While capital costs are essential to all business activity, people and companies are trying to provide their customers with consistent quality and value. This is only possible, though, if the company has a stable, well-organized IT infrastructure. ITIL, known as the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, is perhaps the world’s best and leading IT Service Management (ITSM) frameworks. It encourages the availability of appropriate and technological services to IT professionals worldwide. It offers an efficient service management culture that enables companies to continue delivering the desired benefits, all with significant resource efficiency improvements.
In 2019, ITIL 4 was released, a new industry and business services version that will not only focus on existing ITIL frameworks and thus resolve and address much of the other main challenges faced by ITIL version 3 professionals. This new edition of ITIL has generated a high degree of concern among current and former ITIL practitioners. It was essential to see what the new edition had to offer and what it would have been for the currently certified practitioners.
In this context, I wrote this article to clarify briefly what ITIL version 4, what it entails and ITIL certification.
What is ITIL V4?
ITIL Version 4 enables companies to deliver IT services most efficiently and effectively. The objective of ITIL Version 4 is to increase productivity and achieve consistent service delivery. This version focuses more on creating value than merely providing services.
ITIL V4 defines IT Service as:
ITIL V4 defines a service as a means of enabling value co-creation by promoting the results that consumers seek to manage specific costs and risks.
The Approach explains what ITIL 4 is designed to explain how value, outcomes, costs, and risks are used and how essential this is to IT services.
Value: ITIL V4 describes importance as ‘economic benefits, usefulness and value of something.’ It is important to note that value is not definite. An organization that acts as a service provider can only quantify the service’s value to consumers if they know how to assess the service’s value to its shareholders.
Outcome:
When an organization serves as a service provider, it offers service outputs that allow businesses to achieve those service outcomes. Work is defined as direct or indirect production for a service.
The outcome, in contrast, is the result of a stakeholder that has been enabled by one or more outputs of the service.
Based on the relationship between the service provider and the customer, it could be difficult for the service provider to understand the goals that the consumer needs sufficiently. Indeed, in some cases, stakeholders can work together to determine the desired outcomes of the service.
Co-creation of Value: In IT Service Management (ITSM), as service providers, they never create value for their customers but function with them to generate value for their stakeholders. The customer has confidence that the service makes them achieve something important to them. The service provider thus derives value from the service. It can, therefore, be in the form of fixed expenses that the customer pays for the service. However, other sources of benefit, such as the willingness of the service provider to develop new functionalities or to collaborate with other stakeholders or provide services.
Managing Costs and Risks: The service provider would reduce costs and risks from the consumer. Service provider relations often include expenses and risks and bring additional or unexpected costs and threats to the potential customer. The importance of the services offered by the service provider is directly influenced by the included and excluded expenses and risks. Therefore, service provider relations are generally considered useful only if they have a more desirable than detrimental effect on costs and risks.
What is new in ITIL V4?
Experts in the ITSM industry develop the new ITIL V4. This framework designed to be adaptable to include potential technological advances. Also, recent technological developments in this age of information technology have been considered. With the versatility provided by ITIL version 4, prospective consumers will be better positioned to expand their company if necessary, allowing them to keep an invaluable competitive edge. Adopting this would help the business offer the best possible resources, regardless of industry, size, or experience. This will improve their profits, increase the trust of their clients, and increase their internal procedures.
ITIL 4 provides assistance required to overcome the increasing complexity of IT service management (ITSM). It also promotes closer coordination with new business models, such as Agile, Lean, and DevOps, to integrate existing business value and transformation.
The new ITIL V4 framework key components are the ITIL Service Value System (SVS) and the four-dimension Approach
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ITIL Service Value System (SVS)
The service management components of an organization need to work together as a system to function correctly. The ITIL V4 framework has implemented the Service Value System (SVS) to ensure that companies aim to co-create value with all stakeholders by implementing and managing products or services.
ITIL SVS addresses business components and brings them together as a framework that facilitates value creation. In contrast, every SVS company has relationships with other companies to create an environment that will maximize the income of all those businesses, their customers, and other stakeholders.
Each service provider can use the following SVS five elements to derive value from the stakeholders’ demand.
Guiding Principles: It is a recommendation that directs the organization in all scenarios, regardless of changes in its primary goals, policies, type of operation or management structure.
Service Value Chain: The Service Value Chain is a critical element of the SVS that defines essential requirements required to respond to demand and create value through product and service delivery.
Governance: This enables to ensure that the company is monitored and managed
Practices: It is a collection of resources for implementing the task or accomplishing the operational goals.
Continual Improvement: It is a persistent organizational challenge to ensure that its activities are compatible with stakeholder expectations.
ITIL SVS implements various techniques, from systems and project management strategies such as the waterfall approach to more emerging technologies such as DevOps, Agile and Lean. The SVS is not limited to its size, whether it is a small or multinational company. ITIL SVS assists the company in preserving organizational consistency and encouraging the implementation of a value-based organized strategy while at the same time supporting the advancement of productivity within the company.
ITIL Four Dimensions
The four dimensions assess the value of ITIL SVS to a useful and effective method. The four dimensions are the following:
- Organizations and People
- Information and Technology
- Partners and Suppliers
- Value Streams and Processes
These components are critical advancements in earlier versions of ITIL. From a different perspective on the delivery of services, from a clearer understanding of the importance of the services delivered to customers.
ITIL 4 proposes to increase the efficiency of the company’s continuous production of ITIL products and services. It is a modern way to work with a relatively simple, more versatile, and more scalable organizational process.
What is ITIL V4 Certification?
The ITIL 4 certification is more developed for IT management teams and can also be useful for project development, service, and support, etc. Lower-ranking customers can also see the ITIL 4 certification as a starting point for them to make significant progress in their careers.
Many companies would even like to upgrade whole departments to the proposed ITIL policies and methodology. Getting to know the ITIL network would lead to better performance, coordination, and communication. Also, all ITIL practitioners make significant contributions to the empowerment of digital transformation and the continuing growth of services and management.
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What is ITIL V4 Foundation?
The ITIL 4 Foundation is adopted by individuals and companies requiring a fundamental understanding of the ITIL 4 framework. Also, to precisely consider how it can be used to increase the efficiency of IT services within an organization.
What is ITIL V4 Foundation Certification?
The ITIL Foundation Certification is an entry-level certification that provides basic ITIL key concepts, core functions, principles and terminology used in ITIL version 4. For the various certifications levels as laid out in the ITIL 4 certification program, the ITIL Foundation certification is a basic certification level.
There are three categories of ITIL Specialist modules and two ITIL Strategist modules.
Create, Deliver & Support, Drive Stakeholder Value, High Velocity IT (HVIT) are three ITIL Specialist modules.
Whereas Direct, Schedule & Improve, Interactive, and IT Approach are two Strategist Modules. These four modules need to be completed to be able to master ITIL Managing Professional (MP).
ITIL Specialist- Create, Deliver & Support:
This module focuses on services management features that can be integrated by ITIL 4. ITIL practitioners can learn how to incorporate various elements to create, deliver and support IT services. The module also comprises methods, procedures and activities structured to reach full efficiency and ensure continuous growth.
Also, ITIL Practitioners could complete the module with detailed information on delivering successful and innovative infrastructure achievements. Such consistent consistency is essential in today’s IT market field, where the best competing businesses are looking for ways to increase their companies’ performance.
ITIL Specialist- Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV)
This module explains the collaboration between service providers and their customers and stakeholders. Practitioners would be more able to understand the module function by interpreting stakeholder expectations in the workplace culture.
ITIL practitioners can learn from this module on how to use various skills and maintain an outstanding UX design for better stakeholder interaction. The module also addresses topics such as the Service Level Agreement (SLA) design, Communication, Relationship Management, User Experience (UX) and more. ITIL practitioners will also be able to use this module as a reference guide for IT projects.
ITIL Specialist- High Velocity IT (HVIT)
This module is based on the current IT industry environment. Companies nowadays are introducing marketing strategies to ensure a fast-paced workplace that maximizes efficiency, responsiveness, competitiveness, and price to deliver high-quality IT products or services.
ITIL practitioners from this module may learn functional and widely used organizational techniques to improve skill sets in frameworks such as Agile and DevOps, Lean. They can also grasp advanced developments such as Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud Computing and Robotics.
ITIL Strategist: Direct, Plan & Improve (DPI)
This module discusses how IT service managers implement a systematic approach to their activities, focused on advancing their procedures to be competitive. Besides, this module covers a range of strategic and practical strategies for the delivery and continuous production of high-quality IT products or services.
ITIL practitioners can also learn about the advantages of Lean and Agile business processes and how these can be applied in the ITIL new framework. ITIL practitioners will also be able to use another module as a reference guide for IT projects.
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ITIL Leader: Digital & IT Strategy (DITS)
This module is an integration of IT and technical breakthroughs. Due to modern and emerging technologies, most organizations have a strong influence, which is why this module discusses how the ITIL framework can be applied to a strategic level of corporate effectiveness—and empowering professionals to evolve and grow effectively to maximize profits in their companies.
This module is ideal for those interested in the ITSM business community, regardless of their level of experience and expertise. Practitioners can gain expertise to stay competitive with new technologies in the continuous rapid growth of IT and technology.
As a result, each of these modules – (1) Create, Deliver & Support, (2) Drive Stakeholder Value, (3) High Velocity IT (HVIT), (4) Direct, Plan & Improve (DPI), (5) Digital & IT Strategy (DITS), are all independent examinations. Similarly to ITIL Strategic Leader’s certification, credentials of Direct, Plan & Improve, Digital & IT Strategy must be completed. As a result, after this has been achieved, the next phase is ITIL Master Certification.
Duration of the Exam
In all, there are 40 multiple-choice questions such that each correct answer will have one mark, and the length of the exam is about 60 minutes. So, one must score 26, which is 65 per cent, and there is no negative mark for incorrect answers. As a result, after the participant has obtained the ITIL Foundation certification, the participant can continue to the next level of certification.
Conclusion
ITIL version 4 lets IT service providers interpret ITSM more effectively and efficiently than ever before. It makes for better performance assessments in the context of technical assistance. Also, it promotes the division of service management and technological activities to promote sustainable IT development. And it could deter non-technical staff from being affected by the issue of IT managed services. Many international corporations, distributed through various industries, are seeing the direct and indirect benefits of ITIL. ITIL Foundation Certification, the inclusion of appropriate stakeholders, and an organizational culture’s development will also make the enterprise a leader in a dynamic environment.
