Itil V3 Foundation: Chapter 3: Service Strategy Processes

• To ensure that you have the appropriate mix of servicesdelivered by the service provider to meet the requirements of the customer.
  
• The processenables you to track important information about your services, including the investmentthat has been made and the interaction with other services.
  
• Information captured in the service portfolio also ensures that you clearly definethe services and link them to the business outcomes they support.
  

■ Maintain the definitive managed portfolio of services provided by the service provider.

■ Provide an information source that allows the organization to understand and evaluatehow the IT services provided enable them to achieve their desired outcomes.

■ Provide control over which services are offered, to whom, with what level of investment,and under what conditions.

■ Provide information to enable decision making regarding the viability of services andwhen they should be retired.

• The primary concern of the service portfolio management process is to understandif the services being provided are delivering value
• The process should cover the abilityto track investment and expenditure on services.
  
• Covers all the services aservice provider delivers, as well as those that it is planning to deliver and those that havebeen retired from live operation.
  

The complete set of services managed by a service provider.

1. Pipeline section - containsinformation about the services that are in a pre-operational state. Also services that are conceptual or that can't be implemented due to budget constraints, resources, and capabilities
   
2. Service Catalogsection - is the customer-facing section of the service portfolio that shows details oflive operational services;
   
3. The retired section - contains details of the services thathave been retired

• Financial managementfor IT services and to act as agatekeeper for the expenditure on IT services.
  
• Ensure that the service provider is not over-extended financially for the services that the service provider is required to deliver.
  

■ Defining and maintaining a financial framework that allows the service provider toidentify, manage, and communicate the actual cost of service delivery.

■ Understanding and evaluating the fi nancial impact and implications of any new orchanged organizational strategies on the service provider.

■ Reporting on and managing expenditure for service provision, on behalf of the stakeholders.

• Budgeting - This is the process of predicting and controlling the income and expenditureof money within an organization
  
• Accounting - This is the process that enables the IT organization to account fully for theway that its money has been spent.
  
• Charging - This is the process required to bill customers for the use of the services
  

A tool for decision planning and support, allowing you to predictthe likely consequences of a business decision.

• Business Objectives: Example: Lower Cost, Customer Satisfaction, Market Image
  
• Business Impact: Example: Improved maintainability, reliability, and services
  

■ Establish a relationship between the service provider and the customer, and maintainthis by continuing to review the business and customer needs.

■ Identify customer needs and ensure that the service provider can meet those needs,both now and in the future.

■The relationship also allows the customer to articulate the value of theservices to the service provider

■ Ensure that the service provider has a clear understanding of the customer’s perspectiveof the service so that you are able to prioritize the services and assets accordingly.

■ Ensure that customer satisfaction remains high, which will demonstrate that the serviceis achieving the needs of the customer.

■ Ensure that the service provider is able to articulate the business requirements for newor changed services

■ Establish a formal procedure for managing complaints and escalations with the customer

■ Business outcomes, so that you understand what the customer wants to achieve.

■ How the customer uses your services and which services are being offered to them.

■ How you manage the services that are being offered, in terms of responsibility forthe provision, the service levels you deliver, and the quality of service that is beingachieved.

■ How you can optimize the service you provide for the future.

■ The business relationship management process should be concerned with the way thatthe service provider is represented to the customer.