Navigating the shift from ITIL 4 to ITIL 5

From Information & Technology Service Management to Digital Product and Service Management

For many years, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Version 4 served as the industry standard for IT service management, focusing on a holistic and flexible approach through the service value system (SVS), which promotes cocreation and adaptable management practices.

Instead of processes, ITIL 4 emphasized the dynamic relationships among service providers, consumers, partners, and stakeholders. Its guiding principles, service value chain, and integrated practices helped organizations adapt to digital transformation initiatives while promoting collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer-centric service delivery.

Today, however, organizations face a new generation of challenges and opportunities. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered assistants are becoming embedded within daily workflows, autonomous systems are making operational decisions in real time, and digital products increasingly blur the traditional boundaries between development, operations, support, and customer experience. In this environment, organizations need a framework that extends beyond managing services to orchestrating end-to-end digital value streams, integrating human and machine collaboration, and enabling continuous optimization through intelligent automation.

This evolution is embodied in ITIL 5, a modern digital product and service framework purpose-built for an AI-enabled world that is now being offered at the University of Utah to support campus and clinical environments. Coordinated through University Information Technology (UIT) in partnership with HDI (an accredited training organization), this U of U instructor-led course prepares U of U and University of Utah Health staff for the official PeopleCert certification exam.

“The ITIL Foundation 5 course gives you a wide base to build on, instead of being relevant only to a specific role or area,” said Aleatha Leader, ITIL process analyst II, who recently completed the U’s two-day virtual class. “The governance of digital technology slide is a great reference that shows which activities governance ties into and a high level of what the governing body does during those activities.”

Building on the foundational concepts of ITIL 4, ITIL 5 expands the focus from service management to digital product and service management (DPSM), emphasizing AI-enabled operations, continuous value stream management, product-centric thinking, intelligent automation, resilient operations, and the governance of increasingly autonomous digital ecosystems.

The new framework recognizes that value is increasingly created through interconnected ecosystems of people, technology, data, and automation, and it provides organizations with the guidance needed to govern these complex environments effectively.

By introducing practices that support intelligent automation, real-time decision support, adaptive governance, and end-to-end value stream visibility, ITIL 5 equips organizations to adapt at the speed of modern business. It helps leaders balance innovation with control, leverage AI responsibly, and ensure that digital products and services remain reliable, secure, and customer-focused. In doing so, ITIL 5 is not simply an update to service management practices, but a strategic shift toward managing technology as a continuous engine of business value.

The updated training provides instruction tailored to the U organization, covering topics like: value stream mapping, AI, governance, and sustainable digital products.

Whether you oversee enterprise administrative systems, support instructional technology, or manage clinical applications, ITIL 5 Foundation provides a common framework and vocabulary for delivering value, improving collaboration, and navigating the increasingly AI-enabled digital landscape. By investing in a shared understanding of modern service and product management, we can position our teams to better support the university’s mission of education, research, and patient care.

 

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