Lesson 2: ITIL Guiding Principles

Question 1

What is the purpose of ITIL guiding principles?

Answer 1

To provide organizations with universal and enduring guidance on adopting and adapting ITIL in all circumstances, regardless of changes in its goals, strategies, type of work, or management structure.

Question 2

What are the seven ITIL guiding principles?

Answer 2

1. Focus on value
2. Start where you are
3. Progress iteratively with feedback
4. Collaborate and promote visibility
5. Think and work holistically
6. Keep it simple and practical
7. Optimize and automate

Question 3

This ITIL principle includes concepts like directly or indirectly linking everything the organization does back to value itself, customers, and other stakeholders. It also includes the customer and user experience.

Answer 3

Focus on value

Question 4

What two things can (and should) be considered while applying the focus on value principle?

Answer 4

1. Know how service consumers use each service.
2. Value during normal operational activity as well as during improvement initiatives.

Question 5

Which guiding principle recommends conducting a review of existing service management practices and deciding what to keep and what to discard?

Answer 5

The Second Guiding Principle: Start where you are.

Question 6

What are the two components of implementation according to the “start where you are” principle?

Answer 6

1. Assessing where you are.
2. Use of measurement.

Question 7

What is a risk of measurement according to the “start where you are” principle?

Answer 7

Over-reliance on data analytics and reporting can unintentionally introduce biases and risks in decision-making.

Question 8

What are the 4 steps associated with the second guiding principle: “start where you are?”

Answer 8

1. Look at what exists as objectively as possible.
2. Replicate and expand successful practices or services.
3. Apply your risk management skills.
4. Recognize that sometimes nothing from the current state can be used.

Question 9

What is the third ITIL guiding principle?

Answer 9

Progress iteratively with feedback.

Question 10

Organizing work into smaller, manageable sections that can be executed and completed in a timely manner is a tenet of what ITIL guiding principle?

Answer 10

Third ITIL guiding principle: Progress iteratively with feedback.

Question 11

What is a feedback loop?

Answer 11

A situation where part of the output of activity is used for new input.

In a well-functioning organization, feedback is actively collected and processed along the value chain.

Question 12

What four things should be considered while applying the progress iteratively with feedback principle?

Answer 12

1. Comprehend the whole, but do something.
2. Fast does not mean incomplete.
3. Time boxing
4. Minimum viable product

Question 13

What is time boxing?

Answer 13

Defining and limiting the amount of time dedicated to an iteration.

Question 14

What principle includes time boxing?

Answer 14

ITIL guiding principle three: Progress iteratively with feedback.

Question 15

What is minimum viable product?

Answer 15

The minimally featured thing that will address the opportunity well enough for most of your target customers.

Question 16

What principle includes minimum viable product?

Answer 16

ITIL guiding principle three: Progress iteratively with feedback.

Question 17

What is the fourth ITIL guiding principle?

Answer 17

Collaborate and promote visibility

Question 18

What three things should be considered when applying the “collaborate and promote visibility” principle?

Answer 18

1. Collaboration does not mean consensus.
2. Communicate in a way the audience can hear.
3. Decisions can only be made on visible data.

Question 19

What are the three critical analysis activities that should be considered when applying collaborate and promote visibility?

Answer 19

1. Understanding flow of work-in-progress.
2. Identifying bottlenecks and excess capacity.
3. Uncovering waste.

Question 20

What are two tools that can be used to conduct critical analysis activities while applying the collaborate and promote visibility principle?

Answer 20

1. Value stream maps.
2. Kanban boards.

Question 21

What is the fifth ITIL guiding principle?

Answer 21

Think and work holistically.

Question 22

What is the theory of constraints?

Answer 22

Theory that recommends starting with the weak link when applying the “think and work holistically” principle.

Question 23

In which ITIL guiding principle is theory of constraints used?

Answer 23

ITIL guiding principle five: think and work holistically.

Question 24

What is the sixth ITIL guiding principle?

Answer 24

Keep it simple and practical.

Question 25

What are the three elements to keep in mind when applying the “keep it simple and practical” principle?

Answer 25

1. Judging what to keep.
2. Conflicting objectives.
3. Think about exceptions, handle generally, don’t try to cover all.

Question 26

What is the seventh ITIL guiding principle?

Answer 26

Optimize and automate

Question 27

What are two core concepts of the seventh ITIL guiding princple, “optimize and automate?”

Answer 27

1. All resources should be used effectively.
2. Human intervention should only happen where it really contributes value.

Question 28

The Road to Optimization: What are the six steps to applying the “optimize and automate” principle?

Answer 28

1. Agree on the overall vision.
2. Assess the current state.
3. Agree on a future state.
4. Engage the stakeholders and obtain commitment.
5. Execute the improvements.
6. Continually monitor the impact.

Question 29

True/False: When applying the seventh ITIL guiding principle, “automate and optimize,” you should always optimize before automating.

Answer 29

True

Question 30

During the application of which ITIL guiding principle should you use all other guiding principles?

Answer 30

The seventh ITIL guiding principle: optimize and automate.