Dec 15, 2016
Value for customers is always going to be the fundamental principle a service provider maps to be able to create the sought-after value. The "customer" may be and individual, group, organisation, or a mixture, depending on what the service is or who is providing the service.
Within the the ITIL Service Strategy documentation, the definition of the "value of a service" is what it enables someone to do. The characteristics of value are:
- Defined by the customer
- Affordable mix of features
- Achievement of objectives
- Changing over time and circumstances
Value will come in different forms. It comes from the ability to increase productivity, lessened costs, increased sales, competitiveness etc. Ultimately, the service will be valuable if it is fit for purpose (utility) and fit for use (warranty) and this is always going to be from the perspective of the customer. Thus, any continual improvement to services will increase the value being delivered to the customer.
Within an organisation, an IT department should never see itself as a separate entity. Instead, it should see itself as a fundamental requirement to the running of the business, just like electricity and water supply. It is the back bone to the business as they are not just providing hardware and software, they are providing value in the form of “technology-based service” to make the customer and ultimately the business successful in achieving their goals. These goals are the “Vital Business Function” (VBF) and IT is one of the “Critical Success Factors” to achieving this goal.
In consideration of this, the Service provider needs to understand what is going to be valuable to the customer and would do so by getting to know the customer at a very intimate level.
The service provider will need to consider each situation and who is going to receive value from what is being delivered or improved, for any services this should already have been defined, else if not it should be determined as soon as possible. For a processes, this can be more difficult, but the impact that the processes have on the services that are being delivered is the place to start.
In conclusion, if a customer is able to perform tasks unhindered that enable them to contribute to the vital business function, value will have been realised. The only thing the service provider needs to consider is the ongoing process of how to improve the processes to make to customers even more successful and deliver greater value.
For more information, take a look at New Horizons' ITIL training courses.
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