The Role of Itil Essay Example for Free

The Role of Itil Essay 1. Within an IT support help desk environment, describe the role of ITIL standards in the provision of quality IT service management. An ITIL Service Desk uses a standard set of best practices for lowering costs and improving the quality of IT service delivery. The aim of a Service Desk is to act as the operational interface between the IT organization and its customers, for achieving an organization’s goals. An ITIL Service Desk isn’t only concerned with taking and responding to calls, but also managing the entire lifecycle of the request as it evolves through other relevant processes. For example, a call may start as a simple incident which may then turn into a problem which is also related to several other incidents. 2. The areas in which professional institutions operate extend beyond simply representing their members. Discuss briefly two examples of this. Professional institutions operate in more than representing their members. Other areas in which professional institutions operate are setting standards; one way they do this is by setting and enforcing standards of behaviour for its members. Normally this is done through some formal code of conduct or ethics. They also advise government. 3. Depending upon your job role within an organisation, certain professional institutions may be more suitable to support you. Identify two roles and discuss which Professional Institution would be most appropriate. The roles I have chosen are computer programmers and software analysts. A computer programmer writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. A software analyst is the person who studies the software application domain and prepares the software requirements and specification document. Software analyst is the connection between the software users and the software developers. It conveys the demands of the software users to the developers. The most suitable Professional Institution would be the IAP (The Institution of Analysts and Programmers) based in London. This would be the most  appropriate institution because the deal mainly in analysts and programmers. 4. Explain the range of ITIL standards available to practitioners. Release and Control, Support and Restore, and Agree and Define are three standards available. The Release and Control path to certification focuses on change management, release management, and configuration management. The Support and Restore path focuses on incident management, service desk processes, and problem management. The Agree and Define path focuses on service level management, and financial management. 5. Describe a typical hierarchy within a computing/IT department of an organisation and the types of professional development offered by professional institutions to support progression of the individual. There are many different types of hierarchy used in it/computing departments, one example is a human resources department. Director In the HR department hierarchy, the director oversees all functions. His duties include creating personnel policies and developing an employee manual. The director position also handles all personnel issues that may harm to the companys reputation. Directors ensure all necessary training programs are in place for new employees and existing staff members. This position answers to the company owner or vice president of the division, depending on the size of your company. Human resource division heads or managers report to the director. Management Division heads, managers and fist-line supervisors manage the day-to-day duties of human resource employees. Managers supervise analysts who may specialize in sections, such as compensation, benefits, recruiting, hiring, diversity and training. In smaller HR offices, some sections can be combined. Managers ensure that programs developed by the director are properly implemented and employee handbooks are regularly updated. Managers also directly handle sensitive HR (Human Resources) issues, such as discrimination complaints, so that lower-level employees are not included in the process. Specializing Analysts Each section in the Human Resources hierarchy contains analysts who are trained in specialized areas and report to management. Some positions conduct compensation studies to ensure that the jobs in a company offer competitive salary and benefits. Recruiting analysts look for the best places to market openings to gain the most qualified and diverse candidates. Benefit employees administer health insurance and retirement plans and workers compensation among other programs offered to employees. The diversity section ensures that the workplace is free from illegal discrimination policies and behaviours, while trainers educate staff on employee laws and other important company information. General Analysts If the business is small the human resources department may consist of a director and one or more analysts who are skilled in all areas. These generalists report to the director and perform the full scope of duties in the department. In a larger company, the generalist position can serve as the entry level before specialization is determined. The generalists spend time in each section while developing knowledge through training and experience. They eventually may be placed in areas where they can grow.