The 5 Stages of the ITIL® V3 Service Lifecycle

ITIL® V3 takes a Lifecycle approach to providing best practice guidance for IT Service Management. There are five stages in the ITIL V3 Service Lifecycle: Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement.

Service Strategy

The Service Strategy phase of the Service Lifecycle provides guidance on how to design, develop, and implement IT Service Management. Students will understand how service strategies can be developed to give the business a distinct advantage in the marketplace. During Service Strategy, an organization will determine its target markets and how to differentiate itself from its competitors. The organization’s management team will understand the costs and risks associated with their Service Portfolios and can efficiently use this information in their operational decision-making. Practical examples will be used to describe the assessment and planning involved within the IT departments of small, medium, and large corporations. Having the proper strategies in place can give the company a proactive and productive approach to their business operations.

Service Design

The Service Design phase of the Service Lifecycle provides guidance on how to design and develop services and IT Service Management processes that will support the service strategies already developed. Learning how to design service plans will prepare IT professionals and business leaders to address customer concerns in the most proficient manner.

Service Transition

The Service Transition phase of the Service Lifecycle teaches IT professionals and their business associates to manage changes in a productive manner. Service Transition provides guidance on how to efficiently and effectively transition new and changed services into operations without disrupting or interrupting other services or processes.

Service Operation

The Service Operation phase of the Service Lifecycle provides guidance on the practical aspects of day-to-day business operations. The goal is for the IT department to keep things running smoothly, reliably, efficiently and cost-effectively. The activities and processes in this phase ensure that services are delivered to customers at the agreed upon levels with minimal interruptions and disruptions. Service Operation focuses on providing value to both the customer and the service provider.

Continual Service Improvement

Even if nothing changes in an organization, there is always room for development and improvement in IT services. Continual assessment is the key to understanding where improvements can be made. ITIL training can help learners identify where these possibilities for progress are.