Why ITIL?

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library, or ITIL, is a set of books describing "Good Practices" in IT Service Management (ITSM). ITIL provides an ideal basis for an ITSM program, especially when combined with elements from other sources of Good Practice (CobiT, PMI's PMBOK Guide, etc.). Using the ITIL guidance as a starting point, organizations can develop a robust and repeatable system for delivering and supporting IT Services.

Results of effective ITIL-based IT Service Management:

• Business and IT Alignment - ITSM shifts the focus of the IT organization from delivery of technology (which business customers generally don't care about) to delivery of IT Services (which they do). Maintaining an accurate and complete customer facing Service Catalog and developing appropriate Service Level Agreements for each catalog line item can dramatically improve the relationship between IT and the Business. Effective Service Level Management allows customer expectations to be in alignment with customer experience, and positions the IT organization as a powerful business enabler.
• Improved Service Availability - A number of ITIL processes help measurably improve IT Service Availability. Improved handling of incidents at the Service Desk results in faster restoration of service during breaches. Effective Problem Management allows organizations to break the cycle of constant, reactive fire fighting and focus on permanent, proactive solutions. Other processes focus on prevention of change induced failures and improving the quality of software and hardware released into the live environment. Collectively, the impact of these processes can be dramatic.
• Improved IT Agility and Responsiveness - Responding quickly to business driven change is easy. Managing this change without negatively impacting service Availability and Support Costs is another story. ITIL helps IT Organizations handle a higher volume of change, without the negative consequences and side effects that otherwise result. Speed and organizational agility come from being able to implement changes in a repeatable and predictable way.
• Increased Customer Satisfaction - While it's true that Service Availability lies at the heart of Customer Satisfaction, Availability alone is not enough. High levels of Customer Satisfaction are achieved when customer perceptions of experience match or exceed customer expectations. A number of ITIL processes focus on helping to forge realistic customer expectations, make sure those expectations are measured and managed against, and improve communication channels between customers and IT.
• Regulatory / Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance - The need for regulatory compliance (SOX, FDA, HIPAA, etc.) impacts a number of organizations across all industries. While relatively few of these regulations apply directly to IT, much of the impact and expense can be felt there through the resulting operational requirements. Along with COBIT 4.1, ITIL based processes help make it easier for IT Organizations to avoid accidental regulatory breaches and demonstrate auditable compliance with regulatory requirements.