Foreword. Since its creation, ITIL has grown to become the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world

OGC’s foreword

Since its creation, ITIL has grown to become the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world. However, along with this success comes the responsibility to ensure that the guidance keeps pace with a changing global business environment. Service management requirements are inevitably shaped by the development of technology, revised business models and increasing customer expectations. Our latest version of ITIL has been created in response to these developments.

This is one of the five core publications describing the IT service management practices that make up ITIL. They are the result of a two-year project to review and update the guidance. The number of service management professionals around the world who have helped to develop the content of these publications is impressive. Their experience and knowledge have contributed to the content to bring you a consistent set of high-quality guidance. This is supported by the ongoing development of a comprehensive qualifications scheme, along with accredited training and consultancy.

Whether you are part of a global company, a government department or a small business, ITIL gives you access to world-class service management expertise. Essentially, it puts IT services where they belong – at the heart of successful business operations.

Peter Fanning

Acting Chief Executive

Office of Government Commerce

Chief Architect’s foreword

ITIL Service Management Practice guidance is structured around the Service Lifecycle. Common across the lifecycle is the overall practice itself, which relies on processes, functions, activities, organizational models and measurement, which together allow IT Service Management (ITSM) to integrate with the business processes, provide measurable value and evolve the ITSM industry forward in our pursuit of service excellence.

Nowhere else in the ITIL Service Lifecycle does the effect of how we perform as service providers touch the customers as intimately as Service Operations. This is where the strategy, design, transition and improvements are delivered and supported on a day-to-day basis.

The Service Operation publication brings Service Management to life for the business, and the accountability for the performance of the services, the people who create them and the technology that enables them are monitored, controlled and delivered in this stage of the Service Lifecycle.

This publication will help guide us all to achieve service excellence and to see the value of ITSM in a broad, business-focused view of it. Whether you are new to the practice of ITIL or a seasoned practitioner, the guidance in this publication will expand your vision and knowledge of how to be the best-of-breed service provider through implementation of Service Operation.

There is a saying that hindsight is 20/20. The guidance in Service Operation is distilled from over 20 years of experience in ITSM by world experts, business people and ITSM practitioners and the lessons learned by them about what service excellence really is and how to achieve it.

Anyone involved in operating services will benefit from the guidance in the following pages of this publication. Service Operation offers the best advice and guidance from around the world and a path to what is possible in your future.

Sharon Taylor

Chief Architect, ITIL Service Management Practices

Дата добавления: 2014-12-23