ITIL®: a bit of history
ITIL® is the world's most widely used guide to managing digital and
It all started in British government offices in the 80syears: they were the first to realize the importance of generalizing IT practices. Then the government instructed a group of specialists to develop a unified methodology for managing IT resources based on world experience - it took 3 years (from 1986 to 1989). The result of this work was the publication of several books Government IT Infrastructure Management Methodology, or the State Methodology for IT Infrastructure Management - GITIMM. Over time, the authors of this project came to the conclusion that the mention of the word "state" will not contribute to the spread of the methodology among professionals outside the state structures, and also abandoned the word "methodology" in the title. They wanted to create a collection of recommendations, best practices in their field. Thus was born the acronym ITIL - IT Infrastructure Library. Until the mid-90s, few people knew about the existence of ITILknew until large companies began to implement these practices and broadcast their experience to a wide audience through the media. Now more than 10 thousand players use ITIL to manage IT resources, and ITIL itself is no longer an acronym or a library. It is simply ITIL, a methodology name and a trademark.
During its history, ITIL has undergone severalchanges and currently consists of five books, each covering different processes and stages of the IT service life cycle, and descriptions of 34 practices. The books provide guidance and a framework for standardizing enterprise service management processes. Descriptions of practices, in turn, convey goals, objectives, process structure, examples of KPIs and other useful information necessary for organizing IT service and product management activities.
ITIL® Systematic Approach to IT Service Management(ITSM) can help companies manage risk, strengthen customer relationships, implement cost-effective practices, create a stable IT environment, and reduce IT service costs and increase employee productivity and satisfaction. In addition, the goal of ITIL® is for companies to create predictable IT environments and deliver better customer experiences through process optimization and continuous efficiency improvements.
ITIL® has always been focused on IT integrationinto business: of course, 40 years ago, when the system was first born, technology was not as developed as it is now. However, over time, ITIL® has evolved to include innovative IT management solutions. Thus, in 2020, Axelos released ITIL® 4 - the latest iteration of the ITIL® framework retains established practices, but now focuses on approaches such as Lean, Agile and Design Thinking. In fact, ITIL® 4 helps create a universal system for effective IT management that easily synchronizes with business processes.
Lean, Agile and Design Thinking approaches, in turn, work thanks to the following ITIL® principles:
- Focus on value.
- Start from the current situation (Start where you are).
- Move forward gradually, step by step, using feedback (Progress iteratively with feedback).
- Collaborate, act openly and clearly (Collaborate and promote visibility).
- Use a systematic approach (Think and work holistically).
- Keep it simple, be pragmatic (Keep it simple and practical).
- Optimize and automate (Optimize and automate).
Any activity in ITIL® is considered asa flow that delivers value to stakeholders. Recommendations for building optimal value streams are described in 34 practices, each of which provides recommendations for a specific area of IT management - there are four such sectors in total:
- people and their organization;
- information and technologies used by the practice;
- interaction with partners and contractors of the practice;
- organization of value streams and practice processes.
Despite the fact that interest in ITIL® from outsideRussian companies appeared back in the 2000s, many managers and specialists still do not understand what exactly is hidden behind the concept of ITIL® and why these practices need to be introduced into business processes. And this problem can be solved with the help of training: yes, the official certification center no longer conducts exams in Russia, but there are already domestic players who have created their own programs and certification centers.
What are the course levels
As in any profession, you can’t get into IT right away.senior level courses and start working in a few days. In order to gain in-depth knowledge and be well versed in any ITIL® issue, specialists will have to go through four stages of preparation to achieve the coveted certificate.
A basic level of.It includes three areas:IT service management, business analysis and IT risk management and internal control. This level will help the specialist set the right vector of training and focus on a specific IT area.
Level "Specialist". Here the student also has to choose a narrowspecialization in your field. For example, in business analysis, you can try your hand at systems analysis, IT requirements management, or business process modeling.
Manager level. For the manager level you need to dial a certainnumber of points - for this you will have to pass the “Specialist” level exams. At this level, the candidate will gain even more in-depth knowledge through, for example, the course “Measurement and Improvement in IT” or “IT Communication Management”. In addition, by the time the specialist passes the “Manager” stage, he must be able to apply the acquired skills in practice.
Expert level.This stage, which brings together everything thatThe specialist has passed the previous stages. By the way, you cannot proceed to the last level without the required number of points and certificates from the two previous stages. If all conditions are met and the level is successfully passed, then the candidate is ready to take the certification.
Each course includes theory, discussion inclass, the solution of a practical case on the instructions of the teacher, homework for distance courses. There are usually several practical cases in the course, the complexity of which depends on the level.
In addition, there are also courses exclusivelyaccording to books according to ITIL books - they are not aimed at practice, but at an overview of approaches and techniques. For example, the module Direct, Plan & Improve provides knowledge about strategy and improvement of an IT organization. It details how to transform an IT organization into a constantly evolving enterprise with effective strategic direction. In general, the candidate will receive a good theoretical basis, which he can then consolidate in practice.
Whom to work after the courses
In general, the certificate opens up great opportunities for specialists - from an IT consultant to a top manager. Here is a small list of professions that you can enter:
- heads and specialists of IT departments in the field of providing and supporting IT services
- project managers in the field of IT service and product management
- process managers
- service managers
- service quality control specialists
- service management consultants and architects
IT management and business process organizationnow one of the most popular and fastest growing areas in many companies. Therefore, to become a qualified specialist in this sector, it is worth going through a little training and getting a certificate - in this case, the chances of finding a job will increase significantly.
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