ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) is a framework for managing IT service provision in organizations. ITIL as a concept began in 1980s when, in response to a poor level of IT services, the UK government requested a framework for more efficient and financially responsible use of IT within the government and the private sector.
ITIL has become extremely successful in guiding organizations to manage their IT infrastructure. ITIL enables organizations to deliver benefits and achieve a higher return on investments.
Make sure to see how earning your ITIL Foundation certification can benefit you.
Benefits of ITIL
ITIL helps businesses achieve several important goals:
- To deliver value for customers through IT services
- To integrate an organization’s IT strategy with its business strategy
- To optimize IT services, reduce costs and improve performance
- To deliver IT services more effectively
- To standardize the approach to IT service management across the organization
- To change the organization’s culture to help achieve ongoing success.
ITIL Service Lifecycle
ITIL helps organizations manage such IT services by providing a service lifecycle approach. This approach focuses attention on the IT service in terms of its strategy, design, transition, operation, and continual improvement of IT services. This is known as the IT service management lifecycle. It provides coordination and control across the various functions, processes, and systems necessary to manage the full lifecycle of IT services.
The 5 ITIL service lifecycle stages are described below.
ITIL Service Strategy
An IT strategy covers multiple aspects, one of which is the IT service strategy. This explains how IT services will be used to enable IT to achieve its objectives, and how IT services support the overall business strategy.
The ITIL Service Strategy stage focuses on the concepts an IT service provider can use to build its IT service strategy. It describes how the IT service provider must set clear objectives and performance expectations for the IT service strategy to be successful in serving its targeted customers.
ITIL Service Design
IT services cannot provide value to the business unless they have been designed to meet business objectives. Service design is the lifecycle stage where the service strategy is turned into an achievable plan for delivering the business objectives.
ITIL Service Transition
After the service has been designed, it must be transitioned into operational use. This is done by a new or changed service design package being tested to ensure it meets the business needs. This is then deployed into the live production environment.
The ITIL Service Transition stage introduces the concept of a service knowledge management system that supports organizational learning and helps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all the service lifecycle stages. It enables people to learn lessons, supports informed decision-making, and improves the management of services.
ITIL Service Operation
An organization’s strategic objectives are only realized by operating the service. This requires effective and efficient delivery and support of IT services to ensure the customer realizes the value which was intended.
ITIL Continual Service Improvement
Continuous improvement relies upon feedback from any stage of the service lifecycle to identify improvement opportunities for other stages of the lifecycle.
Customers will gain more value if the service is continuously improved. Improvements might come from better strategy, design, transition, and operation of services. ITIL provides best practice guidance on creating and maintaining value for customers. ITIL focuses on achieving improvements in the quality of service, operational efficiencies, and business continuity by ensuring that the service portfolio remains aligned to business strategy.