ITIL Methodology: What it is, processes, versions and how to apply it

The ITIL methodology offers a set of good practices for managing a company’s information technology services. As a guide, it allows organizations to improve their services by focusing on meeting strategic objectives. Do you want to know more about it? In this post, we tell you what ITIL is and what it is used for, as well as its processes, versions and advantages. 

ITIL methodology concept 

Companies turn to the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) to ensure effective management of technology services that are critical to the organization, efficient operations, and the achievement of strategic objectives. 

Specifically, this is a methodology that focuses its efforts on ensuring that IT services meet the needs of access to information, the deployment of incident solutions and, of course, the continuous improvement of support and customer service. 

Overall, the ITIL methodology contributes to the implementation of good management practices during the service cycle, whose main characteristic is stability, scalability and performance. It also allows the company’s actions to be aligned towards digital transformation and the provision of high-quality services.

Management processes in the ITIL methodology

The ITIL methodology structures service management into five processes detailed below. 

Service strategy

This initial phase involves defining the set of IT services that will be required to meet business objectives, for example, cloud services or websites. A key aspect of this first process is determining what these services are required for and, of course, the selection of measurement tools and standards. 

Service design

In the ITIL methodology, the service design process establishes the specifications or technical characteristics of the services. But how is this task completed? On the one hand, the tools, systems, devices and specialists required for the service are determined and, on the other hand, change management strategies are proposed. As you can see, it involves the management of infrastructure and software. 

Service Transition 

As the name implies, this process involves preparing services, transitioning strategy and design into operations, and testing to understand the status of tools, systems, and other components. At an operational level, the transition puts services into operation. 

Service operation 

Service operation is understood as the process by which technologies and their functionalities are implemented. Both the operation and management of the services are adapted and deployed according to the operating environment and its needs. Following this, action protocols for incidents are included, as well as maintenance schedules, updates and monitoring of the general performance of the services. 

Continuous service improvement 

Services are also subject to evaluation. Knowing their strengths, areas for improvement and the most common problems allows for establishing continuous improvement measures. The previously defined indicators are used to interpret the metrics and propose changes to optimize the provision of services.

ITIL versions

The ITIL methodology has evolved since its development, so it has different versions that have been collecting improvements for organizations. In total, there are four versions of ITIL. Let’s look at them below. 

ITIL v1

This first version established the basis for good practices in IT service management. The aspects covered in these guidelines included incident management, cost management and system configurations. Despite its volume of information, this version was difficult to understand due to its complexity.

Released: 1990

ITIL v2

This version of the ITIL methodology implemented a set of changes to simplify both information and processes. Thus, ITIL v2 was presented as a more user-friendly and rigorous guide for IT service management.   

Released: 2000

ITIL v3

ITIL in this version introduced a much more complete and manageable manual and, as expected, new functions. But the improvements were not only focused on the distribution of information, but also on addressing new service strategies, such as the impact of technologies on achieving business objectives. In this sense, ITIL united IT services with the business approach. 

Released: 2007

ITIL v4

ITIL v4 is the version that marked the revolution of this methodology, above all, due to its focus on digital transformation and the implementation of agile and flexible solutions. But what stands out most in this version is the orientation towards technological changes, which occur at an increasingly rapid pace. The manual includes best practices, also focused on facing changes creatively.

Release: 2019

Advantages of the ITIL methodology 

These are the most notable advantages of applying the ITIL methodology in organizations: 

• Improved quality of service and, consequently, greater user and customer satisfaction. 
• Fulfillment of the company’s strategic objectives, which constantly seeks to increase its value. 
• Greater efficiency in processes, which leads to reduced costs, response times and incident resolution.  
• Continuous improvement in the application of new technologies, as well as adaptation to new work methodologies derived from innovation. 
• Implementation of cutting-edge solutions to optimize company operations, as is the case with the adoption of cloud computing services. 
• Specialization of IT professionals through ITIL certification at its four levels: foundation, master, strategic leader and managing professional.

How to apply ITIL in a service desk?

The service desk allows incidents to be managed by support services that act as a bridge between the company and the users. To improve this, the ITIL methodology offers great opportunities for efficiency and customer satisfaction. Let’s see how to apply it in this context: 

• The service desk must be aware of the fundamentals of the ITIL methodology, in addition to being clear about the team’s needs.  
• The tasks of each team member must be defined and an organizational chart established that reflects the assigned responsibilities. 
• Processes are defined by tasks, such as incident, problem, change and configuration management. 
• Another fundamental part of applying the ITIL methodology in a service desk is the choice of tools , the preparation of the infrastructure and the configuration of digital solutions. 
• Training is also important, as team members must be aware of the tools’ functionalities as well as their scope. 
• After the implementation of the methodology, the performance indicators are evaluated after a certain period of time. Data, metrics and other information are used, which are essential to apply the necessary adjustments.