Trends

TEXT: SANDER JERPHANION

From 40 ITIL Proces

Six tips for the successful application of ITIL v3
Since the beginning of January 2011, the exam for ITIL version 2 is no longer available. Every organization that has links with ITIL will now have to get their teeth into ITIL v3, which with almost 40 processes is a lot more in depth than its predecessor. But is ITIL really relevant for every organization? And how can you apply it in practice?

SANDER JERPHANION
is head of the Consultancy department in the Netherlands. He manages a team of more than 60 consultants.

A lot has happened over the last few years when it comes to theory about processes in general and within ITIL in particular. A new version of ITIL (v3) has been launched, and the version 2 exams have since been scrapped. A quick scan through business literature might give you the impression that ITIL v3 is most suited to a small group of large businesses. You could be forgiven for thinking that, considering the complexity and number of processes in the new version. However, there is a lot to be gained from ITIL v3 for many companies, even if there are certain ifs and buts. In this article, we will delve deeper into ITIL v3 and share the experience of our 80 service management consultants on the subject.

ITIL V3 SEEMS MOST SUITED TO A SMALL GROUP OF LARGE BUSINESSES

What is ITIL?
To be able to explain how ITIL can be applied successfully, it is important to define what ITIL actually is. The abbreviation ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library and is the name of a set of books geared towards companies within the service sector, in which a theoretical framework for implementing processes is described. True, ITIL was born from the IT world, but it can also apply to other business sectors. This is particularly true for areas of business with an increasingly process-oriented mentality, such as Facilities Management.

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ses to one working model

ITIL can enable process-oriented and service providing organizations to support a higher level of service. Fitting application of ITIL can offer the following benefits: It can offer you input concerning improvements, or help in easing existing bottlenecks in the service. It can stimulate process-oriented thinking and working methods, making it tangible. It can introduce a common terminology, so that customers, service providers and mutual service providers all speak the same language. Figure 1

No guarantee for success

Not everything that is mentioned in ITIL is useful for every organization. The maturity, size and type of organization will determine which components of ITIL will be the most useful to bring into practice. ITIL is therefore no guarantee for success. A certain amount of translation is necessary when applying ITIL in practice. A good example of this is the priority matrix. ITIL uses the words urgency and impact; two factors that have influence on the priority of, for example, an interruption in services. We have noticed that in practice, using both urgency and impact can be confusing. For any particular organization, it is better if these terms are translated into recognizable, organization-specific terminology. In a hospital for example, people wont talk about a high or low impact, but will instead look at whether an interruption in services has an affect on patient care. It is important not to make it more complicated than is needed.
Crown copyright 2007. Reproduced under licence from OGC.

processes and functions. Additionally, five phases have been introduced, which together form the Service Life Cycle Model (see figure 1). When we at TOPdesk first heard of this great number of processes, functions and phases, we were immediately reminded of advertising for razors. Every few years a new razor comes onto the market, each time with an extra blade, and each time promising an even better shaving experience. The newest razors now have at least five blades. But arent five blades a bit over the top? Do those extra blades really have added value? The same question comes to mind when thinking of the large number of processes described in ITIL. What is the added value of all those extra processes? At this time, it is much more important than ever that companies dare to choose. Which parts of ITIL do you use, which do you not use, and, more importantly, in which order do you use them?

40 processes and functions

This is where things get tricky: ITIL v3 has become much more complex in comparison to its predecessor. Where the second version of ITIL talks about 10 processes and one function, ITIL v3 is now made up of nearly 40

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6 Guidelines for a successful application of ITIL

To help organizations get to grips with ITIL v3, we have put together a few tips to get you started. We have translated the collective experience of more than 80 TOPdesk consultants into six guidelines for a successful application of ITIL v3. Furthermore, we have also grouped various ITIL processes according to priority, to help organizations to decide which ITIL processes deserve attention first.

Train employees in the right direction

Because ITIL has become more theoretical and more in-depth, and now also describes strategic processes, it is worth thinking about which theory you present to which employee. With version 2, sending every employee to a foundation ITIL training proved useful. With version 3, however, we recommend that you gear the ITIL material towards each employee specifically. Think about which sections are important for which employee, and adjust the training programme to fit.

Understand that ITIL is a theory, and not a goal in itself

We have noticed that it is not always clear what ITIL actually is and how it can be used. A prevailing view of ITIL, and something which is stated literally in the ITIL books, is that applying ITIL reduces costs and helps tailor your service to the customers needs. That is a misconception. ITIL is nothing more and nothing less than a theoretical framework and therefore not a best practice at all. The qualification best practice or good practice suggests that in practice people work exactly as described. Service providing companies, however, must realize that this is not the case, so that they focus on how ITIL should be applied. You need to translate ITIL into everyday practice. You should not look at the application of ITIL as a goal in itself, but as a means to improve your service levels.

Dare to choose
With almost 40 processes, functions and phases, it is more important than ever to work through the right points in the right order. To help you, we have divided the processes into five levels (see figure 2). This diagram illustrates a simple rule of thumb: there is no point in implementing a process from a higher level if processes in the level underneath are still not in order. In that case the underlying levels should get attention first. figure 2

Think from a practical point of view

As stated earlier, ITIL is theory. For improvements within the organization, it is better to start with a concrete problem or concrete improvement, not the ITIL theory. One of the biggest risks when implementing ITIL is that people get sucked into a paper reality. They too often focus on producing a specific report or getting a particular priority matrix to add up. The whole thing then becomes too complicated for the person we are organizing services for. A more relevant question is: what is the customers problem and how can we solve it?

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Do not overestimate your own maturity

Be honest and critical when evaluating your own maturity. Our experience is that the ambitions of an organization or department often disguise what needs to be addressed first. We notice, for example, that many companies can still do a lot more with basic processes, such as Change Management or Incident Management. In that case, it is better to give these processes attention first than to start introducing more processes from ITIL v3.

priority list (see figure 2). This is not because it is not important to have a service catalogue, but because the necessity to organize the development of this item as a (mature) ITIL process earns attention later than many other processes. In other words, setting up a service catalogue is very useful for many companies, but implementing the ITIL process (with process-oriented improvements etc.) is somewhat unnecessary for a significant proportion of organizations. When the first focus area has been established, you can use the scheme below to see which functionalities in the TOPdesk software have been designed for this purpose. For more information see: www.topdesk.com/en/services/consultancy

A low priority does not mean that a process is not important

If a process is low on our priority list, it does not mean it is unimportant. A process such as Service Catalogue Management, for example, is low on the

ITIL v3 & TOPdesk

TOPdesk does not have a separate module for every ITIL process or function. Although TOPdesk is based on ITIL, the structure of the software is so generic that it can be adapted in many different ways. One example of this is our workflow module Change Management. Within the IT Service Management sector this module is mainly used to implement the change management process, but it also supports many other processes from the ITIL v3 Life Cycle, such as Release & Deployment Management and Service Validation & Testing. The table below displays every ITIL v3 process and function, and where it is supported in TOPdesk.

Service Strategy & Continual Service Improvement

TOPdesk also supports the Service Strategy and Continual Service Improvement processes by enabling the input and import of relevant information (such as cost, time, services, incidents etc.), and then by giving insight into the information using: KPIs Reports Selections Performance Dashboard

Process & Functions

Demand Management Financial Management Service Portfolio Management Seven Step Improvement Process Service Reporting

TOPdesk
Useful information for this process is found throughout TOPdesk Financial details can be kept track of in several places in TOPdesk Project Management & Service Level Agreements Available throughout TOPdesk Reports, Selections, KPIs and Performance Dashboard

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Service Design
Process & Functions
Availability Management Capacity Management Information Security Management IT Service Continuity Management Service Catalogue Management Service Level Management Supplier Management

TOPdesk
Link with System Management Tools and Configuration Management Link with System Management Tools and Configuration Management Useful information for this process is found throughout TOPdesk Useful information for this process is found throughout TOPdesk Contract Management and SLM (Service Card), Change Management (requesting and publishing standard changes via the Self Service Desk) Contract Management and SLM & Reports wizard Supplier Management & Service Level Agreements

Service Transition
Process & Functions
Change Management Knowledge Management Release and Deployment Management Change Management Knowledge Base, Standard solutions and Problem Management Change Management (Version card, template to support DTAP), Configuration Management (releases, patches) Configuration Management, Supporting Files, Contract Management and SLM, Stock and Order Management, Property Management Change Management & Project Management Change Management Change Management

TOPdesk

Service Asset and Configuration Management Service Validation and Testing Transition Planning and Support Evaluation

Service Operation
Process & Functions
Access Management Event Management Incident Management Problem Management Request Fulfillment Management Application Management IT Operations Management Service Desk Technical Management

TOPdesk
Self Service Desk (identifying persons) & Access Management Event Management & links with System management tools (based on XML or HTTP requests) Incident Management Problem Management Incident Management & Change Management (simple changes), Self Service Desk Configuration Managment (Software Card) Operations Management Self Service Desk, Incident Management and Caller Card Knowledge Base, Operations Management & Configuration Management

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