ITIL v3 bridged the gap and introduced concepts to connect configuration management and knowledge management that was lacking in ITIL v2.

ITIL v3 introduced CMS (Configuration Management System), SKMS (Service Knowledge Management System) and DIKW (Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom) model.

Let’s see how they relate to each other and how they add value to an organization.

CMS is a set of tools and databases that are used to manage an IT service provider’s configuration data. ie it includes CMDB’s, tools for collecting, storing, managing data, about all configuration items and their relationships. It includes information about incidents, problems, known errors, changes and releases and may also include corporate data about employees, suppliers, locations, business units, customers and users.  

SKMS is a set of tools and databases that are used to manage knowledge and information. It includes the configuration management system (CMS), as well as other tools and databases.

DIKW Model:

 - Data is set of discrete, raw, unfiltered facts fed to information.  

 - Information is created by providing context to data to create knowledge.

 - Knowledge is obtained by analyzing the information as per your need and creating wisdom.

 - Wisdom gives ultimate discernment of the material to provide common sense judgment.

Example:

   Scenario: Your companys (a vehicle OEM) IT department has implemented ITIL v3 Configuration management (CMDB’s, CMS and SKMS). Marketing dept has approached the IT dept and requested   information as to why SUV sales double every year from 1998 thru 2001 and fell  from 2002 thru 2005. 

  Approach:

    Data - All configuration items (ie sales, model years, gas prices, vehicle prices, recalls and other related data can be found in the CMDB’s).

    Information – Analyze what configuration items changed significantly during the years in question for all SUV models. (Using related tools in the CMS we find oil prices were low during 1998 thru 2001 and high during 2002 thru 2004)

    Knowledge – Based on the data and information (Using related tools in the CMS and SKMS), IT dept can inform the marketing dept that SUV sales fluctuate based on the oil prices.

    Wisdom – Customers purchase gas guzzlers like SUV’s when oil prices are low and purchase vehicles which give better mileage when oil prices are high.

Proper implementation of configuration management can have huge benefits to all parts of the organization specially for IT dept (in reducing costs, providing timely accurate information helpful during incident management, problem management, release management, capacity management, availability management, service continuity management, financial management, service portfolio management and demand management).

For more details, please contact an ITIL accredited training provider like us (Technology Governance Solutions LLC) to get ITIL v3 Training.

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