The results of Hornbill's latest survey have revealed that the majority of so-called ITIL v3 implementations today are failing to adopt a lifecycle approach to IT Service Management (ITSM), in reality taking a bite-size approach to the latest version of the ITIL best practice framework. Most organisations are still implementing the most commonly adopted ITIL v2 processes of Incident, Problem and Change management under the name of v3, while maturing their ITSM deployments in readiness for new ITIL v3 processes such as Request Fulfilment, Service Catalog and Event Management.

Over 500 executives and senior managers from both commercial and government organisations took part in the survey, entitled "ITIL State of the Nation", which looked into international adoption rates of ITIL v3 since its launch in June 2007 and the associated drivers for and barriers to its deployment.

ITIL v2 versus ITIL v3?
According to the survey, the majority (56%) of respondents are still using ITIL v2 with the remaining 44% using ITIL v3; of those 44%, 13% have adopted ITIL v3 from scratch whereas 31% have moved to ITIL v3 from their existing ITIL v2 implementations.

Of the organisations currently using ITIL v2, one third (32%) intend to remain with ITIL V2 but introduce some ITIL v3 concepts; one quarter (24%) are considering upgrading to it with a further 8% having an ITIL v3 project underway; one fifth (19%) have not yet considered ITIL v3; and a further fifth (17%) of respondents claim that they are unlikely to consider moving to ITIL v3, or have already ruled it out completely.

Most commonly adopted ITIL processes
Although the service lifecycle approach is cited as the top driver for adopting ITIL v3, it is not being implemented. Most organisations are deploying ITIL v3 simply to ensure they are up-to-date with the latest version. In practice, many are still just implementing the most commonly adopted ITIL v2 processes of Incident, Problem and Change management under another name (v3). According to the survey, Incident management (96%), closely followed by Change management (84%), then Problem management (67%) are the most commonly adopted processes of ITIL v2. This pattern is reflected by ITIL v3 adopters, with Incident Management (84%), Change Management (70%) and Problem Management (65%) as the top three implemented processes, suggesting that the majority of organisations claiming to have adopted v3 are simply updating existing v2 processes.

There is evidence that some of the ITIL v3 processes that are designed to aid the lifecycle approach to services are being adopted. 37% of respondents have already implemented a Service Catalog with a further 41% developing one currently. Similarly, 42% of respondents have already implemented a Configuration Management System (CMS) or Database (CMDB) with a further quarter (24%) planning to develop one in the near future.

Complexity and timescales in moving to ITIL v3
When asked about the timeframe for implementing ITIL v3, an overwhelming 63% of respondents who plan to move to ITIL v3 intend to do so within the next two years, indicating that many organisations are committed to maturing their existing ITIL v2 processes before moving on to ITIL v3. This reflects the overriding belief of survey participants that the more ITIL processes adopted, the more mature the IT services delivered, and the more likely the key goals and objectives of the overall business or organisation are met.

The long timescale involved in moving to ITIL v3 also suggests the significant level of planning required for migration from one version of ITIL to another. 54% of respondents believe that they will have implemented most, if not all, the processes within each lifecycle phase of ITIL v3 by 2014.

Is the UK ahead of the US?
The findings of the survey reveal that the UK is only marginally ahead of the US across most of the lifecycle phases, with the notable exception of Continual Service Improvement, which is adopted far more widely in the UK. This is perhaps not surprising given that the UK market was exposed to ITIL much earlier than the US.

People or processes?
Gerry Sweeney, CEO of Hornbill Systems commented: "One notable aspect of ITIL v3 is its orientation towards business services, moving IT away from a pure technology play. Whichever version of ITIL organisations are looking to adopt, the drivers are the same: improving service quality and increasing customer satisfaction. Process can only take you so far. It is people that make the difference between poor and excellent service. This is what Hornbill calls the 'human touch' - putting customers at the core of everything we do and developing technology that can be used to drive excellence and prevent process stagnation."

"The service desk is IT's shop window and by ensuring that it is run by the right staff, with the right attitude and the right tools, IT can tackle service quality and customer satisfaction head on, instead of expecting processes alone to make a difference. The challenge for IT remains to demonstrate some quick wins to secure business attention, then forge ahead with the more strategic aspects of ITIL v3, complete the service lifecycle and demonstrate the true benefits of ITIL."

According to the survey, the greatest benefits realised from adopting an overall ITIL framework correspond to the major drivers for its adoption and comprise improvements in service quality (66%), standardised processes (58%) and improved customer satisfaction (48%).

About the survey
Hornbill collaborated with Ken Turbitt of the Service Management Consultancy Group (SMCG) Ltd to prepare the survey with input from the IT Service Management Forum (itSMF), and it was promoted via the Service Desk Institute (SDI), Pink Elephant and ITP Report online. Mauricio Marrone of the University of Göttingen contributed to the statistical data analysis and findings.

To download a copy of Hornbill’s survey and white paper, please go to:
www.hornbill.com/itilstate