Service Strategy Lifecycle Stage Flashcards
Primary Purpose of Service Strategy
The primary purpose of the service strategy stage of the service lifecycle is to set and manage the correct overall strategy for IT service management. The IT strategy must be based on an understanding of the organization’s overall business strategy.
Purpose of Service Strategy
For the business strategy to be successful, IT needs to provide the correct IT services to meet the current and future needs of the business. The successful management of IT services is thus important to the success of the organization.
The purpose of the service strategy stage of the service lifecycle
is to define the perspective, position, plans, and patterns that a service provider needs to be able to execute to meet an organization’s business outcomes.
THE FOUR PS OF SERVICE STRATEGY
The first is perspective. By this we mean the vision and direction of the organization. Without knowing what it is, we cannot help achieve the vision.
The next is position. This describes how the service provider intends to compete against other service providers in the market.
The third aspect is plans. The service provider must plan how to move from its current situation to its desired situation.
The final aspect is patterns. Patterns describe the ongoing, repeatable actions that a service provider will have to perform in order to continue to meet its strategic objectives.
why we need the four Ps?
—it is to enable the service provider to provide the services required to enable the organization to achieve its business outcomes.
This means that the focus is on what the organization is trying to achieve and how the IT service provider helps the organization to do so.
This is important because IT departments often ignore the business objectives and do not consider the business benefits when choosing a particular technology.
The Objectives of Service Strategy
The first objective is to provide an understanding of what strategy is. The dictionary definition of strategy is “a carefully devised plan of action to achieve a goal, or the art of developing or carrying out such a plan.”
The Objectives of Service Strategy 1a
you need to consider what is required and your options for providing it. It is focused on an understood defined goal, and every aspect of your strategy should be able to be linked to the achievement of the goal.
The Objectives of Service Strategy 2
The second objective is to provide a clear identification of the definition of services and the customers who use them. You need to identify the services you provide. IT staff are inclined to think in terms of technology or systems rather than services. Remember ITIL’s definition of a service; it is “a means of delivering value to customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific costs and risks.” Every service provided is there to help the customer achieve their business outcomes. As such, you need to know who your customers are and what it is that they are trying to achieve. You can then base your service provider strategy on that.
The Objectives of Service Strategy 3
Another objective of service strategy is to provide the ability to define how value is created and delivered. This means understanding what we can provide and how this will help the customers achieve their goals. As a service provider, you must be able to spot opportunities where you can provide the services the customer needs and be able to respond quickly to them.
A service provider’s strategy must
include the development of a clear service provision model, which spells out how services will be delivered and funded and to whom they will be delivered and for what purpose. Service providers must understand what is required from them as an organization if they are to deliver the strategy successfully.
The final objective of service strategy includes
the development of a plan that first shows how the service provider’s resources and capabilities can be used to deliver the required service effectively and efficiently and that additionally specifies the processes that define the strategy of the organization
The processes that deliver each of Strategy objectives are as follows:
- The strategy of the organization is defined through the strategy management for IT services process.
- The services that will be used to achieve the strategy are defined using service portfolio management.
- What level of investment will be required is calculated using financial management for IT services.
- Demand management decides how to manage the demand for services.
- Business relationship management ensures a good working relationship between customer and service provider, at the strategic level.
Two aspects of strategy are covered in the guidance contained within the ITIL Service Strategy publication:
- Defining a strategy whereby a service provider will deliver services to meet a customer’s business outcomes
- Defining a strategy for how to manage those services.
The Value Service Strategy Delivers to the Business
- The service provider will be able to link its activities to the achievement of outcomes that are critical to customers.
- The service provider will be aware of changes in the business environment and will therefore be able to adapt quickly to meet the new challenge.
- The provider will be able to develop a range of services that help the business achieve a return on its investment in services.
- The relationship between the service provider and customer will ensure open and honest communication between them, enabling a joint understanding of what is to be delivered and how.
- Through understanding the business requirements, the service provider can ensure that it is structured in the most helpful and efficient way to ensure the delivery of those requirements.
Service strategy
is at the core of the service lifecycle. It is the role of service strategy to understand the organizational objectives and customer needs. People, processes, and products should support the strategy. ITIL service strategy asks why something is to be done before thinking of how
