led the design and rollout of a Business Services Definition Playbook. This initiative introduced a structured, repeatable approach to defining business services, aligning business outcomes with supporting technology, and creating a foundation for improved service management and cost transparency.

🏢 Background

Across the organisation, services were poorly defined. Some were named after applications, others after infrastructure layers, and many lacked clear ownership. This made it difficult to support reporting, future state charge-back, service reviews, or effective communication with business stakeholders. A consistent approach was needed to ensure services were understood, mapped, and maintained over time.

🚧 The Challenge

Services were inconsistently defined and poorly understood.

No clear ownership or accountability
Technical naming conventions with little business relevance
Lack of linkage between services, applications, and capabilities
Inability to support service costing or performance metrics
Confusion during service reviews and portfolio discussions

This created internal misalignment and limited the maturity of ITSM processes.

🔍 The Problem Solved

Created a shared understanding of what constitutes a business service
Introduced a clear structure to define and document services
Supported the transition to value-based service management
Enabled better alignment with business capabilities
Provided a repeatable approach for on-boarding new services

🛠️ The Solution

Designed a business service canvas template aligned to best practices
Delivered workshops across IT and business to socialise the approach
Mapped key services to business capabilities and technology stacks
Introduced governance processes to maintain accuracy over time
Embedded the model into the Service Management Office (SMO) routines

📊 Results at a Glance

⏱️ Reduced service on-boarding effort by over 40%
🧭 Enabled alignment of services to business capabilities
📣 Improved clarity during service reviews and budget discussions
💤 Reduced internal confusion about service scope and ownership
🤝 Strengthened collaboration between business and IT
🏢 Created a foundation for accurate cost modelling and reporting

💡 Insights and Lessons Learned

Start with business outcomes, not systems or tools
Socialise early, people need time to absorb new concepts
Build just enough structure; over-complication leads to resistance
A visual canvas supports engagement more than a long-form document

👤 My Role

As Service Management Lead, I authored the playbook, facilitated cross-functional working sessions, aligned with Enterprise Architecture, and ensured the model could be operationalised within our ITSM and portfolio frameworks. I also supported service owners through initial adoption and refinement phases.

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Optimising Satellite Communications

📋 Executive Summary

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🔍 The Problem Solved

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🛠️ The Solution

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📊 Results at a Glance

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