If you’re an IT manager with a focus on service improvement, ITIL – especially ITIL Version 3 – needs to be part of your process framework.
In the previous versions of ITIL, the focus was on enhancing IT performance through best practices in specific processes such as configuration management, change management, incident management, problem management and others. While enhancing IT operational performance is still a fundamental component of Version 3, the focus of the framework has shifted to how IT services the business.
An example of this difference can be shown with remote access - a service provided by IT that consists of a variety of hardware and software components, some of which can occasionally be “operationally available” but not providing the needed service. Monthly IT operational reports could show that all the components were 100% available while in fact the remote access service was down for 72 hours due to a corrupted routing table in a switch.
There's nothing that degrades the business value of IT more than reporting 100% operational uptime to a group of senior leaders who were unable to access the company intranet remotely. You can be sure one of them will say: “the IT group just doesn’t get it.” ITIL Version 3 attempts to resolve this situation by putting more focus on the actual service aspects of IT.
ITIL Version 3 also facilitates its adoption rate by providing more implementation guidance. Since it is a framework that was created to be modified, molded and shaped as needed to meet business requirements, ITIL does not provide specific steps on how to do a process. However, this has been a downside to its adoption as many IT departments want – or need – more concrete guidance on implementation.
ITIL Version 3 bridges the gap between a pure framework and an operations manual by providing more guidelines on how to implement the core components. For example, in ITIL Version 2, a service catalog was recommended for service-level management; however few guidelines were given on what should be in the catalog.
Having been previously tasked with creating a service catalog, I searched the Internet for information and found everything from a one-page summary sheet to a detailed spreadsheet. In ITIL Version 3, more guidance is provided on what a service catalog is, how it should be developed and what it should include.
ITIL is not a panacea and will not solve all service issues. What ITIL Version 3 brings to the table is the ability to implement a service and support framework that shifts the focus of IT from operational metrics to delivery of IT services, which will ultimately enhance the overall business value of IT.
