ITIL 4 foundation certification is a globally recognised framework for managing IT services. It teaches organisations how to design, deliver, manage and improve IT services to support business goals. It focuses on people, processes, technology and partner together.
Between the years of 2020 and 2026, this framework has become the standard language in IT Service Management (how services are planned, delivered and improved)
Step : ITIL 4 FoundationCertification(The Starting Point)
The ITIL 4 (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) Foundation is the first certification in the whole certification pathway. In this certification, you’ll learn and gain all the basic theoretical knowledge on what framework is.
You’ll learn important concepts such as,
- The Service Value System(SVS) (how all the parts of an organisation work together)
- The Four Dimensions of Service Management
- The standard ways of handling each task in IT
Do Organisations Demand ITIL 4?
Yes, most recruiters openly request this qualification, while in other companies this certification is seen as a plus point.
It helps organisations,
- Reduce service downtime
- Improve Customer and user satisfaction
- Standardise the work across all teams
- Handle change and growth decisions strategically
Do I Need Experience to Start?
Not at all. The Foundation course teaches you everything from the very basics. It’s beginner friendly and this is the starting point for all the other courses in the framework.
Is ITIL 4 Foundation Course alone enough?
Yes. Some professionals just stop at Foundation and still see benefits in their careers, especially if they’re new to IT.
What’s Next?
After completing the Foundation, you can choose different pathways based on where you want to go.
- To run IT services on a daily basis: Managing Professional
- To influence business strategy: Strategic Leader
- To specialise in specific practices: Practice Manager
Each of these designation pathways has a few set of courses. Let’s discuss each one by one.
What’s ITIL 4 Managing Professional Stream (MP)
You must complete 4 courses to earn this designation. Each course helps you specialise in 1 specific area at a time.
By the time you complete all 4 specialisations, you’ll have the knowledge and the skill set to run any kind of IT services in any environment in any role.
The 4 ITIL ®4 Specialist course in this stream are,
1. Create, Deliver and Support (CDS):Mainly teaches you the best practices in creating, delivering and supporting services according to proper standards.
2. Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV):how to talk and manage clients, users and partners and give them what they need
3. High Velocity IT (HVIT):How digital organisations work with fast collaboration between development and other operations (DevOps)
4. Direct, Plan and Improve (DPI):how to align IT strategies to bring great outcomes to business
After completing all these 4 specialisations, you’ll earn the ITIL ® 4 Managing Professional Designation, which can help you reach senior positions faster and bring a positive impact on your organisation.
NOTE: It’s not mandatory to take all the courses unless you want to earn the designations.
What’s ITIL 4 Strategic Leader Stream(SL)
This stream is mainly created for senior and those involved in decision making. It focuses both on IT and business strategies.
This pathway consists of 2 Strategist courses, as
- Digital and IT Strategy (DITS): how technology can support long term business directions
After completing these 2 courses, you can earn the ITIL 4 Strategic Leader Designation
What’s ITIL 4 Strategic Leader Stream(SL)
This stream is mainly created for senior and those involved in decision making. It focuses both on IT and business strategies.
This pathway consists of 2 Strategist courses, as
- Digital and IT Strategy (DITS): how technology can support long term business directions
After completing these 2 courses, you can earn the ITIL 4 Strategic Leader Designation
What’s ITIL 4 Practice Manager Stream(PM)
This is a new stream which helps you choose and master one specific field in ITIL 4. To earn this designation, you must first complete the CDS qualification and then choose ONE of the two options given below:
Option 1: Take five individual practitioner courses
OR
Option 2: Take one of the following combined modules
Why Choose a Pathway?
All the courses in this framework are categorized, prioritizing the learners and how they grow in their careers in the future. Since it’s orderly,
- Anyone can start with zero knowledge
- Choose an area you want to specialise in
- Then keep growing in that field
Is it Worth It?
Absolutely. Earning atleast a single certification in the framework- especially the foundation can put you ahead in your career in so many ways.
This isn’t just about the designations and the collections of certifications. It gives you the standard skills and knowledge that can skyrocket the quality of the impact you bring with you.