ITIL in 30 Seconds

If youre new to ITIL or just getting started, this is a great place to

begin. We've simplified the core concepts and show how they apply
to GoToAssist Service Desk. Use this pocket-sized guide for your
ITIL reference.
 What is ITIL?

ITIL is a set of concepts and guidelines that focuses on managing IT services.

Its part of a wider IT service management discipline that aims to achieve greater
customer satisfaction by putting more focus on the customer and a larger
emphasis on internal and external communication.
 The ITIL Breakdown

Among other things, ITIL is broken down into 4 main processes: Incident,
Problem, Change and Release Management. These all interrelate to each other
and focus on the dealing with customers, documenting known issues, managing
change and releasing new changes to a production environment.
Many small- to medium-sized companies are put off by ITILs apparent
complexity. This shouldnt be the case. ITIL simply boils down to an effective
way to manage deadlines, priorities and service-level agreements.

INCIDENT PROBLEM CHANGE RELEASE

 Incidents

An incident is a single event, a disruption or query that negatively affects the

quality of a service to a customer. It will have a time frame in which it needs to
be resolved. The focus of incident management is about getting your customers
up and running by whatever means necessary. Successfully managing incidents
means the right priority is assigned, appropriate deadlines are in place and
theres transparent communication and understanding of the incidents context
and who or what it affects. It allows you to accurately measure your Service
Level Agreement compliance and understand your incident hot spots and their
wider impacts.

Incidents can spawn Problems

and Changes
INCIDENT PROBLEM CHANGE
 Problems

A problem is a flaw that affects the quality of a service. By definition, a problem

is at the root of every incident; an underlying issue with a service that needs a
short-term workaround (to minimize disruption when it occurs) and long-term
solution (so that it doesnt happen again).
Problem management is a proactive way of managing your services. Its about
knowing what flaws exist in your system, offering quick workarounds for when
they occur and, if warranted, investigating long-term solutions.

Problems can cause Incidents

and spawn Changes
INCIDENT PROBLEM CHANGE
 Changes

A change is a modification to a service or to something that will affect a service.

It will have a plan and approval phase and a build and test phase. The focus of
change management is about communication and traceability.
Successful change management results in greater awareness across your
company of changes to your servicesunderstanding their justification, impact,
processes and outcomes. It means no surprises and a fully auditable trail for
when the need arises.

Changes can be spawned by Incidents

and Problems and linked to Releases
INCIDENT PROBLEM CHANGE RELEASE
 Releases

A release has a prepared and tested set of components, an agreed timeframe to

release these changes and a record of every deployment. Release management
focuses on communicating clear points of impact, ensuring quality of the
production environment and minimizing any customer facing disruptions.
Effective release management allows you to deliver change more efficiently, at
optimal cost and at reduced risk. It affords you greater confidence in your
release process.

Releases can be made up of

many Changes
CHANGE RELEASE
 Configuration and Knowledge

Underneath the aforementioned processes sits Configuration and Knowledge.

These are the central repositories for your companys data, information
and knowledge.

Configuration management focuses on infrastructure and deals with identifying,

defining and mapping your assets and their relationship to one another (an
asset can be a piece of software, hardware, a company, person or location).
Knowledge management complements this with a focus on service-related
information, processes and initiatives.
Both Configuration and Knowledge INCIDENT PROBLEM CHANGE RELEASE

can cause, relate to, or aid in the

management of incidents, problems,
changes and releases.
CONFIGURATION KNOWLEDGE
 A common-sense approach

GoToAssist Service Desk applies a refreshing common-sense approach to ITIL,

focusing on the usability of the fundamental processes. The usability, flexibility
and customization of GoToAssist will allow you and your staff to focus on
delivering quality services to your customers. If youre considering implementing
ITIL or already have but are sick of complicated tools and systems getting in the
way, then you might find GoToAssist Service Desk to be just the ticket.
 Learn more

To learn more or start a free 30-day trial, drop us a line, give us a call, or
visit our website.

U.S. toll-free: 1.877.582.7016

International: 1.805.617.7372
sales@gotoassist.com
www.gotoassist.com
 Additional Information

For stories of customers using GoToAssist in unique ways, tips for IT managers,
and product announcements, visit the GoToAssist blog and social communities.
Email: support@gotoassist.com
Twitter: @gotoassist
Blog: blog.gotoassist.com
Community: itpros.community.gotoassist.com/gotoassist

Further Reading
If youre interested in more ITIL resources, check out: www.itil-officialsite.com for
more information on ITIL qualifications and publications http://www.itsmfusa.org
for more information about the ITIL community, local events and resources.
 About GoToAssist

Citrix GoToAssist provides easy-to-use cloud-based solutions that enable

organizations of all sizes to connect with customers, employees and machines
online. With GoToAssist, IT professionals can deliver fast, secure remote support
and monitor IT infrastructures from anywhere. GoToAssist is recognized as the
worldwide market leader by IDC and ranked highest in customer satisfaction
according to TSIA research. To learn more, visit www.gotoassist.com.

2013 Citrix Online, LLC. All rights reserved. Citrix, GoToAssist, GoToMeeting, GoToMyPC, GoToTraining, GoToWebinar, Podio and
ShareFile are trademarks of Citrix or a subsidiary thereof, and are or may be registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other
countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
www.gotoassist.com