Respondents to the survey were given the ability to enter free-form responses detailing specific organizational improvements that have occurred due to the knowledge gained in the pursuit of intermediate and advanced ITIL certifications. There were numerous specific improvements noted by the respondents. Some of the responses to this question included:

There is much debate in the IT world about the value of certifications to organizations, and this debate often includes the value of ITIL certifications to organizations. Value has intangible aspects, and it’s often difficult to adequately assess value. The survey assessed several aspects of the value of ITIL certifications to organizations by asking respondents how earning these certifications helped their employers.

Responses to the survey showed clearly that earning intermediate and advanced ITIL certifications is valuable to individuals. Of the 117 participants, 76.5 percent indicated that earning ITIL intermediate and advanced certifications made them more marketable compared to others in the job market. This is significant value because of recent economic conditions and the need for individuals to show that they have the credentials and experience that are significantly better than those they’re competing against for limited jobs.

In order to assess the value of ITIL certifications to individuals and organizations, a survey was created and targeted to individuals who have earned various ITIL certifications. The purpose of the survey was to assess both the tangible and intangible value of these certifications, and it focused on various ITIL Intermediate certifications and ITIL Expert. The value of ITIL Foundation was not assessed because that is a basic, common, entry-level certification.

The professional certification industry has grown significantly in conjunction with increased growth of various aspects of the information technology field. The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL®) is a set of best practices designed to describe common approaches that organizations can apply to regular activities conducted by information technology (IT) organizations. The current version of ITIL offers a series of professional certifications designed to attest to an individual’s level of competency in specific areas that ITIL covers, or to attest to an individual’s level of competency in the overall set of ITIL best practices.

Once an organization has categorized suppliers, one of the benefits that is quickly realized is an understanding of how supplier changes affect the buying organization and vice-versa. Changes are the modification, addition, or removal of something from the environment. The scope and scale of each change can be different. Change management covers everything from regular, low-risk, operational modifications all the way to significant organizational strategic shifts.

To be accountable for something means that you are answerable for that thing, be it goods, services, documentation, etc. The crux of accountability is that it can’t be delegated and only one person can be ultimately accountable for something. Accountability with respect to supplier management shows up in many ways. First, when a purchasing organization establishes a contract with a supplier, it is critical that all necessary accountabilities are clearly defined in the contract. Second, it is critical for success that the purchasing organization uses one consistent voice to communicate with its supplier.

As mentioned earlier, one of the most useful pieces of guidance that ITIL provides relates to the categorization of suppliers. ITIL describes four categories of suppliers:

When a purchasing organization contracts with a supplier to purchase goods and services, it is critical that the contract define specific measures and set achievable targets for those measures. As part of the negotiation process, the supplier and purchasing organizations work together to choose metrics for the performance of the service, and both parties agree to and understand clear targets for those metrics.

Furthermore, the purchasing organization should regularly review supplier performance in the context of these targets and ensure that the targets are adjusted accordingly.

As Bossert (2004) indicates in The Supplier Management Handbook, the relationship between suppliers and purchasing organizations has historically been adversarial. However, due to significant changes in technology, increased levels of services desired, and a focus on generating shareholder value on both sides of the supplier/purchasing organization relationship, both parties are more likely to work together to create overall value. In other words, the success of the purchasing organization is highly dependent upon the success of the supplier.