Question 1

"A set of specialized organizational capabilities for providing value to customers in the form of services" is the official definition of:
A)ITIL
B)ITSM
C)RACI
D)Service Quality

Accepted Answer

"A set of specialized organizational capabilities for providing value to customers in the form of services" is the official definition of IT Service Management.
Key Takeaway: There are many other definitions for ITSM but in essence they all include a component for the description of services required to deliver and support IT services in support of technology or products required by the business. It also includes a description of roles and responsibilities for the people involved and provides a means to manage external suppliers or partners. Regardless, all of these factors are constantly adjusting along with the needs of the customer.

Question 2

What are the four perspectives or attributes of IT Service Management (ITSM)?
A)Protocols, People, Process, & Products/Technology
B)Partners/Suppliers, Process, People, & Products/Technology
C)Procurement, Policies, People, & Production Support
D)Services Transition, Service Design, Service Strategy, & Service Operation

Accepted Answer

Partners/Suppliers, Process, People, & Products/Technology are the four perspectives or attributes of IT Service Management (ITSM).
Key Takeaway: Often referred to as the "four P's" these perspectives or attributes are the cornerstones that comprise quality service delivery within an IT organization. If an organization provides IT services today then these provide for a foundation for continuous process improvement. For those organizations that are just starting out building an IT service delivery organization all four have to be considered as critical to success.

Question 3

Which perspective of ITSM takes into consideration the "soft" side of IT?
A)Partners/Suppliers Perspective
B)Products/Technology Perspective
C)People Perspective
D)Process Perspective

Accepted Answer

The People Perspective of ITSM takes into consideration the "soft" side of IT.
Key Takeaway: The "soft" side of IT includes the people side, including IT staff members, customers, and other stakeholders to ensure they have the skills needed to do their job. The Partner/Supplier Perspective is focused on the relationship with partners and suppliers; the Products/Technology Perspective considers software, hardware, IT services, tools, etc.; and the Process Perspective is focused on the overall delivery of process-driven services.

Question 4

In general, the benefits of IT Service Management (ITSM) include ensuring the IT services are aligned with the needs of the organization, that there are integrated and centralized processes, and the quality of the service is continuously monitored and improved. Which of the follow is not generally a benefit of ITSM?
A)Metrics are collected to demonstrate how well the IT service is being delivered
B)Helps cost-justify the services
C)Satisfies the pre-requisite for an official ITSM Maturity Assessment
D)Ensures that there are clear roles and responsibilities in provisioning the service

Accepted Answer

Satisfies the pre-requisite for an official ITSM Maturity Assessment is not a benefit of IT Service Management (ITSM).
Key Takeaway: Unlike a Capability Maturity Model (CMM/CMMI) appraisal from the Software Engineering Institute, there are no organizational assessments or certifications an organization can achieve as a result of implementing ITSM. Certifications are achieved on an individual person basis as a result of knowledge and capabilities of ITSM.

Question 5

ITIL stands for the Information Technology Infrastructure Library. Which are the five volumes that comprise ITIL?
A)Service Strategy, Service Catalog Management, Service Transition, Service Operation, & Continual Service Improvement
B)Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, & Service Continuity Management
C)Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Security, & Continual Service Improvement
D)Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, & Continual Service Improvement

Accepted Answer

Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, & Continual Service Improvement comprise the five volumes within the library.
Key Takeaway: The five volumes that comprise ITIL are just one of several sources that clients should use to establish best practices for IT services. ITIL should be used hand-in-hand with other frameworks such as COBIT and the CMMI, as well as established standards such as ISO 20000 and BS 15000.

Question 6

A means of delivering value to Customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific costs or risks is the definition for which of the following?
A)Services
B)Process
C)Functions
D)Utopia

Accepted Answer

Services is defined as a means of delivering value to Customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific costs or risks.
Key Takeaway: Was it really tough not to select D since the idea of helping drive valuable outcomes for customers would be an ideal, utopian world? Being able to understand the concept of Service is very important. Consider the difference between planning your own wedding or hiring a wedding planner. Sure, you could plan your own wedding but it's not what you do on a day-to-day basis whereas that's what a wedding planner does as a service to its customers. When you judge the quality of the service you are going to measure your satisfaction based on the whole event and not just how good the band was. The band is just one component of many and the entire event is the service.

Question 7

You were on a conference call on Tuesday where your boss stated that you will be leading the development of a new Service. He mentioned that you will be adopting a Service oriented approach. What did your boss mean by that?
A)I don't have a clue
B)We will use software as a service (SaaS) and cloud computing to drive customer satisfaction
C)Effective communication, the IT organization will be 'transparent', we maintain appropriate response times for inquiries, and we will identify issues in a proactive manner.
D)We will establish formal arrangements with an external organization that will be responsible for delivering high customer-focused services.

Accepted Answer

Effective communication, IT organizational transparency, maintaining appropriate response times for inquiries, and identifying issues in a proactive manner all contribute to taking a Service oriented approach.
Key Takeaway: When we develop and deliver a service it is imperative that we take a holistic view. Consider the issues if an IT organization only focused on the hardware aspect of the environment and didn't take into consideration the software or the needs of the users or customers. How do you think that would impact your customer satisfaction? The net/net is that a broader view is required in order to ensure you are delivering a quality service.

Question 8

Who is responsible for ensuring the process fits the desired purpose?
A)Process Owner
B)Service Owner
C)Process Manager
D)Internal Service Provider

Accepted Answer

A Process Owner is responsible for ensuring the process fits the desired purpose.
Key Takeaway: Not only is the Process Owner responsible for the process, they are accountable for the outputs of the process. The Process Owner differs from the Service Owner in that the Service Owner is held responsible and accountable for the actual delivery of the IT Service. The Service Owner is also responsible for ensuring that the process is continually improving and changes to the process is managed effectively. There may be one or more Process Managers responsible for the operational aspects of a process. The Process Managers report into the Process Owner.

Question 9

An outsourcer is considered a/an:
A)Internal Service Provider
B)Shared Service Provider
C)Matrix-Driven Service Provider
D)External Service Provider

Accepted Answer

An outsourcer is considered an External Service Provider.
Key Takeaway: An External Service Provider is focused on providing IT services to external customers. Contrast that role to an Internal Service Provider that is contained within a particular business unit and a Shared Service Provider that provides shared IT services to more than one business unit. An Internal Service Provider delivers a service that provides the business unit a competitive advantage whereas a Shared Service Provider is focused on supporting an effective and efficient business processes.

Question 10

The basic services outcomes desired by customers are called:
A)Basic services
B)Core services
C)RACI
D)Service Quality
E)Supporting services

Accepted Answer

Core services deliver the basic outcomes desired by customers.
Key Takeaway: There two service types: core and supporting. Core services represent the value that the customer needs or wants and for which they are willing to pay a fee. These can be contrasted to support services, which enable or enhance the value of the service. Enabling services include those basic factors that allow a provider to deliver the service whereas enhancing services are the factors that differentiate the service and lead to excitement.

Question 11

Which of the following describes a Process?
A)Contains all the details of the IT services delivered to a customer
B)Activities that take in one or more inputs and produce established outputs
C)A table included in the ITIL Service library containing the steps required to request an IT service
D)The most important aspect of Availability Management

Accepted Answer

A process is the related set of activities that take in one or more inputs and produce established outputs designed to provide value to customers or stakeholders.
Key Takeaway: It's important to understand that processes should be measured and these measurements used to drive the overall performance of the service; that the processes are themselves considered an asset because they are what sets a company apart from another in a competitive manner; and finally, processes are flexible such that they may or may not include areas such as roles and responsibilities, policies and procedures, and detailed instructions on how to perform work activities.

Question 12

Who is responsible for making sure that the process meets the needs of its purpose and that it produces the right outcomes?
A)Process owner
B)Process manager
C)Process architect
D)The person in the cubicle next to me

Accepted Answer

The process owner is responsible for making sure that the process meets the needs of its purpose and that it produces the right outcomes.
Key Takeaway: Although answer D could be correct in your particular office setting the answer we are looking for is A. The process owner should not be confused with the process manager who is responsible for the day-to-day management operations of the process. Process architect is not a valid ITIL term.

Question 13

When defining a process it is important to consider the following?
A)Process owner and process manager relationships
B)Timeline for implementation
C)IT operational management demands
D)Physical and behavioral aspects

Accepted Answer

When defining a process it is important to consider both the physical and behavioral aspects that are present.
Key Takeaway: The physical aspects of a process (process documentation, process owner, process activities, etc.) normally garner the most attention but it is important to also consider the intangible behavioral aspects (e.g. communication needs, training requirements, etc.) within an organization when developing processes. This can be accomplished by making sure all the key stakeholders are involved in the design process.

Question 14

What purpose does an IT Function serve?
A)It acts as the 'glue' within ITSM
B)Determines the importance of a Service
C)To rhyme with conjunction
D)To define the roles and responsibilities required for IT Services design, delivery, and management.

Accepted Answer

An IT Function defines the roles and responsibilities required for IT Services design, delivery, and management.
Key Takeaway: The logical grouping is needed within Service Operation to ensure a steady state operation can be maintained. An IT Function ensures that each person knows their own role in the overall strategy of the team. Consider what would happen to a football team if the players didn't know what to do or where to go for each play? It would be utter chaos. The same applies to an IT service organization. An IT Function is the 'play book' for the team.

Question 15

The RACI model is at the core of ensuring the integration of Processes and Functions. What does RACI abbreviation stand for?
A)Responsive, Accountable, Coordinated, & Informed
B)Responsible, Actionable, Coordinated, & Integrated
C)Responsibility, Accountability, Consult, & Inform
D)Reasonable, Accommodating, Cooperative, & Inquisitive

Accepted Answer

The RACI model is at the core of ensuring the integration of Processes and Functions. The RACI abbreviation stands for Responsibility, Accountability, Consult, & Inform.
Key Takeaway: The RACI Model is a helpful tool to document the roles and responsibilities of the different activities across the IT Functions. Displayed in the form of a table whereas the columns define the Functions and the rows define the activities within the Function. Where the cells intersect an R, A, C, and/or I is entered. Viewed by rows, it is possible to have the same letter in more than one cell to denote a shared responsibility. The exceptions to this are: only one "A" is allowed in a row (otherwise there would be confusion over who is accountable); and at least one "R" is required in a row (a Function needs to be responsible for each activity so work gets done).

Question 16

How many phases are there in the Service Lifecycle?
A)4
B)5
C)6
D)4 Plus 1 Optional

Accepted Answer

There are five phases in the Service Lifecycle.
Key Takeaway: The same five volumes that comprise the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) are what comprise the Service Lifecycle: Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement. Keep in mind that there is a holistic integration of all phases and each phase will affect the other. The result is a continuous cycle.

Question 17

In which phase of the Service Lifecycle is there a focus on designing, developing, and implementing service management?
A)Service Strategy
B)Service Design
C)Service Transition
D)Service Operation

Accepted Answer

Focusing on service management design, development, and implementation is one objective of Service Strategy.
Key Takeaway: In addition, Service Strategy is focused on enabling the IT organization's ability to manage costs and risks in the service portfolio and establishing the IT organization's strategic objectives. By accomplishing all of these goals, the IT organization will be positioned to support the company's growth and help drive overall improvements and efficiencies.

Question 18

The two factors of creating Service Value are:
A)Service Utility and Service Stability
B)Service Stability and Service Affordability
C)Service Affordability and Service Warranty
D)Service Utility and Service Warranty

Accepted Answer

Service Utility and Service Warranty are the two factors that lead to Service Value.
Key Takeaway: Before an IT organization can assign a cost for its services it has to establish a value for those services. Service Utility, the service's positive impact on the business operations, and Service Warranty, how well the positive impact is delivered, together enable the organization to establish a value for the service.

Question 19

A Service Package contains all of the following except:
A)Service Level Packages
B)Core Services Package
C)Supporting Services Package
D)Service Strategy Packages

Accepted Answer

A Service Package contains the Core Services Package, any Supporting Services Packages, and the Service Level Packages. Service Strategy Packages is not a valid ITIL term.
Key Takeaway: The Service Package is the detailed description of the collection of services available for delivery to customers. The Core Services Package is the heart of the service, Supporting Services Packages help differentiate the Core Services, and Service Level Packages define the Service Utility and Service Warranty.

Question 20

You are the owner of an internet services provider (ISP) company. You have just launched a new Service Package that includes: a) internet connection and email; b) SPAM filtering; and c) a guaranteed download speed. The contents of the service package are defined as:
A)a) Service Portfolio; b) Portfolio Enhancements; and c) Portfolio Guarantee
B)a) Service Package Contents; b) Package Enhancements; and c) Package Guarantee
C)a) Core Service Package; b) Supporting Services Package; and c) Service Level Package
D)a) Core Portfolio; b) Core Portfolio Enhancements; and c) Core Portfolio Guarantee

Accepted Answer

For this example the internet connection is the Core Service Package, the SPAM filtering is the Supporting Services Package, and the guaranteed download speed is the Service Level Package.
Key Takeaway: Combined, the Core Service Package, the Supporting Services Package, and the Service Level Package comprise the Service Package. As you would expect, this Service Package contains a variety of components (e.g. shared services, software, hardware, infrastructure, etc.). This approach helps reduce costs and minimize complexity.

Quiz 1: Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)

"A set of specialized organizational capabilities for providing value to customers in the form of services" is the official definition of:

What are the four perspectives or attributes of IT Service Management (ITSM) ?

Which perspective of ITSM takes into consideration the "soft" side of IT?

ITIL stands for the Information Technology Infrastructure Library. Which are the five volumes that comprise ITIL?

A means of delivering value to Customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific costs or risks is the definition for which of the following?

You were on a conference call on Tuesday where your boss stated that you will be leading the development of a new Service. He mentioned that you will be adopting a Service oriented approach. What did your boss mean by that?

Who is responsible for ensuring the process fits the desired purpose?

An outsourcer is considered a/an:

The basic services outcomes desired by customers are called:

Which of the following describes a Process?

Who is responsible for making sure that the process meets the needs of its purpose and that it produces the right outcomes?

When defining a process it is important to consider the following?

What purpose does an IT Function serve?

The RACI model is at the core of ensuring the integration of Processes and Functions. What does RACI abbreviation stand for?

How many phases are there in the Service Lifecycle?

In which phase of the Service Lifecycle is there a focus on designing, developing, and implementing service management?

The two factors of creating Service Value are:

A Service Package contains all of the following except:

You are the owner of an internet services provider (ISP) company. You have just launched a new Service Package that includes: a) internet connection and email; b) SPAM filtering; and c) a guaranteed download speed. The contents of the service package are defined as: