Even though ITSM is common among larger enterprises, it has not become as popular among smaller and mid-sized organizations. That is because the smaller organizations use their service delivery model and are reluctant to change what works for them. However, they are missing out on certain key benefits that come from ITSM implementation within an ITIL framework.
Benefits of a unified ITSM platform
Using the unified service capabilities of ITSM ensures that:
- Business goals are aligned with ITOps and can be tracked with success metrics.
- There is a continual cross-department collaboration.
- All teams share knowledge towards continuous improvement.
- The organization promotes a customer-centric culture with self-service and best practices.
- Incident management is prompt and effective.
With the upgrade to ITIL 4, service management takes on a broader scope in the digital transformation journey. Regardless of the size of the organization, the service value chain plays a central role in the organization’s growth. The top three benefits from ITIL 4 that add value to your service delivery are listed below.
Key benefits of ITIL 4 for IT Services Management
Co-create business value beyond service delivery
ITSM with ITIL 4 offers a framework to create solutions to drive your digital initiatives. ITIL v3 was focused on IT services in line with the Service Lifecycle – create, deploy, deliver, improve, and retire. On the other hand, ITIL 4 focuses on co-creating value across the enterprise. This value involves everyone working on delivering the service or product to customers. There are two overarching concepts of ITIL 4:
- The ITIL 4 value system enhances the ITIL v3 in the Service Value Chain (SVC), its practices, and the continual improvements.
- The four dimensions of service management go beyond delivery to include partners, suppliers, the IT department, and the organization to help co-create value for the end customer.
The dimensions of service management:
- People and the organization
- IT department
- Processes and value streams
- Vendors and suppliers
The SVC and the above four dimensions work together to provide a framework for the organization’s activities, resources, and components to co-create value for the organization.
Integration of ITSM with ITOps and development methodologies
ITIL 4 offers a flexible approach to operational strategies by incorporating concepts from Agile, Lean, and DevOps. ITIL 4 also helps enhance these methodologies to raise the standard of performance in SDLC and ITOps.
ITIL 4 – practices over processes
The difference between ITIL v3 and ITIL 4 is that the former prioritized processes, whereas the latter is focused on practices. A process is the activity flow that provides the information necessary for a specific function. For instance, ITIL v3 process flows included incident and problem management, and IT operations management.
On the other hand, practices encompass different resources, including the four dimensions model, ITIL v3 processes, governance requirements of the organization, continual improvement, etc. to transition to a wholly digital space.
The theory behind ITIL 4 practices is that organizations must think beyond IT service delivery. It is no longer considered the most significant component of ITSM. And, organizations moving towards digital transformation must adopt a holistic perspective to deliver the most value to the customer, achieve the organization’s goals to deliver quality and cost-efficient services, and fulfill stakeholders’ requirements.
Capabilities of the ITIL service value system
The ITIL service value system provides two capabilities that help chart the course for digital transformation:
- Agility – An organization’s success depends on its ability to adapt to changes quickly, such as changes in structure, technology, projects, etc.
- Resilience – Anticipating and preparing for incremental changes and external disruptions can help organizations respond promptly ensures resilience in the increasingly competitive market.
To conclude
With almost all services being enabled by technology, service management is not limited to IT. And service management defines how you manage the services you deliver to customers and business partners. ITIL 4 is the tool you use to enhance your service management making it clear that ITSM and ITIL are best considered as one entity towards greater business growth.
Therefore, the ideal solution is an amalgamation of ITSM and ITIL 4 framework to ensure that your organization is on the way to being an improved and digitally transformed contender in the market.
The above article is authored by Deepak Gupta, Director ITSM, EverestIMS Technologies.
