Source: http://docplayer.net/18709969-Copyright-protected-use-is-for-single-users-only-via-a-vhp-approved-license-for-information-and-printed-versions-please-see-www-vanharen.html
Timestamp: 2018-09-24 08:01:18
Document Index: 150096925

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'ART 1']

2 Foundations of ITIL
4 Foundations of ITIL 2011 Edition Licensed Product
5 Colophon Title: Foundations of ITIL 2011 Edition Authors: Copy editor: Publisher: Pierre Bernard Jane Chittenden Van Haren Publishing, Zaltbommel, Design & layout: CO2 Premedia Bv, Amersfoort NL ISBN Hardcopy: ISBN ebook: Edition: First edition, first impression, April 2012 Copyright: Van Haren Publishing, 2012 Crown copyright Reproduced under license from The Cabinet Office: cover diagram and diagrams and highlighted boxes. Any ITIL core book 1.1, 2.2 Continual Service Improvement 2.4, 2.8, 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 4.1, 5.6 Continual Service Improvement (2007) 5.6, A.3 Service Design 3.2, 4.1, 4.10, 4.13, 4.14, 4.16, 4.17, 4.2, 4.20, 4.21, 4.24, 4.25, 4.27, 4.6, 4.8, 4.9 Service Operation 4.2, 4.3, 4.6, 4.7, 4.9, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 6.1, 6.2, 6.4, 6.6 Service Strategy 2.6, 4.14, 4.15, 4.18, 4.2, 4.25, 4.3, 4.41, 4.42, 4.43, 5.5 Service Transition 1.2, 4.1, 4.19, 4.2, 4.28, 4.31, 4.33, 4.35, 4.37, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 5.6, 6.3 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form by print, photo print, microfilm or any other means without written permission by the publisher. Although this publication has been composed with much care, neither author, nor editor, nor publisher can accept any liability for damage caused by possible errors and/or incompleteness in this publication. TRADEMARK NOTICES ITIL is a registered trade mark of the Cabinet Office. The ITIL Swirl logo is a trade mark of the Cabinet Office.
6 Foreword ITIL is the world s leading framework on IT Service Management. Over the years its adoption has been encouraged by the credibility of its independent owners (the UK Government, specifically the Cabinet Office) and the professional contribution of many international experts. It has become the lingua franca of the IT Service Management world: a means by which practitioners can develop a first-class service using well understood terms and processes. The Foundations of ITIL book (and its predecessors) was drafted to create a portable reference book that documented the essentials of the framework. Reflecting the needs of many students and newcomers to the field, it captures the essence of ITIL and shows its context within the wider business. Throughout the years this title has followed the development of the ITIL framework and new revisions have accurately communicated to a global audience the benefits of following this approach. This latest revision reflects the ITIL 2011 edition. It follows the established Lifecycle Approach and describes the five key stages and the processes within them. As with all previous editions this title has been the quality result not only of an expert author but also of many QA colleagues around the world who have refined and honed the text. Its quality is reflected in the formal license granted to it by APMG, the official accreditation body of ITIL. As an independent Advisory Board we always encourage the Publisher to develop products that provide real benefit to the market. We always encourage innovation balanced by the traditional elements of quality and usability. We believe that this book will assist you in achieving your ITIL V3 Foundations Qualification and establishing best practices in IT Service Management in your organization. Van Haren Publishing IT Management Advisory Board Jacques Cazemier, VKA NL Bill Hefley, University of Pittsburgh and ITSqc, LLC Kevin Holland, NHS Connecting for Health Brian Johnson, CA David Jones, Pink Elephant UK Alan Nance, Independent Eric Rozemeijer, Quint Wellington Redwood Gad J Selig, University of Bridgeport Abbas Shahim, Atos Consulting John Stewart, Independent
7 Acknowledgements The Foundations of ITIL is one of the very first publishing concepts we had at Van Haren Publishing. In 2002 ITIL was still in its infancy yet its potential was clear to many in the industry. A concise reference book was in demand and Van Haren Publishing made the effort to create and publish what was one of the first of many such titles in the marketplace. Since that time Van Haren Publishing has revised and updated its basic title to reflect the new editions of ITIL. On visiting clients and customers we will often see these editions (current and old) well-thumbed and sitting on desk tops or on bookshelves. So we would like to thank and acknowledge all the contributors to this very special product. Firstly we would like to thank the author Pierre Bernard. Pierre is a dedicated Service Management expert well known and respected throughout the industry. It is always an honour and privilege to work with such a professional writer and his great sense of humour makes this project even more of a pleasure. The reviewers to this title took much time and effort to review an extensive piece of work. Their attention to detail was very professional and the resulting text is, we believe, a very high quality offering thanks to their work. So the Publisher would like to express deep thanks to the following: Claire Agutter ITIL Training Zone Martin Andenmatten, Glenfis AG Kevin Holland, NHS Connecting for Health Mart Rovers, Interprom Marianna Ruocco, Independent Luigi Restaino, BITIL Rob van der Berg, Microsoft
8 Contents Foreword V Acknowledgements VI 1 Introduction Background Why this book Organisations Differences from previous editions Structure of the book How to use this book Introduction to the service lifecycle Introduction to ITIL IT governance Organisational maturity Benefits and risks of ITSM frameworks Service Lifecycle: concept and overview Introduction to service management Service management as a practice Organising for service management Governance and management systems Monitoring and control Functions Basic concepts Management of processes About the functions IT operations management Service desk Technical management Application management Service Operation roles and responsibilities Service Operation organisation structures Teams, roles and positions in ITSM Tools used in ITSM Service strategy phase ITIL Service Strategy ITIL Service Strategy Strategy management for IT services Service portfolio management
9 VIII 5.5 Financial management for IT services Demand management Business relationship management Service design phase ITIL Service Design Introduction Basic concepts Processes and other activities Design coordination Service Catalogue Management Service Level Management Capacity Management Availability Management IT Service Continuity Management Information Security Management Supplier Management Organisation Methods, techniques and tools Implementation considerations Service transition phase Service Transition Introduction Basic concepts Processes and other activities Transition Planning and Support Change Management Service Asset and Configuration Management Release and Deployment Management Service Validation and Testing Change Evaluation Knowledge Management Organisation Methods, technology and tools Implementation Service operation phase Service Operation Introduction Processes and other activities Methods, techniques and tools Event Management Incident Management Request Fulfilment Problem Management
10 IX 8.9 Access Management Implementation Continual service improvement phase Continual Service Improvement Introduction Basic concepts Processes and other activities CSI Improvement Process Organisation Methods, techniques and tools Implementation A. References B. ITIL 2011 summary of updates B.1 Introduction B.2 Global changes B.3 ITIL Service Strategy B.4 ITIL Service Design B.5 ITIL Service Transition B.6 ITIL Service Operation B.7 ITIL Continual Service Improvement B.8 ITIL glossary B.9 Continual improvement C. Glossary C.1 ITIL Glossary C.2 Glossary D. Index E. List of tables F. List of figures
12 1 Introduction 1.1 Background During the last decade (2001 present), technological developments such as smartphones, tablets, cloud services, near-field-content, Wi-Fi, and especially social media have had a tremendous effect on the world we live in. With the emergence of extremely powerful hardware, highly versatile software and super-fast networks, organisations worldwide have been able to develop their information-dependent products and services to a greater extent, and to bring them to the market much faster. These, as well as many other socio-economic and political developments, have marked the superimposition of the information age upon the industrial age. In the so-called information age, where everything is connected, the dissemination of data and information has become faster, more dynamic, as well as a worldwide phenomenon. Quoting one of Bob Dylan s 1 songs titled The Times They Are A-Changin is quite appropriate here, as indeed the traditional view and role of the Information Technology organisation (IT) is dramatically altered based on the above. In order to be successful, organisations will need to be as nimble as possible to react to rapidly changing market demands and technologies. First, there is a movement concerning renaming IT to Information Services (IS). Second, cloud computing is becoming both a more viable option and a more common solution. This is a result of organisations realising that technology is not always their core competency and that outsourcing provides them with a more accurate and predictable cost structure. Organisations should also start considering the significant impact of the arrival in the workplace of extremely technology-savvy employees. These new employees have been using technology basically since birth and have also been not only the early adaptors of mobile technologies but of social media as well. Information is now at their fingertips and they will expect the same in the workplace. In addition to this new generation of employees, organisations need to consider how they will handle the same demands from their existing and potential customers. There are a lot of books, whitepapers, and articles 2 regarding the need to breakdown vertical business silos and shift the business model to more horizontal processes thus flattening the organisation. The authors of these documents are advocating that decision-making powers be increasingly bestowed on the employees. Again, according to these various sources, an important advantage of process-oriented organisations is that processes can be designed to support a customer-oriented approach. This has made the alignment between the IT organisation (responsible for supplying information) and the customer (responsible for using these information 1 Bob Dylan American singer, songwriter, musician (1941 ) 2 See References section for some examples
13 2 Foundations of ITIL systems in their business) increasingly significant. This is usually known as Business- IT Alignment (BITA). It is against this background that the world of IT Service Management (ITSM) has arisen and gained in popularity. The above authors are not wrong, nor are they lacking vision; on the contrary. As organisations gained more experience with the process-oriented approach of IT service management, it became clear that these processes must be managed coherently. Moreover, it became obvious that the introduction of a process-oriented work method meant a big change for the primarily line and project-oriented organisations. Culture and change management are crucial elements for a successful organisational design. Change management here refers to business change, as well as changes in attitudes, aptitudes, behaviours, and the adoption of frameworks and methodologies adapted to suit the organisational needs. The truth is that organisations have always used processes and IT is no different. However, one must acknowledge that processes are often conducted in isolation by a few individuals or groups. Processes are often neither shared nor documented. One of the causes for the above is that many people believe that knowledge is power 3. Another important lesson learned is that the IT organisation must not lose itself in a process culture. Just like the one-sided project-oriented organisation, a onesided process-oriented organisation is not the optimum type of business. Balance is, as always, the magic word. In addition, it has become clear that the customeroriented approach requires that an end-to-end and user-centric approach must be followed: it is of no help to the user to know that the server was still in operation if the information system is not available at the user s workplace. IT services must be viewed in a larger context. The need for the recognition of the Service Lifecycle, and the management of IT services in light of that lifecycle, has become a concern. Due to the fast growing dependency of business upon information, the quality of information services in companies is being increasingly subjected to stricter internal and external requirements. The role of standards is becoming more and more important, and frameworks of best practices help with the development of a management system to meet these requirements. Organisations that are not in control of their processes will not be able to realise great results on the level of the Service Lifecycle and the end-to-end-management of those services. Organisations that do not have their internal organisation in order will also not achieve great results. For these reasons, all these aspects are handled alongside each other in the course of this book. 3 Attributed to Sir Frances Bacon (Viscount of St Alban)
14 Introduction Why this book This book offers detailed information for those who are responsible for strategic information issues, as well as for the (much larger) group who are responsible for setting up and executing the delivery of the information services. This is supported by both the description of the Service Lifecycle, as documented in ITIL (2007 and 2011 editions), and by the description of the processes and functions that are associated with it. The ITIL core books are very extensive, and can be used for a thorough study of contemporary best practices. This Foundations book provides the reader with an easy-to-read comprehensive introduction to the broad library of ITIL core books, to support the understanding and the further distribution of ITIL as an industry framework. Once this understanding of the structure of ITIL has been gained, the reader can use the core books for a more detailed understanding and guidance for their daily practice. 1.3 Organisations Several organisations are involved in the maintenance of ITIL as a description of the best practice in the IT service management field. The Cabinet Office ITIL was initially developed by CCTA, a UK Government Organisation, to help UK Government organisations develop capability, improve efficiency and deploy best practice for IT Service Management. ITIL is now owned by the Cabinet Office, part of the UK Government. The UK Government has made significant investments in developing and maintaining this portfolio of guidance. The Cabinet Office also develops and owns best practice products for portfolio, programme, project, and risk management. itsmf The target group for this publication is anyone who is involved or interested in IT service management. A professional organisation, working on the development of the IT service management field, has been created especially for this target group. In 1991 the Information Technology Service Management Forum (itsmf), originally known as the Information Technology Infrastructure Management Forum (ITIMF), was set up as a UK association. In 1994, a sister association was established in the Netherlands, following the UK example. Since then, independent itsmf organisations have been set up in more than forty countries, spread across the globe, and the number of chapters continues to grow. All itsmf organisations operate under the umbrella organisation, itsmf International (itsmf-i).
15 4 Foundations of ITIL The itsmf is aimed at the entire professional area of IT service management. It promotes the exchange of information and experiences that IT organisations can use to improve their service provision. The itsmf is also involved in the use and quality of the various standards and methods that are important in the field. One of these standards is ITIL. The itsmf-i organisation has an agreement with the Cabinet Office and the APM Group on the promotion of the use of ITIL. The IT Service Management Forum (itsmf) is a global, independent, internationally recognised not-for-profit organisation dedicated to IT Service Management. The itsmf is wholly owned and principally run by its membership. It consists of a growing number of national chapters, each with a large degree of autonomy, but adhering to a common code of conduct.the itsmf is a major influence on, and contributor to, industry best practices and standards worldwide, working in partnership with a wide international range of governmental and standards bodies. itsmf International is the controlling body of the itsmf national chapters and sets policies and provides direction for furthering the overall objectives of itsmf, for the adoption of IT Service Management (ITSM) best practice and for ensuring adherence to itsmf policies and standards. APM Group In 2006, OGC contracted the management of ITIL rights, the certification of ITIL exams and accreditation of training organisations to the APM Group (APMG), a commercial organisation. APMG defines the certification and accreditation for the ITIL exams, and published the new certification system (see 2.1: ITIL exams). Examination institutes The Dutch Examen Instituut voor Informatica (EXIN ) and the English Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB, part of the BCS: the British Computer Society) cooperated in the development and provision of certification for IT service management. For many years they were the only bodies that provided ITIL exams. With the contracting of APMG by OGC in 2006, the responsibility for ITIL exams is now with APMG. To support the world-wide delivery of these ITIL exams, APMG has accredited a number of examination institutes: APMG-International, BCS- ISEB CERT-IT, CSME, DANSK IT, DF Certifiering AB, EXIN,, LCS (Loyalist Certification Services), PEOPLECERT Group and TÜV SÜD Akademie. See www. itil-officialsite.com for the most recent information. 1.4 Differences from previous editions The Foundations of ITIL book has played a key role in the distribution of ideas on IT service management and ITIL for years. The title has been translated into thirteen languages and is recognised as the most practical introduction to the leading best practices in this field. Earlier editions of the Foundations book focused on the content of three books from the ITIL series (version 2): Service Support, Service
16 Introduction 5 Delivery, and Security Management, and placed them in a broader context of quality management. The main difference between ITIL version 2 and 3 lies in the service lifecycle, introduced in version 3. Where the Foundations scope of version 2 focused on single practices, clustered in Delivery, Support, and Security Management, the scope in version 3 takes the entire Service Lifecycle into account. As a result of continuous development of best practices, some terms have disappeared between the introduction of ITIL version 2 and 3, and a significant number of new terms have been added to version 3. As many of these concepts are part of the scope of an IT service management training or exam, they have been included in the relevant descriptions. For a definitive list of concepts, readers should refer to the various training and exam programs. In 2011 a second edition of ITIL V3 was published. This new edition is comprised mostly of cosmetic, grammatical, and syntactic modifications. The list of these changes is summarised in Appendix B ITIL 2011 Summary of Updates. For the purpose of simplification, it is highly recommended to use the generic term ITIL instead of ITIL V3 or ITIL V3:2007 or ITIL V3:2011. Although this book is indeed about the ITIL V3:2011 edition, the term ITIL is used throughout the book to simplify matters and to lighten the text. 1.5 Structure of the book This book starts with an introduction on the backgrounds and general principles of IT service management and the context for ITIL (Chapter 1). It describes the parties involved in the development of best practices and standards for IT service management, and the basic premises and standards that are used. The body of the book is set up in two major parts: Part 1, made up of Chapters 2 and 3, introduces the Service Lifecycle, in the context of IT service management and IT governance. It discusses principles of organisational maturity, and the benefits and risks of following a service management framework. It introduces and discusses the functions involved in service management good practices. This enables the reader to better relate the processes in Part 2, and their related concepts and activities back to the people aspect of service management. In Part 2, made up of Chapters 4 to 8, each of the phases in the Service Lifecycle is discussed in detail, in a standardised structure: Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement. These chapters provide a detailed view on the characteristics of the Service Lifecycle, its construct and its elements. The main points of each phase are presented in a
17 6 Foundations of ITIL consistent way to aid readability and clarity, so that the text is clear and its readability is promoted. Each of these processes and functions is described in terms of: Introduction Basic concepts Activities, methods and techniques Management information and interfaces Triggers, inputs, and outputs Critical Success Factors and metrics Challenges and risks The Appendices provide useful sources for the reader. A reference list of the sources used is provided, as well as the official ITIL Glossary. The book ends with an extensive index of terms that will support the reader in finding relevant text elements. 1.6 How to use this book Readers who are primarily interested in the Service Lifecycle can focus on Part 1 of the book, and pick whatever they need on functions from Part 1 and processes from Part 2. Readers who are primarily interested in the functions and processes and are not ready for a lifecycle approach yet, or who prefer a process approach, can read the introductory chapters, and then focus on the functions and processes of their interest. Readers who want a thorough introduction to ITIL, exploring its scope and main characteristics, can read Part 1 on the Lifecycle, and add as many of the processes from Part 2 as they need or like. In this way, this new edition of the Foundations book aims to provide support to a variety of approaches to IT Service Management based on ITIL.
18 PART 1: THE ITIL SERVICE LIFECYCLE
20 2 Introduction to the service lifecycle 2.1 Introduction to ITIL In 2007 a new edition of the ITIL framework, known as version 3, was published. This new version took a dramatic new approach for service management. In addition to the process approach, ITIL V3 incorporated the concept of the service lifecycle. Then in 2011 a revision of the 2007 edition was published. ITIL 2011 is an update and is also designed to: Resolve any errors or inconsistencies in the text and diagrams, both in content and presentation Improve the publications by addressing issues raised in the Change Control Log, as analysed and recommended by the change advisory board (CAB) and approved by the Cabinet Office. These are largely to do with clarity, consistency, correctness and completeness Address suggestions for change made by the training community to make ITIL easier to teach Review the ITIL Service Strategy publication to ensure that the concepts are explained in the clearest, most concise and accessible way possible ITIL offers a systematic approach to the delivery of quality of IT services. It provides a detailed description of most of the important processes for an IT organisation, and includes information about procedures, tasks, roles, and responsibilities. These can be used as a basis for tailoring the framework to the needs of individual organisations. At the same time, the broad coverage of ITIL also provides a helpful reference guide for many areas, which can be used to develop new improvement goals for an IT organisation, enabling it to grow and mature. Over the years, ITIL has become much more than a series of useful books about IT service management. The framework for the best practice in IT service management is promoted and further developed and influenced by advisors, educators, trainers, and suppliers. These suppliers include a wide variety of technological solutions such as hardware, software, and cloud computing products. Since the 1990s, ITIL has grown from a theoretical framework to the de facto approach and philosophy shared by the people who work with it in practice. Being an extended framework of best practices for IT service management itself, the advantages and disadvantages of frameworks in general, described in Section 2.4, are also applicable to ITIL. Of course, ITIL was developed because of the advantages
21 10 Foundations of ITIL mentioned earlier. Many of the pointers from best practices are intended to avoid potential problems or, if they do occur after all, to solve them. ITIL examinations Due to the new 2011 edition of ITIL, the syllabuses for all qualifications have been updated. The most significant changes relate to new/modified section numbers as well as improved wording and/or clarification for some learning objectives and section details. At the publication date of this book, well over two million people worldwide have achieved one or more levels of ITIL certification. There are four qualification levels in regards to the ITIL framework. They are: Foundation Level Intermediate Level (Lifecycle Stream & Capability Stream) ITIL Expert ITIL Master For more information about the ITIL Qualification Scheme, please see: IT governance As the role of information, information services, and ITSM grows, so do the management requirements for the IT organisation. These requirements focus on two aspects. The first is the compliance with internal and external policies, laws, and regulations. The second is the provision of benefits (value-add proposition) for the stakeholders of the organisation. Although it is a relatively young discipline, IT governance is receiving far greater scrutiny than already established standards and frameworks. A definition for IT governance receiving a lot of support is from Van Grembergen: IT governance consists of a comprehensive framework of structures, processes, and relational mechanisms. Structures involve the existence of responsible functions such as IT executives and accounts, and a diversity of IT Committees. Processes refer to strategic IT decision-making and monitoring. Relational mechanisms include business/it participation and partnerships, strategic dialogue and shared learning.
22 Introduction to the service lifecycle 11 From the definition above we can see that governance enables the creation of a setting in which others can manage their tasks effectively 1. IT governance and IT management, then, are two separate entities. Since ITSM is focused on managing quality IT services it can be considered to be part of the IT management domain. That leaves IT governance in the business or information management domain. Although many frameworks are characterised as IT Governance frameworks, such as COBIT and even ITIL, most of them are in fact management frameworks. The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO ) introduced in 2008 a standard for corporate governance of information technology; ISO/IEC38500:2008. The ITIL framework approaches governance from the following perspective. Governance is the single overarching area tying IT and the business together. Governance defines the common directions, policies, and rules used by the whole organisation to conduct business. ITIL s definition of governance Governance ensures that policies and strategy are actually implemented and that required processes are correctly followed. Governance includes defining roles and responsibilities, measuring and reporting, and taking actions to resolve any issues identified. 2.3 Organisational maturity From the moment Richard Nolan introduced his staged model for the application of IT in organisations in 1973 many people have used stepwise improvement models. These models were quickly recognised as suitable instruments for quality improvement programs, thereby helping organisations to climb up the maturity ladder. Dozens of variations on the theme can easily be found, ranging from trades such as software development, acquisition, systems engineering, software testing, website development, data warehousing and security engineering, to help desks and knowledge management. Obviously the Kaizen principle (improvement works best in smaller steps) was one that appealed to many people. After Nolan s staged model in 1973, the most appealing application of this modelling was found when the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Mellon University, USA, published its Software Capability Maturity Model (SW-CMM ). The CMM was copied and applied in most of the cases mentioned above, making CMM something of a standard in maturity modelling. The CMM was later followed by newer editions, including CMMI (CMM Integration). 1 Sohal & Fitzpatrick
23 12 Foundations of ITIL Later, these models were applied in quality management models, such as the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM ). Apart from the broad quality management models, there are several other industry accepted practices, such as Six Sigma and Total Quality Management (TQM ) which are complementary to ITIL. The available standards and frameworks of best practice offer guidance for organisations in achieving operational excellence in IT service management. Depending upon their stage of development, organisations tend to require different kinds of guidance. Maturity model: CMMI In the IT industry, the process maturity improvement process is best known in the context of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). This process improvement method was developed by SEI. CMMI provides both a staged and a continuous model. In the continuous representation, improvement is measured using capability levels and maturity is measured for a particular process across an organisation. The capability levels in the CMMI continuous representation are shown in the table below. Table 2.1 CMMI Capability levels 1. Incomplete process A process that either is not performed or partially performed 2. Performed process Satisfies the specific goals of the process area 3. Managed process A performed (capability level 1) process that has the basic infrastructure in place to support the process 4. Defined process A managed (capability level 2) process that is tailored from the organisation s set of standard processes according to the organisation s tailoring guidelines, and contributes work products, measures and other process improvement information to the organisational process assets 5. Quantitatively managed process A defined (capability level 3) process that is controlled using statistical and other quantitative techniques 6. Optimising process A quantitatively managed (capability level 4) process that is improved based on an understanding of the common causes of variation inherent in the process In the staged representation, improvement is measured using maturity levels, for a set of processes across an organisation. The CMMI staged representation model defines five maturity levels, each a layer in the base for the next phase in the on-going process improvement, designated by the numbers 1 through 5:
24 Introduction to the service lifecycle 13 Table 2.2 CMMI maturity levels 1. Initial Processes are ad hoc and chaotic 2. Managed The projects of the organisation have ensured that processes are planned and executed in accordance with policy 3. Defined Processes are well characterised and understood, and are described in standards, procedures, tools and methods 4. Quantitatively managed The organisation and projects establish quantitative objectives for quality and process performance, and use them as criteria in managing processes 5. Optimising Focuses on continually improving process performance through incremental and innovative process and technological improvements Many other maturity models were based on these structures, such as the Gartner Maturity Models. Most of these models are focused at capability maturity. Some others, like KPMG s World Class IT Maturity Model, take a different approach. Standard: ISO/IEC Developing and maintaining a quality system which complies with the requirements of the ISO 9000 (ISO-9000:2000 ) series can be considered a tool for the organisation to reach and maintain the system-focused (or managed in IT Service CMM) level of maturity. These ISO standards emphasise the definition, description, and design of processes. For IT service management organisations, a specific ISO standard was produced: the ISO/IEC (see Figure 2.1). This does not replace ISO 9000; it [1] Scope [2] Terms & Definitions [3] Management System [4] Planning & Implementing Service Management [5] Planning & Implementing New Or Changed Services Capacity Management Service Continuity & Availability Management [10] Release Processes Release Management [6] Delivery Processes Service Level Management Service Reporting [9] Control Processes Configuration Management Change Management [8] Resolution Processes Incident Management Problem Management Information Security Management Budgeting & Accounting for IT services [7] Relationship Processes Business Relationship Management Supplier Management Figure 2.1 Overview of the ISO/IEC service management system
25 14 Foundations of ITIL complements it by focusing on the specific requirements of a management system for IT service management. Customer maturity When assessing the maturity of an organisation, we cannot restrict ourselves to the service provider. The level of maturity of the customer is also important. If there are large differences in maturity between the provider and the customer, then these will have to be considered to prevent a mismatch in the approach, methods, and mutual expectations. Specifically, this affects the communication between the customer and the provider. 2.4 Benefits and risks of ITSM frameworks The list below identifies some benefits and possible problems of using IT service management best practices. This list is not intended to be definitive, but is provided here as a basis for considering some of the benefits that can be achieved and some of the mistakes that can be made when using common process-based IT service management frameworks: Benefits to the customer/user: The provision of IT services becomes more customer-focused and agreements about service quality improve the relationship The services are described better, in customer language, and in more appropriate detail Management of service quality, availability, and reliability and service costs is improved Communication with the IT organisation is improved by agreeing on the points of contact Benefits to the IT organisation: The IT organisation develops a clearer structure, becomes more efficient, and is more focused on the corporate objectives The IT organisation is more in control of the infrastructure and services it has responsibility for, and changes become easier to manage An effective process structure provides a framework for the effective outsourcing of elements of the IT services Following best practices encourages a cultural change towards providing services, and supports the introduction of quality management systems based on the ISO 9000 series or on ISO/IEC Frameworks can provide coherent frames of reference for internal communication and communication with suppliers, and for the standardisation and identification of procedures
26 Introduction to the service lifecycle 15 Potential problems/mistakes: The introduction can take a long time and require significant effort, and may require a change of culture in the organisation; an overambitious introduction can lead to frustration because the objectives are never met If process structures become an objective in themselves, the service quality may be adversely affected; in this scenario, unnecessary or over-engineered procedures are seen as bureaucratic obstacles, which are to be avoided where possible There is no improvement in IT services due to a fundamental lack of understanding about what the relevant processes should provide, what the appropriate performance indicators are, and how processes can be controlled Improvement in the provision of services and cost reductions are insufficiently visible, because no baseline data was available for comparison and/or the wrong targets were identified A successful implementation requires the involvement and commitment of personnel at all levels in the organisation, particularly the executives and the senior management teams; leaving the development of the process structures to a specialist department may isolate that department in the organisation and it may set a direction that is not accepted by other departments If there is insufficient investment in appropriate training and support tools, justice will not be done to the processes and the service will not be improved; additional resources and personnel may be needed in the short term if the organisation is already overloaded by routine IT service management activities which may not be using best practices 2.5 Service Lifecycle: concept and overview The information provision role and system has grown and changed since the launch of ITIL version 2 (between 2000 and 2002). IT supports and is part of an increasing number of goods and services. In the business world, the information provision role has changed as well: the role of the IT organisation role is no longer just supporting, but has become the baseline for the creation of business value. ITIL intends to include and provide insight into the new role of IT in all its complexity and dynamics. To that end, a new service management approach has been chosen that does not centre on processes, but focuses on the Service Lifecycle. Basic concepts Before we describe the Service Lifecycle, we need to define some basic concepts. Best practice ITIL is presented as a best practice. This is an approach or method that has proven itself in practice. These best practices can be a solid backing for organisations that want to improve their IT services. In such cases, the best thing to do is to select a generic standard or method that is accessible to everyone, ITIL, CobiT, CMMI, PRINCE2, and ISO/IEC 20000, for example. One of the benefits of these freely accessible generic
27 16 Foundations of ITIL standards is that they can be applied to several real-life environments and situations. There is also ample training available for open standards. This makes it much easier to train personnel. Another source for best practice is proprietary knowledge. A disadvantage of this kind of knowledge is that it may be customised for the context and needs of a specific organisation. Therefore, it may be difficult to adopt or replicate and it may not be as effective in use. Service A service is about creating value for the customer. ITIL defines a service as follows: A service is a means of delivering value to customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific costs and risks. The following table provides further explanations regarding the above definition. Table 2.3 Definition of key terms in the service definition Means: Value: Outcome: Specific costs: Specific risks: The actual physical product the customer can actually see, touch, or use The customer defines value based on desired business outcomes, their preferences and their perceptions The business activity or result to be used by the business or delivered to the external customer. The customer does not want to worry about all costs regarding the end-to-end provision of the service. The customer prefers to consider IT as a utility which is a more predictable expense. The IT organisation takes on most of the risks on behalf of the customer allowing the latter to focus on their core business competencies. Outcomes are possible from the performance of tasks, and they are limited by a number of constraints. Services enhance performance and reduce the pressure of constraints. This increases the chances of the desired outcomes being realised. Value Value is the core of the service concept. From the perspective of the IT organisation value consists of two core components: utility and warranty. Utility is what the customer receives, and warranty is how it is provided. The concepts utility and warranty are described in the section Service Strategy.
28 Introduction to the service lifecycle 17 Service management ITIL defines service management as follows: Service management is a set of specialised organisational capabilities for providing value to customers in the form of services. Service provider: An organisation supplying services to one or more internal or external customers. Service management is also a body of knowledge through all of the existing books, whitepapers, articles, studies, and conferences. It is also a professional practice based on proven practices which includes multiple frameworks and methodologies Systems ITIL s definition of a system is: A system is a group of, interrelating, or interdependent components that form a unified ensemble, operating together for a common purpose. Feedback and learning are two key aspects in the performance of systems; they turn processes, functions, and organisations into dynamic systems. Feedback can lead to learning and growth, not only within a process, but also within an organisation in its entirety. Within a process, for instance, the feedback about the performance of one cycle is, in its turn, input for the next process cycle. Within organisations, there can be feedback between processes, functions, and lifecycle phases. Behind this feedback is the common goal: the customer s objectives. Functions and processes It is of the utmost importance for anyone in an organisation, especially in the IT organisation, to understand the difference between a function and a process. A function is a subdivision of an organisation that is specialised in fulfilling a specified type of work, and is responsible for specific end results. Functions are semi-autonomous groupings with capabilities and resources that are required for their performance and results. They have their own set of tasks, roles, and areas of responsibility as well as their own body of knowledge. What is a process? A process is a structured set of activities designed to accomplish a defined objective. Processes result in a goal-oriented change, and utilise feedback for self-enhancing and self-corrective actions. Processes simply group together related activities to simplify and unify their execution and accomplishment.