Thoughts on ITIL® (Version 5): The New ITIL Value Chain (and What Changed From ITIL 4)

Are your ears ringing like mine are from the sound of posts about ITIL^® (Version 5), thinking that an alarm went off?

Having participated in the beta version of ITIL^® 5 and reflecting on it, I thought, why not join the conversation? Here are my initial views about the new release of ITIL.

⏪️ While working with ITIL^® 4 the past few years, I am sometimes asked, “When will there be a new version of ITIL?”

My response was always, “Not sure if they really need to do that. The Four Dimensions, Guiding Principles, Continual Improvement, and Practices in ITIL^® 4 have been the same since ITILv3¹, perhaps they can add one or two Practices, like one for ‘AI’.” Now, seven years later, we have the new ITIL.

Some of the practices/processes we enjoy today have roots in prior versions of ITIL and were expanded in each subsequent edition.

⏩ Fast forward to today. ITIL (Version 5) has several changes that enhance it. For those who are interested in certification, especially consultants and trainers, the certification scheme for all three stacks above Foundation requires taking a Transformation course.

The Four Dimensions, Seven Guiding Principles, Five Components of the Value System, and Thirty-Four Practices are the same in the new ITIL as they are in ITIL^® 4.

Comparing ITIL^® 4 and ITIL^® 5 at the architectural level, there is one major, yet very important difference between the two versions:

▶️ The Service Value Chain (SVC) name was revised to be the ITIL Value Chain, to shift the focus of the entire best practice on Digital Product & Service Lifecycle Management

Inside the ITIL Value Chain, there are eight distinct activities that places more focus on organization-specific value streams and practices

ITIL^® 5 accomplishes this by changing the SVC‘s nine distinct activities to be eight, clearly articulated, ITIL Value Chain activities in a Product & Service Lifecycle ‘diamond’ and in a ‘stream’ as seen in the figures and table below.

ITIL®4 Service Value Chain Based on Foundation Figure 4.2 Copyright © 2026 PeopleCert International Limited

ITIL^® Foundation (Version 5) Copyright © 2026 PeopleCert International Limited
Figure 1.6 The ITIL Product and Service Lifecycle Model

 

ITIL® 4 Service Value Chain’s Nine Distinct Activities	ITIL® 5 ITIL Value Chain Activities from Product & Service Lifecycle Management
1> Engage	0.1 Every Value Chain activity engages at least once as a step in a Value Stream. If you “Progress Iteratively with Feedback”, you will engage many times in a value stream. An omni-channel approach across the Service Journey is desirable.
7> Improve	0.2 Continual Improvement should be part of the value system, value chain, practices, and culture; considered as a planned activity at least annually &/or as needed. Also applicable across the Service Journey.
2> Plan	#1 of 8. Discover Ensure continual alignment of the product roadmaps and related service offerings with the needs of service consumers and with the organizational strategy. This is also the name of the first step of the Service Journey.
3> Design and Transition	#2 of 8. Design Create prototypes and specifications for products and services, detailing their functionality, user experience, and operational framework for #4 through #8.
5> Obtain &/or Build	#3 of 8. Acquire Secure and allocate necessary resources efficiently, ensuring the sustainability and scalability of products and services for #4 through #8.
6> Obtain &/or Build	#4 of 8. Build Develop, integrate, and test digital products, transforming designs into functional solutions.
4> Design and Transition	#5 of 8. Transition Seamlessly introduce new or updated products into operational environments and ensure effective onboarding/offboarding of suppliers.
8> Deliver and Support	#6 of 8. Operate Maintain and monitor digital products and supporting systems, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
8> Deliver and Support	#7 of 8. Deliver Provide services to users, manage user onboarding/offboarding, maintain service quality standards, and gather consumers’ feedback.
9> Deliver and Support	#8 of 8. Support Identify and resolve incidents, fulfil disaster recovery procedures, and capture consumers’ feedback.

 

ITIL^® 5 Value Chain Based on Foundation Figure 4.2 Copyright © 2026 PeopleCert International Limited

In addition, the conceptual shift in ITIL^® 5 includes:

▶️ More focus on AI throughout
▶️ More focus on organization-specific value streams that use Practices

 

⏭️ If you choose to take an ITIL^® 4 to ITIL^® 5 transition course this year, if you understand the major architectural difference is the ITIL Value Chain that focuses on product and service lifecycle management, and that you need to be intentional to build valuable, lean, value streams for your business model, then automate them; you are good to go!

ITIL has always been simultaneously prescriptive guidance for those just starting out and non-prescriptive guidance for those managing a more capable and mature IT organization; so, all types of organizations may then perform Continual Improvement that adds value.

If you choose to use ITIL, choose what to use in it, you will get the most out of it and enjoy the service journey.

ITIL® 5 Service Journey Extracted from Foundation Figure 3.5 Copyright © 2026 PeopleCert International

 

Keep it sweet and simple. Just call it ITIL, because that is what ITIL’s personality first was, has been, and still is all about!

 

¹ ITILv3/2011e has Four Ps in Strategy [Perspective, Positions, Plans, Patterns], and in Design [People, Process, Products, Partners]; nine Guiding Principles [Practice Manager textbook & certification]; and the 7-Step Continual Service Improvement Model.