ITIL: Key Concepts And Summary

 ITIL

ITIL, the acronym for ‘Information Technology Infrastructure Library’ is a set of IT service management services focused on deliverance in the line of customers’ needs. Today, it has become a de facto standard for providing IT services. Originated in the 1980s in the UK, the ITIL approach helps the IT industries to serve the customers in an economical and quality-driven manner. ITIL 4 is the latest update released to help the industries refine IT services.    

The Concepts of ITIL 

The key ITIL concepts are:  

• Deliver the maximum value to customers without requiring them to own unpredicted costs & risks
• Deliver the maximum service value to customers.
• Optimize the use of ‘resources’ & ‘capabilities’
• Services should offer the best utility and trustworthy warranty.
• All the processes should be planned for the specific objectives. 
• Roles should be defined clearly for the task-oriented collective efforts. 

 ITIL concepts are built over five core components with inherent supporting principles:

1. Service Strategy: ITIL service strategy defines the services as the assets, and then goes forward to maintain and implement the strategy. The principles of ITIL service strategy address the issues pertaining to corporate governance & compliance, business processes, policies, decision making, corporate culture and service improvement.

2. Service Design: ITIL service design deals with the issues of capacity management, continuity management, supplier management, service catalogue management etc.  

3. Service Transition: ITIL service transition guidelines address the activities aligned to change evaluation, change management, project management, application development, release and deployment management, service validation, service assets management, knowledge management etc. 

4.Service Operation: ITIL service operation guidelines address the activities aligned to event management, incident management, request fulfilment, access management, problem management, IT operations control, facilities management, application management, technical management etc. 

5. Continuous Improvement: ITIL continuous improvement guidelines define the roadmap to manage service review, process evaluation, CSI initiatives and monitoring of CSI initiatives. 

The Benefits of ITIL Implementation

The growing demand of ITIL professionals all across the world proves that the IT industries are experiencing the tremendous benefits of ITIL framework. The following 6 benefits of ITIL are experienced by the majority of IT services providers:  

• Better product delivery and enhanced customer satisfaction
• Better understanding between the IT and business
• Better risk management with a wider scope
• Better service management to accommodate business changes
• Better assessment of costs & assets
• Better cost management because of optimum utilization of in-house resources

 ITIL Certification Levels

The 5-tiered structure of ITIL certification offers the candidates a much-desired flexibility relating to different areas of application. There are five levels of qualifications within the ITIL Qualification Scheme, as mentioned below:

1. 1. Foundation Level – The entry-level ITIL certification helps you understand all the terminologies, concepts and elements of ITIL service lifecycle. It helps you implement ITIL practices to streamline the processes for consistent improvement. ITIL Foundation Certification gives you 2 credits toward ITIL Expert certification.
2. 2. Practitioner Level: The next level after the foundation certification; It helps you improve the ability to follow ITIL framework. It imparts perfection to adopt and adapt ITSM systems to support the business objectives. Encompassing all the three key areas for successful improvement initiatives, namely communication, organizational change management, and measurement / metrics, ITIL Practitioner derives the comprehensive method for Continual Service Improvement (CSI).
3. 3. Intermediate Level: The next to practitioner level; ITIL Intermediate Service Operation Training provides you deep insights into the modular structure comprising different modules focused on IT service management. ITIL Intermediate certification refines your perfection in service operation, technology considerations and managing the critical success factors.
4. 4. Expert Level: The next to intermediate level, expert-level ITIL certification is designed for the professionals interested to demonstrate their ITIL Scheme knowledge in its entirety. It needs you to have deep insights in ITIL best practices besides the ITIL Intermediate certification.  
5. 5. Master Level: It is the most advanced ITIL certification designed for the ITIL experts with proven experience of selecting and applying the range of ITIL principles, methods & techniques to derive the best outcomes. To get the Master Level certification, you need to have five years’ experience in leadership, managerial, or higher management advisory positions.

As said above, ITIL qualification gives you more numbers of options to choose the best-designed course/training tailored to your career plans. Other than traditional certification courses, you may opt for specific and purpose-oriented short term courses also like ITIL Intermediate Service Strategy Training, ITIL Intermediate Service Transition Training, ITIL Intermediate Operational Support and Analysis etc.

Career Prospects after Having ITIL certification

ITIL is tied to ISO/IEC 20000 norms; as more and more organizations are trying to become ISO/IEC 20000 certified, the demand for ITIL certified professionals is bound to go high. The hundreds of companies and top brands in diverse sectors including finance, retail, IT, technology, entertainment, manufacturing, medical etc have adopted ITIL framework; and many more are going to adopt it. The top brands relying on ITIL include Boeing, Sony, Honda, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Citibank, Barclays, Disney, Toyota, Pfizer, Bank of America etc. Combining the ITIL certification with other project management certifications significantly increases the salary range. BusinessWire predicts that the ITSM industry will grow from $4.4 billion in 2016 to $8.78 billion in 2021. CRN Magazine included ITIL certification among the top 15 certifications that boost your career dramatically. 

Conclusion 

The globally acknowledged ITIL qualification is going to be the most desired prerequisite for IT project manager jobs. The above detailed ITIL concepts, core components, benefits and career scope make it simple to understand why the ITIL certification is the most preferred choice of experienced IT professionals poised to boost their competency level. ITIL certification ensures that all the team members understand all the aspects of service management holistically and not just the tasks assigned to them.