Dear Reader,
I’d like to introduce you to Service Design, the 2nd stage of the ITIL lifecycle and the 3rd post in our “ITIL for Newbies…(Like Me) – An ITIL Overview” series. Below you will find both the definition of the Service Design Stage and the processes that it is made up of. Remember to make note of the orange words, as they are important terms that you will need to know for your exam!
SERVICE DESIGN – ITIL V3 GLOSSARY DEFINITION:
Service Design – includes a number of Processes and Functions and is the title of one of the Core ITIL publications. See Design.
Design – An Activity or Process that identifies Requirements and then defines a solution that is able to meet these Requirements.
NEWBIE TRANSLATION:
In addition to designing the service itself, the Service Provider ensures that all the processes, systems, and tools will be able to support the services laid out in the Service Strategy Stage. This is the stage that actually aligns WHAT the business wants to happen with HOW the IT department is going to make it happen, taking into consideration…well, everything. The necessary skills of the IT personnel, methods of measurement, processes of implementation, security requirements, technology requirements, etc. are all considered, in the design of said service.
Know: 4 P’s and 5 Aspects of Service Design
Additionally, during this stage the contracts or Service Level Agreements (SLA) between the Service Provider and the Customer are negotiated. Within these SLA’s are very clearly defined Service Level Targets, commitments made regarding the Availability, Capacity, Continuity, and Security of the service that will be provided.
PROCESSES:
SERVICE CATALOG MANAGEMENT – Ensures that a hardcopy and/or web-based service catalog is produced
- Maintains accurate, updated, & relevant info on services
- Service Catalog is the only part of the Service Portfolio that is published to the customer and can be presented in a number of different views (i.e. Business View, Technical View, etc.)
- Shows only services that are currently offered
SERVICE LEVEL MANAGEMENT – (SLM) Negotiates Service Level Agreements and ensures that they are met, aligning both IT & business requirements.
- Liaison between the customer & the Service Provider and must remain objective & impartial
- Continues to monitor service levels throughout the rest of the ITIL lifecycle
- Operational Level Agreements (OLA’s) are also negotiated here
AVAILABILITY MANAGEMENT – Manages & achieves agreed availability requirements in the SLA.
- Guarantees services agreed upon in the SLA are there when necessary
- Responds to availability issues by working with Problem Management
- Basic Abilities: Availability, Reliability, Maintainability, & Serviceability
CAPACITY MANAGEMENT – Responsible for the efficient management of resources, in order to reduce IT risk through continuous monitoring
- Capacity – the maximum throughput that a service or configuration item can handle
- Considers resources needed to deliver service & plans for short, medium, & long-term business requirements
- Know: Business Capacity Management, Service Capacity Management, Component Capacity Management
IT SERVICE CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT – Ensures that the Service Provider can always provide the minimum agreed Service Levels
- Can be thought of as Disaster Recovery
- Conducts Risk Analysis, Business Impact Analysis & planning for recovery in disaster
- Service Provider can strategize towards prevention, restoration, or a combination of both
IT SECURITY MANAGEMENT– Responsible for maintaining Confidentiality, Integrity, & Availability of the organization’s assets, info, data, and services
- Develops the Information Security Policy, but doesn’t enforce it
- Process: Control, Plan, Implement, Evaluate, Maintain, Report
- Know: Risk, Threat, Vulnerability
SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT – Ensures all contracts with suppliers support the needs of the business and that suppliers meet their contractual commitments
- Focus on offering a fluid quality of service to the end-user, even though specific service is provided by 3rd party
- Maintains the Supplier and Contract Database (SCD)
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Phew! One more stage of the ITIL lifecycle down. Now that we’ve wrapped up the Service Design stage, we can move on to Service Transition next week. See you then!
Also check out…
ITIL for Newbies…. (Like Me) – Part 1: An Introduction to ITIL
ITIL for Newbies…. (Like Me) – Part 2: Service Strategy
ITIL for Newbies…. (Like Me) – Part 3: Service Design
ITIL for Newbies…. (Like Me) – Part 4: Service Transition
ITIL for Newbies…. (Like Me) – Part 5: Service Operation
ITIL for Newbies…. (Like Me) – Part 6: Continual Service Improvement
