Service Management Software - What is ITIL?

ITIL is the accepted service management service				In the past, whoever was handling incidents could only
framework for best practices for the provision of				see the incidents; whoever was handling the problems
Information Technology services and is a basis for				would only see the problems. There was not an
aligning business needs with IT.				integrated approach and implementing ITIL version 2
ITIL was established by the UK government and is				was quite easy to do. However, if you view ITIL as a
currently in its 3rd version. It places a framework				framework, Version 3 makes it more difficult to fall into
around common sense practices, giving people				a single process mindset. Version 3 diagrams are
guidelines on the areas they should focus on.				more inter-related and easier for people to see the
Previous versions of ITIL differ from version 3 in that				overlap in functions and processes.
they had more of a silo approach to process areas				From the ITIL framework, most of the tools that are
such as an incident, problem, change, service level,				available try to address the integrated areas of
release and availability. What ITIL service desk				management. Many products are certified to ITIL and
practitioners found was that many people remained in				Pink Elephant is one such organisation that verifies
their own silo and did not integrate all aspects required				products support the ITIL framework. However, ITIL is
to make managing IT a common sense process. For				not proscriptive - it doesn't specify that you need to do
example, many only performed incident management,				this like this. One of the problems people have when
some only problem management.				they try to implement ITIL is that they expect to be
The intention of ITIL is that everything inter-relates and				able to pick up a book and say "if I want to manage
integrates - you don't just perform incident				change within my organisation using ITIL, this is what I
management and then leave the remaining aspects of				have to do". ITIL doesn't do that. It is a framework of
customer service to someone else. Version 3				best practice and it is expected that you take what
attempts to better formalise integration of the services				you need to make sure that it runs smoothly for your
that IT provides to the business. It is much more				organisation.
focused on what the business requires of IT and				There's no right or wrong way to implement ITIL. What
focuses on what services IT is providing to the				that means is that every tool that you look at will be
business.				slightly different. There's no prescriptive way of doing
Today, most businesses these days can't operate				things, and each tool has its own suggested way. The
without IT, but IT need to be seen to be providing the				tools do go a certain way towards suggesting how
right service to the business. ITIL Version 3 is more				you can manage the various processes, but there's
service focused and advises that organisations should				always an element of needing to fit in with your
be agreeing with the business about what services				organisation, within your business practices. This is
they need IT to provide; then look how to implement				where tool selection becomes important. You need a
the right processes - changing and improving those				tool that is very flexible, because you don't want to
processes based on feedback from the business.				mould your processes to the tool - you want to be
Version 2 processes are still a primary part of ITIL as				able to adjust the tool to your processes.
you will continue to manage incidents and problems,				This comes down to time and money. If you don't
and manage change requests from the business.				have time and money then you can take a tool off the
However, today, the silo approach has been removed				shelf and be happy with what it does. With time and
and there is more overlap so that people can see how				money you can adjust the service management
they should be passing incidents, problems, changes				software tool to your process.
and resolutions along the customer service chain.