ITIL® Foundation Certification Notes
: Roles & Technology And Architecture
9. Roles
9.1 Process owner
A) Role of Process owner
1) The process owner role is accountable for ensuring
that a process is fit for purpose.
2) The process owner role is accountable for ensuring
that their process is performed according to the agreed
and documented standard and meets the aims of the process
definition.
B) Responsibilities of Process owner
1) Ensure the process works efficiently and effectively.
2) Develop the process strategy, policies and standards.
3) Design the process and improve its design, document
the process.
4) Design the metrics to be collected and monitor
for efficiency.
5) Ensure the availability of resources and capabilities
to carry out the process.
6) Responsible for the consistency of the process
application
9.2 Process manager
A) Role of Process manager
1) The process manager role is accountable for operational
management of a process.
2) The process manager role is often assigned to
the person who carries out the process owner role, but
the two roles may be separate in larger organizations.
B) Responsibilities of Process manager
1) Working with the process owner to plan and coordinate
all process activities.
2) Ensuring that all activities are carried out as required
throughout the service lifecycle.
3) Appointing people to the required roles.
4) Managing resources assigned to the process.
5) Working with service owners and other process managers
to ensure the smooth running of services.
6) Monitoring and reporting on process performance.
7) Identifying improvement opportunities for inclusion
in the CSI register.
8) Working with the CSI manager and process owner to
review and prioritize improvements in the CSI register.
9) Making improvements to the process implementation.
9.3 Process practitioner
A) Role of Process practitioner
1) Process practitioner is responsible for carrying out
one or more process activities under the guidance of process
manager.
2) For some process, process practitioner role may be
combined with process manager role.
B) Responsibilities of Process practitioner
1) Understand and complete the process activities.
2) Work with process stakeholders to ensure correctness.
3) Produce records of the process activities.
4) Identify improvements
9.4 Service owner
A) Role of Service owner
1) The service owner is accountable for the delivery
of a specific IT service.
2) Service owner is accountable for delivering the service
across all process areas in an effective and efficient manner.
3) Accountable to the IT director or service management
director for the delivery of the service
B) Responsibilities of Service owner
1) Service owner represents the service.
2) Work with all IT groups and process owners to deliver,
support and improve the service to the required standards
according to business objectives.
3) Work with customers to understand the requirements,
raise RFC and solve issues.
4) Soliciting required data, statistics and reports for
analysis and to facilitate effective service monitoring
and performance.
5) Study impacts on the service by changes in other services
/ environments.
6) Maintain the service catalogue entry.
7) Ensure the process conforms to all policies
8) As a primary stakeholder in all the processes involved
with the service
9.5 RACI model
A) Acronym of RACI : RACI is an acronym for the four main
roles of being:
1) Responsible: The person or people responsible for
correct execution - for getting the job done
2) Accountable the person who has ownership of quality
and the end result. Only one person can be accountable for
each task.
3) Consulted the people who are consulted and whose opinions
are sought. They have involvement through input of knowledge
and information.
4) Informed the people who are kept up to date on progress.
They receive information about process execution and quality.
B) RACI model- typical steps to create RACI matrix
1) Identify the processes/activities.
2) Identify and define the Roles
3) Conduct meetings and assign the RACI codes
4) Identify any gaps or overlaps. E.g., Multiple R's
or no R's
5) Distribute the chart and incorporate feedback
6) Ensure that the allocations are being followed
Typical example of a RACI Matrix is as shown below:
a) Left column in the matrix represents: activities,
actions, decisions.
b) Top row in the matrix represents: functional roles
responsible for process or service.
c) Cells in the matrix represents: RACI assignments
Figure: An example of a RACI matrix
10. Technology and Architecture
10.1 Role of automation
1) The capacity of automated resources can be more easily
adjusted in response to variations in demand volumes.
2) Automated resources can handle capacity with fewer restrictions
on time of access, they can therefore be used to serve demand
across time zones and after-hours.
3) Automated systems present a good basis for measuring and
improving service processes by holding constant the factor of
human resources; conversely, they can be used to measure the
differential impact on service quality and costs due to varying
levels of knowledge, skills and experience of human resources.
4) Many optimization problems such as scheduling, routing
and allocation of resources require computing power that is
beyond the capacity of human agents.
5) Automation is a means for capturing the knowledge required
for a service process, codified knowledge is relatively easy
to distribute in the organization in a consistent and secure
manner. It reduces the depreciation of knowledge when employees
move within the organization or permanently leave