The Overlap Between ITIL and PMI, Research Paper Example

Information Technology Infrastructures Library (ITIL) is the concrete methodology for executing IT operations. For a considerable amount of time, most professionals perceived ITIL as an operations management process. However, there are numerous facets of ITIL that seem to overlap with PMI, particularly regarding life cycle management (Martinelli, Waddell, Rahschulte, & Milosevic, 2014). This is also similar to other processes such as change and release management as well as continuity.

ITIL is primarily a set of practices within ITSM (IT Service Management) docket which put emphasis in restructuring and fine tuning the information technology services to meet the specific needs of the business. ITIL has the following characteristics;

• Prominence given to the creation, delivery and management of IT services
• It employs and involves project and program planning to realize success
• It is aligned to the ISO/IEC 20000 standard(Project Management Institute, 2013)

Owing to the fact that ITIL is aligned to the ISO/IEC 20000 standard, it harmonizes with some of the best practices by design. They include PMI, COBIT, Six Sigma and CMMI. Aspects of PMI overlap with concepts of ITIL within the service strategy segment of the ITIL Service Lifecycle. This is where the services are generated. The overlap between ITIL and PMI can be depicted by mapping ITIL to PMBOK as depicted in the table below.

References

Martinelli, R. J., Waddell, J. M., Rahschulte, T., & Milosevic, D. (2014). Program management for improved business results. Hoboken: Wiley.

Proctor, S. K. (2011). Optimizing and Assessing Information Technology : Improving Business Project Execution.Hoboken: Wiley.

Project Management Institute. (2013). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge – PMBOK Guide.Newtown Square: Project Management Institute.

Wang, J. (2013). Perspectives and Techniques for Improving Information Technology Project Management. Hershey: Information Science Reference.