With the current digital transformation, many organizations have implemented the IT Infrastructure Library, also known as ITIL in their business practices. The main goal of ITIL is to help businesses integrate IT, which is especially important in this modern day and age where technology has become indispensable to businesses. It is important to be able to harness the current technological advancements and use them to your business’s advantage. This is where the ITIL comes in as the framework helps businesses to manage their IT Services and outline the best ways to deliver them. The ITIL can benefit businesses in a plethora of ways, establishing cost-saving practices and helping to strengthen relationships with customers. Overall, it builds an IT space that allows organizations to grow, scale and adapt.
History of ITIL
The first version of the ITIL contained a whopping 30 books, which were then condensed to seven with each book zooming in on a particular aspect of IT management. The ITIL was then updated in 2007 and 2011 to keep up with technological trends at the time. Finally, the latest version of ITIL 4 was launched in 2019.
The Current Version of The ITIL
There are a few versions of the ITIL, but the current version released in 2010, also known as the ITIL 4 has five books in total. The latest five books contain the different stages and processes in the lifecycle of IT services. Each of the books will contain advice about how businesses can standardize and improve their service management operations, by reducing costs, and managing risk and disruption all the while increasing employee satisfaction and productivity. As compared to the previous versions, the latest iteration of the ITIL is updated to manage current technology by placing emphasis on helping the IT department become more dynamic and adaptive to new IT tools and software. Apart from that, ITIL also places a focus on getting consumer feedback so as to understand how the business is perceived by the public and gather sentiments from customers and improve accordingly.
The Guiding Principles of ITIL 4
The most recent version of the ITIL 4 contains seven principles that were adapted from the latest practitioner exam to also include how to deal with organizational change, improve communication and more. The ITIL recommends that companies follow these guiding principles closely as they can help to integrate IT and technology into the overall business, through collaborations. This has become particularly pertinent as most departments will have to work closely with IT and depend on technology to complete their jobs. As such, it is necessary for the business to become more adaptive and agile by following the seven ITIL principles.
Applying The ITIL to Business Practices
Reading all the ITIL books will unfortunately not be sufficient to help improve your company’s IT operations. Companies will have to put what they have gleaned from the ITIL and apply it as well, by slowly allowing the organization to adapt to the new practices. While it is a must-read for many company managers, they should also think about what exactly they want to solve in the workplace and how they want to continue to improve the workplace. Then, consider the type of training, and courses that those under you should take in order for the business to adopt the framework and implement those solutions. It is also important to keep in mind strategies to adapt and improve the framework in the time to come.
More About The ITIL 4 Certification Scheme
There is a new certification scheme for the ITIL 4 which includes both the Foundation and Master examinations. You can pick between the ITIL Strategic Leader or Managing Professional pathways after completing the foundation exam. After which, you will qualify for the title of ITIL Master, which is the most prestigious certificate that the scheme offers. We have detailed the key things you should know about the ITIL Managing Professional and ITIL Strategic Leader pathways below.
ITIL Managing Professional Pathway
This is the ideal exam for just about anyone who works with digital technology in the organization. Those who work outside the IT department should consider this pathway as it covers the important things you should know about IT workflows, executing IT projects and managing IT teams too. The modules cover important topics such as how to increase stakeholder value and delve into how to plan, direct and improve IT in the organization.
ITIL Strategic Leader Pathway
This pathway is designed for those who do not directly deal with IT operations but have to incorporate IT into their business strategy. It would be a big mistake to not involve the use of technology in improving the business, as such, this pathway can help to navigate the digital world and how it can work to your business’s advantage.
Can ITIL Actually Help Businesses?
ITIL can be a huge saving grace for many IT companies who have a hard time staying afloat. Other than saving money, a smooth running IT business will help improve the efficiency of other workers within the organization too. A brokerage firm named Pershing managed to reduce their incident response time by half after they had restructured in accordance with the ITIL principles, and that has helped increase customer satisfaction as users did not have to wait long for their issues to be solved. Businesses can benefit from increased productivity and can better manage failure, risks and disruption by fostering an environment that promotes growth. Adopting the ITIL framework is an investment, but you are sure to see results after the transition.
Conclusion
Being in the IT service industry can be volatile and difficult, but ITIL can help to cut the fat and bring the business on the route to success. Other than poring over the ITIL books, the available certification schemes will help to upskill employees and familiarize them with the ITIL framework too. This is so that they are able to implement them in their jobs and adapt to the restructured model. There is no doubt that technology can work in your business’s favor, so adopting the ITIL framework can allow the business to function and benefit from the current digital age.
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