ITIL-4-Transition Questions and Answers

According to ITIL 4, an effective control environment is one that ensures that the organization’s objectives are achieved in a reliable and compliant manner1. Effective controls are the mechanisms that prevent, detect, or correct errors, fraud, or non-compliance in the organization’s processes and activities2. Some of the characteristics of effective controls are that they are aligned with the organization’s goals, policies, and standards, they are proportionate to the level of risk, they are consistent and transparent, they are regularly monitored and reviewed, and they are responsive to changes and improvements3.

In the scenario given, the legacy financial system requires the user to manually enter the time and date of the transaction to meet regulatory requirements, but these fields are often blank. This indicates a lack of compliance and accuracy in the financial reporting process, which could expose the organization to legal, financial, or reputational risks. Therefore, some effective controls that could improve compliance are:

• Modify the application to automatically add the current time and date when transaction is entered. This is a preventive control that reduces the risk of human error or omission by ensuring that the required information is always captured and recorded in the system. This control also enhances the efficiency and reliability of the process by eliminating the need for manual input.
• Create a report showing non-compliant records and take action to correct. This is a detective and corrective control that identifies and resolves any instances of non-compliance or inaccuracy in the financial records. This control also provides feedback and evidence for the performance and effectiveness of the process and the controls.

The other options are not effective controls for improving compliance in this scenario because they do not directly address the root cause of the problem or provide a specific solution. Establishing a communication plan to remind users of the importance of time and date on transactions is a good practice, but it does not guarantee that the users will follow the instructions or comply with the requirements. Developing a goals cascade soall staff know their role in achieving company goals is a strategic activity, but it does not specify how the financial reporting process or the legacy system will be improved or controlled. Therefore, the best answer is D. 1 and 4. References:

• 1: ITIL 4 Managing Professional: Transition Module | Axelos
• 2: ITIL® 4 Managing Professional Transition Course Online - Simplilearn
• 3: ITIL 4 MP Transition: a transformed framework | Axelos
• 4: Internal Controls for Better Compliance | Reducing Risk
• 5: Internal Controls: The Definitive Guide for Risk and Compliance Professionals — RiskOptics
• 6: How to Establish an Effective Control Environment

Customer orientation is an approach to business that focuses on assisting customers in achieving their goals, as opposed to adopting a sales oriented methodology12. It involves understanding the needs, expectations, and preferences of the customers and delivering value that meets or exceeds them. Customer orientation also implies adapting to the feedback and behavior of the customers and tailoring the service accordingly. Therefore, when a service support agent adjusts support actions following a call from a frustrated user, they are demonstrating customer orientation, as they are trying to resolve the user’s issue in a way that suits their emotional state and satisfaction level. Customer orientation is one of the key concepts in ITIL 4, as it helps to create value co-creation and drive stakeholder value34. It is also aligned with the ITIL guiding principles of focus on value, collaborate and promote visibility, and keep it simple and practical34. References:

• The customer journey and ITIL 4 | Axelos3
• Holistic IT – a non-siloed approach with ITIL 4 | Axelos4
• Customer Orientation: What it Is and How to Implement It [+Examples]1
• Mastering Customer Orientation: Definition, Importance and Strategies2

 Running safe to fail experiments that provide learning opportunities is the best option to improve staff behaviour, as it aligns with the ITIL 4 guiding principle of progress iteratively with feedback1. This principle encourages the use of experimentation and learning from failures to improve the service and the organization. By running safe to fail experiments, the staff can test new ideas, learn from the outcomes, and adapt their behaviour accordingly. This can foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement in the IT department. The other options are not directly related to improving staff behaviour, but rather to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the service delivery. Comparing the cost of delay between work items to ensure that financially valuable work is prioritized is a technique for value stream optimization, which is part of the ITIL 4 practice of service value stream management2. Implementing CI/CD tools to deploy software quickly is a method for achieving high-velocity IT, which is one of the ITIL 4 specialist modules3. Adopting Kanban boards to visualize the flow of work across software development teams is a tool for implementing agile and lean approaches, which are also part of the ITIL 4 framework3. While these options may have some positive impact on staff behaviour, they are not the primary focus or the best way to achieve it. References: 3, 2, 1

This is the best approach because it ensures that the policy is aligned with the needs and expectations of all the parties involved in incident management. It also fosters a culture of collaboration and trust among the teams, which can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of incident resolution. By involving all the teams in the policy development, the organization can also leverage the experience and knowledge of the staff, and identify any potential gaps or issues that may arise in the incident management process. This approach is consistent with the ITIL 4 guiding principles of collaborate and promote visibility, focus on value, and keep it simple and practical12. References:

• ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Module Sample Paper - English3, page 7, question 2, answer B
• ITIL 4 Foundation: ITIL 4 Edition4, page 20, section 2.3, paragraph 2
• ITIL 4 Managing Professional: Create, Deliver and Support5, page 10, section 1.1, paragraph 4
• ITIL 4 Managing Professional: Direct, Plan and Improve, page 12, section 1.1, paragraph 3

Large batch sizes of work are considered a barrier to high performance in Lean and Agile because they increase the amount of work in progress (WIP), which leads to longer cycle times, higher variability, lower quality, and reduced feedback and learning. Large batches also increase the risk of waste, rework, and delays, as well as the complexity and uncertainty of the work. Lean and Agile advocate for reducing batch sizes and limiting WIP, which enables faster flow, shorter feedback loops, higher quality, and more value delivery. Some of the practices that help reduce batch sizes and limit WIP are:

• Pulling versus pushing work, which means that work is initiated only when there is a demand and capacity for it, rather than being assigned or scheduled in advance.
• Making work visible, which means that the status and progress of work are transparent and accessible to all stakeholders, using tools such as Kanban boards, burn-down charts, and dashboards.
• Limiting work-in-progress, which means that the number of work items in each stage of the workflow is restricted, based on the available resources and throughput, to prevent bottlenecks and overloading. References: 

Large batch sizes of work are considered a barrier to high performance in Lean and Agile because they increase the amount of work in progress (WIP), which leads to longer cycle times, higher variability, lower quality, and reduced feedback and learning. Large batches also increase the risk of waste, rework, and delays, as well as the complexity and uncertainty of the work. Lean and Agile advocate for reducing batch sizes and limiting WIP, which enables faster flow, shorter feedback loops, higher quality, and more value delivery. Some of the practices that help reduce batch sizes and limit WIP are:

• Pulling versus pushing work, which means that work is initiated only when there is a demand and capacity for it, rather than being assigned or scheduled in advance.
• Making work visible, which means that the status and progress of work are transparent and accessible to all stakeholders, using tools such as Kanban boards, burn-down charts, and dashboards.
• Limiting work-in-progress, which means that the number of work items in each stage of the workflow is restricted, based on the available resources and throughput, to prevent bottlenecks and overloading. References: 

• Integrating ITIL 4 and Design Thinking | Cognixia, section “What is Design Thinking?”
• Service design: ITIL 4 practice guide | Axelos, section 2.1.1
• ITIL 4 , DESIGN THINKING & RAPID - Devoteam, section “Design Thinking”
• ITIL4 meets design thinking | Axelos, section “Design thinking”

User communities are groups of people who share a common interest or need related to a service or product. They can be formal or informal, online or offline, and may be initiated by service providers or users themselves. User communities can provide valuable feedback, insights, and support for service providers, as well as enhance the user experience and satisfaction. Therefore, service providers may recognize and support user communities that are set up by users, as long as they respect their autonomy and do not interfere with their activities. User communities are not created by service providers to investigate the cause of problems (option A), nor should they be disbanded or merged into official groups (option C). User communities may or may not have super-users, who are users with advanced skills or knowledge who canhelp other users, but this is not a requirement for every user community (option D). References: ITIL 4 Foundation, page 77; ITIL 4 Specialist: Drive Stakeholder Value, page 33.

The customer journey is the complete end-to-end experience customers have with one or more service providers and/or their products through the touchpoints and service interactions with those providers1. The purpose of the customer journey is to understand the needs, expectations, and preferences of the customers and users, and to design, deliver, and improve services that meet those requirements and create value for them. The customer journey also helps to identify the opportunities and challenges for co-creating value with the customers and users, and to optimize the customer experience throughout the service relationship23. By mapping the customer journey, the service provider can ensure that the services are aligned with the customer outcomes and that the service interactions are positive and satisfying for the customers and users4. References:

• ITIL 4 Managing Professional: Drive Stakeholder Value5, page 14, section 2.1, paragraph 1
• ITIL 4 Foundation: ITIL 4 Edition, page 20, section 2.3, paragraph 2
• ITIL 4 Managing Professional: Create, Deliver and Support, page 10, section 1.1, paragraph 4
• ITIL 4 Managing Professional: Direct, Plan and Improve, page 12, section 1.1, paragraph 3
• ITIL 4: Connecting the key concepts Part 4 | Axelos3, paragraph 2
• The customer journey and ITIL 4 | Axelos1, paragraph 2
• ITIL®4 – Mapping the Customer Journey - ITSM Professor2, paragraph 2

According to ITIL 4, the primary role of a governing body is to evaluate, direct, and monitor the organization’s activities, including its service management. One of the key activities of the governing body is to establish and regularly review the goals cascade throughout the organization, which is a mechanism to align the objectives and activities of different levels of the organization with the overall vision and mission. The goals cascade helps to ensure that the organization is delivering value to its stakeholders and customers, and that the service management practices are aligned with the strategic direction and governance framework. Therefore, the best answer is A. To establish and regularly review the goals cascade throughout the organization. The other options are not the primary role of a governing body, but rather some of the possible activities or responsibilities that the governing body may delegate or oversee. For example, option B. To develop and regularly review IT measures and metrics, may be part of the monitoring activity of the governing body, but it is not the main purpose of its role. Option C. To annually review and approval of IT projects to maximize business value, may be part of the directing activity of the governing body, but it is not the only or the most frequent task that it performs. Option D. To establish and regularly review the effectiveness of risk management and internal controls, may be part of the evaluating activity of the governing body, but it is not the core function of its role. References:

• Chapter 9: The SVS: Governance - ITIL® 4 Essentials: Your essential …1
• Building governance, risk and compliance with ITIL 4 | Axelos2
• Roles and Responsibilities in ITIL and ITSM | ITIL 4 Role Types3

A digital organization is an organization that leverages digital technology to create value for its customers, employees, and other stakeholders. A digital organization is not just an organization that uses IT to support its operational processes, or an organization that has undergone an IT transformation, or an organization that uses IT to improve its ‘service desk’ practice. These are examples of IT-enabled organizations, but not necessarily digital organizations. A digital organization is an organization that uses IT to change its strategic direction, to create new business models, to innovate and differentiate itself from competitors, and to deliver value faster and more effectively. A digital organization is an organization that adopts a digital mindset, culture, andcapabilities to thrive in the digital era. References:https://www.axelos.com/resource-hub/blog/itil-4-leader-dits-guide-for-digital-transformation

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The correct answer is D. Identifying and making request for outstanding payments for the service. This is because the service provider should ensure that the financial obligations of the customer are fulfilled before the service is terminated. The service provider should also update the billing and accounting records, and close any open invoices or disputes related to the service12.

A. Ensuring that user access rights are revoked for all services is not the correct answer, because the service provider should only revoke the user access rights for the service that is being retired, not for all services. The service provider should also ensure that the customer data and assets related to the service are securely deleted or transferred, and that the service provider staff are reassigned or released12.

B. Providing information to users about how to contact the service desk is not the correct answer, because the service desk is not relevant for the service that is being retired. The service provider should provide information to users about how to access alternative or replacement services, if any, and how to provide feedback or complaints about the service retirement process12.

C. Creating training schedules for users on how to use the service is not the correct answer, because the service is being retired, not introduced. The service provider should not invest any resources or efforts in training users on how to use a service that will no longer be available. The service provider should instead focus on communicatingthe service retirement plan and timeline, and managing the expectations and emotions of the users12. References:

• ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Module Sample Paper - English, page 10, question 3, answer D
• ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Module Candidate Syllabus - English, page 11, learning outcome 1.5

Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new or modify existing business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements1. It is not just about implementing new technology, but also about changing the way an organization operates and delivers value to its customers. High velocity IT is one of the four dimensions of service management in ITIL 4, which refers to the rapid delivery and operation of IT-enabled products and services that can continuously evolve2. Digital organization and IT transformation are not specific terms defined in ITIL 4, but they could be related to digital transformation in some contexts. References:

• ITIL 4 and Digital Transformation
• [ITIL 4 Foundation: High Velocity IT]