In our blog series on IT Service Management (ITSM) so far, we have covered the basics including ITSM processes and components of ITSM frameworks.
In this post, we will take our discussion on ITSM further and introduce the most popular ITSM frameworks.
Let’s get right into the topic…
Popular ITSM Frameworks
Here’s a list of the most popular ITSM frameworks:
1. ITIL
ITIL, short for Information Technology Infrastructure Library, is the most common ITSM framework and serves as the default for IT process management. ITIL has, without a doubt, transformed how businesses manage their IT services. It consists of best practices and guidelines that help IT teams deliver exceptional services to their customers and users.
ITIL was originally developed by the UK Government's Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) to standardize IT management practices across government functions. Since its release in the late 1980s, ITIL has undergone many revisions and as of writing this post, the latest version of the framework is ITIL v4.
The core focus of ITIL is on putting customers first and understanding their needs. This helps align IT services with the business's goals, ultimately helping organizations deliver value, efficiency, and satisfaction.
The ITIL framework comprises five parts:
1. Service Strategy
The Service Strategy phase is all about planning and setting the direction for IT services. In this phase, IT teams and business leaders work closely to understand their goals and create a roadmap for delivering services that help achieve those goals.
2. Service Design
This phase of ITIL deals with designing effective IT services that can meet the expectations as outlined in the previous step. The goal here is to create and document processes and resources to effectively support IT services to deliver business value.
3. Service Transition
The Service Transition phase is all about a smooth and organized change process. The goal is to ensure that new or modified services are introduced with minimal disruption.
4. Service Operations
This phase of ITIL involves managing incidents, solving problems, and handling service requests to keep users happy and businesses thriving. The goal of the Service Operations phase is to keep everything running smoothly like a well-oiled machine.
5. Continual Service Improvement
Continual Service Improvement (CSI) is all about fine-tuning IT services to perfection. This phase of ITIL involves collecting data, analyzing results, and using insights to make services even better over time.
The ITIL framework is an ideal framework for businesses of all sizes. It provides a user-friendly roadmap to a world of efficient and customer-focused IT service management that promises reduced downtime, faster service delivery, and happier customers.
2. COBIT
COBIT, short for Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology, is an IT management framework designed to support effective IT governance and management. It provides a set of best practices, principles, and guidelines that help organizations develop, organize, and implement strategies around information management and IT governance.
COBIT was developed in 1996 by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). It was initially designed to serve as IT control objectives for financial auditors. Since then it has undergone many revisions, becoming more comprehensive and encompassing areas beyond audit controls. As of writing this post, the latest version of this framework is COBIT 2019.
The key principles of COBIT are as follows:
1. Meeting Stakeholder Needs
COBIT lays great emphasis on the importance of understanding and addressing the requirements and expectations of stakeholders. This involves aligning IT activities with the overall business objectives to ensure that IT initiatives add tangible business value.
2. Covering The Enterprise End-to-End
The COBIT framework takes into consideration the entire IT ecosystem and its impact on the organization. This involves ensuring that all relevant processes are identified, documented, and integrated, enabling a comprehensive approach to governance.
3. Applying a Single, Integrated Framework
The COBIT framework helps organizations avoid duplication of efforts and streamline their IT governance practices. It does so by harmonizing various standards and regulations, making it easier to comply with industry requirements.
4. Enabling a Holistic Approach
Recognizing the interconnectedness of IT, COBIT encourages organizations to evaluate IT-related issues in the context of the entire enterprise. The goal of this approach is to prevent isolated decision-making and promote better integration.
5. Separating Governance From Management
COBIT strongly advocates for a clear separation of responsibilities and roles between those who govern and those who manage. This distinction ensures that governance decisions are made independently and objectively, leading to better oversight and control of the organization's IT-related activities.
COBIT is a comprehensive and flexible framework that can work seamlessly across multiple business domains. It provides a common language for IT professionals, compliance auditors, and business executives, enabling them to effectively develop, organize, implement, and evaluate IT strategies, information management, and IT governance.
3. ISO 20000
ISO 20000, also known as ISO/IEC 20000, is an international standard for IT service management. It outlines a comprehensive set of requirements and best practices for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving IT service management processes.
The ISO 20000 framework was developed in 2005 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Although It draws strongly from and therefore is broadly aligned with the ITIL framework, it also includes components of other frameworks including COBIT.
ISO 20000 is a comprehensive standard with multiple parts, each playing a specific role in achieving ITSM excellence. Of these, ISO/IEC 20000-1 and ISO/IEC 20000-2 are particularly important for establishing a robust and effective IT service management system.
Here’s a brief introduction to the important parts of the ISO 20000 standard:
ISO/IEC 20000-1: Service Management
This part of the standard sets the foundation for the entire framework, outlining the mandatory requirements that must be met to obtain ISO 20000 certification. It covers essential aspects of ITSM, including service planning, delivery, design, and relationship management, to ensure that IT services are aligned with business needs and meet customer expectations.
ISO/IEC 20000-2: Guidance On The Application Of Service Management Systems
ISO/IEC 20000-2 provides practical guidance on how to implement service management systems based on the requirements of ISO/IEC 20000-1. As the name suggests, this part assists organizations interpret the standard, adopt best practices, and avoid common pitfalls encountered during the implementation process.
While ISO/IEC 20000-3 and ISO/IEC 20000-5 may be essential in odd cases but are generally not as critical as the two core parts mentioned earlier. These two parts- 3 and 5, offer additional guidance and exemplars that help organizations with scoping and implementation planning, respectively.
The key components of ISO 20000 are as follows:
Service Design And Transition
The ISO 20000 standard lays great emphasis on designing and planning IT services before implementation. Therefore, it encourages organizations to consider aspects like service levels, service catalogs, and service continuity to ensure seamless transitions with minimal disruptions.
Service Delivery And Control
ISO 20000 standard also focuses on managing ongoing IT services efficiently while maintaining control over processes, resources, and performance. To ensure adequate control and efficient service delivery, it covers areas such as incident management, problem resolution, and change management.
Relationship Management
Recognizing the significance of fostering positive relationships between IT service providers and their customers, ISO 20000 emphasizes relationship management through effective communication, service reporting, and customer satisfaction measurement.
Resolution Processes
No service management framework can be complete without robust resolution processes that address incidents and service requests promptly. To this end, ISO 20000 outlines guidelines for handling service-related issues efficiently and effectively.
4. Scrum
Although Scrum is commonly associated with project management, it can also be applied to IT service management. The application of Scrum in ITSM involves using the Scrum framework to manage IT service-related projects, incidents, problems, and other ITSM activities.
With clear roles like Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team, Scrum provides a well-defined structure to service management. And its iterative approach facilitates flexibility, improves collaboration among teams, and increases overall efficiency in IT service delivery.
Here’s how the Scrum framework looks when applied to ITSM:
Scrum Roles
Product Owner: The Product Owner in ITSM is the person responsible for defining and prioritizing the IT services and features.
Scrum Master: In ITSM, the Scrum Master is the person responsible for guiding the ITSM team in applying Scrum principles.
Development Team: The Development Team in ITSM is the group responsible for delivering and managing IT services.
Scrum Events
Sprint Planning: The Sprint Planning event in ITSM involves identifying the IT services and tasks that will be addressed during the Sprint, which is typically a timeboxed period of 2-4 weeks.
Daily Stand-up: The Daily Stand-up in ITSM, is a short meeting where the team updates each other on the progress of tasks, discusses challenges, and identifies any impediments that need to be addressed.
Sprint Review: The Sprint Review in ITSM showcases completed IT services to stakeholders and receives feedback. This feedback is then used to refine future service delivery.
Sprint Retrospective: The Sprint Retrospective in ITSM is an opportunity for the team to reflect on the Sprint and identify ways to improve IT service delivery processes, communication, and collaboration.
Scrum Artifacts
Product Backlog: The Product Backlog in ITSM is a prioritized list of IT services, incidents, or other tasks that need to be addressed. This list is continuously refined and updated based on customer feedback and changing business requirements.
Sprint Backlog: The Sprint Backlog in ITSM is a list of the IT services or tasks that the Development Team commits to completing during the Sprint. This list is created during the Sprint Planning event.
Conclusion
Owing to rapid and frequent changes in the technology landscape, the role of information technology (IT) in business success has never been more crucial. Additionally, organizations rely on IT systems for just about everything. But this magnitude of reliance on technology comes with an increased need for effective IT service delivery and governance.
ITSM frameworks are designed to help organizations govern and manage their IT assets efficiently. They ensure that IT systems, processes, and initiatives are aligned with business goals and deliver value. Thus allowing organizations to unleash the full potential of their IT services, providing efficient and customer-focused service.
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About The Author
Hari SubediMarketing Manager at Jones IT
Hari is an online marketing professional with a focus on content marketing. He writes on topics related to IT, Security, Small Business, and Mindfulness. He is also the founder and managing director of Girivar Kft., a business services company located in Budapest, Hungary.