The Service Operation phase of the ITIL® Service Lifecycle ensures that customers and users are receiving services at the agreed upon levels. Service Operation is also responsible for maintaining the applications, technology, and infrastructure that support service delivery. To help Service Operation achieve its objectives, there are five processes (Incident Management, Problem Management, Event Management, Request Fulfillment and Access Management) and four main functions (the Service Desk, Technical Management, IT Operations Management and Application Management). All of these processes and functions come together to play an extremely pivotal role in Service Operation.
This article will focus on the Problem Management process within Service Operation.
Problem Management is responsible for handling all Problems that occur throughout the IT infrastructure. As defined by ITIL, a Problem is “a cause of one or more Incidents. The cause is not usually known at the time a Problem Record is created, and the Problem Management process is responsible for further investigation.” By preventing Incidents from occurring and minimizing the impact of Incidents that cannot be prevented, Problem Management can provide considerable value to an organization. This includes improving IT service availability, IT service quality, and the productivity of business personnel. Other key benefits of Problem Management include reduced costs as well as less downtimes and disruptions to business operations.
Problem Management includes the following activities:
- Detecting Problems
- Logging Problems
- Categorizing Problems
- Prioritizing Problems
- Investigating and Diagnosing Problems
- Resolving and Closing Problems
Within the ITIL Service Operation section, candidates are taught the activities, processes and techniques that are required to find, diagnose, and resolve any Problems or Incidents that may occur during the course of service delivery.
To learn more about Problem Management, enroll in the ITIL V3 Service Operation course or the ITIL V3 Operational Support and Analysis course at Ashford Global IT!
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ITIL® V3 takes a Lifecycle approach to providing best practice guidance for IT Service Management. There are five stages in the ITIL V3 Service Lifecycle: Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement.
Service Strategy
The Service Strategy phase of the Service Lifecycle provides guidance on how to design, develop, and implement IT Service Management. Students will understand how service strategies can be developed to give the business a distinct advantage in the marketplace. During Service Strategy, an organization will determine its target markets and how to differentiate itself from its competitors. The organization’s management team will understand the costs and risks associated with their Service Portfolios and can efficiently use this information in their operational decision-making. Practical examples will be used to describe the assessment and planning involved within the IT departments of small, medium, and large corporations. Having the proper strategies in place can give the company a proactive and productive approach to their business operations.
Service Design
The Service Design phase of the Service Lifecycle provides guidance on how to design and develop services and IT Service Management processes that will support the service strategies already developed. Learning how to design service plans will prepare IT professionals and business leaders to address customer concerns in the most proficient manner.
Service Transition
The Service Transition phase of the Service Lifecycle teaches IT professionals and their business associates to manage changes in a productive manner. Service Transition provides guidance on how to efficiently and effectively transition new and changed services into operations without disrupting or interrupting other services or processes.
Service Operation
The Service Operation phase of the Service Lifecycle provides guidance on the practical aspects of day-to-day business operations. The goal is for the IT department to keep things running smoothly, reliably, efficiently and cost-effectively. The activities and processes in this phase ensure that services are delivered to customers at the agreed upon levels with minimal interruptions and disruptions. Service Operation focuses on providing value to both the customer and the service provider.
Continual Service Improvement
Even if nothing changes in an organization, there is always room for development and improvement in IT services. Continual assessment is the key to understanding where improvements can be made. ITIL training can help learners identify where these possibilities for progress are.
To learn more about the five stages in the ITIL Service Lifecycle, enroll in an ITIL training class at Ashford Global IT today!
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ITIL®, an acronym for the IT Infrastructure Library®, is the leading framework for IT Service Management in the world. There are many benefits to implementing the ITIL framework for IT service providers and their customers alike. It is used by such companies and organizations as Microsoft, Disney, Boeing, NASA, Walmart and L’Oreal. Many of these companies require job candidates to possess at least the ITIL Foundation Certification in order to be considered for certain positions. IT personnel should participate in ITIL training classes to learn how to improve the services in an organization and gain the knowledge they need to pass the ITIL Certification exams.
The ITIL Qualification Scheme:
- ITIL V3 is the current version of this framework. The ITIL V3 Qualification Scheme has four levels: ITIL Foundation, ITIL Intermediate Level, ITIL Expert and ITIL Master. The ITIL Foundation Certification is the entry level module and is a requirement for entry into the ITIL Intermediate Level.
The Basic Ideas and Purposes of ITIL:
- The most basic principle of ITIL V3 is that it is based on a Lifecycle approach. There are 5 stages in the Service Lifecycle: Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement.
- ITIL provides guidance for IT personnel on how to work within the framework of their company’s business requirements. By doing so, these IT professionals can help the business work more productively and profitably. The organization is then able to provide better services to their customers and users.
- One of the main principles of ITIL training is to teach IT personnel to recommend changes that will impact business operations in a positive way. Technology is always advancing, and IT services will always have more to offer. It only makes sense that the knowledgeable IT team will have suggestions for changes on an ongoing basis.
- One of the main goals of an ITIL-based Service Model is supreme efficiency. Businesses need to accomplish their tasks with the least amount of time, energy and manpower expended in the process. IT personnel should use ITIL V3 concepts and principles to create designs for efficient business operations.
- ITIL places a high emphasis on consistent and predictable results, thereby enhancing the ability of the IT infrastructure and operations to align with business objectives. This increases the stability of business operations.
The Benefits of Implementing ITIL:
- ITIL makes it easier for IT departments to integrate IT services to meet the demands of the organization.
- Financial tasks in the organization can be readily accomplished within the ITIL infrastructure without a need for excessive manpower. For example, ROI figures can be constantly available without lengthy calculations by business personnel.
- The business’s customers are served better as well, since the business itself is running more smoothly. The IT department meets the needs of the business, allowing the business to meet the needs of their customers.
- ITIL provides a way of speaking about IT problems, issues and developments that are common to all those who have had ITIL training. This permits free and efficient communication within all facets of the IT department.
- The ITIL framework promotes company progress through systematic steps, including continual assessment, setting reasonable goals, and putting new or improved IT services into place.
ITIL is an IT Service Management framework which improves IT departments and thus benefits their companies. IT departments become more efficient, businesses become more profitable, and customers more often get the high-quality services they want.
To learn more about the benefits of implementing the ITIL V3 framework, enroll today in an ITIL V3 training course at Ashford Global IT!
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The Service Operation phase of the ITIL® Service Lifecycle ensures that customers and users are receiving services at the agreed upon levels. Service Operation is also responsible for maintaining the applications, technology, and infrastructure that support service delivery. To help Service Operation achieve its objectives, there are five processes (Incident Management, Problem Management, Event Management, Request Fulfillment and Access Management) and four main functions (the Service Desk, Technical Management, IT Operations Management and Application Management). All of these processes and functions come together to play an extremely pivotal role in Service Operation.
This article will focus on the IT Operations Management function within Service Operation.
IT Operations Management handles the management and maintenance of the IT infrastructure. This function ensures that the IT infrastructure is kept in optimal shape in order to deliver IT services at the agreed upon level to customers. A major objective of IT Operations Management is maintaining the stability and consistency of the IT infrastructure and IT services.
This function consists of two parts: IT Operations Control and Facilities Management. IT Operations Control performs the routine operational activities needed to manage the infrastructure. IT Operations Control also provides centralized supervision and control of the IT infrastructure. Facilities Management refers to the management of the physical IT environment, including data centers, computer rooms and recovery sites. Along with this responsibility, Facilities Management organizes all large-scale projects, such as the consolidation of data centers or servers.
To learn more about IT Operations Management, enroll in the ITIL V3 Service Operation course or the ITIL V3 Operational Support and Analysis course at Ashford Global IT!
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The Service Operation phase of the ITIL® Service Lifecycle ensures that customers and users are receiving services at the agreed upon levels. Service Operation is also responsible for maintaining the applications, technology, and infrastructure that support service delivery. To help Service Operation achieve its objectives, there are five processes (Incident Management, Problem Management, Event Management, Request Fulfillment and Access Management) and four main functions (the Service Desk, Technical Management, IT Operations Management and Application Management). All of these processes and functions come together to play an extremely pivotal role in Service Operation.
This article will focus on the role of the Service Desk.
The Service Desk is the central point of contact for all IT users. Complete logs of all Incidents, Service Requests and Access Requests are kept and managed by the Service Desk. In addition to tracking, categorizing, and prioritizing every Incident and Request that occurs, Service Desk personnel will provide first-line investigation and diagnosis, escalating Incidents and Problems when needed. Service Desk personnel are in charge of closing the Request and Incident Records once the issue has been resolved and the user is satisfied. They also keep users informed of any changes to the status of their Requests, Incidents, and services.
Structuring and organizing the Service Desk within the Service Lifecycle can be done in a number of different ways. A Local Service Desk can be established within close, physical reach of the users it supports. A Centralized Service Desk manages all user communications at one single location and allows a small number of employees to deal with a large volume of calls and Requests. A Virtual Service Desk gives users the impression that there is a single team working at a single location to handle all customer interaction when the staff may be located anyplace in the world. A Follow the Sun Service Desk situates Service Desks in a number of different time zones to give the company 24 hour coverage; the calls get passed to the location where the staff is on the clock.
Enroll today in the ITIL V3 Service Operation course or the ITIL V3 Operational Support and Analysis course at Ashford Global IT to learn more about the function of the Service Desk!
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The IT Infrastructure Library® (ITIL®) is the most widely accepted approach to IT Service Management in the world. ITIL was designed to offer IT service providers a framework that enhances service delivery not only to customers but also to the business. Other benefits of ITIL include:
- Provides simplified processes that can be used immediately
- Improves service availability
- Increases user and customer satisfaction with IT services
- Allocates resources to keep costs at a minimum
- Can be implemented in any organization
- Separates administrative tasks from technical tasks
- Continually improves the services offered by the organization
- Focuses on the all around development of the company
- Maintains productivity and works on ways to increase profit for the organization
More and more companies are implementing the ITIL framework. As a result, these companies are looking for professionals who have an understanding of and experience with ITIL, which can come through ITIL training and certifications.
Florida-based Ashford Global IT (AGIT) provides renowned ITIL training across the United States through open-enrollment and on-site training programs. Or you may choose to complete your ITIL training online through AGIT’s virtual instructor-led courses. At AGIT, you will have experienced instructors who bring the subject matter to life. You will participate in lectures, discussions, and practical activities. In addition, Ashford Global IT offers a Success Guarantee if you are not successful on your first attempt on the associated ITIL Certification exam. This Success Guarantee provides you with a voucher for one exam retake; you may also re-attend an open-enrollment course at no cost. In addition, you will have access to supplementary study materials and be able to contact the instructors with any questions you may have.
The following are ITIL training courses offered by AGIT:
- ITIL for Executives: This brief webinar is a concise presentation on the ITIL framework and the benefits ITIL can bring to an organization.
- Awareness Course: Learners will be provided with a brief introduction to ITIL and IT Service Management. This is a non-certification course.
- Foundation Level: This course uses a case study approach to introduce students to the core disciplines of ITIL and IT Service Management.
- Intermediate Level: This level is divided into two streams –
- Lifecycle Stream – provides a holistic approach to the Service Lifecycle:
- Service Strategy
- Service Design
- Service Transition
- Service Operation
- Continual Service Improvement
- Capability Stream – provides specialized, process-level knowledge for one or more processes:
- Service Offerings and Agreements
- Release, Control and Validation
- Operational Support and Analysis
- Planning, Protection and Optimization
- Managing Across the Lifecycle – this module completes the Intermediate Level and is a key requirement in earning the ITIL Expert Certification.
- Certified Process Design Engineer: Students will learn how to design, develop, and improve ITSM processes.
Contact Ashford Global IT today for more information on ITIL training programs!
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The Service Operation phase of the ITIL® Service Lifecycle ensures that customers and users are receiving services at the agreed upon levels. Service Operation is also responsible for maintaining the applications, technology, and infrastructure that support service delivery. To help Service Operation achieve its objectives, there are five processes (Incident Management, Problem Management, Event Management, Request Fulfillment and Access Management) and four main functions (the Service Desk, Technical Management, IT Operations Management and Application Management). All of these processes and functions come together to play an extremely pivotal role in Service Operation.
This article will focus on the Event Management process within Service Operation.
Event Management is responsible for the monitoring, detection and escalation of Events. Within ITIL, an Event is “any change of state which has significance for the management of a Configuration Item or IT service.” An Event can be indicative of something that is not working properly within the infrastructure, which may lead to an Incident being recorded. Events can also denote normal activity or a need for a routine intervention.
Event Management requires monitoring; however, monitoring is different from management. Event Management creates and detects notifications about the status of IT services and the IT infrastructure, whereas monitoring checks the status of devices and components even when no Events have been reported.
When properly implemented, an effective Event Management process can improve the quality of IT services being offered while reducing IT operational expenses. Event Management can also provide the means for early detection of Incidents. In addition, this process allows many operations to be automated which can increase overall efficiency in the organization and allow expensive human resources to be focused elsewhere.
To learn more about Service Operation processes, including Event Management, enroll in the ITIL V3 Service Operation course at Ashford Global IT!
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Studying for the ITIL® Foundation Certification exam can be done through several ways. One option is enrolling in a traditional instructor-led classroom course. Recently, many organizations, including Ashford Global IT (AGIT), have begun offering ITIL V3 Foundation training programs online. At AGIT, you can choose to enroll in the Self-Paced ITIL V3 Foundation course or the Virtual Instructor-Led ITIL V3 Foundation course. Both of these courses are held entirely online, allowing participants to study without having to worry about traveling.
In the Self-Paced ITIL V3 Foundation training course, students will have access to the ITIL Foundation course material for a period of 20 days. Students will be able to learn at their convenience and on their time. In this course, students will study the fundamentals of ITIL while participating in a virtual training conference. This real-life, scenario-based training allows students to test their ITIL knowledge by assisting with various projects and assignments. The ITIL V3 Foundation Certification exam is not included with this course and must be purchased separately.
The Virtual Instructor-Led ITIL V3 Foundation course combines the features of an instructor-led environment with the ease of an online setting. This course is conducted over five half-day sessions, usually held Monday through Friday from 1pm-5pm Eastern Standard Time. Students will be able to communicate with their instructor and classmates through chat windows. Students will participate in lectures, discussions, and practical activities. The ITIL V3 Foundation Certification exam is included in the price of the Virtual Instructor-Led ITIL V3 Foundation course. Students will be issued an exam voucher; this voucher will allow students to set-up their own web-based exam, but students will need to identify a suitable proctor.
Both methods of training will cover the same material and fully prepare participants to pass the ITIL V3 Foundation Certification exam. Students will be introduced to the ITIL framework and key concepts, objectives, and definitions in ITIL. The five stages of the Service Lifecycle (Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement) and the processes, activities, functions, and roles that take place within each phase will be examined. The benefits of implementing ITIL in an organization will also be addressed. In addition, students will learn how IT Service Management processes can help an organization achieve business excellence.
Contact Ashford Global IT today for more information!
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Problem Management is one of the processes that you have to understand in order to fully comprehend the Service Operation phase of the ITIL® Service Lifecycle. ITIL is a great framework for any IT department or organization, and the Problem Management process is a critical part of that structure. Problem Management refers to the management of all Problems throughout the Lifecycle, including the prevention of Problems and Incidents through proper operations and activities that promote an error-free environment.
Problem Management includes all of the activities that are required to diagnose the cause(s) of Incidents as well as determine the resolutions to Problems that occur within the organization. This process is also responsible for implementing the resolution through the appropriate procedures including Change Management and Release and Deployment Management.
Problem Management maintains information about Problems, resolutions, and workarounds so that the organization can reduce the impact and number of Incidents over time. When you are aware of the history of a Problem, creating solutions and preventing future Incidents becomes much easier for any organization. Proper Problem Management supports a more successful ITIL framework as a whole.
When it comes to value, Problem Management offers many benefits to the business or organization. These benefits include increased availability of IT services, enhanced quality of IT services, reduced downtimes and disruptions, increased productivity of IT staff, reduced expenses on repairs or resolutions that aren’t effective, and reduced expenses for repeat Incidents.
There are two areas of importance in Problem Management: reactive and proactive processes. Reactive processes refer to resolving Problems after an Event occurs. Proactive processes are the Problem Resolutions that are managed and created to help with Continual Service Improvement, which is a critical part of the Service Lifecycle for any organization.
Enroll in Ashford Global IT’s ITIL V3 Service Operation course or ITIL V3 Operational Support and Analysis course to learn more about Problem Management!
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Technical Management refers to the departments that provide technical expertise and skills as well as overall management for the IT infrastructure. This Service Operation function makes sure that the necessary skills and expertise are in position to design, build, transition, operate, and improve the IT services provided by the organization. Technical Management is also responsible for implementing and maintaining a stable technical infrastructure.
Technical Management cannot be provided by a single group or department. For any IT infrastructure, it is very important that there is more than one technical support team. Technical Management requires division of labor. IT personnel should be grouped according to their area of expertise or technical skills sets.
Activities that Technical Management is involved with include:
- Identifying the knowledge and expertise necessary to operate the IT infrastructure and deliver services
- Verifying the skills that exist in the organization and those that need to be improved
- Instituting training programs to develop those skills that need improvements
- Assisting in the design and development of new services
- Managing vendors
- Contributing to Service Design, Service Transition, and Continual Service Improvement projects
These are just a few of the activities that Technical Management is a part of. To learn more about all the activities Technical Management is involved with, enroll in the ITIL V3 Service Operation course or the ITIL V3 Operational Support and Analysis course at Ashford Global IT!
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