What's New in ITIL 4?

ITIL is a complete framework for providing companies with well-rounded IT Service Management practices enabling them to prosper by lowering costs and improving efficiency. It is because of the ITIL framework that businesses big and small are now able to analyze risks, save costs, enhance customer relations, improve business management, and develop an IT environment that promotes the overall growth of the company.

Upgrades and improvements to this framework are made on a regular basis. The newest version of ITIL, released in the first quarter of 2019 by Axelos, known as ITIL 4, is designed to handle digital turmoil. The new version is the upgraded form of the 2011 ITIL v3 version.

If you want to know more about ITIL 4, how it works, and what you can expect from it, continue reading!

New Way to Operate Digitally with ITIL 4

Although ITIL 4 is a new release, it still holds a lot of similarity to the previous versions. One such key element that ITIL 4 has adopted from all the older versions is its ability to perform service management. However, many features of this new version are pretty unique and advanced, depending on the needs of businesses and users in this modern day and age like its impressive digital operating model.

This model focuses on providing businesses with assistance in controlling digital impact. Businesses can make use of ITIL best practices by integrating them with DevOps, Agile, and digital transformation.

Elements of ITIL 4

ITIL 4 is designed using four important elements including the following:

• Four dimensions
• Guiding principles
• Move from processes to practices
• ITIL service value system

ITIL 4 is designed to look at the strategic side of ITSM. It not only handles IT service management, but it also works on operations, governance, development, and business relations. All of these functions work hand-in-hand in ITIL 4, which is the reason that this framework is much more advanced and appreciated.

Taking a look at the Four Dimensions

ITIL 4 brings a lot of new improvements with it for the sake of business betterment. The main purpose of this upgrade is to provide businesses with a more universal and complete approach towards service management. The model of ITIL 4 is based on four principles or dimensions that are guaranteed to improve the overall value of the company. These four dimensions include:

Information & Technology

ITIL 4 allows organizations to make use of knowledge, technologies, and information to manage IT services in a more prompt and efficient manner.

Organizations & People

This new framework is designed so that companies can work on creating an environment that supports the company’s values and objectives. It also assists businesses in hiring the right staff and ensures that they are competent enough to achieve company’s goals.

Value Streams & Processes

Value streams and processes need to work simultaneously to be able to provide benefits to the organization. Through ITIL 4, companies can boost value of products and services that are eventually the most important factors for success.

Partners & Suppliers

The partners and suppliers work tirelessly to provide the most efficient service for design, delivery, deployment, improvement, and support. They also work ways to improve relationship with the organization by offering unprecedented service.

Together these four dimensions make ITIL 4 a powerful framework for IT service management success.

The Transition of ITIL Service Lifecycle to Service Value System (SVS)

The main purpose of launching the new and improved ITIL 4 is to not only boost the system in ITIL v3, but also to work on value-creation through IT-enabled services. In this version, it is not just about how the service is delivered, managed, or handled, but it is about how the end user will get value as a result of the service. It is a continual process of growth and improvement.

The model is based of true Service Value System in which the main focus is value. From service design, service strategy, service transition, and service operation in ITIL v3 to a complete service value chain, ITIL 4 has gone big.

Seven ITIL Practitioner Guiding Principles

In ITIL v3, there used to be nine guiding principles for ITSM including Focus on value, start where you are, design for experience, collaborate, be transparent, work holistically, observe directly, keep it simple and progress iteratively. However, in ITIL 4, these principles have been cut down to seven including the following:

• Focus on value
• Start where you are
• Progress iteratively with feedback
• Collaborate and promote visibility
• Think and work holistically
• Keep it simple and practical
• Optimize and automate

More Focus on Automation

Automation is one of the highlights of IT. It is due to automation that businesses and users can save time and money. ITIL 4 introduces the feature of ‘optimize and automate’, releasing pressure off of IT service desks.

The main purpose of automation in the new version is to consume less manpower and rely more on technology. The ITIL 4 version is all about cutting costs and human efforts as much as possible. Technology is capable of offering a lot, automation being one of them. It is due to automation that people are attracted towards technology. The main aim for going big on automation with ITIL 4 is to avoid wasting human energy and resource and put it to use somewhere it is needed.

CSI Update

In ITIL 4, you will see an updated CSI model. The model now includes a ‘Take Action’ box. This feature allows users to enhance their IT service management and if they find something off the hook, they can simply take action.

ITIL 4 is not entirely a new framework made from scratch. It is in fact a product of all the previous versions shaped into a more advanced and appropriate product for today’s fast paced and technologically challenged world.

You can have a detailed look at the ITIL 4 certification training course here.