About the Book

This user-friendly book aims to assist candidates pass the ITIL® OSA Intermediate examination. It not only references the source material from the core ITIL texts but crucially also gives practical guidance based on real-life experiences.
By using the book, exam candidates no longer have to rely just on their memory and revision, but can draw on a thorough understanding of the material and thereby significantly increase their chances of success in both the examination and the adoption of the principles in their professional life.
This new edition reflects the latest ITIL guidance, definitions, terminology and. diagrams. An ITIL® licensed product.
• Key resource for passing the ITIL ® OSA Intermediate exam
• Reduction in costs and downtime with OSA best practice
• Practical insights from the author’s global experience

About the Author

John Sansbury is an ITIL practitioner, examiner, trainer, author and consultant and a Chartered IT Professional and Fellow of BCS. He is passionate about service management and has helped some of the world’s largest organisations improve the delivery of their IT services. He owns Infrassistance, a consultancy specialising in service management.

Table of Contents:
Figures and tables Author Abbreviations Glossary Useful Websites Preface SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 The concept of service management as a practice Chapter 2 The concept of service, its value proposition and composition Chapter 3 The functions and processes across the lifecycle Chapter 4 The role of processes in the service lifecycle Chapter 5 How service management creates business value Chapter 6 How operational support and analysis supports the service lifecycle SECTION 2: THE OSA PROCESSES AND FUNCTIONS Chapter 7 Event management:Introduction • Purpose and Objectives • The Scope of the process • The value to the business and the service lifestyle • Policies, principles and basic concepts • Process activities, methods and techniques • Triggers, inputs, outputs and process interfaces • Using metrics to check effectiveness and efficiency • Challenges, critical success factors and risks • Designing for event management Chapter 8 Incident management: Introduction • Purpose and Objectives • The Scope of the process • The value to the business and the service lifestyle • Policies, principles and basic concepts • Process activities, methods and techniques • Triggers, inputs, outputs and process interfaces • Involvement in knowledge management • Using metrics to check effectiveness and efficiency • Challenges, critical success factors and risks Chapter 9: Request fulfilment:Introduction • Purpose and Objectives • The Scope of the process • The value to the business and the service lifestyle • Policies, principles and basic concepts • Process activities, methods and techniques • Triggers, inputs, outputs and process interfaces • Involvement in knowledge management • Using metrics to check effectiveness and efficiency • Challenges, critical success factors and risks Chapter 10 Problem management: Introduction • Purpose and Objectives • The Scope of the process • The value to the business and the service lifestyle • Policies, principles and basic concepts • Process activities, methods and techniques • Triggers, inputs, outputs and process interfaces • Involvement in knowledge management • Using metrics to check effectiveness and efficiency • Challenges, critical success factors and risks Chapter 11 Access management: Introduction • Purpose and Objectives • The value to the business and the service lifestyle • Policies, principles and basic concepts • Process activities, methods and techniques • Triggers, inputs, outputs and process interfaces • Involvement in knowledge management • Using metrics to check effectiveness and efficiency • Challenges, critical success factors and risks Chapter 12 The Service Desk:Introduction • Purpose and Objectives • Organisational structures • Staffing considerations • Using metrics to check effectiveness and efficiency • Outsourcing the service desk Chapter 13 The other OSA functions: Technical Management • IT operations management • Application management • Functional overlaps Chapter 14 Technology and Implementation Considerations: Generic requirements for technology to support process capability • Evaluation criteria for technology and tooling for process implementation • How to manage change in service operation • Project, risk and staffing practices for process implementation • Challenges, critical success factors and risks related to implementing practices and processes • How to plan and implement service management technologies Chapter 15 Common service activities:The objectives, controls and types of monitoring • The CSI principles and ownership • Service and process improvement including the Deming Cycle • Role definition • Understanding the relationship of CSI in respect of organicational change SECTION 3: PASSING THE OSA EXAMINATION Chapter 16 What you are expected to know: Introduction • Bloom`s taxonomy and its use in the training and examination Chapter 17 Making the most of the training: Introduction • Training duration, structures and content • Practising using samples Chapter 18 The format of the examination: Introduction • Verifying your identity • Format of the scenario-based, gradient-scored questions • The examination environment • Making the most effective use of your examination time • Typical examination question structures and styles • Guidance on selecting the best answer • Marks required to pass the examination APPENDICES A1 Operational Support and Analysis Syllabus: Unit 1 Introduction • Unit 2 Event management • Unit 3 Incident management • Unit 4 Request fulfillment • Unit 5 Problem management • Unit 6 Access management • Unit 7 The service desk • Unit 8 Common OSA functions and roles • Unit 9 Technology and implementation considerations • Unit 10 Summary, exam preparation and directed studies A2 Sample questions: Sample questions • Answers and rationale A3 The generic use of metrics to check and improve efficiency and effectiveness: The seven-step improvement process • Service measurement • Business questions for CSI • Service level management A4 Generic challenges, critical success factors and risks: Generic Challenges • Critical success factors • Risks Index