In a recently published article called ‘How ITIL 4 can Help your Organisation Respond Effectively in the Digital Era’, AXELOS highlighted how a global survey conducted in January 2020 by The Conference Board found that the top three internal challenges for global CEOs and other C-suite professionals are:

  1. Attraction and retention of top talent
  2. Create new business models because of disruptive technologies
  3. Create a more innovative culture.

But, as we explained in the previous article, with challenge comes opportunity and IT and business leaders can equip their teams with the right digital skills and knowledge with training in ITIL 4.

In this article, we explore the ITIL 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy module in more detail, including the benefits of taking this module and how it will help senior IT and business leaders mitigate and manage the challenges they face today.

Digital Transformation has been expedited 

“We’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months. From remote teamwork and learning, to sales and customer service, to critical cloud infrastructure and security – we are working alongside customers every day to help them adapt and stay open for business in a world of remote everything.”

Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

In April 2020, Microsoft published a blog discussing how Microsoft Teams has been ‘powering collaboration for organizations of all sizes…’.

A familiar scenario for many of us who are living our daily working lives on Teams or joining Zoom calls with family and friends. But this changing environment has created huge disruption, requiring some quick rethinking by organizations who have had to:

  • adapt their digital strategies and business models
  • move entire workforces from office-based to remote working
  • implement new technology solutions to meet different internal and external demands
  • scale up other areas of their business to offer a digital alternative and/or meet increasing customer demand.

This fast pace of change and the need to adapt quickly has put professionals and organizations under increasing pressure to develop a digital strategy that meets these challenges, whilst ensuring the organization remains sustainable in a constantly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world (VUCA).

And, while this transition has been smooth for some organizations, it has been a major challenge for others.

So, how can professionals and organizations develop a digital strategy that harnesses the opportunities digital can offer?

Enable a sustainable business with ITIL 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy

ITIL 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy adds a new perspective to the ITIL 4 guidance and is proven to help IT and business directors, heads of department, aspiring C-Suite professionals and other business leaders define and implement a successful digital strategy.

Digital and IT Strategy forms part of the ITIL 4 Strategic Leader designation along with the universal module, ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve.

It is one of six modules in the ITIL 4 certification scheme:

  • ITIL 4 Foundation: the building blocks of ITIL 4 and the first step of the journey
  • The ITIL 4 Managing Professional designation, comprised of these four modules:
    • ITIL 4 Specialist: Create, Deliver and Support – the ‘engine room’ of the digital and IT function
    • ITIL 4 Specialist: Drive Stakeholder Value – ensuring digital and IT services delight
    • ITIL 4 Specialist: High-velocity IT – the future of digital and IT services
    • ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve – bringing digital and IT strategies to life (universal module)
  • ITIL 4 Strategic Leader designation, comprised of these two modules:
    • ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve – bringing digital and IT strategies to life (universal module)
    • ITIL 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy – enabling business success through the creation of digital and IT strategies.

The Digital and IT Strategy module will enable senior professionals to:

  • Create an appropriate digital strategy aligned to wider business goals
  • Understand how business and IT leaders across the globe are responding to disruption by reshaping corporate strategy, adapting processes and repurposing entire business models
  • Explore the use of the ITIL 4 framework to support organizations on their digital transformation journey
  • Ensure organizational sustainability by encouraging a culture that is more agile, resilient, lean and continuously improving
  • Understand how to strategically position an organization against digital disruptors to keep the business relevant to the desired customer base
  • Integrate technological practices, other ways or working and new technologies to meet new internal and external service management challenges
  • Learn about the impact, importance and interrelation of a digital strategy with other areas of the business for enabling success
  • Assess and understand internal and external factors to craft a digital vision and build a robust digital strategy for long term growth
  • Learn how to select and develop future IT and digital leaders to ensure the continuous delivery of digital excellence.

How to get certified in ITIL 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy

There are two primary routes that senior professionals can take:

  • Route one: Professionals who have never taken an ITIL certification will need to be certified in ITIL 4 Foundation and have a minimum of three years of managerial experience to be eligible to take the ITIL 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy module.
  • Route two: For professionals who have achieved the ITIL 4 Managing Professional designation; either via the ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition module or by being certified in all four modules that comprise the designation; and with a minimum of three years of managerial experience are also eligible.

Discover more about ITIL 4 Leader: Digital and IT Strategy, including how to find training, book an exam and purchase the publication.

Transformation is built on ITIL 4