Intermediate Service Strategy Online Course

ITIL® Service Lifecycle - Service Strategy 3-Day Course

ITIL® is a Registered Trade Mark of AXELOS Limited

Pre-Reading Material

It is a prerequisite that delegates hold the ITIL® Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management or the version 2 to version 3 Bridge equivalent. Please note that delegates are advised to purchase and read the following publication in advance of the course:  ITIL® Service Strategy 2011 Edition and the Service Transition 2011 Edition.

It is recommended that Intermediate courses require 2 hours of home study each evening.

ITIL® Intermediate Service Strategy examination

The course forms part of the ITIL® Intermediate qualification programme. Successful candidates will be awarded 3 credits towards the ITIL® Expert qualification. The examination will consist of a complex multiple choice, closed book paper of 8 questions, to be answered within 90 minutes. (Candidates sitting the examination in English and who do not have English as their first language will be allowed 120 minutes and allowed the use of a dictionary). The pass mark is 70%.

Course Content

Candidates can expect to gain knowledge and understanding in the following:

Service Strategy Principles

• Understand the strategy of differentiating value-creation (attributes, perceptions and preferences) in the customer’s mind
• Recognize what are assets and how to use them to create value
• Be able to define the three types of service providers and how/where they are used
• Comprehend value chain models and the vertical integration strategy they provide
• Grasp the fundamental aspects of service strategy and be able to define them

Defining Services and Market Spaces

• Be able to create services/strategies related to a customer’s needs
• How to utilize assets (service and customer) to influence value creation
• How to use service archetypes to design a strategy based on asset-based and utility based positioning
• What strategies can be used to define market spaces by focusing services to support business outcomes

Conducting Strategic Assessments

• How to mutually reinforce capabilities and resources so that service management will be treated as a strategic assets
• Ability to conduct a strategic assessment related to investment and financial business constraints
• Performing an analysis of a customer’s needs, market spaces and alignment with business strategy to develop expansion and growth forecasts

Financial Management

• Be able to enhance and add value to a shared imperatives framework for business and IT
• Create, implement and measure service and financial demand modelling so that funding variations related to changes in demand can be quantified
• Provide analysis and guidance to determine how to select the appropriate IT funding models

Service Portfolio Management

• Have the ability to identify the strategic need as well as build a case for a Service Portfolio
• Design and implement a Service Portfolio management environment that includes all the methods: define, analyse, approve and charter.

Managing Demand

• Build a case for implementing demand management related to customer and/or market space requirements
• Ability to develop a capabilities based demand management strategy for a company
• Be able to integrate and relate all aspects of a Service Catalogue and Service Pipeline to demand and capacity
• Be able to design and implement service packages as well as to determine when/where/how service packages should be introduced and used

Driving Strategy through the Service Lifecycle

• Develop strategies that utilize all the elements of the lifecycle (e.g. Service Catalogue, Service
• Pipeline, Contract portfolio, financial budgets, delivery schedules and improvement programs)
• Be able to construct and know where/when to utilize the different types of Service Models as well as where the different design “drivers” (e.g. outcomes, constraints, pricing) affect the strategy
• How to utilize Service Transition for decision analysis to evaluate options, paths, risk and costs related to proposed strategies
• How to utilize Service Operations and Service catalogue in regards to deployment patterns

Critical Success Factors and Risks

• Be able to provide insight and guidance in the design of IT organizations through the use of five organizational structures as well as Critical Success factor
• Be able to determine the need for and selection of automated tools to support the any strategic objectives you have put forth
• Utilize strategy to achieve operational effectiveness and to overcome organizational complexity

Exam Format

• Multiple choice, scenario-based, gradient scored questions
• Number of Questions: 8
• Pass Score: 28/40 or 70%
• Delivery: Online or Paper Based Examination through an Accredited Training Organization
• Exam Duration: Maximum 90 minutes for all candidates in their respective language (Candidates sitting the examination in a language other than their first language have a maximum of 120 minutes and are allowed to use a dictionary).
• Closed Book
• Successful candidates will be awarded 3 credits towards the ITIL® Expert qualification.

Course Fee Includes:

• Pre-course material
• Accredited course with accredited industry-leading trainer
• Best quality course materials
• Comfortable and conducive venues with good transportation links
• ITIL® Examination fee and Certificate
• Refreshments