“I found a template on the Web. This will work in our environment.”
While many templates for the ITIL processes and procedures exist on the Internet and other sources, they were developed either as a generic solution for the industry or as a specific solution to fulfill a specific need. Templates are not meant to be a drop-in solution for your specific need.
Before using a template, ensure that the reasons for the template are needed. The process for which the template is to be used should be fully documented, and all stakeholders of the process identified. Through this exercise, a better understanding of the process will be developed with the specific inputs, outputs, activities and roles defined for the process.
Templates are good starting points but not a means to an end. Review a variety of templates to determine the pros and cons of each. Then compare these good points to your defined processes to create your own procedures and documentation that fit your specific issue.
11 Common Mistakes of ITIL Foundation Newbies Series
- ITIL Newbie Mistake #1: Too Much Focus on the Processes
- ITIL Newbie Mistake #2: Certified and Done
- ITIL Newbie Mistake #3: Focusing on Processes First
- ITIL Newbie Mistake #4: Attempting a Project in Isolation
- ITIL Newbie Mistake #5: Developing a Service Catalog without Considering Business Needs
- ITIL Newbie Mistake #6: Being Too Process Focused
- ITIL Newbie Mistake #7: CAB Meeting Burnout
- ITIL Newbie Mistake #8: Too Much ITIL Talk
- ITIL Newbie Mistake #9: Relying on Templates
- ITIL Newbie Mistake #10: Expecting a Tool to Do the Work