Functions and Processes in Service Transition

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Transition Planning and Support

The goals for transition planning and support include:
  • Planning and coordinating resources in order to ensure that the specifications of the Service Design are realized
  • Starting with the transition phase, identify, manage and limit risks that could interrupt the service.

The objectives for transition planning and support include:
  • Plan and coordinate people and means within the frameworks
  • Make sure that everyone applies the same frameworks and standards
  • Report service issues
  • Provide clear and extensive plans
  • Support transition teams and others involved
  • Controlled planning of changes
  • Report issues, risks and other deviations.
An integral approach to planning improves the connection of transition plans to change plans (project plans) of client, supplier and business.

Change Management

Changes have a proactive or reactive reason. Examples of a proactive reason are cost reduction or service improvement. Examples of reactive changes are solving service disruptions or adapting the service to a changing environment.

Changes must be controlled adequately, so that:
  • exposure to risks is minimized
  • the severity of the impact and service interruption is limited
  • the change is implemented successfully on first attempt.
Change-related service interruptions may have an adverse impact on the company's business results. But good change management also allows the service provider to contribute to the business results.

Service Asset and Configuration Management

The purpose of Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) is to provide a logical model of the IT infrastructure. In this model the IT services are related to the different IT components needed to supply these services.

SACM increases the visibility and performance of the service, release or environment. Among other things this results in:
  • The ability to better research, plan and deliver changes and releases
  • Incidents and problems being easier to resolve
  • Improved coordination with standards
  • Improved regulatory compliance
  • Insight into the costs associated with a service.

Release and Deployment Management

ITIL defines release and deployment management as follows: Release and deployment management is aimed at building, testing and supplying the services specified in the Service Design, thus meeting the requirements and objectives of the stakeholders.

Effective release and deployment management contributes to the business because:
  • Changes are realized faster, cheaper and with fewer risks, and the operational objectives are supported better
  • The implementation approach is more consistent and the traceability requirements (consider audits, legislation etc.) are complied with more closely.

Service Validation and Testing

Testing of services is an important contribution to the quality of IT service provision. Testing ensures that new (or changed) services are 'fit for purpose' and 'fit for use'. 'Fit for purpose' means that the service does what the client expects of it, so that the service supports the business. 'Fit for use' addresses such aspects as availability, continuity, capacity and security of the service.

The goal of service validation and testing is to provide a service that adds value to the client's business.

Service interruptions may be damaging to business operations of service provider and clients who are recipients of the services. They may result in damage to reputations, financial loss and even (fatal) accidents. Imagine, for example, the role of IT in hospitals, the automotive or aerospace industries.

Evaluation

ITIL defines the evaluation process as: A generic process intended to verify whether the performance of 'something' is acceptable, whether it has the right price/quality ratio, etc. or whether it is used, whether it is paid for, etc.

Evaluation delivers an important piece of input for CSI and the future improvement of service development and change management.

Knowledge Management

The goal of knowledge management is to improve the quality of the (management's) decision-making process by ensuring that reliable and secure information is available during the Service Lifecycle.

Knowledge management is particularly relevant during Service Transition, as a successful Transition depends to a large extent on the information and knowledge of users, the service desk, support and the supplier. Specific examples of the application of knowledge management during Service Transition are:
  • Training and knowledge transfer, intellectual property, compliance information and standards
  • The documentation of errors, workarounds and test information.


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© 2007 itSMF International. Extracts are from the book, Foundations of IT Service Management Based on ITIL® V3, which is available from www.vanharen.net.