The four dimensions of ITIL 4 represent four perspectives or focus areas. Those are needed to create and to deliver products and services. Big deal? Or just more unnecessary fluff that you can do without? Show
The four dimensions, perspectives or focus areas are:
All dimensions deserve an equal amount of attention when you create and deliver products and services. When you do not balance this amount of attention evenly, the product and service will most likely not be of (enough) value to your customer or consumer. I guess it is a big deal. Let us take a closer look. Benefits of Applying the ITIL 4 DimensionsThe four dimensions of ITIL® prompts (IT) people to look beyond the traditional IT perspective of technology to consider. Particularly, when you design, build, deliver, support, change, and improve the products and services. As a result, one will look at these products and services more holistically. Also, the four dimensions influence each other. A change to one will always influence the others. Interestingly, the smallest change can ripple across all four dimensions. For instance, you decide to start using a software application from a new vendor or supplier. This alone already impacts two of the four dimensions: Partner and Suppliers, and Information and Technology. So does this decision also impact the Organization and People dimension? Yes. Particularly when the support ends up in your lap for example. Furthermore, will it ripple all the way through to the Value Streams and Processes dimension? For sure. Think of the management of knowledge about the application. The new supplier relationship that needs to be managed. The contract with the supplier that impacts your levels of service. And so on. Obviously, when considering this scenario, there is a lot that needs to be considered. All to ensure the software application is and remains of value to the customer or the consumer. Ignoring a dimension is like asking for trouble. And who wants trouble? No. Not really. PPT – People | Process | TechnologyFor several decades, the service management industry has embraced the concept of PPT. PPT represents the three main components that a service is comprised of. SPOT – Service | Process | Organization | TechnologyIn the mid-90s, INTERPROM introduced the SPOT Model™. The model was used as an approach that was applied in every IT Service Management (ITSM) consulting engagement. Four Ps – People | Processes | Products | PartnersThe four dimensions of ITIL 4 are an evolution of the four Ps as seen in ITIL V3. They have been revised to consider the broader aspects of the service ecosystem. As well as the way these aspects influence each other. Above all, to encourage a change in the way we think about service value streams. 1. Organizations and PeopleThe human aspect: The people doing and managing the work. The Organizations and People dimension sets out the people aspects of service management. This is to be considered when you design, operate, and change service offerings. People include employees, managers, executives, customers, and supplier employees. As well as anybody else who is involved in the creation or consumption of services. Key considerations of the Organizations and People dimension are:
2. Information and TechnologyHow information and tools help create value. Information and Technology are critical enablers of the delivery of value. In many cases, information is the value. Information and technology support the individual service value streams. A well as the broader service management capabilities. Which help you to manage your service portfolio. When considering the Information and Technology dimension, think about:
Other aspects to consider are skills and information security. Do you have the right people to build, maintain, secure, and support the technology that you are introducing? For example, an organization that launches a new information services that is based on big data architectures may have difficulties with finding people with the right skills. Cybersecurity headlines continue to highlight the potential damage to brand reputation. Security should be “baked in” to a service. From the very beginning the service is designed. It should not be an afterthought. 3. Partners and SuppliersThinking about the broader service ecosystem. Every organization is a provider and consumer of services. It needs Partners and Suppliers to help to deliver its own services. However, the breadth and the depth to which organizations integrate suppliers into their value chains varies. It depends on in-house capabilities, on sourcing biases, and on regulatory requirements. When considering the Partners and Suppliers dimension, think about:
4. Value Streams and ProcessesHow the work happens. And why. Value Streams and Processes introduces the new Service Value Chain that is central to ITIL 4. The ITIL 4 service value chain model is more flexible than the linear lifecycle approach in ITIL v3. The service value chain supports linear flows and iterative approaches (such as Agile). The ITIL 4 service value chain model is generic and flexible. It enables any combination of steps to support different patterns of delivery. The service value chain is an operating model which helps you to describe how a service value stream flows across various activities. From demand to supply. A service value streams represents the delivery process of a service. It is the chain of activities which results in the outcome of a service for the customer. Each service value stream combines different types of activity in a different order. Unlike the ITIL V3 service lifecycle, it is not linear. A value stream can jump back and forth as necessary. Organizations should map a value stream for every product or service to provide a holistic picture of how value is created. The ITIL 4 Foundation publication provides examples of how the service value chain operating model supports the creation of different types of value. This includes incident resolution and resolving a software issue. As well as creating a service and the development of new software. When considering the Value Streams and Processes dimension, think about:
Remember to always focus on value. Otherwise, there is a risk that waste activity will displace activity that creates value. This can easily compromise your productivity. It is waste that stops you from doing more with less. Internal and External Influences to the ITIL 4 DimensionsInternal and external influences are a broad set of factors. They influence how you run service management. These factors must be addressed in the design and operation of the service value streams. This ensures that the services fit into the broader context of your business. As well as your industry. ITIL 4 uses the PESTLE framework. It systematically addresses Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors. For example, political regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA require particular ways of doing things to ensure consumers and their privacy are protected. Balancing the ITIL 4 DimensionsA singular focus on just one of the dimensions causes issues across the other dimensions. The key to balance the four dimensions is to consider all factors when you design a service. They are not an afterthought. When a service value stream changes, all four dimensions should be reconsidered. If not, the value chain may become unstable. Consider all the factors when you apply a change. It helps you to maintain a balance throughout the lifetime of a service. In conclusion, the four dimension are, and have been a big deal. Revisit your practices. And identify where a dimension may need more attention. Obviously, it pays off! Call to ActionCould you use a little help with applying the ITIL 4 dimensions? We would be pleased to assist you. Check out our ITIL consulting service. Or work with one of our experienced coaches.
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Mart has over 40 years of experience in IT and has been coaching, consulting and training in Service Management, Business Relationship Management, Information Security Management, Enterprise Risk Management and IT Governance since 1992. He is the President of INTERPROM and a, Board Member of the Arizona ITSM Professionals. Mart is a Master of BRM (MBRM), he is a certified ISO/IEC 20000 and ISO/IEC 27001 Auditor, and he is ISO/IEC 20000 Master certified. He holds the ITIL® v3 Expert and ITIL 4 Managing Professional certification along with Change Management, COBIT 2019, ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Officer, FitSM and NIST Cybersecurity certifications. He has led numerous organizations towards becoming ISO/IEC 20000, ISO/IEC 27001, and ISO 22301 certified and is an accredited instructor for ISO/IEC 20000, ISO/IEC 27001, CBRM, BRMP, FitSM, DevOps, COBIT, VeriSM, Cybersecurity and ITIL training courses. Mart is also the author of the “ISO/IEC 20000 – A Pocket Guide”. Which dimension of service management is concerned about the relationship with other organizations that are involved in managing services?The partners and suppliers dimension encompasses an organization's relationships with other organizations that are involved in the design, development, deployment, delivery, support and/or continual improvement of services.
What are the 4 dimensions of service management?Four Dimensions. Organization and People. ... . Information and Technology. ... . Value Stream and Processes. ... . Partners and Suppliers.. Which two are considered part of the organization and people dimension of service management?The organizations and people dimension sets out the people aspects of service management to be considered when designing, operating and changing service offerings. People include employees, managers, executives, customers, supplier employees, or anybody else who is involved in the creation or consumption of services.
Which dimension includes a workflow management system?The controlflow dimension is the most prominent one, because the core of any workflow system is formed by the processes it supports. ...
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