Within the guiding principle 'optimize and automate', what does automation mean?
ITIL 4 Foundation, objective 2. The ITIL guiding principles medium
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The options
Correct Using technology to perform a step, or a series of steps, consistently and with limited or no human intervention
Correct. Automation in this principle is the use of technology to carry out steps reliably without needing a person to perform them.
Not correct Any use of information technology in the delivery of a service
Far too broad. Almost every modern service uses technology; automation specifically means removing the need for human intervention in a step.
Not correct Replacing staff with technology so that headcount and cost are reduced
Headcount reduction is a possible consequence, not the definition. The principle presents automation as a way to free people for work that needs human judgement and interaction.
Not correct Coordinating several practices so that they operate as a single value stream
That describes integrating practices into value streams, which belongs to the service value chain and to 'think and work holistically', not to the definition of automation.
Why
'Optimize and automate' pairs two ideas, and automation is the second: technology performing steps consistently and repeatedly without human intervention. The point is not to remove people but to stop spending human attention on work a machine does more reliably, and to do so only after the way of working has been optimized.
Where this comes from
- Cited
- ITIL 4 syllabus clause 2
- What it says
- Automation: using technology to perform a step or steps correctly and consistently with limited or no human intervention.
Practise this
Reading one question is not practice. The trainer will draw a set from objective 2 and space the ones you get wrong.