What is ITIL® Service Management?

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL®) Service Management is a set of best practices used by Information Technology (IT) managers to provide consistent, quality service throughout their companies. ITIL® is a collection of training manuals and books that IT managers use to learn these best practices. Companies aim to save money and time when implementing ITIL® Service Management. According to ITIL®, it is the most widely used best practices solution for IT service management.

ITIL® Service Management was created in the 1980s by The Office of Government Commerce (OGC), an independent office of the United Kingdom’s Treasury. OCG first created ITIL® due to many companies’ growing dependency on IT solutions and service. ITIL® focuses on the people, processes and technology issues that IT managers encounter on a daily basis. Although they are now used worldwide, ITIL® materials and trademarks are still owned by OCG.

Companies can now rely on IT for everything from typing a simple letter to running a huge manufacturing plant. In many industries, work could grind to halt without IT. OCG created and shared IT best practices to help companies avoid crippling system problems and keep IT systems running smoothly.

These best practices evolved over time into the current ITIL® Service Management program. In addition to service management, ITIL® standards are also used in the creation of software. Software developers that follow best practices can apply for endorsement from ITIL®.

To implement ITIL® Service Management, a company will need to have its IT staff members trained in ITIL® service delivery. Staff members study materials and take examinations to earn certifications. There are four levels of such certifications. Staff members start at the bottom ITIL® Foundations level, and can continue to the top level of ITIL® Master.

Once enough staff members are trained and certified, ITIL® Service Management can be implemented. IT service goals should be identified. Then a strategy can be developed to achieve these goals using ITIL®. Since rolling out a new system of best practices will be a large undertaking, commitment from staff members at all levels is needed.

Everyone from help desk personnel to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) will need to be on board. Staff members can benefit by improving their IT knowledge — and by making better use of this information, and related skills, to forward their individual careers. Company benefits created by ITIL® Service Management include reduced costs, better service, increased productivity, and more satisfied customers.