ITIL 4’s Four Dimensions is one of the cornerstones of the new service management best practice framework. Originally derived from the 4Ps (People, Process, Platforms and Partners), the Four Dimensions identifies the organizational resources which are leveraged to develop practices and support value streams as well as highlight the externals factors which can affect these resources.
ITIL 4 defines the Four Dimensions of Service Management as:
The four perspectives that are critical to the effective and efficient facilitation of value for customers and other stakeholders in the form of products and services.
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Organization and People
This dimension ensures the way an organization is structured and managed, as well as its roles, responsibilities, and systems of authority and communication, is well defined and supports its overall strategy and operating model.
Information and Technology
The information and knowledge used to deliver services, and the information and technologies used to manage all aspects of the service value system.
Value Stream and Processes
This dimension defines the activities, workflows, controls, and procedures needed to achieve the agreed objectives.
Partners and Suppliers
Encompasses the relationships an organization has with other organizations that are involved in the design, development, deployment, delivery, support, and/or continual improvement of services.
PESTLE
ITIL 4 adds one more aspect to the Four Dimensions model. It refers to using a best practice, such as the PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) framework to consider external factors that may affect the four dimensions.
Services may be defined and delivered in different ways based on these external factors. Industry and Government regulations may require certain organizational oversight or have information systems to provide auditable records. Social factors may require multiple versions of a service that appeal to different types of consumers. Just think about how an external factor such as the COVID-19 Pandemic has affected how we have delivered IT Services.