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Chapter 3 ■ ITIL Service Lifecycle
In the mall example, the mall owner is accountable for the shopkeepers and the
customers. He owns the place, so he puts his signature across all changes being made to
it, in other words, he approves enhancements and modifications and decommissions if
any. He is the service owner in ITIL terminology.
3.2.4 Generic Role: Process Owner
I also introduced the concept of a process Chapter 2. A process is a set of coordinated
activities that exist to meet the defined objectives. This process, or the series of
coordinated activities, needs an owner, someone who has a finger on the pulse to check
if the process is fit for the purpose, and that it is subjected to continuous improvements.
He is the process owner. He will be accountable for the process deliveries, be it in terms of
effectiveness or efficiency.
In the mall example, there will be several processes defined and implemented. One
such process is the process to maintain diesel generators. The maintenance process could
go something like this: weekly general checks on Sundays at 10 P.M. Detailed monthly
checks on the first Sunday of a month at 11 P.M. Checks are done based on a checklist.
If minor repairs are identified, they are carried out during the maintenance window. If
a major repair is identified, a suitable window is arranged, all necessary resources are
mobilized and repairs are carried out by a specialist team. This diesel generator process
cannot be orphaned. It needs somebody to own it and ensure that it is meeting its
objectives: no outages owing to the generators.
3.2.5 Generic Role: Process Manager
We know what a process is and who the owner is. It is unlikely that an owner will actually
manage things on his own. He will hire people who can manage the process for him.
Process managers ensure that the processes run as per its design and achieve what
it’s meant to. Since they are close to the works, they are in a good position to suggest
improvements to the process owner. A decision to accept or reject the suggestions is
made by the process owner.
A process manager is accountable for the operational management of the
process, which defines coordinating activities between various parties; monitoring,
developing, and publishing reports; and, as mentioned earlier, identifying improvement
opportunities.
In the diesel generator maintenance process, the process owner hires an electrical
engineer to manage the maintenance activities and to report on the outcomes. The
maintenance manager is responsible for ensuring that technicians involved have the right
skill set and are following the right set of instructions in carrying out the maintenance
activities. If the manager finds that the weekly checks are not adding value, he can
suggest to the process owner to shelve the weekly checks and set it for every two weeks.
As mentioned earlier, the decision to make the checks every two weeks is made by the
owner, not the manager.
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