IT departments can improve their efficiency by using IT
Infrastructure Library (ITIL) guidelines for running services,
according to Forrester Research.
In a paper discussing ITIL, Forrester analysts Thomas Mendel and
Bernt Ostergaard said ITIL is becoming the standard methodology for
running the different services in an IT department.
According to Forrester, ITIL allows users to improve efficiency,
simplify IT processes and define IT services so they can be
compared with those of external suppliers to determine whether they
should be run in-house or outsourced.
The analysts said, "ITIL is the foundation for better control of
how IT delivers services to business."
Forrester urged users to start planning their ITIL implementation
toward the end of 2004. "Rather than implementing ITIL in
isolation, companies should take the opportunity to map their core
IT services and upgrade their infrastructure management systems in
conjunction with the ITIL implementation," said Forrester.
ITIL was developed by the government's Central Computer and
Telecommunications Agency for the UK public sector but has now been
adopted globally. The guidelines - available online or through
training courses - are overseen by international user group the IT
Service Management Forum, which has 2,000 members in the UK.
Organisations using ITIL include Procter & Gamble, Boeing and
Barclays.
Areas covered by ITIL
- Configuration
- Dealing with problems
- Managing change
- Helpdesk
- Software control and distribution
- Service levels
- Service capacity
- Contingency planning
- Service availability
- Cost of IT services
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