IT Management Reference Guide

This two part series discusses the ten common myths about implementing ITIL. In Part One I explored the first five of these myths, and this second part I explain the remaining five of these. Figure 1 summarizes these ten myths.

Figure 1 Ten Common Myths About Implementing ITIL

6. Processes should only be implemented one at a time - This myth is essentially the opposite of myth #1 described in Part One. Myth #1 suggested that to obtain any of the benefits of ITIL all of its processes should be implemented at the same time or not at all. This myth #6 suggests that the proper method of implementation is to install each process separately and serially. The basis for this myth is that each process is considered to be so intricate, so structured, so far-reaching and so complicated.

In reality, the ITIL processes are all intertwined with each other and work best when implemented in an integrated manner. This does not mean that all of the processes need to implemented all at once (as we saw with myth #1), but it does mean that some groups of processes could and should be implemented together. Some examples of optimal groupings are Incident and Problem Management; Configuration, Change and Release Management; Availability and Security Management; and Service Level and Financial Management. Several ITIL consulting companies and software vendors now offer services and software suites of two or three of these processes combined.

7. Provides detailed templates for implementation – ITIL at its core is a framework of best practices for managing IT infrastructures. Nothing more and nothing less. By design ITIL is a generalized, non-specific, process-oriented framework. As such, it does not include detailed templates for processes. When I am teaching certification classes to IT infrastructure personnel students often inquire about checklists, worksheets and assessment documents they hope to use when implementing ITIL processes. They are usually disappointed to learn that no such documents are available. On student became so indignant he questioned the real value of ITIL and threatened to leave the class.

The student fell victim to this common myth about ITIL by failing to realize that the absence of templates is one of the features that make ITIL so powerful. It is what allows ITIL to apply equally effectively to IT environments of various size, scope and complexity. Templates are normally customized to a specific environment with specific requirements. I am often asked why ITIL does not forms for tracking incidents in incident management or for submitting change requests in change management. My response is that ITIL offers suggestions of what fields to include on both of these forms, but intentionally steers clear of specifics so that templates can be tailored to the needs of the specific environment.

8. Framework applies only to large shops – When authors of the IT infrastructure library developed the original version of their framework in the mid and late 1980’s, mainframes in large shops were the order of the day. Personal computers (PCs) were just starting to come on the scene, client/servers applications were few and far between and very few people were using or had even heard of the Internet. So it’s not surprising that some twenty years ago many may have associated ITIL with large mainframe shops.

But the framers of ITIL understood that their mission was to develop management guidelines that were based on process rather than function, on service rather than size and scope, and on being independent rather than dependent on specific platforms. The structure and principles of ITIL apply to all environments regardless of size, scope, complexity or platforms.

9. Recommends tools to use for implementation – One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from IT professionals concerning ITIL is ‘What tools does ITIL recommend for implementation?’. The answer is simple, ‘None.’. It was never the intention of ITIL to recommend specific tools to use when implementing its framework. ITIL is process-oriented library of best practices. It is not technically-oriented which is what it would become if involved with evaluating and recommending specific products. There are forum groups available – itSMF, for one – that offer guidance in this regard. But it is a myth to think that the ITIL framework itself will recommend tools for implementation.

10. Little need to understand ITIL origins – I have met a number of managers who debated with their staffs about the merits of ITIL before finally deciding to get involved with this framework. The essence of their discussions usually centered on the amount of time and costs they would need to commit to in order to implement ITIL. Once they committed to the implementation of the processes, they focused on moving forward with ITIL rather than looking back at how ITIL got started. They erroneously believe that there is little to be gained by expending time and effort to learn of ITIL’s past.

What these managers do not realize is that understanding the origins of ITIL can actually help with its future implementations. Integration and collaboration are two of the key cornerstones of ITIL and these were prevalent right from the start. When the government of the United Kingdom commissioned a framework of best practices to be developed, it fostered a collaborative effort among specialists from private industry, academia and government. The final product was very much an integrated work among three very diverse groups of people. But it reinforced the notion of cooperation and communication much like today’s version reinforces the same among IT service providers, customers and suppliers. So there can be value in understanding the origins of ITIL and applying those principles when implementing ITIL processes.

This two part series presented ten common myths about implementing the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). In Part One I explored the first five of these myths and in this concluding part I explained the remaining five. The intent of this series is to dispel these myths with explanations that can lead to more effective application of the ITIL framework.