ITIL relevance

[Carnation]

I am new to ITIL and trying to understand how to implement it in the IT organization that I work for. For simplicity, let's say we have a Infra support group (maintains the computer systems) and a technology training support group (providing training for new technologies required for the projects) who provide services to the development group. I understand that ITIL is relevant to the Infra support group but would the Tech training group come under ITIL's ambit?

[Diarmid]

It is better to consider ITIL as guidance in how you manage your services, rather than as something you implement.

This will also lead to an understanding that service management is the way in which you manage all activities related to the delivery of service rather than all the activities of any particular group or team.

In other words define the processes; identify how they will be performed and by whom (irrespective of what team they are in); identify where authority and responsibility lie at all levels; implement the processes. This will lead to a more harmonious system and will undermine any tendency to silos.
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"Method goes far to prevent trouble in business: for it makes the task easy, hinders confusion, saves abundance of time, and instructs those that have business depending, both what to do and what to hope."
William Penn 1644-1718

[Carnation]

Thanks Diarmid for the explanation.

I understand that whether to adopt ITIL is an organizational decision and once taken applies to the whole organization irrespective of various groups or departments.

My question stems from the fact that ITIL is for IT service providers. By this definition, would the departments who are just providing services to the development group also be treated as IT service providers even if it is the travel desk who is a part of the IT organization but is not providing any IT service?

[BorisBear]

[TomOzITIL_2]

You can buy ITIL out of the box.

Buy a service mgt tool, switch it on and start from there...

Can't fail.

[Diarmid]

Tom,

you need to change your name to TomOzITIL_too_Fe.
_________________
"Method goes far to prevent trouble in business: for it makes the task easy, hinders confusion, saves abundance of time, and instructs those that have business depending, both what to do and what to hope."
William Penn 1644-1718

[DaveInSeoul]

"ITIL out of the Box..... can't fail"

Tom, what have you been smoking?

You certainly are very divorced from any kind of reality.

In order to really understand how to use ITIL and ITIL processes in your organization, you need to start with Service Catalog Management and Service Level Management. I know the "book" answer is to start with Service Strategy, but in an existing organization, it is just as easy to start by defining all your current services by building a service catalog, then getting to supportable levels of service through Service Level Management.

During the building of a service catalog, if you find that you are not providing a critical service the business needs, then you can back up and use the Service Strategy processes to define and refine the new service.

JMHO, but it is what has worked for us. BTW, there are many, many free service catalog templates out in the public domain. Just do a Google search, and then decide which one closely matches your needs, and start from there. Many large universities and various state IT departments have their service catalogs posted on line. Its a good place to start.
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Dave Martin
ITIL v3 Expert
Ph.D (C), Information Technology

[TomOzITIL_2]

[Diarmid]

Sorry Dave. I thought I was warning everyone that Tom was being ironic when I suggested he put "too_Fe" in his moniker.
_________________
"Method goes far to prevent trouble in business: for it makes the task easy, hinders confusion, saves abundance of time, and instructs those that have business depending, both what to do and what to hope."
William Penn 1644-1718