The four dimensions of service management in ITIL® 4 is a model created to ensure people consider all areas of service management and don’t get too focused on just one area. It supports a holistic approach to service management and is critical to the effective and efficient facilitation of value for customers and stakeholders in the form of products and services.
The four dimensions include organisations and people, information and technology, partners and suppliers, and value streams and processes.
Read on to explore the four dimensions of service management in ITIL® 4.
Organisations and people
Despite the increased reliability of technology and machinery, people remain indispensable. Organisations of any industry require people to support the vision and direction of the organisation to remain relevant to its customers and stakeholders. An organisation can only properly function with people who bring diverse skills, competencies, knowledge, and culture.
Hence, organisations need to put in place proper structure by defining the roles and responsibilities of the people in the company, ensuring communication channels are open and transparent and establishing a leadership framework to provide direction and oversight. A clear and defined structure helps support the organisation’s overall strategy and operating model.
Information and technology
The second dimension of service management is information and technology. Information and technology apply to both services which are being managed and service management.
When applied to the Service Value System (SVS), the information and technology dimension refers to the knowledge and information used to deliver services and the technologies and information used to manage all aspects of the SVS.
Partners and suppliers
Partners and suppliers are the third dimension of service management. No organisation can produce and manage the entire supply chain of its services or service management framework. For this reason, partners and suppliers play a vital role as value is progressively achieved through co-creation.
The partners and suppliers dimension refers to an organisation’s relationship with other organisations involved in developing, delivering, deploying, designing, and continually improving services. Contracts and other agreements between the organisation and its partners are also included in this dimension.
Value streams and processes
The fourth dimension of service management in ITIL® 4 is value streams and processes. This dimension applies to specific products, services, and the SVS in general.
A value stream refers to an organisation’s series of steps to create and deliver products and services to consumers. Organisations can make continual improvements to their services by structuring their service and product portfolios around value streams. When an organisation maps its value streams, it can determine what is essential, what introduces waste, and what can be improved.
On the other hand, a process refers to interconnected activities that convert inputs into outputs. Processes describe the order of actions, their dependencies, and what is completed to accomplish a goal.
Conclusion
It is essential for service management organisations to be aware of ITIL® 4’s four dimensions of service management and their relationship with each other. These four dimensions help in providing effective and efficient delivery of value to its customers. Organisations should also apply ITIL®’s best practices for better customer experience.
At BridgingMinds, we offer ITIL® 4 foundation training to provide learners with an in-depth understanding of the ITIL® 4 service management framework. We also offer various courses to help improve your organisation, from cybersecurity courses to DevOps training in Singapore. We also offer PRINCE2® foundation certification in Singapore for project managers looking to upskill their skillset. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us today!
