Process and procedure : where are the limits ?

[vk100]

Hi all,

I am trying to define ( would rather say "to see" ) what is the difference between a process and a procedure from an ITIL point of view.
Most of the time when I talk with IT people, there is a lot of confusion when one is saying " I am working on process" and the other one " I am working on procedure".

Can someone could give me a good definition with 2 real examples of what is an IT change Process and what should the IT change procedure related to ?

Thank a lot.

Rgds

[m_croon]

Hi vk,

In my opinion, it is merely a matter of detail. Within ITIL, a set of processes is defined. Each proces combines a set of related activities (related as in: contributing to one goal). The goal of the proces of change management is to have changes executed in a controlled manner and with use of structural / procedural (!) methods.

Within a proces, those participating should be made clear what is expected of them and how they should do this.

For the former (what is expected), the proces should be broken up in some smaller staps (procedures), that are still high level however, and can be described on a generic level no matter what kind of infrastructure it covers. Procedures for change management could be (I am not following the book literaly):
* Writing a change
* Accepting a change (registering)
* Classifying a change
* Assessing a change (usually change aproval board (ITIL calls it change advisory board))
* Communicating a change
* Executing a change
* Evaluating a change
* Closing a change
Procedures are usually formed around a subset of activities within the proces, that can be executed by the same group, function or role within an organisation.

For the latter (how they should do this), work instructions can be formulated. These describe in detail how a change is registered in your tool, how a forward schedule of change is produced and to whom it should be sent (and when) etc.

Hope this helps,

Michiel

[vk100]

Thanks a lot fo your reply.
From what I understand now is that there should be one Change process ( standard one ) with several procedures as much as there are some differents nature of change.

So my change process will still be the same and unique ( Create/Define/ Assess/Build/Implement/Close ) whatever the change type is but the way to achieve the change is controlled by the procedure where actors and actions are defined according to their IT organization.

Is that also your view ?

Rgds

[Guerino1]

Hello vk100,

Process and Procedure are the same thing. They are "synonyms" and are interchangeable. If anyone tells you that they are different you may want to question their understanding of what they are saying.

We must have had this conversation a thousand times in many different companies and the answer "always" comes out the same. Process and Procedure mean the same thing and you can check sources like the Webster-Merriam dictionary and thesaurus for the proof. There are also many Business Process Re-engineering & Innovation (BPR/BPI) texts that will also clarify this as being the case (RapidRe is one of them).

Also, as far as my staff and I know, there are no specific references within ITIL that distinguish between the two.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
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[vitalitil]

This is where the ITIL Glossary comes in handy:

Procedure
A Document containing steps that specify how to achieve an Activity. Procedures are defined as part of Processes.


Process
A structured set of Activities designed to accomplish a specific Objective. A Process takes one or more defined inputs and turns them into defined outputs. A Process may include any of the Roles, responsibilities, tools and management Controls required to reliably deliver the outputs. A Process may define Policies, Standards, Guidelines, Activities, and Work Instructions if they are needed.


... so it's a matter of aggregation, really. A series of activities, each one performed by following a procedure, make up a process. A procedure can usually be followed much like an actor follows a script. The management of procedures within a process would be more analogous to improvisation. Of course, both procedures and processes have objectives, but at a different granularity.
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Vitalitil

[Guerino1]

Hello Vitalitil,

Thanks for the info. I stand corrected. Apparently the ITIL glossary does have a stance. Hoever, I will have to say that this is one of the areas where I will disagree with ITIL, since it appears to be attempting to redefine what has the dictionary has already defined and what is already common knowledge to the general public. Such contradition and confusion is an example of the types of things that cause confusion and hesitancy when it comes to adoption. I guess people can only hope that no one pulls out the globally accepted dictionary on them when they argue the point.

In any case, the differences in the definitions are inconsequential and shouldn't impact anyone's understanding of the bigger picture.

Regards,
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[itilimp]

Yeah, we have covered this one before - click here, always fun!

[rjp]

Maniacal laughter in the distance, slowly gathering volume.......

[Aferreal]

Hello,

In simple words, and at the same time according to IEEE:

Process:
"A sequence of steps performed for a given purpose; for example, the software development process." [IEEE-STD-610]
In other words … “WHAT we do”
Basically presented as a diagram

Procedure:
"A written description of a course of action to be taken to perform a given task." [IEEE-STD-610]
In other words … “HOW we do it”
A procedure details the process
Every box of a diagram could be described in a Procedure.
Usually presented as text

[Ziad]

I would put it this way; a process is a list of procedures executed by someone to achieve a certain goal (generate certain outputs) given certain inputs.

Cheers,
Z!