As per the Service Management section, there are a number of ITIL processes that are associated with Service Operations. These processes should be part of a minimum set of requirements when an ITIL based service model is developed to support a Managed IT Service.

The core processes are;

Availability Management

Availability Management is responsible for ensuring that the availability of each service meets or exceeds its availability targets set in the Contractual SLA’s and is proactively improved on an ongoing basis.

This includes the measurement, monitoring, proactive reporting and reviewing of key metrics for each service and component to ascertain its availability, reliability, maintainability, serviceability and security.

Capacity Management

Capacity Management facilitates discussion with the Client regarding the Client’s future business requirements for the Services such that necessary capacity changes are planned and implemented in according to business requirements.

Capacity Management is the set of activities needed to ensure that the capacity of the service delivery environment is optimized to meet business needs. The objectives of Capacity Management are as follows:

• To ensure that the capacity of the infrastructure matches the evolving demands of the Client’s business requirements in the most cost-effective and timely manner; minimization of capacity related incidents;
• Monitoring and reporting resource utilization and capacity reserves;
• Analyzing data to extract baseline data and trends;
• Identifying, characterizing, and quantifying future capacity demand;
• Taking actions to improve capacity utilization; and,
• Responding to and fulfilling requests for capacity.

Change Management

The process includes the use of the Supplier’s validated Change Management system.

Change Management focuses on the raising and recording of changes, assessment of the impact, benefit and risk of proposed changes, obtaining approval, managing and coordinating change implementation, monitoring and reporting on implementation, reviewing and closing change requests for provided Services so that it has a minimal impact on the Client’s business process.  Additionally, the process assures that a complete and auditable change record is maintained relative to the infrastructure managed or owned by the Supplier.

The objectives of the Change Management process are as follows

• To ensure that standardized methods and procedures are used for the efficient and prompt handling of all Changes, in order to minimize the impact of any related Incident upon service and maintain the auditable trail for devices and infrastructure;
• Standard process for raising, reviewing, recording and closing of all Request For Changes(RFC);
• Ensure standardized methods, processes and procedures are used for all Changes;
• Facilitate efficient and prompt handling of all Changes;
• Approving and scheduling of all Changes;
• Assure the infrastructure remains qualified;
• Assessing the impact of all Changes;
• Maintaining the proper balance between the need for Change and the potential detrimental impact of Changes.

Configuration Management

The Configuration Management process should:

• Create and maintain a CMDB from the inventory.
• Evolve to contain information that enables the Supplier to manage the services once service has been transformed or transitioned to the Supplier
• Provide accurate information to other processes.

The objective of Configuration Management is to keep reliable records with details of assets and services provided to the Client.

Incident Management

Incident Management focuses on restoring failures of services as quickly as possible for the Supplier Services so that the incident has a minimal impact on the Client’s business process.

For this process to be most efficient the Supplier Service Desk shall be the single enquiry point for the Client’s Service Desk for all operational aspects of the Services.

The objectives of Incident Management are as follows:

• To resume the regular state of affairs as quickly as possible and minimize the impact on business processes;
• To assign personnel charged with restoring service, as defined in the relevant SLA;
• To enable engagement of all 3^rd parties (suppliers) of the Supplier’s responsible for delivering services to the Client;
• To clearly define Supplier and Client roles and responsibilities;
• To enable definition of prime supplier ownership until the root cause is determined;
• To ensure that effective records are kept, to enable reporting to the customer and as inputs to Problem, Change, Service Request, Configuration and Service Level Management processes.

Problem Management

Problem Management seeks to get to the root cause of Incidents and then initiate actions to improve or correct the situation. Problem Management focuses on keeping the IT environment as stable as possible for all Supplier provided Services so that it has a minimal negative impact on the Client’s business process.

The objectives of Problem Management are as follows:

• Manage the lifecycle of all problems related to Services provided to the Client. The goal of Problem Management is to prevent recurrence of Incidents;
• Improve the quality of services provided  by resolving underlying root cause of Incidents;
• Prevent Incidents from recurring;
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge base of information on Known Errors for the Supplier to search for Problems, Incidents, Resolutions and Workarounds;
• Prevent incidents from occurring by Proactive Problem Management.

Service Request Management

The objectives of the Service Request Process are:

• To provide a means for Authorized Requesters to request and receive Services;
• To provide information on the availability of various Services and the procedure for obtaining them;
• To provide templates and approvals necessary to meet the Quality Management System requirements around the qualified infrastructure managed on behalf of the Client;
• To assist with general information, complaints or comments.