Foreword

Back in the 1980s no one truly understood IT service management (ITSM), although it was clear that it was a concept that needed to be explored. Hence a UK government initiative was instigated and ITIL® was born. Over the years, ITIL has evolved and, arguably, is now the most widely adopted approach in ITSM. It is globally recognized as the best-practice framework. ITIL’s universal appeal is that it continues to provide a set of processes and procedures that are efficient, reliable and adaptable to organizations of all sizes, enabling them to improve their own service provision.

Having progressed a service from strategy to design through transition and then into live operation, where do we go then? Continual service improvement (CSI) is the answer.

One of the cornerstones of the ITIL service lifecycle is that we should always strive to improve, as to do otherwise leads to standing still, potentially followed by stagnation and ultimately death. Improvements can be a reduction in weaknesses or an enhancement of strengths, as well as adopting new approaches to existing activities. ITIL Continual Service Improvement offers guidance on ways to measure, review and act to identify and adopt improvements in service provision. If you have not started your IT service management journey then you may find that this publication is a good place to start, as you can use it to identify those areas where your organization will most benefit from applying service management practices.

The principles contained within ITIL Continual Service Improvement have been proven countless times in the real world. We encourage feedback from business and the ITSM community, as well as other experts in the field, to ensure that ITIL remains relevant. This practice of continual service improvement is one of the cornerstones of the ITIL framework and the fruits of this labour are here before you in this updated edition.

There is an associated qualification scheme so that individuals can demonstrate their understanding and application of the ITIL practices. So whether you are starting out or continuing along the ITIL path, you are joining a legion of individuals and organizations who have recognized the benefits of good quality service and have a genuine resolve to improve their service level provision.

ITIL is not a panacea to all problems. It is, however, a tried and tested approach that has been proven to work.

I wish you every success in your service management journey.

Frances Scarff
Head of Best Management Practice
Cabinet Office