An expenses application has every feature the finance team asked for, but it is unavailable for several hours most weeks and claims are frequently submitted late as a result. Which assessment fits ITIL's treatment of utility and warranty?
ITIL 4 Foundation, objective 1. Key concepts of service management hard
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The options
Correct Utility is present but warranty is insufficient, so the service does not enable the intended value
Correct. The functionality is there (fit for purpose) but the assurance of performance is not (not fit for use). Both are needed for a service to enable value.
Not correct Warranty is present but utility is insufficient, because the outcome is not being achieved
Wrong. It inverts the terms. The missing element is availability, which is warranty; the requested features, which are utility, are all present.
Not correct Utility is sufficient on its own, so the service enables value regardless of availability
Wrong. ITIL is explicit that utility alone is not enough; a service that does the right thing unreliably fails the consumer's outcomes.
Not correct Utility and warranty are both adequate; the shortfall is the consumer failing to play its part in value co-creation
Wrong. Co-creation does require the consumer to contribute, but nothing here points to that: the reported failure is the service being unavailable, which is an assurance of performance and therefore warranty.
Why
A service enables value only when utility and warranty are both adequate. Utility asks whether the service supports the required performance or removes constraints — fit for purpose. Warranty asks whether it will meet agreed requirements in areas such as availability, capacity, security and continuity — fit for use. Failing either one blocks the outcome.
Where this comes from
- Cited
- ITIL 4 syllabus clause 1
- What it says
- Both utility and warranty are required for a service to facilitate the outcomes and enable value.
Practise this
Reading one question is not practice. The trainer will draw a set from objective 1 and space the ones you get wrong.