ITIL lifecycle has five stages: Service Strategy, Service Design and Transition, Service Operation, Service Operation, and Continual Improvement. These stages are interconnected and are briefly covered in our Free ITIL Foundation Overview course. They make up the perfect ITIL Service Management Plan. Each stage has its own content and an ITIL process. Each stage must be properly implemented in order for operations to run smoothly. The ITIL process and the accompanying content will cause each stage to fail, and all subsequent stages to follow. It is crucial that the IT service manager has a good understanding of each ITIL process. The service owner must also know how to implement each stage’s processes before he takes over the service and its lifecycle. The ITIL Foundation Certification course covers aspects of roles and responsibilities, such as those of the service owner. Let’s now look at the five ITIL Service Management Processes.
The 5 ITIL Service Management Processes #1 – Service Strategy
The core stage of the ITIL service cycle is the service strategy. An IT service that does not have a solid IT strategy will fail. This stage is the foundation for all subsequent stages.
The Service Strategy stage covers the following: the identification of markets, development strategic assets, preparation for deployment, and formulation of offers. The service strategy stage is the first link between the business and IT strategies of an organization. The Service Strategy stage also includes financial management, return of investment, service portfolio management, and demand management processes.
#2: Service Design
The ITIL Process’ Service Design stage is the planning and designing phase of IT strategies. Inspiration is a source of ideas, whether it’s new services or updates to existing services. In order to achieve the business vision of the organization, new services must be planned and designed during the service design stage. A successful design of an IT service ensures that it can be successfully transitioned into a live environment and meets customer expectations.
The Service Design stage covers service catalog management, service level and capacity management, availability management, resource management, service continuity management, and information security management. These processes should be well understood by the IT service owner. They should also be able to manage the ITIL process under the direction of the IT service manager.
#3: Service Transition
The ITIL Process’ Service Transition stage is where new or modified services are created, tested, implemented, verified, and then transferred into operation. The Service Transition stage is where an idea seed is planted so that it can bear fruit.
The Service Transition stage involves transition planning and support as well as change management, service assets management, configuration management, release management, deployment management, testing evaluation and service validation, and knowledge management. If a service is being changed, change management is particularly important.
ITIL Process #4: Service Operation
The ITIL Process’ Service Operation stage is where the designed services are placed in a live environment and customers begin to use the services. This is the “make of break” phase, where customers finally interact with the service. If each ITIL step was followed correctly, the service will delight customers and be successful as a service. This stage however has its own processes and needs to be followed.
