IT4IT™ Foundation eLearning - $699 (with exam)

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this Learning Unit is to help the Candidate understand the IT4IT Reference Architecture at an overview level.

The candidate must be able to:

 Explain what The Open Group IT4IT Reference Architecture is and what approach it uses
 Identify the intended use of IT4IT Reference Architecture for organizations
 Identify the intended use of the IT4IT Reference Architecture for suppliers of IT management products and services
 List the guiding principles that the IT4IT Framework adheres to
 Demonstrate understanding of the IT Value Chain
 Briefly describe the difference between the primary activities and supporting activities in the IT Value Chain
 List the primary activities of the IT Value Chain
 the supporting activities of the IT Value Chain
 Explain the difference between value chain and value stream
 Briefly describe how the IT value chain supports the IT service life-cycle
 Briefly describe how the four value streams manage the full service life-cycle

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this Learning Unit is to help the Candidate understand the key terminology of the IT4IT Reference Architecture standard.

The Candidate must be able to understand and explain the following definitions:

 Service Lifecycle Data Object (Data Object)
 IT Value Chain
 Value Chain
 Value Stream
 Functional Component
 Service Model Backbone Data Object
 Relationship
 System of Record

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this Learning Unit is to help the Candidate understand the Basic Concepts of IT4IT Value Streams and the IT4IT Reference Architecture.

The candidate must be able to:

 Briefly describe an overview of the Strategy to Portfolio (S2P) value stream
 Briefly describe an overview of the Requirement to Deploy (R2D) value stream
 Briefly describe an overview of the Request to Fulfill (R2F) value stream
 Briefly describe an overview of the Detect to Correct (D2C) value stream
 Understand functional components and data objects and their relationship
 Understand the scope of S2P
 List S2P value propositions
 List S2P typical activities
 Understand the scope of R2D
 List R2D value propositions
 List R2D typical activities
 Understand the scope of R2F
 List R2F value propositions
 List R2F typical activities
 Understand the scope of D2C
 List D2C value propositions
 List D2C typical activities
 Explain the concept of the four pillars “anchoring” the IT Value Chain – the Service Model, the Information Model, the Functional Model, and the Integration Model
 Understand the IT4IT service model
 Understand the IT4IT Information Model
 Understand service lifecycle data objects
 Understand the difference between key and auxiliary data objects
 Understand the IT4IT Functional Model
 Explain functional components and how they relate to IT capability
 Understand difference between Primary Functional Components and Secondary Functional Components
 Explain interactions between Functional Components and Data Objects

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this Learning Unit is to help the Candidate understand the IT4IT Reference Architecture at a high level.

The candidate must be able to:

 List the five levels of IT4IT abstractions and identify which are vendor-agnostic and which are vendor-specific
 Explain why an informal notation was chosen for Levels 1 and 2
 List the five core concepts introduced at Reference Architecture Level 1
 Explain the Level 1 class model
 Explain the objective of the IT4IT Reference Architecture as it relates to Level 1
 Explain how the IT4IT Reference Architecture uses the value stream concept
 List the three things a functional component must have
 Identify the OMG definition that is aligned contextually with the service life-cycle data object (artifact)
 Identify the constituent parts of the system of record fabric for IT management
 Understand the Level 1 Reference Architecture diagram
 List the four additional concepts introduced at Reference Architecture Level 2
 Explain the Level 2 class model
 Understand the Level 2 Reference Architecture diagram
 Identify the primary method for communicating the IT4IT Reference Architecture specification at Level 3
 List the additional concepts introduced at Reference Architecture Level 3
 Understand the Level 3 Reference Architecture Diagram Notation
 Explain who owns and controls Levels 4 and 5 of the Reference Architecture
 Explain what kind of content might be included in Level 4
 Explain what kind of content might be included in Level 5

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this Learning Unit is to help the Candidate understand the objectives and functional components of the Strategy to Portfolio value stream.

The candidate must be able to:

 Describe the objectives of the Strategy to Portfolio (S2P) value stream
 Explain the benefits of implementing S2P value stream for the business
 List the KPIs
 Explain the purpose and use of the Enterprise Architecture functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Policy functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Proposal functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Portfolio Demand functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Service Portfolio functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the IT Investment Portfolio auxiliary functional component

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this Learning Unit is to help the Candidate understand the objectives and functional components of the Requirement to Deploy value stream.

The candidate must be able to:

 Describe the goals and key objectives of the Request to Deploy (R2D) value stream
 Explain the benefits of implementing R2D value stream for the business
 List the KPIs
 Explain the purpose and use of the Project functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Requirement functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Service Design functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Source Control functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Build functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Build Package functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Release Composition functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Test functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Defect functional component

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this Learning Unit is to help the Candidate understand the objectives and functional components of the Request to Fulfill value stream.

The candidate must be able to:

 Describe the objectives of the Request to Fulfill (R2F) value stream
 Explain the benefits of implementing R2F value stream for the business
 List the KPIs
 Understand the primary and secondary functional components of the R2F value stream
 Explain the purpose and use of the Engagement Experience Portal component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Offer Consumption functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Offer Management functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Catalog Composition functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Request Rationalization functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Fulfillment Execution functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Usage functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Charge-back/Show-back functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Knowledge & Collaboration supporting function

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this Learning Unit is to help the Candidate understand the objectives and functional components model of the Detect to Correct value stream.

The candidate must be able to:

 Describe the objectives of the Detect to Correct (D2C) value stream
 Explain the benefits of implementing D2C value stream for the business
 List the KPIs
 Explain the interactions with other value streams
 Explain the purpose and use of the Service Monitoring functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Event functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Incident functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Problem Control functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Change Control functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Configuration Management functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Diagnostic & Remediation functional component
 Explain the purpose and use of the Service Level functional component
 List other IT operations capabilities not part of the D2C value stream

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this Learning Unit is to help the Candidate understand the IT4IT Certification Program.

The candidate must be able to:

 Explain the IT4IT Certification Program, and distinguish between the levels of certification.

IT4IT is a reference architecture built for managing the business of IT and supporting digital business. It is designed as an 'umbrella framework' which can incorporate various systems, tools, and methodologies.

IT4IT utilizes a value stream-based approach to support digital businesses. Utilizing a formal IT operating model, it looks holistically at the 'IT Value Chain' for defining, sourcing, consuming, and managing IT services.

In essence, it works much like industrial value chain assembly lines - only with IT!

The Open Group is the business consortium behind IT4IT, as well as other corporate frameworks such as TOGAF and ArchiMate.

IT4IT is a modern reference architecture that treats IT as a business in itself. It provides users with a holistic perspective of all processes, tools, and flows in their IT setup, simplifying it and making it easier to align with business goals.

This can also make it much easier to improve IT services, refine IT elements, and improve collaboration between departments. IT4IT can even make it easier to incorporate freelancers into an organization.

The IT4IT Foundation exam is closed book and consists of 40 questions. There are 60 minutes to complete the exam (90 in countries where English is a second language) and the pass mark is 65%.

Being a successful IT4IT practitioner can be highly beneficial for career IT managers, especially those who work with other frameworks such as DevOps and ITIL 4. Certified and experienced users often move on to roles with greater responsibilities and much higher pay.

Digital and IT transformation is all about leveraging technology to create value. This can include automating core functions, updating key services, or simply increasing internal efficiency. Businesses which are unable to adapt in this way often fall behind in the current digital age.

IT4IT is compatible with a number of other methodologies and frameworks, including ITIL 4 and DevOps.