IT service management is an increasingly important area of study for all IT professionals. IT managers are realizing that whatever the technology in use, the requirements to manage it efficiently and effectively and to deliver services that are aligned to the business requirements have never been more important.

The internationally recognized ITIL framework is the best-known approach to IT service management. The popularity of ITIL has spread around the world, with an enthusiastic take-up in the USA, India, the Middle East, and China in particular. For most IT staff members, the certification is now regarded as an essential addition to their resumes, with many job ads specifying the foundation certification as a mandatory requirement. In this book, we take the next step, from the foundation level to the intermediate level. IT managers, and those aspiring to become IT managers, will find the examination of management-level concepts and core information of the supporting activities within each lifecycle stage invaluable. (It should be noted that the intermediate lifecycle syllabi do not include specific details about each of the supporting processes.)

The foundation certificate is a prerequisite to achieving intermediate-level ITIL certification, whether in the Lifecycle or Capability certification areas. An accredited course provided by an accredited training organization is also mandatory; this may be a classroom course or an accredited e-learning course. This book is intended to supplement such a course, not replace it. As experienced classroom tutors and authors of several e-learning courses, we support this mandatory requirement. However, we believe that a real need exists for material beyond what these courses provide. Those who do attend classes often comment that there is too much material to cover in the time allowed. The syllabus guidance specifies that students should complete 21 hours of reading for each examination in addition to attending an accredited course. Purchasing the official core volumes is a considerable investment that may be unaffordable for many. By providing all of the key aspects of the intermediate lifecycle syllabuses, this book is an economical alternative, and it provides more depth than slides or videos. Concepts that were confusing in the course can be studied in depth at the student’s own pace. The many practice questions help reinforce understanding.

ITIL Certification Companion Study Guide: Intermediate Lifecycle Exams provides intermediate-level training for IT managers. Readers will gain a management-level overview of the ITIL service lifecycle stages and the ITIL processes, roles, and functions. They will learn how to design, develop, and implement service management. They will also gain an understanding of how the service lifecycle provides effective and efficient IT services that are aligned to and underpin business processes and the critical success factors and key performance indicators required. The book covers the full syllabus for each of the five lifecycle courses.

The book covers all five of the ITIL intermediate lifecycle syllabi. The five examinations are as follows:

Service Strategy The design, development, and implementation of service management as a strategic asset to align with business processes

Service Design The design and development of services and service management processes

Service Transition Building, testing, authorizing, documenting, and implementing new and changed services into live operation

Service Operation The day-to-day support and management of live services

Continual Service Improvement Creating and maintaining value for customers through monitoring and improving services, processes, and technology throughout the lifecycle

How to Contact the Authors

We are experienced trainers and consultants and use practical examples and explanations to help students grasp the material and understand the concepts being explained. We provide support to all our students and readers; emails seeking further explanation or clarification will be answered within 24 hours in most cases. You can contact us at [email protected].

ITIL Lifecycle Intermediate Exam Objectives

The following tables map each of your study requirements to the chapters of this book. We organized the contents of each chapter to be read in an order that will make it easy for you to study for the exams. The syllabus for each intermediate lifecycle exam examines the corresponding lifecycle stage in terms of its principles and processes, organizational aspects, technology considerations, the approach to its implementation, and its challenges, critical success factors, and risks.