If you’re new to ITIL or just getting started, this is a great place to
begin. We've simplified the core concepts and show how they apply to GoToAssist Service Desk. Use this pocket-sized guide for your
ITIL reference.
ITIL is a set of concepts and guidelines that focuses on managing IT services.
It’s part of a wider IT service management discipline that aims to achieve greater customer satisfaction by putting more focus on the customer and a larger emphasis on internal and external communication.
Among other things, ITIL is broken down into 4 main processes: Incident,
Problem, Change and Release Management. These all interrelate to each other
and focus on the dealing with customers, documenting known issues, managing change and releasing new changes to a production environment.
Many small- to medium-sized companies are put off by ITIL’s apparent complexity. This shouldn’t be the case. ITIL simply boils down to an effective way to manage deadlines, priorities and service-level agreements.
The ITIL Breakdown
An incident is a single event, a disruption or query that negatively affects the quality of a service to a customer. It will have a time frame in which it needs to be resolved. The focus of incident management is about getting your customers up and running by whatever means necessary. Successfully managing incidents means the right priority is assigned, appropriate deadlines are in place and there’s transparent communication and understanding of the incident’s context and who or what it affects. It allows you to accurately measure your Service Level Agreement compliance and understand your incident hot spots and their wider impacts.
Incidents
INCIDENT PROBLEM CHANGE Incidents can spawn Problems
INCIDENT PROBLEM CHANGE
A problem is a flaw that affects the quality of a service. By definition, a problem
is at the root of every incident; an underlying issue with a service that needs a short-term workaround (to minimize disruption when it occurs) and long-term solution (so that it doesn’t happen again).
Problem management is a proactive way of managing your services. It’s about knowing what flaws exist in your system, offering quick workarounds for when they occur and, if warranted, investigating long-term solutions.
Problems
Problems can cause Incidents and spawn Changes
INCIDENT PROBLEM CHANGE RELEASE A change is a modification to a service or to something that will affect a service.
It will have a plan and approval phase and a build and test phase. The focus of change management is about communication and traceability.
Successful change management results in greater awareness across your company of changes to your services—understanding their justification, impact, processes and outcomes. It means no surprises and a fully auditable trail for when the need arises.
Changes
Changes can be spawned by Incidents and Problems and linked to Releases
CHANGE RELEASE A release has a prepared and tested set of components, an agreed timeframe to
release these changes and a record of every deployment. Release management
focuses on communicating clear points of impact, ensuring quality of the production environment and minimizing any customer facing disruptions. Effective release management allows you to deliver change more efficiently, at optimal cost and at reduced risk. It affords you greater confidence in your release process.
Releases
Releases can be made up of many Changes
Underneath the aforementioned processes sits Configuration and Knowledge.
These are the central repositories for your company’s data, information
and knowledge.
Configuration management focuses on infrastructure and deals with identifying, defining and mapping your assets and their relationship to one another (an asset can be a piece of software, hardware, a company, person or location). Knowledge management complements this with a focus on service-related information, processes and initiatives.
Configuration and Knowledge
Both Configuration and Knowledge can cause, relate to, or aid in the management of incidents, problems, changes and releases.
INCIDENT PROBLEM CHANGE RELEASE
A common-sense approach
GoToAssist Service Desk applies a refreshing common-sense approach to ITIL, focusing on the usability of the fundamental processes. The usability, flexibility and customization of GoToAssist will allow you and your staff to focus on delivering quality services to your customers. If you’re considering implementing ITIL or already have but are sick of complicated tools and systems getting in the way, then you might find GoToAssist Service Desk to be just the ticket.
To learn more or start a free 30-day trial, drop us a line, give us a call, or visit our website.
U.S. toll-free: 1.877.582.7016 International: 1.805.617.7372
www.gotoassist.com
Additional Information
For stories of customers using GoToAssist in unique ways, tips for IT managers, and product announcements, visit the GoToAssist blog and social communities. Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @gotoassist
Blog: blog.gotoassist.com
Community: itpros.community.gotoassist.com/gotoassist Further Reading
If you’re interested in more ITIL resources, check out: www.itil-officialsite.com for more information on ITIL qualifications and publications http://www.itsmfusa.org
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About GoToAssist
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