| It is a major issue for many businesses that the role of | | | | company can tailor to its needs. |
| their IT department is not clearly defined in terms of | | | | The goal of any good IT department should be to |
| how they add value and justify their costs. As | | | | deliver and demonstrate that it is delivering value from |
| technology continues to evolve, IT is becoming a bigger | | | | its services, or at least to show how its services |
| and bigger component of business, with almost all | | | | contribute to the end goals of the business. There is a |
| businesses using it to some degree. It therefore needs | | | | need to focus more on how the IT activities within a |
| careful management to ensure that it acts in a way | | | | business contribute to the rest of the business. |
| that gives an organisation a competitive advantage as | | | | It is difficult to measure the components of an IT |
| opposed to becoming a financial burden on the | | | | department (management of networks, databases |
| business. | | | | etc.) in a way that directly puts a value on their |
| The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) | | | | contribution to the overall objectives of a business. |
| is a set of concepts and policies that promotes a | | | | Therefore ITIL suggests that the business services |
| well-functioning and collaborative IT environment. It was | | | | that are provided by an IT department should be |
| initially launched in 1989 by the government's Central | | | | identified. These can then be measured against |
| Computer and Telecommunications Agency, as a | | | | specific service levels that can be used to build up a |
| result of the growing importance of IT, aiming to put | | | | picture of how well the IT department is performing. |
| together some 'best practice' recommendations on | | | | A more pragmatic and value-orientated approach to IT |
| how this area of business should be managed. ITIL is | | | | should become more deliverable with the adoption of |
| now widely accepted as the best approach to IT | | | | ITIL concepts. This can help your IT department not |
| Service Management in the world. The latest version | | | | only in terms of its efficiency, but also enable it to |
| of the Library was published in May 2007 and provides | | | | integrate better with the business objectives and |
| comprehensive checklists, tasks and procedures that a | | | | improve the quality and speed of service. |