As the IT organization becomes an increasingly critical link in the business value chain, a highly effective IT Service Management implementation becomes increasingly essential. Based on the comprehensive set of management best practices spelled out in the internationally accepted IT Infrastructure Library, ITSM can be instrumental in optimizing service quality, improving service levels, reducing service delivery costs and maximizing the business value of IT.
ITIL has a particularly vital role to play in the operational arena, which encompasses all the activities involved in IT service delivery and service quality monitoring, management and measurement. In fact, it has become clear that if your organization has not yet moved to implement ITIL best practices relevant to everyday service management operations, you’re likely to be at a distinct disadvantage as you confront key questions facing virtually every IT organization:
- Are you equipped to consistently meet your service-level agreements?
- Are processes in place to ensure continuous business-IT alignment?
- Does the business agree that your organization is delivering significant value?
- How do you cost-justify needed IT investments?
- How can you spend less on routine IT service maintenance — and use the savings for IT service innovation?
- Which service-related investments are likely to bring the highest payback?
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Addressing these key questions, ITSM helps IT organizations align with the business and become more agile and adaptable to dynamic market conditions. But customer needs and priorities change. New governance models emerge. Technology advances. New standards are issued. New regulations are promulgated.
The bottom line: Even the best management models need periodic revamping, and ITIL is no exception. ITIL, the world’s most widely used approach to ITSM and the touchstone for operational best practice, is currently being updated by an international cohort of expert contributors. The new version features significant modifications designed to speed and simplify your implementation, adaptation and application of service management processes that spell operational excellence*. |
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Characterized as an ITIL “refresh” and featuring evolutionary, as opposed to revolutionary, changes, ITIL V3 is scheduled for a Spring 2007 release. Key areas of change and focal points of the new ITIL that impact operational ITSM will include:
- Service lifecycle
The V3 core library will comprise five books that trace the management of an IT service from inception through retirement. This new format aims to make ITSM implementation easier and more “intuitive” by more accurately reflecting how service management is applied in day-to-day operational practice.
- Business value
Closely aligning IT and business goals, integrating IT services into the business and running IT like a business are stressed heavily throughout ITIL V3. This business management focus includes guidelines for developing value propositions, demonstrating how IT contributes to bottom-line business benefits, calculating business service ROI, service improvement benchmarking, service process maturity measurement and more.
- Compliance
Guidance is offered on how to comply with current legislation and regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley and Basel II, as well as formal governance models.
- Alignment with other best practices and standards
Built-in support for ISO/IEC 20000 — as well as Application Services Library, Control Objectives for Information and related Technology, Six Sigma and other best practices — should help secure management “buy-in” for ITIL/ITSM initiatives.
- Industry-specific and topic-specific guidance
The improved utility of ITIL V3 is embodied in new, detailed guidelines for various target audiences — including implementation templates for addressing the concerns of specific vertical markets and industries. In addition, fully integrated process relationship maps enhance communication among all parties involved in operational IT improvement initiatives.
- Service strategies
New V3 topics include service management strategies for outsourcing, co-sourcing and shared services models.
- Service management knowledge base ITIL V3 builds on V2 with a greatly expanded, state-of-the-art Service Management Knowledge System that captures current practice and aids proactive service management.
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| All of these evolutionary changes are designed to dovetail with your ongoing operational ITSM procedures. Key concepts are preserved, and approximately 60 percent of current ITIL guidance will remain unchanged. So you can continue to execute existing operational processes, continue new process development and continue with your ongoing training programs. |
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HP is well qualified to help you leverage ITIL to improve your ITSM implementation and provide high-quality IT services — today and as ITIL V3 is rolled out.
HP Services professionals are authoring the “Service Operations” book for ITIL V3, compiling the new V3 Glossary baseline, helping develop new Process Maps and participating as members of the ITIL Advisory Group. HP is a global member of the ITSM Forum international user group and a founding member of chapters in the USA and other countries around the world.
HP delivers a full range of Service Management solutions, including:
- Software and services to automate the dynamic link between your business and IT by giving you the insight required to measure, assess and control your business
- ITSM services to help you make major improvements in managing your IT organization or to help you run your IT services on a day-to-day basis
- Educational services to build the right knowledge and skills in ITIL, other important industry best practice models and standards and HP technologies
- The HP Business Technology Optimization portfolio to provide technologies for higher levels of automation, operational control and management information
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HP’s ITSM services and technologies are based on and enable effective ITIL implementations and will support all of the improvements planned for ITIL V3.
Whether you are looking to gain a fuller understanding of your ITSM requirements, educate your staff on ITIL best practices, enhance your service delivery capabilities or prepare for the forthcoming ITIL refresh, HP can provide the precise experience and expertise you need.
*ITIL Version 3—Answers Straight from the Source |
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