Agile and ITIL – and how they integrate

Author:  Peter Measey

This white paper is a short overview of how agile can support ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) and vice versa; it is not intended to provide all the answers. However one thing to consider is that, if what we are doing now is perfect, then let’s keep doing it; if what we’re doing now isn’t perfect, then we need to change and try something else.

Combining agile and ITIL creates a world class, service delivery capability that has the excellence and robustness of ITIL with the delivery and governance capability to deliver services within short/appropriate lead times.

Whitepaper (PDF): Peter Measey, BCS: Agile and ITIL And how they integrate

Within the world of method frameworks it is very easy to become polarised on one specific framework and become a ‘fundamentalist’ on that one single method. Method fundamentalism leads to people focusing on why all other method frameworks are wrong and theirs is right, rather than a focus on how integrated method frameworks can enable excellent delivery (which is the whole point of having them). Most method frameworks have something to offer and, via inspection and adaption, they can normally co-exist.

What is agile?
There are a number of agile frameworks that in essence are about delivery of value to the customer in the shortest timescales. In many cases, in the ITIL world, agile means on time and cost delivery of fit for purpose services.

What is ITIL?
ITIL is part of the Best Management Practice (BMP) family of frameworks, a family of management and delivery frameworks that have been built from learned best practice, covering complementary topics such as Portfolio, Programme and Project and Service Management.