Moving from ITIL Version 2 to Version 3
by Julie L. Mohr

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library or ITIL® is a source of information that is incredibly relevant to the discussion of process implementation or re-engineering. It would be very difficult today to say that you are operating at a high level of efficiency without having implemented many of the process that are defined and documented within the framework. But ITIL has undergone a major revision since it was initially developed and Version 3 is dramatically different than Version 2.

ITIL Processes V2
IT Service Management must have a solid foundation to drive long-term value. In Version 2 of the framework, the foundation is the Configuration Management process. This is the process where we manage all of the configuration items and their relationships. Without this critical process and its repository the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), the rest of the ITIL processes would be inefficient or even unstable – limiting their effectiveness to the business. If we view ITIL as a house – then Configuration Management would be the foundation of the house. The foundation of the house is required in order to build the structure and it would be impossible to build a strong first floor of the house without the solid foundation.

On the first floor of the house, we have the Service Support processes of Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management and Release Management. In version 2 we only have one function, the Service Desk, and its focus is also within Service Support. These processes and singular function are all the day-to-day or operational activities that take place to support the business. Incident Management utilizes the Service Desk to provide a single point of contact to the business for all issues relating to the services that IT provides to the business. Problem Management seeks to resolve the root cause of issues – in order to have a more stable infrastructure. Change Management accepts, assesses and approves changes to the infrastructure and Release Management makes certain that they are released into the environment with little disruption to business processes and operations.

The second floor is Service Delivery – the processes that are more strategic in nature that plan for the future needs of the business. These processes – Availability Management, Capacity Management, IT Service Continuity Management and Financial Management – are all very focused on creating a higher level of value to the business. The roof of the house is the process that negotiates the levels of required service and ensures that the IT organization is meeting the objectives of the business, Service Level Management. The front door would then be Security Management – where we ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all information. This view of ITIL is depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1 – ITIL Version 2

ITIL V2 Weaknesses
ITIL Version 2 has some significant weaknesses. First, it is missing some key processes that many organizations have implemented including Event Management, Knowledge Management and Access Management. But more than just missing processes, Version 2 attempts to achieve business alignment by adding steps into many of the processes to get input from the Business. The framework did little to help IT understand what information to leverage from the business and how to utilize that information to create better IT alignment. Version 2 was a process-oriented approach and focused on business alignment – but IT had to do much more than that to create value for the business.

Many consulting companies and ITSM architects built ITIL houses – each organization had a process oriented approach starting with the Service Support processes and over time reaching a higher level of maturity to build in the Service Delivery processes. As architects, we built the same house over and over and what we got was incredible process efficiency and control but we were all looking for something that elevated IT to the next level – as a strategic advisor and partner of the business.

ITIL Processes V3
Version 3 significantly changed the landscape. Instead of building every company the same ITIL house, we stop and before we design anything – we now speak with the business first before we begin to even think about technology. The new approach is based upon the service lifecycle of Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operations and Continual Service Improvement (Figure 2).

Figure 2 – ITIL Version 3

In Service Strategy we begin by asking the business what they are trying to do and what they want to achieve. These business outcomes are turned into a Service Model – a description or graphical representation of the opportunity for IT to create value for the business in business terms. Basically we are asking the business, “What type of structure do you want? How many floors do you want? Do you want security? Will you have gardens and solar panels? What will you be using the structure for?”

Then in Service Design, we create a blueprint of the Service Model. This blueprint or Service Design Package provides all the technical details of what the new service will require based upon architecture, tools, processes, metrics and services. The blueprint will then be turned over to the site foreman – Service Transition – to build, test and implement the new service. Once the new service is released into the live environment, it will be supported and delivered by Service Operations. During each phase of the lifecycle, all aspects are improved through Continual Service Improvement including the services, processes and the lifecycle itself.

At the end of the Service Lifecycle, we have a new structure – built to support the business from the ground up. Unlike version 2 where we implemented the same process-oriented approach for each environment – in version 3 we have an environment-specific service management model. The IT organization creates services for the business focused on the creation of value in the form of delivering the intended use (utility) and delivering the required availability, capacity, security and continuity (warranty).

Since its update to Version 3 in June 2007, ITIL has taken a lot of criticism. The Service Lifecycle is a model focused on Business Integration – IT is a strategic asset of the business. For many organizations, process-orientation will create efficiencies and effectiveness of operations. Others will require much more integration with the business. Version 3 will indeed create more value for the business, but getting to the maturity where an organization can actually realize a full lifecycle approach will take significant time. The cultural barriers for process-orientation are less significant than those for a lifecycle approach.

ITIL as a framework is more than just re-engineering processes. As the agent of change driving the re-engineering of support processes, you must develop an adoption path utilizing ITIL but realize that it should be part of an overall ITIL adoption roadmap developed and agreed upon by your organization. If you start with version 2 and develop better processes, you will be creating a basis for the lifecycle approach. Figure 3 demonstrates a typical adoption path for ITIL. Beginning with awareness through education you can create momentum for the implementation of many of the processes including Incident, Problem, Change, Configuration, Knowledge Management and Service Level Management.

Figure 3 – ITIL Adoption Path

Making the Move to ITIL Version 3
Depending on the maturity and size of your organization, it may make perfect sense to stick with ITIL Version 2, especially if you have already begun the process of education and awareness. But eventually all organizations will be making the move because ITIL Version 3 is where the value can be fully leveraged. Process orientation will help an organization to become more efficient. In today’s business world, the IT organization must elevate itself to become a strategic asset with the business. To do this, we must focus holistically on how we create services, spending extensive time and effort on getting it done right the first time enabling the business to be competitive, innovative and distinctive. ITIL Version 3 focuses on the right things and includes a strong focus on continuous improvement, measuring the right metrics, improving holistically and leveraging knowledge throughout the lifecycle. ITIL Version 3 should ultimately be the choice for assisting organizations to achieve those goals.