SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT
Short Description of IT Infrastructure Library
Learn about what ITIL is and how you can use it to manage the IT infrastructure in your organization
IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of best practices for IT service management. In ITIL, IT service management is defined as the implementation and management of quality IT services that meet the needs of the business. The library currently consists of five books, and is aimed at helping organizations manage risk, build a stable IT environment, establish cost-effective practices, and strengthen customer relations.
Today, ITIL has nine guiding principles:
- Focus on value
- Design for experience
- Start where you are
- Work holistically
- Progress iteratively
- Observe directly
- Be transparent
- Collaborate
- Keep it simple
There are 5 stages in the ITIL service lifecycle. These include service strategy, service design, service transition, service operations, continual service improvement.
Service Strategy
The service strategy stage is mainly aimed at aligning the activities of the IT Department with the core business. It is also the stage where the business decide on a strategy to serve their customers.
Service Design
The service design stage is when the business design and change services and processes that are being offered to customers. Then these services and processes are being implemented. This is the creative and productive part of the ITIL service lifecycle.
Service Transition
The service transition stage is the intermediate stage of the IT service management lifecycle. Here, services are transitioned from the development phase to the operation phase. The stage includes preparation of services and processes, as well as testing.
Service Operations
The service operations stage is where the team ensures that the IT services are delivered within the agreed service levels. Further, it includes resolving issues on a day to day basis in order to secure continuity of business. Typically, organizations are bound to service level agreements (SLAs) with their customers at this stage.
Continual Service Improvement
The continual service improvement stage is the final stage of the ITIL service management lifecycle, and is mainly aimed at identifying and implement improvement strategies in order to provide a better service in the future. Typically, an organization will track key performance indications (KPIs) to determine whether the service is running as agreed.
[1] Sarah K. White, Lynn Greiner. “What is ITIL? Your guide to the IT Infrastructure Library” (January 2018).
[2] Ayan Brahmachary. “ITIL Service Management LifeCycle Fully Explained | ITSM” (May 2019).
