2.1.5. The ITIL Product and Service Lifecycle
💡 First Principle: The lifecycle is ITIL's name for the full set of activities a product or service moves through from first idea to ongoing support — and naming it as a lifecycle signals that these activities loop and revisit rather than march in a line.
The ITIL Product and Service Lifecycle is the model describing the activities involved in managing products and services throughout their existence: discover, design, acquire, build, transition, operate, deliver, and support. You'll study each activity's purpose in Phase 4. For now, the key concept is that the lifecycle gives a shared map of where in its life a product currently sits.
⚠️ Exam Trap: The lifecycle activities are not strictly sequential — a point examined directly in Phase 4. Even at this definitional stage, avoid picturing them as numbered steps you complete once and never return to.
Reflection Question: Why does ITIL call it a "lifecycle" rather than a "process" or a "sequence"?
