A New Era in Service Management with ITIL® 4Traditional IT and digital service management approaches are often limited to process diagrams and output-focused metrics, leading to critical elements such as alignment with business objectives, sustainability, and user experience being overlooked. ITIL® 4 transforms this understanding, shifting service management towards a more agile, holistic, and value-focused structure. The system offers a service value model that aligns with strategic goals, centres on user needs, and encourages continuous improvement. As a starting point, an analysis should be conducted to determine which existing processes truly generate value in which services, and service management practices should be restructured accordingly. This approach is not only a technical change but also a reshaping of organisational culture.
What is ITIL® 4?
ITIL® is a global guideline that addresses IT service management with a lean, flexible, and value-focused approach. Unlike previous versions, it focuses not only on processes but also on the impact of the service on the business and the user experience. It begins with the question, ‘How does this service add value for us?’ and manages the service lifecycle holistically, from planning to improvement.
Service Value System (SVS) according to ITIL® 4
At the heart of ITIL® 4 lies the Service Value System (SVS). The purpose of this system is to ensure that decisions at every level of the organisation are consistent and value-driven. The SVS encompasses all components that transform a service from an idea into value:
- Guiding Principles,
- Governance,
- Service Value Chain,
- Practices,
- Continuous Improvement.
Four-Dimensional Model
ITIL® 4 provides both a technical and strategic perspective when evaluating services. This enables a holistic assessment of services.
The four-dimensional model addresses service management from the following perspectives:
- Organisation and People,
- Information and Technology,
- Business Partners and Suppliers,
- Value Streams and Processes.
ITIL® 4 uses the term ‘practice’ instead of the concept of ‘process’. Each practice is defined by its purpose, roles, inputs/outputs, and measurement criteria. The following questions must be clear for each practice: ‘What does this practice do, who does it benefit, and how will we measure it?’
There are 34 practices in total. Here are some of the most critical ones:
- Incident Management: Rapidly minimising the impact of disruptions. E.g.: When the email system goes down, the priority is to get the system up and running.
- Change Management: Balancing speed and risk. Low-risk changes are executed automatically, while high-risk changes are evaluated by a committee.
- Request Management: Standardising recurring user requests and resolving them via self-service where possible.
- Problem Management: Identifying the root cause of recurring issues and producing permanent solutions.
- Service Level Management (SLM): Uses SLAs (service level agreements) and SLOs (service level objectives) to determine the technical performance of IT services; these technical metrics are complemented by XLAs (user experience objectives), enabling the simultaneous evaluation of both system success and user satisfaction.
- Knowledge Management: Making solution knowledge accessible and reusable.
ITIL® 4: Where to Start?
In the ITIL® 4 approach, trying to fix everything at once disperses resources and slows progress. Therefore, it is important to start the improvement journey in areas that will provide the greatest impact. The fastest gains are typically achieved in these three practices:
- Incident Management
- Change Management
- Request Management
Metrics that measure service quality and operational efficiency enable the identification of critical components for the CMDB (Configuration Management Database) and knowledge base. The goal is not to create a data dump, but to correctly define the configuration items (CI) on which the service operates and their relationships.
Work begins by analysing the most searched and read solution articles in the knowledge base. First, the 10 most viewed articles are updated, missing or outdated content is simplified, and other articles are gradually added and improved.
This method increases the rate at which users find solutions themselves, while preventing support teams from wasting time on repetitive requests. Small but effective steps are the most efficient way to implement ITIL® 4’s continuous improvement approach.
Common Mistakes and Improvement Recommendations
1. Excessive Documentation
Problem: Long and detailed procedures are not implemented in the field, are not updated, and are often not read. Approach: Flowcharts and checklists that reflect the actual work should be preferred. Documents that are not related to risk and do not produce evidence should be simplified, combined, or removed entirely.
2. Rules Not Tested in the Field
Problem: Rules defined on paper do not correspond to the actual working environment. Approach: It should be clearly defined who will apply the rule, when, and with what evidence. If the rule is complex, it should be simplified; a small pilot application should be carried out before it is put in writing, and feedback should be obtained from operators.
3. Work Backlog and Process Bottlenecks
Problem: Backlogged work slows down processes and reduces efficiency. Approach: The number of concurrent tasks should be limited (WIP limit), and work should be made visible using the kanban method. Tasks taking less than two minutes should be completed without delay. In case of bottlenecks, it should be clarified in advance who will intervene and within what timeframe.
Progressing in small but consistent steps, making the right data visible, and clarifying roles and rules reveals the true value of ITIL® 4. When you work this way, both speed and accuracy increase, and the user experience improves permanently. As CFECERT, we empower your team step by step in ITIL training and the certification journey. For more information, you can contact us at info@cfecert.co.uk.
