“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
Albert Einstein (German born American Physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955)

Many of us watch Hollywood movie classics from time to time.  Some of us lean toward the old Westerns, other take a nostalgic trip with Sci-fi adventures like the 1968 movie, 2001 Space Odyssey.  Compare those to the popular action movies of today and you’ll agree that technology has revolutionized the film industry.
Every industry has benefited from the advances in technology and those of us who mange IT know well that complexity brings challenges that will continue to grow into the future.

As the culture of ITSM has evolved, we no longer think of our profession as managing technology.  We manage services and enable the businesses that rely on them to prosper and grow.

Since the 80’s, ITIL® has been at the heart of this transformation, helping us to structure the way we manage services for our customers and meet the emerging challenges with value and certainty.

As a framework of best practices, ITIL® itself has evolved to help us meet the demands of evolving business needs and the innovation of technology.
 

    Figure 1 - ITIL Evolution

During the late 1990’s as what is now referred to as ITIL® v2, the popularity of ITIL® grew to global proportions and it became adopted in mainstream ITSM practice.

A New Frontier for ITSM

In May 2007, ITIL® v3 was publicly launched and built upon the strength and popularity of v2 along with the emerging best practices suitable for the current and future service management needs of the industry.

A cornerstone of the ITIL® Service Management Practices is the use of the ITIL® Service Lifecycle. The lifecycle approach also reflects the evolution of the service industry from function to process to lifecycle practice.  The functions of v1 were embedded in v2 processes, and similarly, the v2 processes (*) are now embedded in the v3 lifecycle.

    Figure 2 - processes and practices in ITIL® v3 ( * - denotes those brought forward from v2) 

The structure of v3 is significantly different from former versions.  This is intentional and due to a need to appeal to a very broad readership.  As the adoption of ITIL® practices has grown, so too does the diversity of its audience. 

 
         
The Core Practices:

The Lifecycle series of ITIL® v3 – Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation and Continual Service Improvement target the broadest range of ITSM readers.  It appeals to organizations that are discovering ITIL® for the first time, those well along their ITSM journey, and those who are seeking to move to the next levels of ITSM practice maturity.  The core practices are relevant to all of us and form a solid foundation for building upon.
 

Complementary Guidance:

While there are ITSM practices that benefit us all, many industries are unique in their adaptation of ITIL® core practices that benefit from practice guidance built from within those industry practices.  The Complementary portfolio of ITIL v3 will add traction to the core practices and provide stability in a variety of conditions unique to each industry.  The portfolio also formalizes the relationship ITIL® has with other industry standards, practices and methods that are widely used, such as COBIT, CMMI, Six Sigma, and ISO/IEC 20000:2005. It has now become much easier to see the entire spectrum of ITSM capabilities and how they can be used in many possible adaptations.

Perhaps the most important feature of this part of the ITIL® portfolio is the generation of content from the ITSM community itself and your opportunity to contribute to research, thought leadership and the evolution of what ITIL® becomes as we move forward.

Qualifications:

Formalizing ITIL® knowledge helped the ITSM industry recognized individual competency with ITIL® practices.  The newly designed qualifications for v3 move us to the next level of competency and recognize the flexibility needed by individuals and their organizations to customize skills and competencies to fit career objective and organizational objectives.

Early signs of adoption:

Small, medium, large, public, private enterprises are the fabric of the ITSM community.  Each of us can gain further momentum in our daily ITSM practices by understanding the relevance and benefit this new ITIL® portfolio can offer.

Early adopters are already reporting successes in their adaptation of v3 practices and enhancements such as:

• Portfolio Management
• Business Service Management 
• Supplier Management 
• Business Case for ROI /ROV

These are all gaining positive feedback on providing benefits.  The greater clarity and improvements to the foundational elements of v2 are also showing early signs of improvements to organizational capabilities.

Over the coming months, the itSMF USA e-newsletter will publish a series of articles aimed at helping its members expand their understanding of the ITIL® v3 portfolio and the benefits it will provide.

Note:  All figures, illustrations and book cover photos are copyrighted by OGC 2007 and used by permission of OGC and TSO.

About the Author:

Sharon Taylor, President of the Aspect Group is a well known and respected figure within today’s IT Service Management community.

 As the Chief Architect for ITIL®, the world leading IT Service Management best practices, Sharon is the author of ITSM books and regular columnist for a variety of IT management global publications. She also is the Chief Examiner for ITIL® v3 Qualifications.

A Fellow in the Institute of Service Management, Sharon is the Chair of the itSMF International and the President of the North American Institute of Certified Service Management Professionals, a sister organization to the UK Institute of Service Management.

Her contributions to the community and to best practice are based upon extensive professional experience in the industry.  As a long time CEO, Sharon brings a business background and focus to IT service management and has used her business experience in influencing the future directions of the IT service management industry.
 

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