The ITIL service management framework has earned extensive acceptance by IT managers seeking to employ efficient procedures that lessen costs, improve quality, and increase performance. In 2007, ITIL version 3 was released and shifted focus from process optimization toward the services delivery lifecycle. For organizations still implementing the former recommendations, moving to ITIL v3 seemed similar to a potentially sizeable investment and an unneeded distraction. Is ITIL v3 worth the effort? Here are the benefits, you decide:
ITIL v3 focuses on continual service improvements across the lifecycle and consists of five distinct areas:
1. Service Strategy: organizations can now design, develop, and implement Service Management as a strategic initiative based on general aims for company performance.
2. Service Design: concentrate only on appropriate IT services, such as process, policy development, and architecture.
3. Service Transition: develop superior IT capabilities that transition new, optimized services to production.
4. Service Operation: create effective and cost-efficient support services.
5. Continual Service Improvement: service enhancements are an ongoing business process that generate and preserve value to the client.
ITIL v3 encourages management of a services portfolio as a approach to integrate and align new and existing services with business aims which makes it possible for IT and the business to be effective partners and not stopping at implementation of new services but continuously throughout their lifecycles.
It is a best practice in industry for IT to maintain a roadmap of planned changes to keep the lights on and make sure services meet their performance targets. The ITIL V3 framework looks to pull out this strategy area outside of the IT box and combine it with the business goals bringing harmony, prioritization and understanding to the entire organization. Does your IT Manager appreciate the business priority list and possibly more importantly do you appreciate ITs responsibility in taking it there?
So here we have a sturdy framework to guide through the cycle; from identifying a business need to evaluating or developing a new service or product through to transitioning it into the live environment. Having it operate effectively until retirement. A cradle to grave approach has arrived in the IT world. Sounds good right? It does to be sure and the icing on the cake - an effective continual improvement wrapper on the outside to really hone in to deliver to optimum.
For a lot of firms, superior production and competitiveness justify any expenditure to apply ITIL v3. What do you think?
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