ITIL Core Concepts Summary

Services

Services are a means of delivering value to customers by helping them achieve

their objectives without requiring the customer to own specific costs and

risks.

Service Management

Service Management is a set of specialized capabilities for delivering value

to customers in the form of services. ITIL® is a framework for IT Service

Management: focuses on the implementation and management of quality IT

services that meet the needs of the business.

Processes

Structure or model that turns a defined input into a defined output through

change and transformation. Produce business outcomes according to

constraints, objectives, and policies. The outcomes create value for the

customer or stakeholder.

Characteristics:

• Measurable.

• Specific result.

• Delivers its primary result to a customer or stakeholder.

• Responsiveness to specific triggers.

Functions

Specialized units or groups within an organization that perform a specific

type of work and create specific results, through defined roles and

responsibilities.

ITIL as a Good Practice Framework

Good practices are best practices which have gained wide acceptance and

adoption. In short, Good Practices have withstood the test of time.

Reasons for ITIL:

– it is

nonproprietary

– it is

nonprescriptive

– it provides best

practices

– it provides good

practices

Utility and Warranty

Service Lifecycle

Service strategy: determining

strategic objectives

Service design: Creating a

developed solution.

Service Transition: Packing,

building, testing and releasing

the service.

Service Operation: Running and

supporting a service.

CSI: maintaining the overall

health of IT service management.

Stage Purpose Objectives Service strategy

Value: Help

organizations to

develop and

maintain the

advantage of being

reliable and

valuable IT service

providers.

Create the

strategic goals

and objectives

that an

organization

hopes to

achieve through

the IT services

it delivers

• turning Service Management into

strategic assets to help service-

providing organizations achieve

their goals

• determining the nature and the

type of IT services to offer and

how they may differ from

competing IT services

• creating value for customers and

stakeholders

• defining service quality and

determining how to deliver and

improve it

• determining how to allocate

resources and creating a strategy

for leveling over allocated

resources, and

• determining where and when to

make strategic investments

Service design

Value: Good

quality, cost-

effective service

is created

according to

business

requirements.

Use the

principles

developed in

the Service

Strategy stage

and design new

IT services or

modify existing

ones.

• designing processes that ensure

efficiency, effectiveness, and

good Service Management

throughout the ITIL® Service

Lifecycle

• designing a stable IT

infrastructure that can be

expanded further or developed

without compromising time or cost

constraints

• recognizing and controlling

risks

• designing measurement methods to

evaluate the success of the

design processes

• assisting in the creation of

policies and standards through

feedback about the design

process, and

• ensuring that IT services do not

need to be reworked once

implemented

Service Transition

Value: Enabling an

IT service provider

to align services

with business

requirements and

operations.

Ensure that

designed IT

services are

efficiently and

effectively

transitioned

into operation.

• selecting resources and capacity

• controlling visible errors and

anticipating risks

• meeting service requirements and

constraints

• meeting customer expectations

Service Operation

Value: Culminates

the value that each

of the other stages

of the ITIL®

Service Lifecycle

provides, also as it is the stage

where the results

of an IT service

are most apparent.

This means that its

value can be

readily determined.

Ensure that the

processes for

effectively

running IT

services are

carried out

properly.

• continually maintaining any and

all technology that accompanies

the IT services

• ensuring that the everyday

operation of processes is

properly conducted and

controlled

• ensuring efficient and effective

management of the operational

processes, and continually

monitoring performance,

conducting assessments, and

gathering information

CSI

Value: The

implementation of

improvements yields

a measurable result

known as benefits.

Ensure that any

areas that need

improvement are

identified, and

that those

improvements

are effectively

and efficiently

administered.

• reviewing and improving on

aspects of each ITIL® Service

Lifecycle stage

• applying activities that improve

overall IT service quality, as

well as IT Service Management

processes

• ensuring customer satisfaction

while maintaining cost

effectiveness, and ensuring the

quality of the management methods

used for the CSI process

Service Strategy Stage

Strategy is a plan that outlines how an organization will meet a designed set

of objectives

Customers: Those who buy goods or services and establish service level

targets (Internal, External)

Differences:

• Link with business strategy and objectives.

• Cost of service

• Involvement in design

• Involvement in service transition and design

Service: Means of delivering value to customers. They facilitate the outcomes

customers want to achieve, while enabling them to pass specific costs and

risks for designing and maintaining the services to an external service

provider.

Classification I:

• Core

• Enabling (Allow users to use

core services)

• Enhancing (Provide

differentiated value to

customers, offered as an

additional service to increase

earnings)

Classification II:

• Internal

• External

• Supporting (Services used by the

service provider to support the

main services offered)

Service package: Detailed description of a set of related services that is

available for delivery to customers (one or more core services, as well as

supporting services).

Service portfolio: Complete set of services that a service provider manages.

Service provider: Supply IT services to customers (Internal, external and

shared: type of internal service provider that provides shared IT services to

more than one business unit)

Stakeholder: All those who have an interest in an IT organization, its

projects, or its services, and in the activities, targets, resources, or

deliverables from Service Management.

Factors that determines value:

• Business outcomes

• Preferences

• Perceptions

Risk: Uncertainty of outcome. It can take the form of positive opportunities

or negative threats. The main aim of Risk Management isn't to eliminate

risks, but to manage them effectively in order to improve performance.

Automation: service automation can improve the quality of delivered services,

reduce costs, reduce risks, and resolve production trade-offs.

Assets:

• Resources: take the form of

direct inputs into the

production or service delivery.

• Capabilities: components that

make up an organization's

ability to use and transform

resources in a way that adds

value to services or products.

Service Strategy Processes

1. Strategy management for IT services: The main aim of a strategy is to

define an organization's objectives and how it will go about meeting

these. It should also make it possible to determine exactly when

objectives have been met.

Advantages:

• ensures resources, capabilities, and investments are matched to

objectives

• ensures stakeholders are represented

• ensures service providers offer the appropriate set of services

• results in cost savings

• leads to increased investment in valuable projects

• helps an organization shift investment priorities when necessary

CSFs (Critical Success Factors): factors that must be in place if the

Strategy Management process is to be successful.

Key performance indicators (KPIs): metrics used to evaluate the CSFs. KPIs

should be monitored and used to identify opportunities for improvement.

2. Service portfolio management Is the complete set of services that is managed by a service provider.

Includes three categories: service pipeline (proposed or in development),

Service Catalog (design phase, live or available for deployment), and retired

services.

Phases of portfolio management:

• Define: every proposed service

is documented in business case,

also validates information about

the business outcomes

• Analyze: evaluating the IT

services to determine whether

they provide value, and how

supply and demand can be

prioritized and balanced.

• Approve: authorizing the level

of investment required to

deliver the targeted levels of

service.

• Charter: document that

authorizes an IT service project

and states its scope, terms, and

references

Triggers for service portfolio:

• A change in strategy

• A request from a customer

• An identified improvement

opportunity

• Feedback from staff

• Service Level Management

reviews

• Unexpected costs

Potential challenges:

• insufficient access to customer

and user information

• lack of formal project and

change management

• absence of project or customer

portfolios

• failure to consider customers'

required business outcomes

• rushed or uninformed decisions

• lack of defined metrics for

measuring value

3. Demand management Involves interpreting and influencing customer demand for services, as

well as providing capacity to meet those demands.

Challenges to overcome:

• Idle capacity (different than

unused capacity)

• Insufficient capacity

• synchronous production and

consumption

• inability to manufacture

services in advance

Pattern of Business Activity (PBA):

Workload profile of one or more

business activities. PBAs are used to

help to understand and plan for

different levels of business activity.

User Profile: pattern of user demand

for services. Each UP may include one

or more predefined PBAs.

4. Financial Management for IT Involves managing an IT service provider's budgeting, accounting, and

charging requirements; aggregate data input from across an organization and

then generate information from this data as an output.

Benefits:

• Operational visibility, insight,

and superior decision-making

• Use as a strategic tool

• Ability to demonstrate the value

of IT service

• Planning confidence

• Compliance

Concepts:

– service valuation

– demand modeling

– Accounting

– Variable Cost Dynamics (VCD)

Key Inputs for other processes:

o Service Portfolio Management: By using the financial data

generated through Financial Management processes to

understand the cost structures involved in the provision

of a service, organizations can benchmark the cost of a

service against the cost offered by other service

providers.

o Service Provisioning Optimization: SPO entails analyzing

financial data relating to service components and delivery

models to determine how to provide IT services at the best

price and quality.

Business case: is a decision support and planning tool that projects the

likely consequences of a business action, such as a service management

initiative.

5. Business Relationship Management Involves maintaining a positive relationship with customers by

identifying the needs and ensures that an IT service provider can meet

these needs with an appropriate catalog of services, helps to align

customers’ expectations with what´s being offered.

BRM has the highest level of contact with the customer along with SLM, the

difference is that BRM focuses in levels Strategic and tactical, like

customer perception and satisfaction, SLM focuses in the Tactical and

operational levels, the approach is oriented to metrics.

BRM puts a human face on the service provider, this helps to manage customer

expectations, disagreements and business needs.

Role: Business Relationship Manager

The main work of business relationship managers relates to the BRM process,

but their high-level roles give them broad involvement across different

processes. Tools: Customer portfolio, Customer agreement portfolio.

Customer Portfolio: document that records information about all of an IT

service provider's customers.

Customer agreement portfolio: document

used to manage service contracts, or

agreements with customers, should list

the contract or agreement that relates

to each IT service delivered to each

customer.

Service Design Stage

The main purpose is the design of new or changed services for the

introduction into the live environment.

The 4Ps of Service Design:

– People: scope, tasks, activities

and skills.

– Products: management support

tools and tech.

– Processes: processes and

procedures used to manage IT

services.

– Partners: suppliers,

manufacturers, vendors.

Service design aspects:

• Service solutions for new or

changed services

• Management information systems and

tools (including service

catalogue)

• Technology architectures and

management architectures

• The process required

• Measurement methods and metrics

1. Assess the existing business

requirements

2. Review existing IT services, and then develop solutions for meeting

business requirements.

3. Agreement must be reached on the budget and expenditure for the

design solutions (ROI, TCO).

4. Check alignment with strategies and security control.

5. Execute assessment to evaluate how to become the implementation of

the process.

Technology and management architecture:

development and maintenance of IT

policies, strategies, architectures,

designs, documents, plans, and

processes. Architectural design is used

for the deployment and subsequent

operation and improvement of appropriate

IT services and solutions throughout an

organization. Obtain balance between:

Innovation, Risk and Cost.

Required Processes: Service Design

should be defined in terms of a set

of processes, and a formal approach

to process design should be

adopted. The process's objectives

should drive the process output.

The output needs to be Measured

regularly against a set of norms

with the aim of optimizing the

process.

Measurement methods and metrics: Measures

whether the design solution is fit for

purpose, works right the first time, has

the appropriate level of quality.

• With immature processes, the first

two levels of metrics should mostly

be used.

• For mature processes, there should be

greater emphasis on the effectiveness

and efficiency metrics.

Types of metrics:

– Progress

– Compliance

– Effectiveness

– Efficiency

• Service design package (SDP): should be assembled for the subsequent

transition, operation, and improvement of the new or changed service

solution. An SDP is a set of documents that defines all aspects of an

IT service and its requirements through each stage of its lifecycle.

RACI(Model to describe roles and responsibilities):

• Responsible

• Accountable (also approver or final approving authority)

• Consulted (sometimes counsel)

• Informed

Service Design Processes

1. Design coordination - Ensuring the consistent design

of Service Management Information

Systems, architectures, and

technologies

- Coordinating design activities

across projects, and managing

schedules, resources, & conflicts

- Producing service design

packages (SDPs) based on service

charters and change requests

- Planning and coordinating

resources and capabilities

Design coordination challenges:

• One of the major challenges is trying to maintain consistent quality

across the Service Design stage, as a result of the work being carried

out by different individuals, such as process owners, managers, and

project managers.

• Another challenge is ensuring that enough time and resources are

allocated to activities and that individuals and groups are assigned

the appropriate responsibilities to complete the job.

• The design coordination process should ensure that there is a balance

in bureaucracy and autonomy.

2. Service catalogue management Accurate and consistent source of data about all operational services

and about all services being transitioned to the live environment,

should contain details of all services that are currently provided and

of services being prepared for transition to the live environment.

The Service Catalog has two aspects:

– Business Service Catalog: contains details of all the IT services

delivered to customers, including the relationships of the services to

business units and details of the business processes that depend on the

services. This is the customer view of the Service Catalog.

– Technical Service Catalog: details relationships to the supporting

services, shared services, elements, and Configuration Items (CIs)

necessary to provide the service to the organization.

Service Catalogue Manager:

The main responsibility is to produce and maintain the Service

Catalog.

The duties of the Service Catalog manager are to ensure that:

- all relevant services are recorded in the Service Catalog

- the information in the Service Catalog is accurate and up-to-date

- the information in the Service Catalog is consistent with that of

the Service Portfolio

- the information in the Service Catalog is protected and backed up

3. Service level management The purpose of Service Level Management (SLM) is to make sure an agreed

level of service is provided and maintained for delivered IT services.

It does this by ensuring agreed and achievable targets are set, and

that operational services and their performance are monitored regularly

throughout an organization.

Basic concepts:

• SLR: Service level

requirements

• SLA: Service level agreement

• OLA: Operational level

agreement

• UC: Underpinning Contract

• UA: Underpinning Agreement

SLM key activities:

• Negotiating: Negotiate SLA´s

based on the SLR´s and develop

a contact with the customer.

• Monitoring: Includes

monitoring service performance

against SLAs.

• Reporting: Produces service

reports and logging and

managing complaints and

compliments.

• Reviewing: Includes reviewing

and revising underpinning

agreements, conducting service

reviews, and instigating.

SLA structures:

• Service-based SLA: covers generic

service requirements for a

particular service and for all

customers that make use of that

service.

• Customer-based SLA: covers

service agreements for all

services that are used by a

particular customer group.

• Multilevel SLA: usually comprises

three levels – corporate,

customer, and service. The

corporate level covers the

generic SLM requirements of every

customer.

4. Availability management • Focuses on ensuring that all operational services meet the agreed

availability targets. It is also responsible for ensuring that new or

changed services are designed in such a way as to meet their intended

targets, without compromising the performance of other services.

Concepts:

• Availability: Refers to the

ability of a service to

fulfill its agreed purpose,

usually measured as a %.

• Reliability: Duration for

which it can perform its

function without interruption.

• Maintainability: How quickly

and effectively the service

returns to normal (MTBF &

MTBSI)

• Serviceability: Ability of a

third-party supplier to meet

the terms and conditions of a

contract.

5. Capacity management Capacity Management is responsible for ensuring that IT processes are

planned and scheduled to provide a consistent level of performance

that aligns with current and future business needs.

Objectives of capacity management:

• ensuring that cost-justifiable IT capacity aligns with agreed business

needs in all areas of IT

• providing a point of focus and management for all capacity and

performance-related issues

• producing and maintaining an appropriate and up-to-date capacity plan

that portrays business needs

A capacity plan

records levels of

utilization of

resources as well as

performance of service

Capacity Management

relies on a delicate

balance of :

– costs against

resource needs

– supply against

demand

Capacity Management Sub-processes:

Capacity Manager Responsibilities:

– identifying capacity requirements with the service level manager

– understanding the existing use of IT infrastructure and services,

as well as the maximum capacity of each component

– performing sizing on all suggested new services and systems to

determine capacity requirements

– predicting future capacity requirements

– ensuring that there is adequate IT capacity to meet required

levels of service

6. IT Service Continuity Management Supports the overall Business Continuity Management (BCM) process by

ensuring that the required IT technical and service facilities can

recommence within required business timescales.

Objectives of ITSCM:

– maintain IT Service Continuity and recovery plans that support

overall Business Continuity Plans (BCPs)

– complete regular Business Impact Analysis (BIA) exercises to

ensure that all continuity plans align with changing business

requirements

– perform regular risk analysis and management exercises,

especially together with the business and the Availability

Management and Security Management processes

– give advice and guidance to other business and IT areas on all

continuity and recovery-related issues

– ensure that appropriate continuity and recovery mechanisms are in

place to meet agreed business continuity targets

IT service continuity manager responsibilities:

– Performing BIAs for all services

– Implementing and maintaining the ITSCM process to ensure that

agreed targets are met

– Ensuring that all ITSCM plans, risks, and activities support and

align with BCM plans, risks, and activities

– Performing risk assessment and management to prevent failures

whenever practical and cost-justifiable

7. Information Security Management It provides strategic direction for security activities and ensures

that all objectives are achieved. It also ensures that information

security risks are managed appropriately and that enterprise

information resources are responsibly used.

The objectives of ISM are:

– Protect the confidentiality of data and systems

– Protect the integrity of information

– Ensure authenticity and nonrepudiation of transactions and

information

Some examples of what the information security policy may include are:

- An overall policy for securing information

- An access control policy

- A password control policy

- An e-mail policy

• The ISMS provides a system for creating

a cost-effective information security

program that aligns with business

objectives.

• The ISMS consists of five main

elements:

– Control

– Plan

– Implement

– Evaluate

– Maintain

Security Manager Responsibilities:

• developing and maintaining the information security policy and

supporting policies

• ensuring appropriate authorization, commitment to, and approval of

policies by senior IT and business management

• communicating and publicizing the information security policy to all

the appropriate areas

8. Supplier Management Aims to ensure that suppliers meet the terms, conditions, and targets

of their contracts and agreements, it's also implemented as a means to

attain a higher value for money from suppliers and the services they

offer

The consistent and effective implementation of Supplier Management

depends on the establishment of a Supplier and Contract Database (SCD),

as well as on clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

A comprehensive SCD provides information in the areas of:

• supplier categorization

• establishment of new suppliers, their assessment, and the

establishment of associated contracts

• contract renewal and termination

• management of supplier and contract performance

Objectives of supplier management and supplier manager responsibilities:

• secure good value for money from suppliers and contracts

• align contracts with suppliers to business needs and targets

• manage relationships with suppliers

• manage supplier performance

• maintain the organization's supplier policy and supporting SCD

Service Transition Stage

It's designed to ensure that

new or modified services meet

the business expectations

documented in the Service

Strategy and Service Design

stages of the lifecycle.

Objectives of service transition:

• plan and manage service changes efficiently and effectively

• manage risks relating to new, changed, or retired services

• successfully deploy service releases into supported environments

• set appropriate expectations about the performance and use of new or

changed IT services

Scope of service transition:

• managing the complexity associated with changes to services and Service

Management processes

• introducing new services or making changes to existing services

• decommissioning and discontinuing services, applications, or service

components when relevant

• transferring services to and from other IT service providers – for

example, due to changes in outsourcing, use of co-sourcing, or company

mergers

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.

Retaliation:

Steps taken to recover after a failed change.

Service Transition Processes

1. Transition planning and support The purpose of the transition planning and support process is to

provide overall planning for Service Transition processes and to

coordinate the resources that they require.

Objectives:

• coordinate resources

• coordinate activities

• establish new or changed IT

services

• establish new systems and tools

• ensure the adoption of a common

framework

• provide clear plans

• manage risks

Scope:

• maintaining policies

• guiding changes

• coordinating activities

• planning resource requirements

• reviewing planning and support

activities

2. Change Management Change Management is the process in the Service Transition stage that's

responsible for controlling the lifecycle of all changes to IT

services. Its primary purpose is to ensure that only beneficial changes

are made and that these result in minimal disruption.

Objectives:

• Maximize value

• Align services

• Control and document changes

• Optimize risk

Informational documents

Change proposals

– Communicates a high-

level description of

the proposed change,

including business

outcomes to be

supported, and

utility and warranty

to be provided.

– (before chartering

new or changed IT

services)

RFCs

– An RFC is a formal

and documented –

either written or

electronic – proposal

for a change to be

made.

– It includes details

of the proposed

change.

– The term RFC is often

misused to mean a

change record, or the

change itself.

Change records

– It documents the

lifecycle of a single

change.

– A change record is

created for every

RFC, including those

that are subsequently

rejected.

– A change record

should reference the

CIs affected by the

proposed change.

– Change records may be

stored in the CMS

Types of changes

Standard

• Pre-approved change

• A defined trigger

initiates a standard

change

• A standardized

procedure should

exist for

implementing the

change, which occurs

commonly or is

expected.

• Typically involve low

risks and costs, and

low levels of effort

to implement.

Emergency

• Has to be implemented

ASAP.

• Should be designed

carefully and tested

as much as possible

before they're

implemented.

• Details of emergency

changes may also be

documented

retrospectively.

Normal

• Any service change

that isn't a standard

or emergency change.

• Needs to follow the

entire approval

process.

Emergency change lifecycle

• Number of emergency changes

should be minimum

• Only to repair errors in IT

services with significant,

negative impact.

Emergency change lifecycle

differences

• Authorization: ECAB instead

of regular CAB, according

to organization´s

procedures

• Testing: tested as much as

possible before use, when

only limited test is

possible, focus on the

aspects to be used shortly

• Change review: If change

fails, iterative attempts

at fixes may be

necessary(business needs

remain first)

• Documentation: Build

temporary records while in

the change in order to

complete the full

documentation (change

record) after the

completion

Normal change lifecycle

3. Service Asset and configuration management Ensures that the assets required to deliver IT services are properly

controlled, and that accurate and reliable information about those

assets is available when and where it's needed, this information

includes details of how the assets have been configured and the

relationships between assets.

Configuration item (CI):

• A CI is a service asset that has to be managed to deliver an IT

service.

• All CIs are service assets, although service assets aren't all CIs.

Objectives:

• Ensure assets are identified,

controlled, cared for.

• maintaining an accurate and

complete Configuration

Management System (CMS)

• identify, control, record,

report, audit, and verify

services and other CIs,

including versions, baselines,

constituent components, and

service attributes and

relationships

Scope:

• Management of the complete

lifecycle of every CI.

• Ensuring releases into

controlled environments and

operational use are formally

authorized.

• Provides a configuration model

of services and service assets

by recording the relationships

between CIs.

4. Release and deployment management The scope of Release and Deployment Management includes the processes,

systems, and functions required to package, build, test, and deploy

releases into live environments. It helps to ensure that these

activities deliver the newly required functionality without endangering

the quality and integrity of existing services.

Key Objectives:

• Define and sign off Release and Deployment Management plans with

stakeholders

• Create and test packages

Important notes:

• The scope of the Release and Deployment Management process also

includes all CIs

• Release and Deployment Management ensures that appropriate testing

takes place, but the actual testing is conducted by the service

validation and testing process.

• Release and Deployment Management isn't responsible for authorizing

changes. It requires authorization from Change Management at various

stages in the lifecycle of a release.

Release and deployment phases

Release and deployment planning:

• Starts with Change Management

authorization to plan a release,

and ends with Change Management

authorization to create the

release.

• Develop build plans, design

specifications, and environment

configuration requirements.

• Establishes release logistics and

schedules, defines a configuration

baseline for the build environment,

tests the build and related

procedures, and assigns resources,

roles, and responsibilities for

performing key activities.

Release build and test:

• Starts with Change Management

authorization to build a release

and ends with Change Management

authorization for the base lined

release package added into the DML.

• Release package is built, tested,

and checked.

• Manage the build and test

environments.

• You also need to manage and

document build and test activities,

Deployment:

• Starts with Change Management

authorization to deploy a release

package to one or more target

environments. It ends with handover

to the Service Operation functions

and early-life support.

• Develop a detailed implementation

plan, including details of who is

responsible for each aspect of

implementation.

• Deployments (Push, Pull and Big

Bang).

Review and close:

• Capture experiences and feedback

about customer, user, and service

provider satisfaction.

• Check that any problems, known

errors, and workarounds are

documented and accepted by the

affected stakeholders.

• Ensure aren´t any remaining issues

to address.

• Experience and feedback are

captured, performance targets and

achievements are reviewed, and

lessons are learned.

5. Service Validation and testing Provides quality assurance within the Service Transition domain, it

verifies that a new or changed IT service is fit for purpose and fit

for use. Last process in Service Transition. Once this process

completes, the IT service is moved into a live environment.

Objectives:

• Quality assurance

• Fit for purpose?

• Fit for use?

• Customer requirements defined?

• Structured validation and testing process?

• Errors and risks?

6. Change Evaluation Provide a consistent and standardized means of determining the

performance – or value – of a proposed IT service change, to facilitate

a decision about whether to authorize the change by identifying and

assessing the likely impacts of a proposed change on business outcomes,

and on existing and proposed services and IT infrastructure.

Every change must be authorized by a suitable change authority at

various points in its lifecycle – and change evaluation supports

decisions at each of these points.

Objectives:

• set stakeholder expectations

• evaluate the effects of a proposed change

• provide high-quality outputs

7. Knowledge management The Knowledge Management process involves sharing perspectives, data,

ideas, experience, and information, and ensuring that these are

available in the right place and at the right time. This enables

informed decisions, and improves efficiency by reducing the need to

rediscover knowledge.

Objectives:

• Improve decision-making

• Reduce need to rediscover knowledge

• Ensure common understanding

• Maintain knowledge

• Gather, analyze, store, share, use, maintain data

SKMS: set of tools and databases used to manage knowledge, information, and data, with the aim of improving the overall efficiency and effectiveness of

all stages of the Service Lifecycle.

DIKW

Data � Information �

Knowledge � Wisdom

Service Operation Stage

The purpose of the Service Operation stage is to coordinate and carry

out the activities and processes required to deliver and manage

services at agreed levels to business users and customers. This stage

is also responsible for ensuring that the necessary technology is

managed properly to support this service delivery.

Goals:

• deliver IT services and support

of these services effectively

and efficiently

• ensure IT services are provided

only to those authorized to

receive the service, and

• reduce the impact of service

outages in daily operations

Responsibilities:

• Executing and performing

processes to optimize the cost

and quality of services within

the Lifecycle.

• Provide the business with

capacity to meet its objectives.

• The technology used to deliver

and support service

• The overall functioning of the

business itself

Service operation functions

• The service desk is the

primary point of contact for

users when there is a service

disruption, for service

requests, or even for some

categories of Requests for

Change (RFC).

• Technical Management provides

detailed technical skills and

resources needed to support

the ongoing operation of the

IT Infrastructure.

• IT Operations Management

responsible for the daily

operational activities needed

to manage the IT

Infrastructure. IT operations

control ensures that routine

operational tasks are carried

out. Facilities Management

refers to the management of

the physical IT environment –

usually data centers or

computer rooms.

• Application Management is

responsible for managing

applications throughout their

lifecycle.

Service desk

The primary aim of the service desk is to restore service to normal for

users as quickly as possible. Restoring service to normal for users is meant in the widest possible sense. While this could involve fixing a

technical fault, it could equally involve fulfilling a service request

or answering a query.

Organizational structures

• Local: is located within or close to the user community it serves.

• Centralized: has staff located in one or more centralized service desk

structures.

• Virtual Service desk: Using technology such as the Internet and

corporate support tools, it is possible to give the impression of a

single, centralized service desk when in fact; personnel are located

across any number or type of geographical or structural locations.

• Follow-the-sun service desk: Some global or international organizations

may combine two or more of their geographically dispersed service desks

to provide a 24-hour follow-the-sun service desk.

• Specialist service desk group: Staff specially trained for specific

technologies.

Technical management

Roles:

• Holds technical knowledge and expertise

• Responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient knowledge and

expertise available to design, test, manage, and improve IT services.

• Provides technical resources to support the IT Service Management

(ITSM) Lifecycle

• Appropriate deployment of resources to ensure that the technology used

to deliver and support IT services is designed, built, operated, and

improved effectively.

Technical Management ensures that an organization can access the appropriate

human resources to manage the technology required to support business

objectives. An important aspect of carrying out this role effectively is the

ability to balance the skill levels available, the use of resources, and the

cost of these resources.

IT operations management

IT Operations Management is the function responsible for the ongoing

maintenance and management of organizations' IT infrastructure. It is defined

by the daily activities needed to ensure that the infrastructure operates

optimally.

Operations management sub-functions

Operations control

• oversees the execution and

monitoring of the activities and

events in the IT infrastructure

• executing routine tasks

• managing consoles

• job scheduling

• performing backups and restores

• performing maintenance activities

Facilities management

• Management of the physical IT

environment. This includes

data centers and computer

rooms, as well as necessary

power and cooling equipment.

Application Management

Roles:

• Holds technical knowledge and expertise

• Responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient knowledge and expertise

available to design, test, manage, and improve IT services.

• Ensures that application staff is trained and that sufficient resources

are deployed throughout the ITSM Lifecycle.

• Guidance to IT service operation about how to manage applications

effectively.

• Integrating the Application Management Lifecycle with each stage of the

ITSM

Service Operation Processes

1. Event Management An event is any change of state that has significance for the

management of a Configuration Item (CI) or IT service. Associated

activities include detecting events, making sense of them, and

determining and coordinating the appropriate control actions.

Elements that can be monitored by events:

• CI

• Environmental Conditions

• Software Licensing

• Security

• Normal IT activity

Categories of events

Informational: This

refers to an event that

does not require any

action and does not

represent an exception.

Warning: A warning is an

event that is generated

when a service or device

is approaching a

threshold.

Exception: service or

device is currently

operating abnormally

(however that has been

defined).

2. Incident management An incident is defined as an unplanned interruption in, or reduction

of, the quality of an IT service. An incident can also include a

Configuration Item (CI) failure, if service is interrupted.

Purpose:

• Ensure that IT services are provided at the levels agreed to in a

Service Level Agreement (SLA).

• The focus is on maintaining or restoring service in the event of an

incident, and on minimizing the negative effects of any interruptions

on customers, users, and business operations.

Principles:

• Setting timescales for incident response

• Creating incident models

• Planning special responses to major incidents

• Tracking incident status

• Dividing the incident lifecycle into clear stages

Priority Coding System

3. Request Fulfillment A service request is any request or demand that a user makes to an IT

organization. Many of these requests are for common or minor actions

involving low risk and low costs, or for simple information.

Request Fulfillment plays an important role in maintaining end user

satisfaction by ensuring that users' requests are satisfied as promptly and

efficiently as possible. This prevents minor requests from congesting the

normal Incident Management and Change Management processes, and negatively

impacting overall service delivery.

Objectives:

• provide a channel for users to request and receive standard services

for which a predefined authorization and qualification process exists

• source and deliver the components of requested standard services

• assist users by providing general information and handling complaints

4. Access management Is the process of granting specific authorized users the rights to use

services, while also preventing unauthorized users from gaining access.

It involves executing the policies and actions defined through

Information Security Management.

5. Problem management Problems: A problem is an actual or potential cause of incidents

Problem Management activities focus on finding ways to prevent

incidents from occurring.

• Problem

a. The unknown cause of one or more incidents

b. Reactive and proactive (how problem management process is

triggered)

• Problem Models: Step by step instructions to fix a problem.

• Workaround: step by step procedure to reestablish the service without

fixing the main problem.

• Known Error: A problem that has an entry in the KEDB, might have a

documented root cause or a workaround. Known errors are created and

managed throughout their lifecycle by problem management. Known errors

may also be identified by development or suppliers.

• Known Error Database: A database containing all known error records.

This database is created by problem management and used by incident

and problem management.

Continual Service Improvement Stage

Throughout the CSI stage, the performance of an IT service provider is

continually measured and improvements are made to processes, IT services, and

IT infrastructure where necessary. This can result in improved IT service

quality, operational efficiency, and better cost efficiency.

CSI supporting activities:

• Reviewing management information and trends to ensure that IT services

are meeting the agreed service levels and that the output of the

enabling processes are achieving the desired results

• Conducting maturity assessments to demonstrate areas for improvement,

as well as areas of concern

• Conducting internal audits to verify employee and process compliance

• Reviewing existing deliverables for appropriateness

• Proposing recommendations for improvement opportunities

• Conducting customer satisfaction surveys

• Reviewing business trends and changed priorities to keep ahead of

business projections

• Conducting external and internal service reviews to identify CSI

opportunities

• Measuring and identifying the value created by CSI improvements

CSI register

A CSI register is a database or structured document used to record and

manage improvement opportunities throughout their lifecycles.

• Should be part of SKMS

• Should be properly updated and maintained.

• For each recorded improvement initiative, suitable Key Performance

Indicators (KPIs) should also be identified in the CSI register.

• Define the interface between the CSI register and other processes in

the Service Lifecycle.

CSI Register fields

• Opportunity number

• Date raised

• Size : scale of a

needed improvement or

initiative, based on

how much work and

effort it will

require

• Timescale: estimated

time it will take to

complete an

improvement or

initiative.

• Description

• Priority field

• KPI metric field

should list one or

more appropriate KPIs

for measuring the

success of each

improvement

initiative.

• Justification field

for explaining the

choice of a

particular KPI metric

• Raised by

• To be actioned by

• Date required by

Deming cycle (PDCA)

• Plan: identifying the vision,

business need, and

operational and strategic

goals driving the need for

improvements.

• Do: involves collecting raw

data from service operations

and then processing this

data.

• Check: involves analyzing the

prepared data to reveal

business trends and the

success or failure of the

strategy determined in the

Plan step.

• Act: involves taking action

based on the results of data

analysis.

Seven-step improvement process

Types of metrics collected

Technology metrics: Technology metrics are often associated with component

and application-based metrics such as performance and availability

Process metrics: Process metrics are captured in the form of Critical Success

Factors (CSFs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and activity metrics for

the Service Management processes.

Service metrics: measure the overall effectiveness or output of an end-to-end

IT service, including both its technological and human elements.

CSI flow