IT Service Management is largely focused on effectively and efficiently managing the IT Operations processes, people, technology and tools.
Managing wide variety of IT services across multiple domains, platforms and standards requires standard framework, operating procedures, partners and tools.
ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) Framework is used by all successful organization worldwide since 2003. The most robust ITIL framework that lasted whole of last decade was ITIL Version 3.0.
For the current decade given the shift of entire technology platform and how we manage IT, there was a need for a new framework that can integrate well and work hand in hand with Agile, Lean, DevOps and Digital/Business Transformations.
The new ITIL framework ITIL Version 4.0 has reshaped ITIL framework to meet the current decade IT Service Management needs.
Here is a quick overview of what has changed from ITIL V3.0 to V4.0.
The new framework is more generic and holistic to ensure it can easily fit for all organizations.
1. The core concept has changed from “service lifecycle” to “service value system”.
2. The processes have been changed to practices. The new framework has 34 ITIL practices.
3. ITIL guiding principles have been revised and reduced to 7 principles.
4. The 4Ps of service design are changed to 4 Dimensions of service management.
Here is a more detailed overview of changes from processes to practices.
1. ITIL v4.0 shifts from 5 process domains to 3 practices domains.
2. Number practices have been increased to 34 when compared to 26 processes.
3. A lot of General Management practices have been added, also several new practices added in service management as well as technology management domain.
4. Best practices and process domains from ITIL v3.0 are all retained under ITIL v4.0 practices.
5. In ITIL v4.0 focus is increased on value creation instead of just managing the service lifecycle.
6. Integration and links with other frameworks and methodologies is now possible making ITIL v4.0 fit for agile, lean and devops frameworks.
7. ITIL v4.0 is much more aligned with new business strategies and new technology platforms and frameworks.
Overall ITIL v4.0 is best suited and fit for managing IT services and operations. Deploying the ITIL v4.0 framework is relatively straight forward for organizations already using ITIL v3.0 framework. IT service management in many organization is managed through IT strategic operations partners. All we need is the right operations partner and tools.
There are many IT Service Management tools in the market. Large organizations mostly use ServiceNow while small & medium size organizations use online web based pay per use (SaaS) tools.
The way we serve our internal and external customers will change entirely using automation, machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence.
Automation has taken over the helpdesk and support part to a large extent through artificial intelligence, chatbots, robotics process automations as well as data analytics platforms. Automation and self service support models will continue to become more stronger in coming years but that will not entirely remove the need for IT service management as a whole.
IT service management is an important core of IT services and is here to stay for this decade and beyond.
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