MSC Malaysia and Deloitte to Host Apollo 13 Simulation

Experiential learning workshop allows participants to apply ITSM principles toward solving actual scenarios experienced during the Apollo 13 crisis.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – May 19, 2009 – Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), driver of the MSC Malaysia initiative, and Deloitte for the first time will be hosting an Apollo 13 Simulation for MSC Malaysia Status companies on May 25th at MSC Malaysia Innovation Centre. The Apollo 13 workshop is a business simulation focused on IT Governance issues in the context of IT Service Management (ITSM).

Participation in the workshop is free for MSC Malaysia companies and interested companies can sign up at www.mscmalaysia.my/cdp.

“With the ever increasing use and dependence upon IT to sustain and improve business performance, delivering IT operational excellence is becoming a critical capability for IT organizations,” said MDeC CEO Dato’ Badlisham Ghazali. “The Apollo 13 Simulation continues MSC Malaysia’s efforts to cultivate the highest global standards of IT service delivery among MSC Malaysia Status companies and to find innovative and interesting methods to deliver our training,” Badlisham added.

IT organizations are critically facing tighter controls and louder calls to demonstrate the value they should be meeting to the business. IT organizations that fail to demonstrate comprehensive control of their practices will pose an unacceptable risk to business operations and will inevitably hinder the business from realizing its objectives. In the words of the Apollo 13 Flight director Gene Kranz, ‘Failure is not an option.’

MSC Malaysia Capability Development Programme (CDP) and Deloitte’s Apollo 13 Simulation – An ITSM Case Experience™ is an experiential learning workshop that brings to life actual scenarios experienced by the Apollo 13 astronauts. Participants will collaborate as the ground team, playing the roles of the Mission Control Operations staff in Houston tasked to bring the astronauts safely back home. In doing so participants will see, feel and experience the benefits of applying ITSM best practices in order to mitigate key IT operational risks and to improve performance in practical ways a typical customer can appreciate and understand.

The workshop consists of 4 rounds. In each round the team undergoes the following steps:

designing or improving their process;
applying their process;
analysing, reflecting and reporting;
prioritizing and agreeing improvement needs with the business.

In the 4 rounds, actual events and situations experienced in the real mission will take place. The business demands and priorities will change as the mission progresses. Mission Control must ensure their processes are continually aligned to changing business needs through active dialogue with the Mission Director and by applying continual service improvement strategies.

CDP is introducing the Apollo 13 simulation as an innovative learning experience for the MSC Malaysia companies, to offer them methods of improving their IT Service Management. The lesson learnt obtained will provide opportunities for participating companies to improve or incorporate them into their strategies especially in enduring the current economic climate . This programme is part of many more programmes lined up under CDP’s 2009 strategy in offering quick wins for the companies. For more information and how to participate in these activities, please log on to www.mscmalaysia.my/cdp.