The ITIL Value System · Topic 4 of 5
Management Practices, Practice Guides and Metrics
ITIL management practices, the general and product and service management practice groups, the ITIL Practice Guides, metrics, KPIs and CSFs.
- 3 min
- A practice is a set of organizational resources for performing work or accomplishing an objective.
- Two practice groups: general management practices and product and service management practices.
- Value chain activities draw on practices.
What it is
A management practice is a set of organizational resources designed for performing work or accomplishing an objective. Practices are one of the five components of the ITIL Value System: the value chain activities draw on them to get work done. ITIL publishes Practice Guides that give practical guidance on each practice, and uses metrics and critical success factors to set targets and check progress.
How it works
What a practice is
- A practice is more than a process: it combines people, information, technology, partners and workflows for a purpose.
- Each practice can be described through the four dimensions, which gives a consistent way to look at any practice.
- Practices are usually carried out by several teams, not owned by one department.
- In the value system, value chain activities use practices to do their work. A practice is not the same as an activity.
Practice groups
ITIL (Version 5) places practices into two groups: general management practices and product and service management practices. Grouping lets related practices be found and considered together. It does not dictate which practices an organization must adopt or assign them to a department.
The ITIL Practice Guides
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To give practical guidance on a management practice |
| Structure | Each guide looks at the practice through the four dimensions, for example roles and skills under organizations and people |
| Benefits | A shared starting point and common language for adopting a practice, which organizations then adapt to their own context |
A Practice Guide does not replace an organization's own procedures and is not an auditable standard.
Metrics and critical success factors
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Metric | A measured value used to track performance | Average incident resolution time |
| Key performance indicator (KPI) | A metric used to evaluate how well an objective is being achieved | Percentage of requests fulfilled on time against target |
| Critical success factor (CSF) | A necessary precondition for achieving a result | Visible sponsorship from senior leaders |
Metrics are most useful when tracked over time, so they show trends rather than a single reading.
If the option is something you can count or time, it is a metric. If it is a condition that must be in place for success, it is a critical success factor.
How the exam asks about this
- "How is a management practice described?" A set of organizational resources for performing work or accomplishing an objective.
- "Where would a Practice Guide describe roles and skills?" Under organizations and people.
- "Visible sponsorship from senior leaders is an example of what?" A critical success factor.
What to remember for the exam
- A practice is a set of organizational resources for performing work or accomplishing an objective.
- Two practice groups: general management practices and product and service management practices.
- Value chain activities draw on practices.
- Practice Guides give practical guidance, structured by the four dimensions.
- Metric: a measurement. CSF: a precondition for success. KPI: a metric for an objective.
Practices are not departments. One practice usually spans several teams, and one team usually contributes to several practices.
Common mistakes
Equating a practice with a process. A practice includes all four dimensions.
Calling a CSF a metric. A CSF is a condition, not a number.
Treating Practice Guides as mandatory standards. They are guidance to adapt.
Check yourself
What are the two groups of ITIL management practices?
General management practices and product and service management practices.
How does a critical success factor differ from a metric?
A CSF is a necessary precondition for success; a metric is a measurement.
How do management practices relate to the value chain?
Value chain activities draw on practices for the resources needed to do their work.
Topic 4 of 5 in The ITIL Value System
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