3.2.2 Key Concept Distinctions: Part 2
Continuing the clarification of important ITIL terms and their practical differences.
| Concept A | Concept B | Key Difference Tested (Exam Focus) | Practical Implications |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT Asset | Configuration Item (CI) | Focus on financial value & lifecycle VS. Focus on needed for service delivery & relationships. | ITAM tracks financial value; SCM tracks components needed to deliver services and their relationships (for impact analysis). Can overlap. |
| SLA | OLA | Agreement with Customer VS. Agreement between Internal teams. | Defines external commitment (SLA) vs. internal dependency (OLA). Both are needed to meet SLAs. |
| Utility | Warranty | Functionality ('what it does') VS. Assurance ('how it performs'). | "A service can have high utility but poor warranty (e.g., great features but always down). Both are crucial for value." |
| Outcome | Output | Result for stakeholder VS. Deliverable from activity. | Focus on the business impact (Outcome) rather than just the deliverable (Output). Drives value. |
| Service Provision | Service Consumption | Activities by Provider VS. Activities by Consumer. | Understanding both sides of the service relationship is key to effective service management. |
| Service Provision/Consumption | Service Relationship Mgt | Individual activities VS. Joint activities for value co-creation. | Relationship Management is the bridge that ensures Provision and Consumption are aligned for value. |
| Customer Engagement (in SLM) | Customer Feedback (in SLM) | Active listening/discovery (goals) before service VS. Satisfaction/opinion after service. | Proactive understanding of needs (Engagement) vs. reactive assessment of performance (Feedback). Both are valuable for SLM. |