What is ITIL?

ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library.  ITIL is a globally recognized framework that provides a set of best practices for IT service management (ITSM). It helps organizations align their IT services with business needs, ensuring they deliver value to customers. ITIL covers various processes and practices, including incident management, change management, and service configuration management, all aimed at improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of IT services. 

The origins of ITIL go back to the 1980s when IT started becoming more and more prevalent in both business and state organizations. In contrast to more established fields, there was no set of best practices for IT service management and there was no common language among IT professionals. These were the true early days of IT management. The UK Government understood the need for a more systemic approach and tasked The Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) to create a methodology for IT management. The team involved with the task soon realized that they don’t want to create just a method but rather a collection of books with best practices. And since a set of books is usually called a “library” they named it Information Technology Infrastructure Library.

More about ITIL  Go to all ITSM terms

Example of ITIL processes in ALVAO

Example of ITIL in ALVAO

ALVAO Service Desk is using ITIL practices to improve service delivery. When an employee reports a software issue, the helpdesk follows ITIL's Incident Management process. The issue is logged in the system, categorized by priority, and assigned to the appropriate technician. If similar issues have occurred before, the technician can reference the Problem Management database to identify a root cause or a permanent fix. 

Once resolved, the incident is documented, and the solution is stored in the Knowledge Management database, making it easier to address similar issues in the future. This structured approach ensures that incidents are handled efficiently, reducing downtime and improving overall service quality.