10 ITIL best practices to implement in 2024

In the vast landscape of ITSM methodologies, ITIL is among the most commonly utilized, standing out due to its comprehensive, process-oriented approach and emphasis on aligning IT services with business needs. When implementing the ITIL model, it’s essential that business leaders stipulate and clearly communicate a set of best practices to guide the actions of stakeholders and ensure the framework is leveraged to its fullest potential.

These guidelines typically cover everything from the types of technologies used and training provided to putting specific processes in place for change management and incident management efforts. Ultimately, employing best practices in ITIL aims to ensure that all team members are operating based off of the same information and that technical initiatives are always serving larger organizational goals.

Today, we’ll take a look at some established best practices in ITIL, the benefits that they can provide, and how to incorporate them into your unique business processes.

What is ITIL?

Information Technology Infrastructure Library, or ITIL, serves as a set of best practices for IT service management (ITSM), focusing on aligning technical services with the needs of companies. It offers a comprehensive framework for identifying, planning, delivering, and supporting IT services, aiming to improve efficiency, achieve predictable service levels, and ensure better customer satisfaction. ITIL is organized into five core volumes, each addressing a different aspect of service management: service strategy, service design, service transition, service operation, and continual service improvement (CSI).

Why are ITIL best practices important?

Providing IT professionals with a clear set of guidelines allows them to respond to incidents and changes in a systematic manner. With a clear blueprint, employees can quickly identify the root causes of problems, implement corrective actions, and prevent future occurrences. This structured approach not only minimizes service disruptions, but also improves a company’s ability to adapt to new technologies and evolving business requirements.

Additionally, ITIL's framework emphasizes the importance of learning from past experiences and continuously refining processes to achieve better outcomes. By documenting best practices, organizations create a valuable knowledge base that can be leveraged for training new employees, facilitating cross-functional collaboration, and driving innovation.

10 ITIL best practices you need to prioritize 

Business leaders will need to conduct a thorough internal assessment when formulating a set of best ITIL practices for their team to follow. Key factors to keep in mind when building these guidelines include alignment with broader organizational goals, benefit to support agents and end-users, and cost-effectiveness.

Though these processes will vary from company to company, in general, some tried-and-true best practices in ITIL include:

1. Establish clear goals

Designating clear objectives in ITIL necessitates understanding your organization's mission and vision, and translating these into specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. It’s vital to engage stakeholders from various departments to gather their input, verifying that these objectives support broader business needs.

Once goals are established, it’s crucial to communicate them effectively across the company. This involves creating a detailed plan that outlines the steps needed to achieve the objectives, assigns responsibilities, and sets clear timelines. Don’t forget to engage in regular monitoring and reporting to keep the goals on track and to make necessary adjustments. 

2. Streamline service desk

Effective collaboration is vital for streamlining service desk processes. For instance, establishing clear channels for communication between the service desk, other IT teams, and business units ensures that information flows smoothly and that issues are resolved collaboratively. Implementing ITIL’s service level management helps manage expectations with stakeholders as well, verifying that service desk performance aligns with agreed-upon service levels.

Moreover, it’s paramount that service desk agents continuously receive training and development opportunities. Regular training sessions on ITIL processes, new technologies, and soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving, equip teams to handle a wide range of issues effectively. Cross-training staff in different areas of technical services can also create a more versatile team capable of addressing various incidents without unnecessary escalations.

3. Streamlining incident management

A well-defined incident management process is a fundamental piece of any business’s ITIL approach. This requires prioritizing incidents based on their impact and urgency, enabling the service desk to address critical issues promptly while managing less urgent ones systematically. Here, automation tools can be used to handle routine tasks such as ticket routing, status updates, and notifications, freeing up service desk staff to focus on more complex issues.

Continuous improvement is another key aspect of optimizing incident management. Conducting regular reviews and post-incident analysis helps identify the root causes of incidents and areas for process improvement. Utilizing reporting and analytics tools can also help measure incident management performance through KPIs such as resolution times, incident volumes, and user satisfaction.

4. Understand the importance of ITIL

Effective communication concerning the importance of ITIL involves linking its benefits directly to an IT team's daily responsibilities. Be sure to clearly explain how adopting ITIL processes can make their work easier, more structured, and more efficient. Business leaders might highlight specific advantages such as reduced downtime, faster incident resolution, and improved service delivery. It can also be beneficial to involve team members in the process of implementing ITIL practices, seeking their feedback to foster an enhanced sense of ownership.

Additionally, regularly communicating success stories achieved through ITIL adoption can reinforce its importance over time. Sharing KPIs that showcase improvements in service quality and customer satisfaction can serve to enhance employee buy-in. Recognizing individual and team achievements related to ITIL implementation can boost morale and encourage ongoing commitment as well.

5. Consolidate incident & requests into one place

Consolidating all IT-related efforts typically necessitates leveraging a unified service management tool. A comprehensive ITSM platform that integrates incident management and request fulfillment verifies all incidents and requests are captured and tracked in one centralized location. These softwares should support automated workflows, categorization, and prioritization, allowing for efficient handling of different types of tickets.

Implementing a single point of contact, such as a centralized service desk, is also crucial. Service desks act as the primary interface between users and the IT department, verifying that all communication is handled through one standardized channel. This consolidation helps in maintaining consistent communication and ensuring that all issues are logged and tracked uniformly. 

6. Integrate with other ITIL tools

A company’s integrations are typically centered around the aforementioned ITSM solution, branching out from this foundation. The chosen platform should offer robust APIs and connectors that enable interoperability between different systems used within the organization. For instance, connecting incident management, change management, and configuration management tools ensures that changes and incidents are tracked against configuration items (CIs) in the CMDB.

Furthermore, implementing a unified data model across the ITSM platform is crucial for effective integration. A standardized structure verifies that all tools and processes share consistent and accurate information, reducing the likelihood of discrepancies. This centralized data model also supports the creation of a single pane of glass for managing technical services, providing IT teams with a holistic view of their environment. 

7. Offer self service options

One of the most common self-service tools offered within ITIL is the self-service portal. This web-based interface allows users to log incidents, submit service requests, and track the status of their tickets autonomously. Self-help portals assist in streamlining the reporting process and providing users with greater control over their requests.

Another key self-service option is the knowledge base, which houses a repository of articles, FAQs, and guides. By employing this powerful resource, companies allow users to easily search to find solutions to common problems, access step-by-step instructions, and learn about best practices. A well-maintained knowledge base can significantly reduce the number of incidents reported to the service desk by enabling users to resolve issues independently.

8. Proactively identify risks and take preventive actions

Preemptively identifying and preventing risks in ITIL involves adopting a systematic approach to risk management. For instance, regular risk assessments are a key component of the continual service improvement process. This involves identifying potential risks across various IT services, analyzing their potential impact, and prioritizing them based on their likelihood and severity. Utilizing frameworks such as SWOT or PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental) analysis can help in thoroughly evaluating both internal and external factors that could pose risks.

Instituting robust change management procedures is another crucial practice for proactively mitigating risks. By assessing the potential risks associated with adjustments before implementation, organizations can prevent incidents and disruptions. This requires conducting thorough impact assessments, creating detailed risk mitigation plans, and ensuring all stakeholders are prepared for the change.

9. Leverage AI and automation

Again, incident management processes are prime candidates for benefitting from AI-powered tools and automation.  AI-driven chatbots allow for the automated handling of routine inquiries and initial incident logging, while AI-based algorithms can categorize and prioritize incidents based on predefined criteria. Additionally, automated workflows can facilitate the distribution of tickets to the appropriate resolution teams, reducing resolution times and enhancing overall service delivery.

Even more, AI-powered analytics can analyze large volumes of incident data to identify root causes of recurring issues. This proactive approach enables IT teams to address potential problems before they escalate into major incidents. Similarly, predictive analytics can forecast future incidents based on historical data, allowing for preventive measures to be implemented.

10. Continually monitor key metrics for continuous improvement

To start, it’s paramount to verify that all KPIs measured are relevant and closely aligned with an organization’s strategic goals. These metrics should also be SMART to facilitate accurate tracking and assessment. Regularly reviewing and updating KPIs to reflect changing business needs and technological advancements ensures that they remain applicable and effective over time.

Additionally, automated monitoring and reporting solutions eliminate the need for manual data collection, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring that data is up-to-date. These can be used in conjunction with visualization tools, such as charts and graphs, to help stakeholders easily interpret KPI data and identify trends. Many businesses also utilize automated alerts that immediately notify them of any deviations from expected performance, empowering them to address potential problems promptly.

Where can ITIL best practices be implemented?

ITIL’s wide-ranging and versatile framework allows it to be used across the entire landscape of a company’s IT operations, verifying that no area of technical services is overlooked. Here, it’s important not only to establish these guidelines, but ensure they’re effectively communicated to all relevant stakeholders to ensure that everybody is on the same page.

Incident management

Incident management in ITIL begins with setting up a standardized procedure for incident reporting, where all disruptions are captured through a centralized service desk. This ensures that no incident is overlooked and that all relevant information is collected from the start. These platforms typically offer the ability to categorize and prioritize disruptions based on their impact and urgency, facilitating efficient resource allocation and verifying that critical issues are addressed first.

ITIL also encourages creating clear escalation paths for incidents that can’t be resolved by first-line support. This necessitates defining criteria for when incidents should be escalated to higher levels of support. Here, developing a knowledge base with known solutions can assist in quicker resolution of common issues, enabling first-line support to handle a greater number of incidents effectively. 

Problem management

In problem management, it’s essential that IT teams conduct thorough root cause analysis (RCA) for every major incident or recurring issue. Techniques such as the ‘5 Whys’ or Fishbone diagrams can help in uncovering the underlying causes of problems. Once a root cause is identified, don’t forget to document the findings in your knowledge base, which will help with addressing similar issues in the future.

Engaging in a proactive approach to problem management is another important practice. This involves analyzing historical incident data to identify trends and potential problem areas before they escalate. Regularly reviewing incident reports and KPIs can help in addressing underlying issues preemptively.

Change management

It’s vital that businesses establish a clear change management process that includes defining procedures for requesting, assessing, approving, and implementing adjustments. Verifying that all changes are submitted through a standardized request form and are assessed for their risk and benefits before approval helps in maintaining control and reducing potential disruptions.

Moreover, communicating details about upcoming adjustments to stakeholders, including users, IT staff, and business units, ensures that everyone is well-prepared. This requires providing information about the change schedule, potential impacts, and any necessary actions from stakeholders. After implementing an adjustment, conducting post-implementation reviews helps in assessing whether the change achieved its intended outcomes and identifying any issues that arose. 

Service level agreement management

Firstly, business leaders must define clear and measurable SLA targets that align with customer expectations. This requires collaborating with stakeholders to understand their needs and setting specific criteria for service performance, such as response times and availability. Agreements should be detailed and include metrics that can be objectively evaluated, verifying that both service providers and customers have a shared understanding of expectations.

Continuously reviewing and updating agreements based on changing business needs is also critical for effective SLA management. Regularly engaging with stakeholders to revise SLA terms ensures that agreements remain reflective of current requirements and expectations. This might involve adjusting performance targets, incorporating new service metrics, or revising terms based on feedback.

Integrating ITIL with other Frameworks

There’s a plethora of frameworks that fall under the ITSM umbrella, all of which offer unique benefits for the businesses that employ them. Many organizations choose to adopt several of these methodologies simultaneously to help address a wide scope of technical needs that any single framework may struggle to achieve by itself. Thus, it’s important that companies have processes in place to leverage these approaches synergistically, verifying that all are contributing to common goals and strengthening each other over time.

Six sigma

Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology aimed at improving processes by identifying and eliminating defects to achieve near-perfect quality. It employs a structured problem-solving approach known as DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) to drive improvements, ensuring that solutions are based on empirical data and rigorous analysis.

Integrating ITIL with Six Sigma involves aligning the best practices of ITIL’s service management framework with Six Sigma’s focus on quality management. By identifying common goals, such as improving service quality and operational efficiency, organizations can create a cohesive strategy that leverages both ITIL’s structured service management processes and Six Sigma’s data-driven approach to process improvement.

Lean

Lean methodology focuses on optimizing processes by eliminating waste and enhancing value delivery. In ITSM, this translates to streamlining technical processes, reducing redundancies, and improving service delivery efficiency. Lean approaches employ techniques like value stream mapping, which helps visualize the flow of information, identifying bottlenecks and areas where waste can be reduced. 

When integrated with ITIL practices, one effective approach is to align Lean principles to expedite service management activities. For example, value stream mapping can be used to analyze ITIL processes such as incident management and change management. By mapping out these processes, companies can eliminate non-value-added steps, reduce cycle times, and improve overall efficiency.

Another key aspect is integrating Lean’s continuous improvement philosophy with ITIL’s CSI process. Lean emphasizes a culture of continuous improvement where employees regularly refine processes. ITIL’s CSI process can benefit from this by adopting Lean tools to implement changes and measure their impact. 

Agile

An Agile approach in ITSM is characterized by its emphasis on flexibility, iterative development, and continuous improvement to adapt to changing requirements. This dynamic stance ensures that IT services are continuously refined and aligned with user needs, leading to improved service delivery and customer satisfaction.

Connecting an Agile methodology with ITIL requires focusing on how ITIL’s framework can support Agile’s iterative cycles and adaptive changes. This integration ensures that while Agile teams work in short, repetitive cycles, the overall service management framework remains robust and focused on continuous improvement.

Another critical aspect is adapting ITIL processes to be more Agile-friendly. Traditional ITIL processes can be adapted to support Agile practices by incorporating flexibility and iterative improvements. For example, the change management process in ITIL can be streamlined to accommodate Agile’s rapid deployment cycles. This might involve allowing for expedited approvals for minor changes or adopting a leaner approach that reduces bureaucracy while still maintaining necessary controls.

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Freshservice provides a powerful arsenal of tools designed to optimize incident management, problem management, change management, SLA management, and much more. Additionally, IT asset management (ITAM) attributes such as asset lifecycle management provide a unified location to keep a record of every piece of information on resources from procurement to retirement, while our integrated CMDB maintains a complete repository of all assets with in-depth visibility into how they’re connected to each other.

Even more, Freshservice offers extensive automation features to help streamline repetitive processes and reduce manual errors. For instance, workflow automation serves to expedite time-consuming tasks like employee offboarding, multi-department approvals, and category-based routing. Meanwhile, AI-powered service management steps in to support end-users with our ever-capable chatbots, enhance agent productivity with intelligent suggestions, and provide powerful insights with AI-driven analytics.

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