ITIL – The best ITSM Framework
Any ITIL process or ITIL framework is varied and comprises of many aspects of IT. Instead of introducing the full set of ITIL references together, it is imperative for an organization to pinpoint what needs to be addressed with immediate effect and begin there.
ITIL provides guidance that can be reviewed to suit the needs of a certain organization – not as a rigid book of rules. Here are three common methodologies for establishments implementing ITIL:
Providing Better Support - focused on IT offering better support to users
Enabling Business Change - providing a governance and reassurance role
Providing Better Services -provide data for CSI initiatives of an organization, as well as warranting that relevant service level targets are achieved actively.
The story of ITIL – The ITSM framework
Developed by the British government's Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) during the 1980s, the ITIL primarily consisted of over 30 books outlining the best practices in information technology gathered from a lot of sources. ITIL's reliability and utility augmented over the years, and in 2005 its practices contributed to and associated with the ISO/IEC 20000 Service Management standard - the first international standard for IT service management.
Since 2013, ITIL is owned by Axelos — a joint venture between the Cabinet Office and Capita. Axelos permits businesses the license to use the ITIL framework while handling ITIL process changes and updates.
Several amendments have been made to the ITIL – In 2000, the original 30 books of the ITIL were first abridged to seven books, and later combined to five volumes containing 26 ITIL processes and functions. In 2011, another update — dubbed ITIL 2011 — was published under the Cabinet Office. ITIL 4, which was released in 2019, focuses on automating ITIL processes, refining service management and integrating the IT department into the business. It accommodates and responds appropriately to modern technology tools and software. With ITIL processes and framework, the IT unit has developed to become essential to every business, helping them to be more agile, collective and flexible.
ITIL consists of nine directorial principles for organizational change management, communication and measurement & metrics. These principles embrace:
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Focus on value
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Design for experience
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Start where you are
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Work holistically
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Progress iteratively
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Observe directly
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Be transparent
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Collaborate
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Keep it simple
ITIL processes boost teamwork between IT and other departments, mainly as other business units increasingly rely on technology to complete tasks. ITIL also highlights customer feedback, as it is easier than ever for companies to comprehend their public insight, contentment or discontent.
ITIL framework ideas include the delivery of valued service offerings, as well as catering to customer needs, and accomplishing business goals of the said organization. Regardless of the individuality of each organization, ITIL offers guidelines for achieving these goals and measuring success with KPIs.
Implement the right ITIL Process
IT processes that are defined below par have often resulted in a rift between traditional IT organizations and its frontrunners. However, there is no common approach or one impeccable solution to outline and implement IT service management processes. Businesses need to gauge business goals and costs, resource limits, and organizational principles to decide the right processes that are most hands-on to adopt.
ITIL guidelines and applying ITIL processes that suit the trade needs enables a bridge between business and technology. ITIL consists of five basic publications with best practices for every phase of the IT service lifecycle:
1. ITIL Service Strategy—plans business goals and customer requirements
2. ITIL Service Design—transitioning plans into action items to help the business
3. ITIL Service Transition—applying services within the business ecosystem
4. ITIL Service Operation—describes key processes associated with the IT service management
5. ITIL Continual Service Improvement—helps ITIL users apprise and bring in IT service enhancements
ITIL’s acceptance is part of the reason why it gets mixed up with ITSM. ITIL is the existing ITSM framework. ITIL represents everything in the ITSM description above. However, ITSM explains the “what”, while ITIL explains the “how”. Implementing ITIL processes and gaining ITIL certification offers substantial business benefits. These benefits include managing service disruptions, building contented customer relationships by delivering services that meet customer demand, and augmenting service efficiency, employee efficiency, and business value while decreasing service overheads.
ITIL is the ITSM framework used by organizations of all sizes, across several industry verticals, and in nations across the world. While it is most common to see ITIL as the most implemented frequently ITSM framework among large enterprises, ITIL as an ITSM framework brings value to small and mid-sized organizations. Smaller companies often implement only a subcategory of ITIL processes that are observed to offer the most substantial or perceptible return on effort. According to a study by Macquarie University, the three ITIL processes with the maximum adoption rates amongst those organizations that have incorporated ITIL were Incident Management (95% of respondents), Change Management (88%) and Problem Management (71 percent).