Functions and Processes in Service Operation

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Event Management

ITIL defines an event as follows: A random measurable or observable event that has meaning for the management of the IT infrastructure or delivery of an IT service, as well as for the evaluation of the impact that a deviation may have on the service.

Event management generally has indirect value. Some examples of added value for the business:
  • event management provides mechanisms for early detection of incidents
  • event management can ensure that certain automated activities are monitored by exception
  • if event management is integrated into other service management processes, it may detect status changes or exceptions; this allows the right person or team to respond more quickly, thereby improving the process performance
  • event management provides a basis for automated operations; this improves effectiveness and frees up costly human resources for more innovative work.

Incident Management

The incident management process handles all incidents. These may be failures, questions or queries that are reported by users (generally via a call to the service desk) or technical staff, or that are automatically detected and reported by tools to monitor events.

ITIL defines an incident as: An unplanned interruption to an IT service or reduction in the quality of an IT service. Failure of a CI that has not yet affected service is also an incident.

Incident management is clearly visible to the business, meaning that its value is easier to demonstrate than for other areas in Service Operations. For this reason, it is one of the first processes to be implemented in service management projects.

Request Fulfillment

ITIL uses the term service request as a general description for the varying requests that users submit to the IT department.

A service request is a request from a user for information, advice, a standard change, or access to a service.

The value of request fulfillment is the ability to offer fast and effective access to standard services that the business can use to improve the productivity or the quality of the business services and products. Request fulfillment reduces the amount of 'red tape' in requesting and receiving access to existing or new services. This reduces the cost for the supply of these services.

Problem Management

ITIL defines a problem as: the unknown cause of one or more incidents.

Problem management works together with incident management and change management to ensure improvements in the availability and quality of the IT service provision. When incidents are resolved the solution is registered. At a given moment this information is used to accelerate the incident handling and identify permanent solutions. This reduces the number of incidents and the handling time, resulting in shorter disruption times and fewer disruptions to the business critical systems.

Access Management

Access management grants authorized users the right to use a service, but denies unauthorized users access. Some organizations also call it 'rights management' or 'identity management'.

Access management has the following value:
  • Controlled access to services enables the organization to maintain confidentiality of its information more effectively.
  • Staff have the right access level to do their jobs properly.
  • The risk of errors during data entry or the use of a vital service by an unqualified user is lower.
  • There is the option to withdraw access rights more easily when it may be necessary for compliance (e.g.SOX, HIPAA, COBIT).

Monitoring and Control

The measuring and control of services is based on a continuous cycle of monitoring, reporting and initiating action. We will discuss this cycle in detail because it is essential to the supply, support and improvement of services.

Three terms play a leading role in monitoring and control:
  • Monitoring: The observation of a situation to discover changes that occur over time.
  • Reporting: The analysis, production, and distribution of the output of the activity that is being monitored.
  • Control: The management of the usefulness or behavior of a device, system, or service.

IT Operations

To deliver the services as agreed with the customer, the service provider will first have to manage the technical infrastructure that is used to deliver the services. If no new customers are added and no new services have to be introduced, if no incidents occur in existing services, and if no changes have to be made in existing services - even then, the IT organization will be busy with a range of Service Operations. These activities focus on actually delivering the agreed service.

Operations Bridge
The Operations Bridge is a central point of coordination that manages various events and routine operational activities, and reports on the status or performance of technological components.

Service Desk
A service desk is a functional unit with associates involved in differing service events. These service events come in by phone, internet or infrastructure, events which are reported automatically.

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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.