Have you ever heard someone say “ITIL’s rubbish, it just doesn’t work”, or something to that effect?
I was talking with a client recently and they said something very like this, but went on to explain that previously ITIL was seen as an end in itself in their organisation, whereas now they’ve changed their focus so that it is a means towards an end, helping to achieve a vision of providing the best experience for IT’s customers. They had found that this change had been liberating and effective for both management and staff alike.
This sums up Silversix’s observations made over years in management and consultancy: ITIL can be a very successful tool, but you have to be clear on why you are wielding the tool (i.e. what you are trying to accomplish), and how you’ll know when/whether you’ve been successful.