Chapter 4.

Service Operations
Functions
Aim
To provide the students with the knowledge on client
server network, data, encryption and decryption
security
Instructional Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
Elaborate the components of the service operations lifecycle with a
perspective of achieving the balance in service operation
Explain service operation function and practices
Describe the service desk function and its role as SPOC

Illustrate the technical management function and its role in achieving the optimum
design of resilient technology infrastructures
Distinguish application management as a service operation function
Explain how an application management provides necessary technical know-how
for controlling and monitoring applications
Demonstrate how IT Operations Management Function, controls and monitors the
operational day to day business
 Elaborate the components of
the service operations lifecycle
with a perspective of achieving
the balance in service
operation
4.1.1 Service Operation Lifecycle Stage

• Service operation includes the infrastructure, processes and

day-to-day activities that give the value to the business by
means of technology.
• Value is created in all the stages of the ITIL Service Lifecycle
except the Service Operations stage.
• The service experience and consumerisation is vital in this
phase of the lifecycle.
• The service feedback from this phase of the lifecycle enables
the continual service improvement (CSI).

Service Operation Stage

4.1.1 Service Operation Lifecycle Stage
Benefit
• Alignment to Standards

• Reduction in Costs

• Seamless sourcing partnerships

• Improved quality

• Scalability

• Return on Investment(ROI)
4.1.1 Service Operation Lifecycle Stage
Objective of Service Operation

• To carry out and regulate the processes and the activities

• To manage the services and deliver them at a level that is
acceptable for the customers and the business users
• Better end-to-end practices
• Helps to attain service excellence
• Responsive stable services
• Recognising value
• Execution of processes and services
• Responsive and operational validation
• It is accountable for managing the technology adopted to
support the service and deliver them
4.1.1 Service Operation Lifecycle Stage
Considering Cultural Change
• The most challenging part is coping up with cultural change and providing motivation to the staff.

• Any change results in feelings of threatened and loss of control.

• In this stage, the focus should be on the reasons why ITIL is required by the organisation.

Value to organisation due to service Operation

• This phase measures and executes the designs, plans, and the optimisations.

• It also provides the value to the customers.

4.1.1 Service Operation Lifecycle Stage
Scope Processes
• Access Management
• Service
• Incident Management
• People
• Event Management
• Service Management
• Problem Management
• Technology
• Request Management

Achieving balance in service operation

The areas of conflict can be:

• Business vs. Technology

• Responsiveness vs. Stability
• Cost of service vs. Quality of service
• Proactive vs. Reactive
Self Assessment Questions

1. Which among the following is an area of conflict?

A. Quality vs. Cost C. Business vs. Economics

B. Reactive vs. active D. Stability vs. Communication

2. What is the key element in Service Strategy, Service Transition and Continual
Service Improvement?
A. Scalability C. Conflict Management
B. Cost Minimisation D. Value Creation
Short Answer Questions

Write the two benefits of service operation ?

What are processes that come under the service operation phase ?
Explain service operation
function and practices
4.1.2. Service Operation Functions

IT Operations Technical
Management Management

Applications
Service Desk
Management

Service Operations Functions

Self Assessment Questions
3. Which of the following is the primary point of contact for users when there is a
service disruption?

A. Technical Management C. IT Operations Management

B. Applications Management D. Service Desk

4. Which of the following is responsible for planning, implement and maintains a

stable technical infrastructure so as to support the business processes?
A. IT Operations Management C. Applications Management
B. Technical Management D. Service Management
Short Answer Questions

What are the functions of Service Operation ?

For what the Application Management is responsible for ?

 Describe the service desk
function and its role as SPOC
4.1.3 The Service Desk Function

• Service Desk is a single POC (point of contact) between the

ITSM and the users.
• It is accountable for providing an interface for the ITIL
process.
• It is also liable for handling the request and incidents.
• It also helps to optimise the business services.
• Service Desk also manages and monitors all the layers which
are given below:

Security
Systems Operations Network Operations Database Operations
Management
4.1.3 The Service Desk Function

There are few benefits of Service Desk

Service desk gives customer satisfaction by:
Function:
• Less turnaround time for the requests
• Solving various requests and incidents
without any delay
• Best quality
• Proactive use of the best practices
• Increased customer satisfaction
• End-user interaction
• Better accessibility
• Reducing the impacts of the service
• Better management of the infrastructure
failure on the business
• Increased productivity
Self Assessment Questions

5. Which of the following is a single point of contact between the ITSM and the users?

A. Service Desk C. Technical Management

B. Application Management D. Service Strategy

6. Which of the following includes the IPS logs and the vulnerability scans?

A. System Operations C. Network Operations

B. Security Management D. Database Operations
Short Answer Questions

Which layers are managed and monitored by Service Desk ?

Write four benefits of service desk function.

Illustrate the technical management
function and its role in achieving the
optimum design of resilient
technology infrastructures
4.1.4 The Technical Management Function
• Technical Management is a standalone function which provides a technical expertise all the way
through the IT service lifecycle.

Function • A function is a team or a group of people and the tools or other resources for
which they use to perform one or more activities.

• Operational activities are needed to support a service. They are technical in

Technical nature, and they require specific knowledge.
Expertise
• Expert knowledge is needed to keep the service levels as agreed.
4.1.4 The Technical Management Function
Organisation

• It contains all the technical expertise which your services need.

• Technical skills are the criteria by which to organise the employees.
• Such organisation will then be divided into specialist teams, for example, Database, Network,
Server, Desktop, Storage, etc.

Technical Management function as a standalone organisational unit

4.1.4 The Technical Management Function
Organisation
• In small organisations, there is rarely such a separate
organisational unit as shown in figure.

• The Technical Management functionality is applied as

technical experts are sitting in various organisational units.

• Technical Manager is accountable to organise the availability

of the needed expertise.

• Technical Manager agrees with the line managers availability

of required experts, provides the policies and also sets up a
process. Technical Management Function uses
resources from several organisational
units
4.1.4 The Technical Management Function
Role of Technical Management
• Technical Management has to make sure that the organisation
has enough and right resources to manage technology, and
those needed to meet the business objectives.

• To ensure this, the Technical Management has the following

roles:

Resource provider is Custodian of technical

required to support the IT knowledge and expertise
service lifecycle used through the IT
4.1.4 The Technical Management Function
Some Examples of the few activity area of Technical management Function:
Knowledge and training Design and delivery of training for service desk and other groups of interest

Initiating training programs with the goal to improve existing skills

Identification of knowledge needed to operate and manage IT services

Skills and resources Managing Suppliers

Procuring or recruiting resources with needed skills

Activities throughout IT service lifecycle Strategy – identification of knowledge and expertise needed to operate and manage IT
infrastructure and to deliver IT services as well as defining the standards used in the design of
new architectures and also participation in the definition of technology architectures

Operation – managing event tools and participating in incident and problem resolution

Transition – testing and validation of new or changed services, active participation in change
assessment

Design – participating in the development and design of new services

Continual Service Improvement –evaluating and highlighting opportunities for improvement

Self Assessment Questions
7. Which of the following is a standalone function which provides technical expertise
all the way through the IT service lifecycle?

A. Service Desk C. Technical Management

B. Application Management D. Operations Management

8. Which of the following is not included in the Technical Management function?

A. Database C. Network
B. Storage D. Process
Short Answer Questions

What does the term Function mean ?

What is the role of Technical Management?

 Distinguish application
management as a service operation
function
4.1.5 The Application Management Function
• Application Management is a function that is responsible for managing the applications
throughout their lifecycle.
• Applications are the focus of Application Management service.
• Application lifecycle also means the time from idea to it is operational, i.e., the improvement
stage.

Objectives of Application Management Function

Training and
Resource Management Corporate Standards
Documentation

Improvement Operation Support

Self Assessment Questions
9. In Application Management Function, the Resource management includes both
internal and external resources.

A. True B. False

10. People involved in ____ have an in-depth knowledge about the application, and
they are an excellent source of improvement initiatives.

A. Continual Improvement C. Application Management

B. Technical Management D. Facilities Management
Short Answer Questions

What is the Application Management Function responsible for ?

What are the objectives of Application Management Function ?

 Demonstrate how IT Operations
Management Function, controls and
monitors the operational day to day
business
4.1.6 The IT Operations Management Function
• IT Operations Management is a functional team of people, responsible for
daily management and maintenance of an organisation s IT infrastructure in
order to ensure delivery of the agreed level of IT services to the business .

• IT Operations Management is divided into two sub-functions:

 IT Operations Control is a control function and central monitoring

which carries out operations tasks
 Facilities management manages the physical IT infrastructure, i.e. data
centres, server rooms and disaster recovery sites.
 It also takes care of all the accompanying functions: humidity controls,
cooling and power, etc.

Print Console Maintenance Backup and

Job Scheduling
Management Management activities restore
4.1.6 The IT Operations Management Function

Objectives:
• Diagnosis and resolution of occurred failures
• Continual Improvement
• Achieving stability
Self Assessment Questions
11. Which of the following is in the nature of Operations in order to minimize the
changes as the main source of service disruptions?

A. Achieving stability C. Continual improvement

B. Resolution of occurred operational failures D. Maintenance activities

12. Which of the following monitors the IT infrastructure through various IT

control tools and real-time reporting engines?

A. Print Management C. Job Scheduling

B. Console Management D. Maintenance Activities
Short Answer Questions

What are the types of IT Operation Management ?

What are the objectives of IT Operation Management ?

Activity:
Online Activity
Duration: 30 Minutes

Description

List five real world scenarios and make a flow chart of various service desk functions
applicable to them.
Long Answer Questions
1. List the various Service Operation Functions.

2. Describe the Service Desk Function

3. Describe the Application Management Function.

Summary
 Service Operation is a crucial phase of the ITSM life cycle. It is concerned to ensure that services
operate within agreed parameters.
 Service Operation describes the processes, functions, organisations and tools used to underpin
required delivering and supporting various services.
 The scope of Service Operations include – Service, Service management, Technology and People.
 The purpose of Service Operation is to measure, manage, control and feedback improvements in the
day-to-day operations.
 Various functions within Service Operation includes – Service desk, Technical management, IT
Operations Management and Application Management.
 Value creation is the key element in Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition and Continual
Service Improvement.
 Consumerisation and service experience is a vital element of Service Operation.
 The principal objective of service operation is to coordinate and carry out the activities and processes
required to provide and manage services at the desired level to the business users and customers.
Summary
 Service Desk is a functional unit which is made up of a dedicated staff who are responsible for dealing
with various service events, often made through telephone calls, automatically reported infrastructure
events or web interface.
 Service desk is an important part of an IT department of the organisation and it should be a single
point of contact for the IT users on a daily basis.
 The primary intention of the Service Desk is to restore the normal service to users as quickly as
possible.
 Technical Management is a standalone function which provides technical expertise all the way through
the IT service lifecycle.
 Application Management is a function responsible for managing the applications throughout their
lifecycle.
 Applications are the focus of Application Management function.
 An important role of Application Management function is to work together with development.
Summary
 Some of the objectives of Application Management function are – Resource management, corporate
standards, Training and documentation, Improvement and Operations support.
 IT Operations Management is a functional team of people, which is responsible for daily management
and maintenance of an organisation s IT infrastructure in order to ensure delivery of the agreed level
of IT services to the business .
 IT Operations Management is divided into two sub-functions - IT Operations Control and Facilities
Management.
 IT Operations Control is a control function and central monitoring which carries out operations tasks
like print management, console management, job scheduling and maintenance activities.
 Facilities management manages the physical IT infrastructure, i.e. data centres, server rooms and
disaster recovery sites.
 IT Operations Management is a function and it leaves a lot of options open to an IT Organisation.
References

Weblinks
1. Technical Management Function. Retrieved 2 Nov, 2016 from
https://w ww.ucisa.ac.uk/-/media/files/members/activities/itil/service_operation/itil_i
ntroducing%20service%20operation%20pdf.ashx?la=en

2. Application Management Function. Retrieved 2 Nov, 2016 from

https://w ww.ucisa.ac.uk/-/media/files/members/activities/itil/service_operation/itil_i
ntroducing%20service%20operation%20pdf.ashx?la=en

3. IT Operations Management Function. Retrieved 2 Nov, 2016 from

https://w ww.ucisa.ac.uk/-/media/files/members/activities/itil/service_operation/itil_i
ntroducing%20service%20operation%20pdf.ashx?la=en
References (Cont.)
Books

1. Steinberg, Randy. (2011). ITIL. London: TSO, The Stationery Office. Print

2. Stych, Christof, and Klaus Zeppenfeld. (2008). ITIL. Berlin: Springer. Print.

3. Bon, Jan Van. (2011). ITIL: A Pocketguide. Zaltbommel: Van Haren. Print.
THANK YOU