ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) has established itself as a basis for IT service management (ITSM) in many Swiss companies.
ITIL is a structured collection of best practice approaches for IT service management. It defines basic processes, roles and terms. These are, however, suggestions, and not a standard. ITIL describes and structures all relevant areas of an IT service organisation. Formulating these areas and roles, however, is the task of the applying company. In practice, ITIL can be applied in different ways. ITIL may be understood as a toolbox that addresses problems and opportunities surrounding ITSM.
An ITIL glossary can be found here
IT as a service world
IT as a support process is becoming increasingly important for management. New technologies are conquering new markets and reaching new industries on a daily basis, and ever-increasing complexity is also an obstacle. A company will always want to remain up to date in order not to lose its connection.
A modern IT department must become a service provider, but cannot always provide all the desired services itself. These requirements are increasingly being covered by external service providers who take over the management of technological and commercial risks.
This demands new roles or even completely new departments in corporate IT. In addition to the classic IT department, which will provide some of the services for the company, teams are needed to orchestrate, plan, and monitor the interaction of the services performed internally and externally: they take over the management of IT services.
ITIL 4
ITIL consists of 2 key elements. The ITIL Service Value System and the four dimensions model.
1. ITIL Service Value System (SVS)
The ITIL SVS describes how all components and activities of the organisation work together as a system to enable value creation. Each organisation’s SVS interfaces with other organisa-tions and forms an ecosystem that, in turn, can add value to those organisations, their customers, and other stakeholders.
4 dimensions model
- Organisations and people
- Information and technology
- Partners and Suppliers
- Value Streams and Processes
- Organisations and people
Organisations are becoming increasingly complex, so it is important to ensure that the structure and management of an organisation, as well as its roles, responsibilities, expertise, and communication systems are well defined and support the overall strategy and business model of the organisation. - Information and technology
When applied to the SVS, the ‘information and technology’ dimension includes the information and knowledge needed to manage services and the technologies required. It also covers the relationships between different components of the SVS and the inputs and outputs of activities and practices. - Partners and Suppliers
The Partners and Suppliers dimension covers an organisation’s relationships with other organisations involved in the design, development, deployment, provision, support and/or continuous improvement of services. It also includes contracts and other agreements between the organisation and its partners or suppliers. - Value Streams and Processes
Applied to the organisation and its SVS, the “value streams and processes” dimension looks at how the different parts of the organisation work together in an integrated and coordinated way to create value through products and services. The dimension focuses on what activities the organisation undertakes and how these are organised, and also on how the organisation ensures that it efficiently and effectively creates val-ue for all stakeholders.
Here you can read more about how ITSM and SIAM built on ITIL.
