ITIL-4-Foundation Questions and Answers

The purpose of the SLM practice is to set clear business-based targets for service performance, so that the delivery of a service can be properly assessed, monitored, and managed against these targets. SLM involves service level activities, including:

Defining service levels

Documenting

Actively managing them

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-service-level-management/

The purpose of the problem management practice is to reduce the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying actual and potential causes of incidents and managing workarounds and known errors1. Workarounds are temporary solutions that reduce or eliminate the impact of an incident or problem for which a full resolution is not yet available2. Known errors are problems that have a documented root cause and a workaround3. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 15; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 35; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Problem Management, page 7.

A service relationship is defined as the cooperation between a service provider and service consumer. Service relationships are established between two or more organizations to co-create value. An organization can play the role of provider or consumer interchangeably, depending on the situation.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-key-concepts-service-management/#:~:text=and%20stakeholder%20management.-,Service%20Relationships,interchangeably%2C%20depending%20on%20the%20situation.

Don’t start from scratch and build something new without considering what you already have. It’s almost always better to improve what you currently have than to throw it all away and start again, although you must also be able to recognise when a complete replacement is, in fact, needed.

Not only is this approach less wasteful than starting from scratch – because it preserves value that you already have – but it also helps you to keep your people on board. They’re much more likely to support the changes you need if their previous contributions have been appropriately valued.

Don’t rely on metrics and reports to tell you what the current situation is. When you carry out an assessment you should observe what is happening for yourself, and just use the metrics to support your observations.

https://www.sysaid.com/blog/itil/the-7-guiding-principles-of-itil-4-practical-advice-to-help-you-make-decisions

In ITIL 4, “service consumer” is a generic term that includes three specific roles:

Customer – the person or group that defines the requirements for a service and takes responsibility for the outcomes of service consumption.

User – the person or group that actually uses the service.

Sponsor – the person or group that authorizes the budget for service consumption.

So, specifically:

The customer is responsible for defining the requirements for the service and for the overall outcomes expected from the service.

The sponsor is the one who authorizes the budget (not the customer, unless they are playing both roles in a given context).

The user is the one who uses the service in day-to-day operations.

The service provider (or relevant practices like deployment, request fulfillment, etc.) is responsible for provisioning the service, not the customer.

Now, mapping that to the options:

A. Authorizing the budget for the serviceThis is the responsibility of the sponsor role, not specifically the customer role (though one person may sometimes act as both in practice).

B. Provisioning the serviceThis is the responsibility of the service provider, not the customer.

C. Defining the requirements for the service ✅This matches the ITIL 4 description of the customer role: the customer defines requirements and is accountable for service outcomes. Therefore, this is the correct answer.

D. Using the serviceThis describes the user role, not the customer role (even though a person could be both customer and user in some real-world situations).

ITIL 4 Foundation: Definition of service consumer roles – customer, user, sponsor

You need to use all of your resources as effectively and efficiently as you can. This means that you should automate wherever you can, and use people only for tasks that can’t be automated. It also means that you need to think carefully about what you can automate and about the circumstances where only a person will do; and about simplifying those processes you do decide to automate to eliminate wasteful or inefficient steps.

You should always optimize the work BEFORE you automate it, as automating something that is inefficient or ineffective may just result in you doing the wrong thing faster!

https://www.sysaid.com/blog/itil/the-7-guiding-principles-of-itil-4-practical-advice-to-help-you-make-decisions

The Obtain/Build activity is responsible for ensuring that all service components are available when and where needed, and that they meet the agreed specifications.

https://www.beyond20.com/blog/what-is-the-itil-4-service-value-chain/#:~:text=The%20Obtain%2FBuild%20activity%20is,they%20meet%20the%20agreed%20specifications.

Utility is the term used to describe the functionality of a service, or how well it meets the needs and expectations of the customers and users. Utility can be expressed as ‘what the service does’ or 'the functionality offered by a product or service to meet a particular need’1. Utility is one of the two elements of service value, along with warranty2. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 4; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 14.

In ITIL 4, the service desk practice is defined as the single point of contact between the service provider and its users. One of its key responsibilities is to ensure that:

Users can contact the service provider easily

There are multiple communication channels available (phone, email, chat, self-service portal, mobile app, etc.)

Calls, messages, and contacts from users about incidents, service requests, and inquiries are captured and handled

This means the service desk is the practice that guarantees users have a range of access channels to report problems and requests.

Why the other options are not correct:

B. Service level managementFocuses on setting, agreeing, and managing service level targets and ensuring that services meet agreed performance levels. It does not primarily manage user contact channels.

C. Incident managementFocuses on restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible after incidents occur. It uses information gathered by the service desk but does not itself guarantee multiple channels for users.

D. Change enablementDeals with ensuring that changes are properly evaluated, authorized, and managed. It is not about user-facing communication channels.

Therefore, A. Service desk is correct because it is explicitly responsible for providing and managing the channels through which users report issues and make requests.

References (ITIL 4 Foundation):

ITIL® Foundation: ITIL 4 Edition – Service desk practice (purpose and key activities)

ITIL® Foundation: ITIL 4 Edition – Overview of incident management and relationship with the service desk

The first important step is identifying and managing all the stakeholder groups that an organization deals with. The first and most obvious stakeholder group is the customers, as in service management the organization’s main goal is to facilitate customer outcomes. Other examples of stakeholder collaboration include:

Developers working with other internal teams

Suppliers collaborating with the organization

Relationship managers collaborating with service consumers

Customers collaborating with each other

Internal and external suppliers collaborating with each other

The contribution to improvement of each stakeholder group at each level should be understood, as should the most effective methods to engage with them. Depending on the service and the relationship between the service provider and the service consumer, the expectations about the level and type of collaboration can vary significantly. It is important to involve stakeholders, and address their needs at all levels. Determining the type, method, and frequency of such messaging is one of the central activities related to communication.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-guiding-principles/

The organizations and people dimension sets out the people aspects of service management to be considered when designing, operating and changing service offerings. People include employees, managers, executives, customers, supplier employees, or anybody else who is involved in the creation or consumption of services.

https://assyst.ifs.com/blog/what-are-the-four-dimensions-of-itil-4

In ITIL 4, “user” is a specific stakeholder role in the context of service management.

A user is defined as:

The role that uses services.

This is distinct from other roles involved in service relationships:

A customer is typically the person or role who defines the requirements for a service and/or authorizes the budget for its consumption.

A sponsor is the person or role that authorizes the funding for service consumption.

Governance roles (such as senior management or a board) are those who direct and control the organization.

Looking at the options:

A. The role that directs and controls an organizationThis describes governance or management roles, not the user role.

B. The role that uses services ✅This exactly matches the ITIL 4 definition of a user.

C. The role that authorizes budget for service consumptionThis better matches a customer or sponsor, not a user.

D. The role that defines the requirements for a serviceThis also aligns with the customer role.

Therefore, according to ITIL 4 terminology, a user is:

The role that uses services.

So the correct answer is B.

In ITIL 4, guiding principles are defined as recommendations that guide an organization in all circumstances, regardless of changes in goals, strategies, work type, or management structure. They are explicitly intended to support decision-making and actions at all levels of the organization.

The guiding principles help people decide:

How to approach work

How to prioritize activities

How to respond to challenges or opportunities

How to adapt service management practices to the organization’s context

The other options are important ITIL concepts, but they do not primarily exist to guide decisions in every situation:

Four dimensions of service management give a holistic view of what must be considered, but do not themselves provide decision rules.

Service value chain describes core activities that create value, not a decision framework.

Practices describe how specific types of work are organized, not general decision guidance.

Therefore, the ITIL concept that helps an organization make good decisions in all circumstances is the guiding principles.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

ITIL 4 defines four dimensions of service management that are critical for the effective and efficient co-creation of value:

Organizations and people

Information and technology

Partners and suppliers

Value streams and processes

The “Organizations and people” dimension addresses:

Organizational structure – how the organization is arranged.

Roles and responsibilities – who does what and who is accountable.

Systems of authority and communication – how decisions are made and communicated.

Culture and competencies – behaviors, skills, and capabilities of people involved in service management.

Because this dimension specifically covers roles, responsibilities, and systems of authority, the correct answer is A. Organizations and people.

The other dimensions focus on different aspects:

Information and technology – data, information, and technological solutions used in service management.

Partners and suppliers – relationships and agreements with third parties that support service delivery.

Value streams and processes – how activities and processes are organized to create and deliver value.

Relevant ITIL 4 Foundation references:

The four dimensions of service management chapter.

Detailed description of the “Organizations and people” dimension (structure, roles, responsibilities, authority).

The incident management practice aims to minimize the negative impact of incidents by restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible1. A major incident is an incident that has a significant impact or urgency for the business and requires a high level of coordination and resources to resolve2. The most likely way of resolving major incidents is by forming a temporary team working together to identify a resolution, such as a major incident team or a swarming team3. The other statements are not true because:

Users establishing a resolution using self-help: Self-help is an option for users to resolve their own incidents with minimal or no assistance from the service provider, but it is not suitable for major incidents that require urgent and expert attention3.

The service desk identifying the cause and a resolution: The service desk is responsible for logging, categorizing, prioritizing, and escalating incidents, but it may not have the skills or authority to identify the cause and a resolution for major incidents that involve multiple teams or suppliers3.

A support team following detailed procedures for investigating the incident: A support team may follow detailed procedures for investigating the incident, but it may not be able to resolve major incidents that require cross-functional collaboration or escalation3. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 14; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 32; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Incident Management, page 8.

A change is defined as the addition, modification, or removal of anything that could have a direct or indirect effect on services

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-change-enablement/#:~:text=A%20change%20is%20defined%20as,or%20indirect%20effect%20on%20services.

Organizations and people is one of the four dimensions of service management that influence the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery1. This dimension focuses on the roles, responsibilities, and systems of authority that are needed to deliver and support services2. This dimension also covers the culture, skills, competencies, and collaboration of the people involved in service management3. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 8; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 19; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Organizational Change Management, page 7.

Incident management is typically closely aligned with the service desk, which is the single point of contact for all users communicating with IT. When a service is disrupted or fails to deliver the promised performance during normal service hours, it is essential to restore the service to normal operation as quickly as possible.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-v3-incident-management/

The incident management practice aims to minimize the negative impact of incidents by restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible1. This practice involves logging, categorizing, prioritizing, investigating, resolving, and closing incidents2. The service desk practice provides a single point of contact for users and customers to report issues, make requests, or seek guidance1. This practice involves providing communication with users, capturing feedback, managing user satisfaction, and facilitating continual improvement3. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 14; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 32; ITIL® 4 Practice Guide: Incident Management, page 7.

The change schedule is used to help plan changes, assist in communication, avoid conflicts, and assign resources. It can also be used after changes have been deployed to provide information needed for incident management, problem management, and improvement planning

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-change-enablement/#:~:text=The%20change%20schedule%20is%20used,problem%20management%2C%20and%20improvement%20planning.

In ITIL 4, the continual improvement practice is structured around the continual improvement model, which uses a series of questions such as:

What is the vision?

Where are we now?

Where do we want to be?

How do we get there?

Take action

Did we get there?

How do we keep the momentum going?

A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is specifically mentioned in ITIL 4 as a technique used to assess the current state, especially in the step “Where are we now?” of the continual improvement model.

This step is about understanding the current situation, including:

current capabilities (strengths and weaknesses)

current constraints and risks (threats)

potential areas for improvement and value creation (opportunities)

SWOT helps organizations objectively analyze their present performance and conditions, so they can make informed decisions about what to improve and how.

Therefore, in the context of the continual improvement practice, SWOT analysis is used primarily for:

Understanding the current state.

B. Defining the future desired stateThis is related to the step “Where do we want to be?” which focuses on defining measurable target states and objectives. Techniques here are more about setting goals and desired outcomes, not primarily SWOT.

C. Tracking and managing ideasThis aligns more with maintaining an improvement register or backlog, not with SWOT. Idea tracking is about managing suggestions and initiatives over time.

D. Ensuring everyone actively participatesThis relates to communication, organizational change management, and engagement, but not specifically to SWOT. SWOT is an analytical tool, not a participation method by itself.

ITIL 4 Foundation – Continual improvement model, especially the step “Where are we now?”

ITIL 4 Foundation – Continual improvement practice: use of assessment tools such as SWOT analysis to evaluate the current state of services, processes, and practices.

A help desk is considered to be focused on break-fix (what ITIL calls incident management), whereas a service desk is there to assist with not only break-fix but also with service requests (requests for new services) and requests for information (such as “how do I do X?”).

https://www.atlassian.com/itsm/service-request-management/help-desk-vs-service-desk-vs-itsm#:~:text=A%20help%20desk%20is%20considered,I%20do%20X%3F%E2%80%9D).

To set clear business-based targets for service performance, so that the delivery of a service can be properly assessed, monitored, and managed against these targets.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-management-practices/

In ITIL 4, value is defined as the perceived benefits, usefulness, and importance of something. Applied to services, this means that the value of a service is not just about cost savings or technical features, but how stakeholders perceive the benefits, the usefulness, and the importance they receive from using the service. This aligns directly with option A, which reflects the ITIL wording about benefits, usefulness, and importance as perceived by stakeholders.

The other options reflect different ITIL key terms:

Option B focuses only on financial benefit. While financial impact is part of value, ITIL 4 makes clear that value is broader and based on perception, not just money.

Option C describes an output: ITIL defines an output as a tangible or intangible deliverable produced by an activity.

Option D describes an outcome: ITIL defines an outcome as a result for a stakeholder enabled by one or more outputs.

Because value is specifically about perceived benefits, usefulness, and importance, the correct answer is A.

A guiding principle is a recommendation that provides universal and enduring guidance to an organization, which applies in all circumstances, regardless of changes in its goals, strategies, type of work, or management structure.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-guiding-principles/#:~:text=A%20guiding%20principle%20is%20a,of%20work%2C%20or%20management%20structure.

The purpose of the service configuration management practice is to ensure that accurate and reliable information about the configuration of services, and the CIs that support them, is available when and where it is needed. This includes information on how CIs are configured and the relationships between them.

https://wiki.process-symphony.com.au/framework/lifecycle/process/service-configuration-management-itil-4/

In ITIL 4, a service request is defined as a user request for information, advice, or a standard change, or for access to a service.

A user asking, “How do I create a report?” and contacting the service desk is:

Requesting information/advice

A normal, expected interaction with the service

Not reporting a service failure or interruption

Handling such requests is the purpose of the service request management practice, which ensures that:

Service requests are handled efficiently and user-friendly

Users receive help, information, or access according to agreed procedures

Requests follow pre-defined workflows where possible

Therefore, the practice most likely to help in solving this issue is C. Service request management.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Incident managementIncident management deals with unplanned interruptions, reductions in service quality, or failures. Here, the service is working; the user just needs guidance, not restoration of service.

B. Service level managementThis focuses on defining, negotiating, and managing service level agreements (SLAs) and overall service performance, not answering “how to” questions.

D. Change enablementThis practice manages changes to services and components, reducing risk. A user asking how to create a report is not requesting a change to the service.

References (Aligned with ITIL 4 Foundation concepts)

ITIL 4 Foundation: Definition of service request and service request management

ITIL 4 Foundation: Distinction between incidents and service requests

To protect the information needed by the organization to conduct its business. This includes understanding and managing risks to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information, as well as other aspects of information security such as authentication and non-repudiation.

https://www.bmc.com/blogs/itil-management-practices/

The purpose of the supplier management practice is to ensure that the organization’s suppliers and their performances are managed appropriately to support the seamless provision of quality products and services1. This practice involves creating closer, more collaborative relationships with key suppliers to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation2. References: ITIL Foundation - ITIL 4 Edition, page 16; ITIL® 4 – A Pocket Guide, page 38.

In ITIL 4 terminology, a problem is defined as the cause, or potential cause, of one or more incidents. Incident management deals with restoring service as quickly as possible, while problem management focuses on finding and addressing the underlying causes so that incidents do not recur.

A problem is therefore directly associated with the cause behind one or more incidents, matching the wording in the sentence.

A known error is a problem that has been analyzed and has a documented root cause and workaround; it is not simply “the cause or potential cause” but a further state of a problem.

A change is the addition, modification, or removal of anything that could have a direct or indirect effect on services, not specifically the cause of incidents.

An event is any change of state that has significance for the management of a service or other configuration item; again, not defined as the cause of incidents.

Because ITIL 4 explicitly associates the phrase “cause, or potential cause, of one or more incidents” with problem, the correct answer is D.