ITIL Service Life-cycle

At its core, the ITIL Life-cycle consists of:

1. Service Strategy
2. Service Design
3. Service Transition
4. Service Operation and
5. Continual Service Improvement

Service Strategy

Service Strategy provides guidance on how to view service management not only as an organizational capability but as a strategic asset. Topics covered in Service Strategy include 

• Financial Management
• Demand Management
• Organizational Development
• Strategic Risks
• Development of service markets
• Characteristics of internal and external provider types
• Service assets
• Service portfolio and 
• Implementation of strategy through the Service Life-cycle

Service Strategy is about ensuring that organizations are in position to handle the costs and risks associated with their service portfolios, and are set up not just for operational effectiveness but for distinctive performance. It is about thinking WHY something needs to be done before HOW to do it!

Service Design

Service Design is the stage in the life-cycle that turns Service Strategy into the blueprint for delivering the business objectives. Services provide value to the business by delivering their (strategic) business objectives. Service Design covers design principles and methods for converting strategic objectives into portfolios of services and service assets. Among the key topics in Service Design are

• Service Catalogue
• Availability
• Capacity
• Continuity and 
• Service Level Management

Service Transition

Service Transition provides guidance for the development and improvement of capabilities for transitioning new and changed services into live service operation, while controlling the risks of failure and disruption. Key topics are:

• Change Management
• Configuration Management
• Asset Management
• Release Management
• Deployment Management
• Risk Management
• Program Management

It provides guidance on managing the complexity related to changes to services and service management processes; preventing undesired consequences while allowing for innovation. Guidance is also provided on transferring the control of services between customers and service providers.

Service Operation

Service Operation is about management of the day-to-day operation of services. It includes guidance on achieving effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery and support of services to ensure value for the customer and the service provider. 

Organizations are provided with detailed process guidelines, methods and tools for use in two major control perspectives: reactive and proactive. Managers and practitioners are provided with knowledge allowing them to make better decisions in areas such as managing the availability of services, controlling demand, optimizing capacity utilization, scheduling of operations and fixing problems. Guidance is provided on supporting operations through new models and architectures such as shared services, utility computing, web services and mobile commerce.

key topics are

• Event Management
• Incident Management
• Problem Management
• Request Management
• Application Management and 
• Technical Management

Continual Service Improvement

Continual Service Improvement provides guidance in creating and maintaining value for customers through better design, transition and operation of services. It combines principles, practices and methods from quality management, change management and capability improvement. Organizations learn to realize incremental and large-scale improvements in service quality, operational efficiency and business continuity.

Life-cycle Quality Control

ITIL Service Life-cycle approach embraces and enhances the interpretation of the Deming Quality Cycle of Plan-Do-Check-Act

The Deming Quality Cycle is applied to the ITIL Life-cycle stages which helps aligning the ITIL practices to external practices such as COBIT. 

Continual Service Improvement improves the ITIL Maturity Level of the enterprise over time, which improves value for the customers and business.

Get ITIL certified by completing your accredited training online and on-demand at https://www.telepackets.com/itil/

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The author is a Senior Business Solutions Architect with AT&T Global Services and an IT Consultant/Trainer at TELEPACKETS INC. He is a Professional Engineer with APEGA, holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from UET, Lahore and a Master’s degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Concordia University, Montreal. His interests include reading, writing, photography, painting, promoting human development using Information Technology, Applied Research, Innovation, Leadership, Investing and Religion. He lives in Calgary, Canada and can be reached at uwaqar@gmail.com. He tweets at https://twitter.com/engruw