Section 8 of the Standard details the operation of the service management system. This is the bulk of the document as this lays out all the key activities needed to run the SMS. Section 8 is the heart of the Standard and the part that most closely resembles ITIL in both form and function. It uses the same language and has the same structure.

However, Section 8 is both practical and explicit. Here we finally have elements that relate directly to day-to-day IT operations and which clearly specify what must happen according to the Standard. This functions as a guide to inform ITIL adoption on exactly what must not be overlooked, undercut, or compromised. This section could also be viewed as a Standard for ITIL execution.

Sections 5-7 of the Standard are those which deal with the preparations an organisation must go through before they can effectively operate their SMS according to the Standard. This sets out the obligations on leadership, in particular the decisions that leadership must make to properly plan and prepare for the SMS, as well as ensuring it is effectively resourced.

These sections underpin the main operations clauses which come later. This also sets out the relationship that the organisation as a whole needs to have with ITSQM in order for the Standard to be successful. Like most of the Standard, these sections do not reveal much of how to achieve its goals – but if anything were to be missing then operation of the SMS would be fatally flawed.

The ISO/IEC 20000 standard represents a significant milestone for any IT service team. More than this, it demonstrates that an important quality benchmark can be reliably met on an ongoing basis. This standard is becoming a de-facto requirement of large modern IT business. What was once a powerful differentiator is becoming an expected qualification for major organisations.

This standard has recently evolved and been updated, growing in scope and modernising to integrate more effectively with the evolution of other standards. Getting things done right in IT service is often challenging, getting it right consistently is much tougher. Proving you can get it right consistently is what this standard is all about. No exceptions, no excuses.

Here we get to the specifics of operating effective services under ITIL 4. These practices relate directly to the requirements, decisions and activities that need to be effectively managed to be able to deliver value from IT services. This is what many would consider to be the core of IT operations.

The mechanics of IT service delivery have been honed over decades of improvement and are now aligned with the best practices and the latest technology trends. This is not a “how to” but is a checklist of all of the areas of ITSM that need to have proactive decisions made about them. Successful ITIL 4 will not miss any of these. This topic is comprehensive and students should allow additional time to explore it.

The functions of ITSM usually operate in an organisational context. That is, there is usually an organisation around (and above) the ITSM function which includes all of the mechanisms, processes, forces and expectations that any organisation would face. These are not unique to ITSM and are generic and applicable to any business or operational objectives.

The ITIL 4 general management practices are aimed at these non-technical, and even non-IT challenges to running the generic portion of ITSM. The knowledge here is derived from general management and is a pre-requisite for any successful outcome – including successful ITSM. These things may be familiar to those who manage almost any other industry or profession, and yet are equally vital to ITSM.

The conversion of raw inputs into valuable outputs within IT service delivery is usually far more complicated than it sounds. Within ITIL 4 it is the Service Value System that offers guidance on this vast and complex set of interactions from all areas of the organisation. This is a fundamental and structural system that describes the key factors that will impact value creation.

It is here we find the ITIL guiding principles. These are concepts that are intended to guide our broader decisions on IT service management and serve as a form of thought leadership to create a good approach to ITSM. This also includes the value chain – a broad action model that serves as a revised life cycle for the creation and management of IT service value.

The delivery and maintenance of sound IT services relies on far more than just some clever people with good processes. Any IT service organisation needs to have many aspects of their operation working in tandem to support the goals and outcomes of IT service delivery. ITIL asks us to have a holistic perspective of the various forces that all work together to influence the results.

Within ITIL there are four dimensions of the IT service organisation that span the entire delivery of IT services. These represent the big picture, and all of these areas must be not only maintained but must work in close harmony together to deliver the best results. Interdependencies are the key to success, and any mature service provider must harness them effectively.

ITIL has undergone many iterations over the years. Whilst some of this has involved changes to the core guidance, some of the more profound changes have been in the key concepts that ITIL espouses to IT Service management. These key concepts underpin the ways in which ITIL (and indeed ITSM in general) is intended to be embraced and used.

These concepts are aimed more broadly than within IT, and they encompass the perspectives of business leadership and strategy, down to the ways in which the services are consumed. There has been a paradigm shift in the understanding of value and the role that IT services plays in achieving it. Understanding this alternative view of value creation is critical to understanding how to use ITIL.

This topic will introduce students to the modern concepts of ITSQM. We will explore the history and evolution of IT Service Management, and examine the forces that have led to the creation of the practices and standards we have today.

Things do not always go to plan in our professional communications. Despite our best intentions and efforts, we can find ourselves in conflict either directly, or between others. Navigating the tricky pathways to a successful outcome depends not only upon the situation and stakeholders – but also upon our ability to apply our communications skills to conflict resolution.

When the subject or context of the communications becomes confronting our ability to communicate effectively often suffers – just when we need to be at our best. When our emotions rise we often seek expression more than communication, we need to be heard more than understood. Understanding how these challenges affect human communications is a first step towards improving outcomes.