| ITIL - Information Technology Infrastructure Library - is | | | | ITIL is continuously being updated, as new technology |
| the name of a collection of 'best practices' that | | | | and circumstances come up, they are addressed by |
| originated in the government of the United Kingdom. It's | | | | the companies that are impacted by them and the |
| a very technical-sounding, but the truth is that the ITIL is | | | | best solutions are added to the ITIL. Similarly, as |
| simply a massive collection of procedures that any | | | | government demands for compliance in certain areas |
| business with an IT department - even if it's just one | | | | of IT change, the ITIL will change to meet those |
| guy in a closet office - can use to make sure that | | | | demands, so you can be certain of being legal at all |
| everything the IT guy does is as efficient as possible. | | | | times. |
| Why would a small business go to all of the trouble? | | | | No small business ever intends to be stagnant -- |
| There are a few good reasons. The amount of | | | | growth and expansion are always on the agenda. One |
| money your business can save by training your IT | | | | of the best ways to make sure that you're growing in |
| department on these best practices is startling - that | | | | the most effective possible manner is to look at the |
| alone is worth the investment. Also, the ITIL covers a | | | | biggest companies that have gone before you, and |
| huge variety of topics, so if your IT guy comes across | | | | mimic them. The ITIL is a uniquely coherent way to |
| a foreign situation, he can look it up in the Library and | | | | make sure that, in at least your Information |
| get a procedure for dealing with it. Finally, the ITIL has | | | | Technology, you are doing just that. |
| been tested across hundreds of thousands of | | | | To keep its momentum strong, a company should |
| real-world situations; it's proven to be effective - so | | | | strive to keep every department adhering to three |
| your IT department never needs to waste time and | | | | things: their mission statement, a dedication to |
| energy on experimental techniques or solutions. | | | | customer service, and the best practices available in |
| One thing to note: there are three versions of the ITIL, | | | | their area. The ITIL can't help with those first two, but it |
| and you should be using the most recent. The Library | | | | is the way to accomplish the third. The ITIL sets forth |
| can help a small business to focus on bringing value to | | | | measurable targets for compliance and procedures |
| the customer, knowing that the technical details are | | | | that act as stepping stones toward success. |
| under control safely in the background. Because the | | | | |