Integrated Project-to-Service Model

Chapter 3: ITSM and Project Delivery

Overview of the Integrated Project-to-Service Model

Building on the Service Transition processes and project lifecycle phases, the Integrated Project-to-Service Model is introduced in this handbook. This model does not reinvent service and project management frameworks but integrates these standalone disciplines—specifically, aligning project activities with Service Transition processes during the Execution phase. Figure 6 illustrates how the Integrated Project-to-Service Model promotes collaboration and continuity, removing silos between project delivery and service operation.

Activities Related to Projects within the ITIL Service Lifecycle Stages

Figure 6. Integrated Project-to-Service Model

Key activities include:

Analysis: Evaluates project requirements against stakeholder expectations and constraints to identify risks and opportunities.
Requirements Gathering: Captures and prioritises stakeholder needs to ensure deliverables meet their intended purpose.
Design: Develops a blueprint to confirm the solution’s viability in the operational environment.
Development: Constructs the solution, ensuring compliance with design specifications and requirements.
Integration: Ensures deliverables function effectively with existing systems and processes.
Implementation: Deploys the solution, including processes, technologies, and information assets, into the live environment.
Closing: Finalises the project by accepting deliverables, releasing resources, and documenting outcomes.

Additional elements supporting the model include:

Risk Management: Identifies and mitigates risks to ensure project and service stability.
Stakeholder Management: Aligns the project with stakeholder expectations through ongoing engagement.
Documentation: Maintains records from planning to post-implementation to support governance and future improvements.

Interactions and Process Relationships

The diagram in Figure 7 shows the relationships between Execution activities and Service Transition processes in the Integrated Project-to-Service Model. While this visual captures the basic interactions between processes, it does not depict the full complexity of the interactions.

Figure 7. Integrated Project-to-Service Model: Interactions and Process Relationships

Each numbered item corresponds to a step in the explanation, detailing the interactions between the project management phases, Execution activities, and Service Transition processes:

1	Initiation to Planning marks a strategic shift from defining project objectives to creating a detailed, actionable plan encompassing risk management strategies, resource allocations, and schedules.
2	Planning to Execution activates the project management plans, transforming strategic plans into concrete outcomes.
3	Execution to Monitoring and Controlling provides a feedback loop for continuously assessing project performance and making necessary adjustments.
4	Monitoring and Controlling to Closing transitions the project from active management to formal completion, producing final performance reports and all necessary documentation. This signifies that all project objectives have been achieved and deliverables are ready for handover.
5	Development within Execution to Release and Deployment Management deploys a version of IT code, system updates, network modifications, and configuration alterations for functional, non-functional, and user acceptance testing in a test environment.
6	Integration within Execution to Release and Deployment Management deploys a version of IT code, system updates, network modifications, and configuration alterations for system integration testing in a test environment.
7	Release and Deployment Management to Configuration and Asset Management updates the configuration management database with all changes, supporting effective asset management and facilitating informed decision-making for service and configuration changes.
8	Implementation within Execution to Change Control assesses and authorises IT code changes, system updates, network modifications, and configuration alterations before deployment to the live environment.
9	Change Control to Release and Deployment Management releases approved IT code changes, system updates, network modifications, and configuration alterations to the live environment for technical and post-verification testing.
10	Release and Deployment Management to Service Testing and Validation completes the relevant testing in test and production environments.
11	Service Testing and Validation to Execution establishes a feedback loop to address any requirements, design, coding, or integration defects.
12	Change Control to Transition Planning and Support ensures the smooth transition of services into the live environment, maintaining service stability and continuity.
13	Execution to Knowledge Management focuses on systematically capturing and sharing knowledge from project execution to enhance organisational learning and improvement.
14	Knowledge Management to Transition Planning and Support uses the knowledge base to support service management.

The Integrated Project-to-Service Model illustrates a seamless transition from product development to service delivery. This model progresses linearly in a Waterfall delivery model, as detailed in Figure 7. In contrast, the Agile approach cycles repeatedly through steps 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 for continuous delivery across multiple sprints or iterations.

Commentary: The Integrated Project-to-Service Model preserves the proven value of established project and service management disciplines for enterprise IT projects, including core competencies, roles, responsibilities, tasks, risk management practices, and success metrics. It enhances integration without altering these foundations, ensuring collaboration and continuity between ITIL Service Transition and project execution.

Project Activities within ITIL Service Lifecycle Phases

The Integrated Project-to-Service Model establishes a foundation for aligning ITIL Service Transition with project execution. This section extends that alignment across all ITIL service lifecycle phases, integrating project activities before, during, and after completion to support enterprise IT initiatives. Figure 8 illustrates how these phases incorporate project activities to ensure continuity and collaboration.

Figure 8. Activities Related to Projects within the ITIL Service Lifecycle Stages

Before Project Initiation

Service Strategy and Service Design lay the foundation for IT projects by defining service objectives and technical requirements:

Service Strategy: Identifies opportunities for IT services to deliver business value and guides the project’s initial direction. It evaluates project feasibility and develops business cases to support progression decisions.
Service Design: Creates an enterprise blueprint to shape solution design and technical specifications. It plans service transitions and establishes service level agreements to align services with organisational objectives.

During Project Execution

Service Transition facilitates the deployment of IT services from design to operation:

Service Transition: Ensures a controlled handover of IT services to the live environment. This phase applies the Integrated Project-to-Service Model’s principles, using detailed planning and risk management to minimise disruptions.

After Project Completion

Service Operation and Continual Service Improvement sustain and enhance delivered services:

Service Operation: Integrates the new deliverable into the operational environment and supports users through incident and problem management. It ensures secure and efficient access management for ongoing operations.
Continual Service Improvement: Analyses operational feedback to identify opportunities for service enhancement. Projects establish mechanisms to collect this feedback and initiate improvements to optimise service performance.

ITIL and Project Phase Interactions

Building on the Integrated Project-to-Service Model’s focus on Service Transition and project execution, this section examines how all ITIL service lifecycle phases interact with project phases to deliver enterprise IT solutions. Figure 9 provides a perspective on these interactions, detailing inputs, activities, handovers, and feedback.

Figure 9. Dynamic Interaction Between ITIL Stages and Project Phases

ITIL Inputs to Project Delivery

Service Strategy provides strategic direction for IT projects:

Service Portfolio Management: Catalogues and evaluates current and planned services to ensure alignment with business objectives.
Demand Management: Forecasts user demand for services and matches it with IT capabilities.
Financial Management: Accounts for service costs and aligns them with organisational financial planning.

These outputs inform project initiation and planning for enterprise IT solutions.

Project Delivery Activities

Project delivery activities, primarily within Service Transition, build on Service Strategy inputs:

Project mandate: Received from Service Strategy to initiate the project.
Transition guidelines: Provided by Service Strategy to align delivery with the organisational roadmap.
Service definitions: Crafted from Service Strategy to clarify service offerings.
Design guidelines: Supplied by Service Design to outline requirements and constraints for service implementation, supporting the Integrated Project-to-Service Model’s execution steps.

Details of these activities are provided in the Integrated Project-to-Service Model section.

Project Handover Processes

Project handover processes transition deliverables from the project team to service management:

Business implementation: Prepares operational readiness through stakeholder communication, training, and user support strategies.
Readiness and risk assessments: Evaluates launch readiness and identifies risks to inform the final go/no-go decision.
Official rollout: Transitions the deliverable to operational status with formal documentation, support arrangements, and stakeholder communication.
Hypercare: Provides ongoing assistance during Service Operation for a set period following implementation to manage incidents and monitor performance. It includes issue analysis and escalation for complex cases.

Feedback from Handover to ITIL Processes

Operational data from handovers informs ITIL processes to refine services:

Feedback analysis: Continual Service Improvement examines Service Operation data, including Hypercare and Warranty outcomes, to identify enhancement opportunities.
Improvement recommendations: Proposes targeted service improvements based on feedback insights from handover and ongoing Warranty support.
Implementation of updates: Initiates service enhancements or new projects to address user feedback, warranty issues, and evolving business requirements..