In an era where the use of technology burgeons and dominates, it is useful to have a set of guidelines that serve to unify. That is what the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework is for. It helps businesses to consolidate their technology services and helps them to ensure that the services they offer align with the business goals of their partner company.
When technology is left uncurbed, it can become a costly expense for businesses as people marvel at the wonders that it can offer. Because of the array of solutions available in the market to businesses, businesses need to reapply age-old formulas to ensure that they reap the best for their cost. The latest edition of ITIL is called ITIL 4 and revolutionary changes have been made to it.
ITIL 3
Before we go on to talk about ITIL 4, let us look at the older edition, ITIL 3, so that we can better understand what makes ITIL 4 better. Previously ITIL 3 ran by the principles of a five-stage cycle. The five stages are Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement. As one can tell, this really is a process guide on how to optimise one’s technology service to fit in with business goals. Whether it is for your own internal IT team or for companies that specialise in providing IT services, it is a comprehensive guide.
ITIL 4
For something that specialises in guiding teams in the technology industry, it is as dynamic. Technology is rarely stagnant, there are new things coming out every day. With that, the guide must also be responsive to changes.
Of course, this is why ITIL 4 certification is very popular as an upskilling option for IT professionals and management
This resulted in the revamped ITIL 4. In general, the ITIL 4 still retains the values it espouses which are value-adding to companies and helping teams to use technology to adhere to their goals. Instead of five stages, the ITIL 4 was developed to incorporate four dimensions: Organisations and People, Information and Technology, Partners and Suppliers, Value Streams and Processes.
Organisations and People advise companies to look at the structure of their organisation and the people who contribute at every level of the way. This first dimension is to establish the connection between the organisation and the people. The people can range from employees, customers, suppliers and managers. Organisations should figure out how everyone is connected to figure out where gaping holes are.
Under Information and Technology, it covers every single tool, information and technology that will be involved in service delivery, management, and governance. So, the focus here is to ensure that the team is abreast of all technicalities and intricacies that they should be aware of. This is to assist with the planning process so that there can be a wiser allocation of support services.
Partners and Suppliers look toward external stakeholders. It is not to be confused with Organisations and People. Outsourcing is a common move to make in many industries but before taking the easy way out, one should consider the costs involved as well as the performance quality.
Value Streams and Processes introduces a new element to ITIL, the Service Value Chain. The Service value chain will be covered in greater detail below but in general, this dimension replaces the entirety of the five stages that are covered in ITIL 3.
ITIL 4: Service Value Chain
The service value chain is similar to the five stages in ITIL 3 except that it does not follow the stringent linear format of its predecessor. It offers more flexibility and instead of enforcing people to follow certain rules or principles, it leaves the teams to adopt whatever matches with their styles and operations. It consists of six principles that cover the entire end-to-end process of service or product delivery. These six principles can be easily rearranged in any way to fit the many unique situations.
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Engage. This is where companies liaise with potential customers to better understand what their goals are and build stronger relationships.
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Plan. It is not just understanding what the target company wants that is important, it is also crucial to understand what the target company needs and integrate both.
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Improve. No businesses ever seek stagnation. They all want to become more efficient and cost-effective. The only way your services can fit into that is to continuously work on it.
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Design and Transition. Ensure that expectations from your targeted business match with what your service is able to deliver.
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Obtain or Build. Even if you offer an array or combination of services, you need to ensure that each of them is up to standard and assure clients that they can depend on it.
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Deliver and Support. Just as it states, make sure you deliver what you promise and offer comprehensive support throughout the process from pre-sales to after-sales.
Benefits of ITIL 4
The ITIL 4 provides a structure for businesses focusing on technology services. It also allows businesses to review their existing framework to see if it is up to par. Businesses can improve upon their own operations themselves with the advice. Otherwise, ITIL 4 is also an internationally recognised certification. Obtaining one can greatly boost client confidence in your services and then, half the job would have already been done. Since it is also internationally acknowledged, there is a seamless transition between local to global consumers.
Implementation of ITIL 4
Everyone will encounter some form of resistance to change no matter what because it is a venture into the unknown and uncomfortable. However, for those who are willing to explore ITIL 4 will find it extremely useful for the longer term. It will definitely take some time to implement the framework especially if it’s a bigger company but the time and effort devoted to this will reap greater benefits for the company.
Conclusion
For those working in the technology industry, keeping an open mind is a must-have quality as changes always abound in the industry. Those who are willing to take the plunge into ITIL 4 can expect company operations to become more smooth and structured which translates into cost-effectiveness and possibly, larger profit margins.
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