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ITIL 4 — IT Infrastructure Library
AXELOS / PeopleCert · Latest Edition · IT Service Management Framework
Interactive study manual covering SVS, guiding principles, 4 dimensions, 34 practices, and value chain.
7 Guiding Principles 4 Dimensions 34 Practices 6 Value Chain Activities SVS 38 Flash Cards
ITIL 4 is the most widely adopted IT Service Management framework globally. It provides practical guidance for delivering IT-enabled services to customers — focusing on value co-creation between the service provider and consumer.
7
Guiding Principles
4
Dimensions
34
Practices
6
Value Chain Activities
1
Service Value System
🔄 The Service Value System (SVS) — The Big Picture
📥
Opportunity / Demand
Inputs that trigger activity — external demand or internal opportunity
↓
⚙️
Service Value Chain
Six interconnected activities: Plan, Improve, Engage, Design & Transition, Obtain/Build, Deliver & Support
🧭
7 Guiding Principles
Universal recommendations
📐
34 Practices
Sets of resources for work
🔧
Governance
Direct and control the org
↓
✨
Value
Outcomes that matter to stakeholders — the purpose of everything
The 7 Guiding Principles are universal recommendations that guide organisations in all circumstances — regardless of changes in goals, strategies, or type of work. They are not prescriptive rules.
PRINCIPLE 1
Focus on Value
Everything the organisation does should link, directly or indirectly, to value for itself, its customers, and other stakeholders.
Ask "how does this contribute to value?" before any activity.
PRINCIPLE 2
Start Where You Are
Do not start from scratch without considering what is already available. Reuse and improve existing services, processes, and tools before building new ones.
Measure and observe current state before redesigning.
PRINCIPLE 3
Progress Iteratively with Feedback
Do not attempt to do everything at once. Organise work into smaller, manageable sections that can be executed and completed in a timely manner.
Use iterations and feedback loops to course-correct quickly.
PRINCIPLE 4
Collaborate and Promote Visibility
Work together across boundaries, bringing in the right people at the right time. Avoid decisions with insufficient information or stakeholders.
Share progress openly — hidden work creates uncertainty.
PRINCIPLE 5
Think and Work Holistically
No service or element works in isolation. Results are delivered to customers through integration and coordination across the organisation.
Consider the end-to-end service, not just your part of it.
PRINCIPLE 6
Keep It Simple and Practical
If a process, service, or action doesn't contribute to value creation, eliminate it. Use the minimum number of steps necessary.
If something adds no value, stop doing it.
PRINCIPLE 7
Optimise and Automate
Resources of all types should be used to their best effect. Eliminate waste. Automate repetitive tasks, but optimise the human element first.
Automate after optimising — not instead of optimising.
ITIL 4 defines four dimensions that must be considered for every service and product. Neglecting any dimension leads to services that are undeliverable, unsupportable, or fail to meet requirements. PESTLE factors (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) act as external constraints on all four.
👥
1. Organisations and People
Roles, responsibilities, culture, staffing, skills, communication styles, and how the organisation supports the work.
→ Organisational structure
→ Culture and leadership
→ Skills and competencies
→ Communication patterns
ℹ️
2. Information and Technology
Information and knowledge used, and the technologies required to support services. Includes AI, cloud, blockchain, apps, and databases.
→ Information assets
→ Technology platforms
→ Data architecture
→ Security and compliance
🤝
3. Partners and Suppliers
Relationships with third parties. Every organisation depends on suppliers to some degree. Strategy for sourcing, integration, and management.
→ Supplier contracts
→ Service integration
→ Outsourcing strategy
→ Partner governance
🔄
4. Value Streams and Processes
How the parts of the organisation work together in an integrated and coordinated way. Defines activities, workflows, controls, and procedures.
→ Value stream mapping
→ Process design
→ Workflow automation
→ Measurement and KPIs
ITIL 4 replaced the 26 ITIL v3 processes with 34 practices — sets of organisational resources for performing work or accomplishing objectives. Click a category to filter.
General Mgmt
Architecture Management
Ensures the organisation's architecture serves its purpose
General Mgmt
Continual Improvement
Aligns practices with the evolving business needs through identification and improvement of services
General Mgmt
Information Security Management
Protects information the organisation needs to conduct its business — CIA triad
General Mgmt
Knowledge Management
Maintains and improves effective use of information and knowledge across the organisation
General Mgmt
Measurement and Reporting
Supports good decision-making and continual improvement through data collection
General Mgmt
Organisational Change Management
Ensures changes in an organisation are smoothly and successfully implemented
General Mgmt
Portfolio Management
Ensures the organisation has the right mix of programmes, projects, products, and services
General Mgmt
Project Management
Ensures all projects in the organisation are successfully delivered
General Mgmt
Relationship Management
Establishes and nurtures links between the organisation and its stakeholders
General Mgmt
Risk Management
Ensures the organisation understands and effectively handles risks
General Mgmt
Service Financial Management
Supports the organisation's strategies and plans for service management through financial resources
General Mgmt
Strategy Management
Formulates the goals of the organisation and adopts courses of action for achieving them
General Mgmt
Supplier Management
Ensures the organisation's suppliers and their performance are managed to support provision of quality products and services
General Mgmt
Workforce and Talent Management
Ensures the organisation has the right people with the right skills in the right roles
Service Mgmt
Availability Management
Ensures services deliver agreed levels of availability to meet business needs
Service Mgmt
Business Analysis
Analyses business needs and recommends solutions to address them
Service Mgmt
Capacity and Performance Management
Ensures services achieve agreed performance and handle demand effectively
Service Mgmt ⭐
Change Enablement
Maximises successful IT changes by assessing risks, authorising changes, and managing the change schedule
Service Mgmt
Incident Management
Minimises the negative impact of incidents by restoring normal operation as quickly as possible
Service Mgmt
IT Asset Management
Plans and manages the full lifecycle of all IT assets
Service Mgmt
Monitoring and Event Management
Systematically observes services and records changes of state that have significance for service management
Service Mgmt
Problem Management
Reduces the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying actual and potential causes
Service Mgmt
Release Management
Makes new and changed services and features available for use
Service Mgmt
Service Catalogue Management
Provides a single source of consistent information on all services and service offerings
Service Mgmt ⭐
Service Configuration Management
Ensures accurate information about configuration items and their relationships is available
Service Mgmt
Service Continuity Management
Ensures availability and performance of a service are maintained at sufficient levels in case of disaster
Service Mgmt ⭐
Service Design
Designs products and services that are fit for purpose and fit for use — and can be delivered by the organisation
Service Mgmt ⭐
Service Desk
Captures demand for incident resolution and service requests. Single point of contact between provider and users.
Service Mgmt
Service Level Management
Sets clear business-based targets for service performance, so delivery can be assessed and managed
Service Mgmt ⭐
Service Request Management
Supports the agreed quality of service by handling user-initiated service requests in an effective way
Service Mgmt
Service Validation and Testing
Ensures new or changed products and services meet defined requirements
Technical Mgmt
Deployment Management
Moves new or changed hardware, software, or documentation to live environments
Technical Mgmt
Infrastructure and Platform Management
Oversees the infrastructure and platforms used by an organisation — enabling monitoring and management
Technical Mgmt
Software Development and Management
Ensures applications meet internal and external stakeholder needs in terms of functionality and quality
The Service Value Chain (SVC) is the central element of the SVS. It defines six key activities that can be combined in many sequences to create value streams — the specific paths to deliver products or services.
🗺️
Plan
Shared understanding of vision, current status, and direction
📈
Improve
Continual improvement of products, services, and practices
🤝
Engage
Good understanding of stakeholder needs, transparency, continual engagement
✏️
Design & Transition
Meeting stakeholder expectations for quality, cost, time to market
🔨
Obtain/Build
Service components available when and where needed, meeting spec
🚀
Deliver & Support
Services delivered and supported to agreed specs and stakeholder expectations
⚡ Key distinction: Value streams are specific combinations of value chain activities for a particular scenario. For example, the value stream for resolving an incident might go: Engage → Deliver & Support → Improve.
38 flash cards covering ITIL 4 key concepts, definitions, and exam topics. Click a card to reveal the answer.
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