ITIL For Dummies provides an easy-to-understand introduction to using best practice guidance in managing IT services. It breaks down the 5 stages of the service lifecycle into digestible chunks, helping to provide customers with the best IT environment possible. Whether readers need to identify their customers' needs, design and implement a new IT service, or monitor and improve an existing service, this official guide provides a support framework for IT activities and the interaction of IT technical staff with customers and business users.
One of the guiding principles (on the external level of the SVS model) is “focus on value” - this immediately raises the question “what is value?”. and creates a dialogue: "What is it worth and for whom?"
If we don't know what value should ultimately emerge in this model, how do we know we are doing the right things?
One thing is for sure, we haven't really focused on value in the past thousand years as this is STILL a top scoring ABC paper (attitude, behavior, culture) in our global workshops!
This now leads us to the next level of the ITIL 4 SVS model: Governance. The governance level must ensure that the value is known and achieved, and create barriers to what to do when conflicting values compete for resources in the value chain, what in between ...
Governance must ensure that the large number of requests / opportunities coming from the left (of the SVS) are prioritized so that the right value pops out at the other end. And as soon as possible it appears in this day and age. This means that governance must ensure quick decision making to prioritize based on value. (If you're an ITIL professional and you think I'm talking nonsense, see the "End Bits" section below for an excerpt of ITIL 4 governance responsibilities.)
Which makes it very difficult to make sure that the right value comes out on the other side (the SVS). Especially when the various managers and users of the business units insist again and again that everything has top priority.
This is even worse when you look at the following statement:
A Sloan Management Review article, titled “Nobody Knows Your Strategy, Not Even Your Best Leaders,” found that “only a quarter of managers surveyed could name three of the company's five strategic priorities. Worse still, a third of executives in charge of implementing the company's strategy weren't able to enumerate even one. "And those are the same executives who insist that all of their IT requests are top priority!
This seems like a good case for some governance to me. If not, how can we make sure the right value comes out? And not being a government seems like very foolish behavior.
You will be surprised by the difference it makes just by starting a dialogue with business. In some cases, the company will be amazed that you have gone to the trouble of talking to them. If you are open and honest and set your intentions in advance, your customers will be happy to talk to you.
ITIL also defines the business relationship management process and the role of the business relationship manager. The Service Level Manager defines, agrees, and reports on the service level for each service - the Business Relationship Manager maintains an overall relationship with the customer, maintains contact, and looks for new opportunities to support their needs. Many organizations combine these roles into a single job description. When setting up basic service level management, you are wondering what roles you need.
Excellent book for an introduction to ITIL. My only indication is that it is not on the order of the 5 books for the foundation. Go through all the terms and so on, but I thought to myself, "Okay, which book is going to be covered now?" During the Global Knowledge Book, if you take the course from them, you will take turns going through the 5 books and their underlying concepts. The author should note that he is clearly stating that this is NOT intended to be a study guide and the order in which he presents the material is probably the reason why.
However, this is great to read BEFORE class so you don't rush into the cold. This, combined with the GK class I mentioned, allowed me to pass the exam! There is so much material out there that I can't recommend strongly enough and I don't care if it's this book or any other, read BEFORE class! This was the main complaint I heard from my colleagues when they were sitting for the exam - they regretted not reading ahead of time.
I don't write product reviews, but in this case I have to. I read the reviews on this book and thought they were good, so I bought it. I received the book, started reading it, and now I wish I'd never bought it. Here is an example of a sentence from the book: "What do you think the service level management process does? Yes, it manages the service levels." So the author goes on to provide the ITIL definition I was really looking for and actually provides the actual definition. These types of lines can be found throughout the book and will ruin your thinking as you try to study for the exam. I think the jokes are a bit sarcastic and blow the reader away. It would be better if you bought another study guide like I can. I am pleased to give the book 2 stars because it contains "some" useful information.
