4.3. Reflection Checkpoint

Key Takeaways

• The eight lifecycle activities are discover, design, acquire, build, transition, operate, deliver, support — know the exact set.
• The activities are iterative and concurrent, never a fixed linear sequence — the single most-tested idea in this phase.
• Each activity has a distinct purpose; the natural pairs are discover/design (figure out the right thing), acquire/build (get parts and make it), transition/operate (go live and run), deliver/support (provide and help).
• Deliver (ongoing provision against agreed levels) and support (handling issues and requests) are distinct and frequently contrasted.

Connecting Forward

Phase 5 is the largest category on the exam (40%): the ITIL Value System. You'll see how the lifecycle activities relate to the value chain — the operating-model activities (plan, improve, engage, design and transition, obtain/build, deliver and support) that run the organization. The lifecycle (product-level) and value chain (organization-level) are cousins; keeping them distinct is a recurring exam theme.

Self-Check Questions

• List all eight lifecycle activities from memory, in any order, and pair them by purpose.
• Explain, with an example, why the activities are iterative rather than sequential.
• Distinguish the purposes of "deliver" and "support" in one sentence each.