Back-out   Synonym for Remediation. 
        
Backup   (Service Design) (Service Operation) Copying data to protect against loss of Integrity or Availability of the original. 
        
Balanced Scorecard   (Continual Service Improvement) A management tool developed by Dr. Robert Kaplan (Harvard Business School) and David Norton. A Balanced Scorecard enables a Strategy to be broken down into Key Performance Indicators. Performance against the KPIs is used to demonstrate how well the Strategy is being achieved. A Balanced Scorecard has 4 major areas, each of which has a small number of KPIs. The same 4 areas are considered at different levels of detail throughout the Organization 
        

Baseline   (Continual Service Improvement) A Benchmark used as a reference point. For example:

An ITSM Baseline can be used as a starting point to measure the effect of a Service Improvement Plan

A Performance Baseline can be used to measure changes in Performance over the lifetime of an IT Service

A Configuration Management Baseline can be used to enable the IT Infrastructure to be restored to a known Configuration if a Change or Release fails 
         

BCM   Business Capacity Management 
        
BCM   Business Continuity Management 
        
BCP   Business Continuity Plan 
        
Benchmark   (Continual Service Improvement) The recorded state of something at a specific point in time. A Benchmark can be created for a Configuration, a Process, or any other set of data. For example, a benchmark can be used in:

Continual Service Improvement, to establish the current state for managing improvements.

Capacity Management, to document Performance characteristics during normal operations.

See Benchmarking, Baseline.
         
Benchmarking   (Continual Service Improvement) Comparing a Benchmark with a Baseline or with Best Practice. The term Benchmarking is also used to mean creating a series of Benchmarks over time, and comparing the results to measure progress or improvement. 
        
Best Practice   Proven Activities or Processes that have been successfully used by multiple Organizations. ITIL is an example of Best Practice. 
        
Brainstorming   (Service Design) A technique that helps a team to generate ideas. Ideas are not reviewed during the Brainstorming session, but at a later stage. Brainstorming is often used by Problem Management to identify possible causes. 
        

BIA   Business Impact Analysis 
        
British Standards Institution (BSI)   The UK National Standards body, responsible for creating and maintaining British Standards. See http://www.bsi-global.com for more information.

See ISO. 
        
BRM   Business Relationship Manager 
        
Budget   A list of all the money an Organization or Business Unit plans to receive, and plans to pay out, over a specified period of time.

See Budgeting, Planning. 
        
BSI   British Standards Institution 
        

BSM   Business Service Management 
        
Budgeting   The Activity of predicting and controlling the spending of money. Consists of a periodic negotiation cycle to set future Budgets (usually annual) and the day-to-day monitoring and adjusting of current Budgets. 
        
Build   (Service Transition) The Activity of assembling a number of Configuration Items to create part of an IT Service. The term Build is also used to refer to a Release that is authorized for distribution. For example Server Build or laptop Build.

See Configuration Baseline.
         
Build Environment   (Service Transition) A controlled Environment where Applications, IT Services and other Builds are assembled prior to being moved into a Test or Live Environment. 
        
Business   (Service Strategy) An overall corporate entity or Organization formed of a number of Business Units. In the context of ITSM, the term Business includes public sector and not-for-profit organizations., as well as companies. An IT Service Provider provides IT Services to a Customer within a Business. The IT Service Provider may be part of the same Business as their Customer (Internal Service Provider), or part of another Business (External Service Provider). 
        
Business Capacity Management (BCM)   (Service Design) In the context of ITSM, Business Capacity Management is the Activity responsible for understanding future Business Requirements for use in the Capacity Plan.

See Service Capacity Management.
         
Business Case   (Service Strategy) Justification for a significant item of expenditure. Includes information about Costs, benefits, options, issues, Risks, and possible problems.

See Cost Benefit Analysis.
         
Business Continuity Management (BCM)   (Service Design) The Business Process responsible for managing Risks that could seriously impact the Business. BCM safeguards the interests of key stakeholders, reputation, brand and value creating activities. The BCM Process involves reducing Risks to an acceptable level and planning for the recovery of Business Processes should a disruption to the Business occur. BCM sets the Objectives, Scope and Requirements for IT Service Continuity Management. 
        
Business Continuity Plan (BCP)   (Service Design) A Plan defining the steps required to Restore Business Processes following a disruption. The Plan will also identify the triggers for Invocation, people to be involved, communications etc. IT Service Continuity Plans form a significant part of Business Continuity Plans. 
        
Business Customer   (Service Strategy) A recipient of a product or a Service from the Business. For example if the Business is a car manufacturer then the Business Customer is someone who buys a car. 
        
Business Impact Analysis (BIA)   (Service Strategy) BIA is the Activity in Business Continuity Management that identifies Vital Business Functions and their dependencies. These dependencies may include Suppliers, people, other Business Processes, IT Services etc.

BIA defines the recovery requirements for IT Services. These requirements include Recovery Time Objectives, Recovery Point Objectives and minimum Service Level Targets for each IT 
        

Business Objective   (Service Strategy) The Objective of a Business Process, or of the Business as a whole. Business Objectives support the Business Vision, provide guidance for the IT Strategy, and are often supported by IT Services. 
        
Business Operations   (Service Strategy) The day-to-day execution, monitoring and management of Business Processes. 
        
Business Perspective   (Continual Service Improvement) An understanding of the Service Provider and IT Services from the point of view of the Business, and an understanding of the Business from the point of view of the Service Provider. 
        
Business Process   A Process that is owned and carried out by the Business. A Business Process contributes to the delivery of a product or Service to a Business Customer. For example, a retailer may have a purchasing Process which helps to deliver Services to their Business Customers. Many Business Processes rely on IT Services. 
        

Business Relationship Management   (Service Strategy) The Process or Function responsible for maintaining a Relationship with the Business. BRM usually includes:

Managing personal Relationships with Business managers
Providing input to Service Portfolio Management
Ensuring that the IT Service Provider is satisfying the Business needs of the Customers
This Process has strong links with Service Level Management.
 
        
Business Relationship Manager (BRM)   (Service Strategy) A Role responsible for maintaining the Relationship with one or more Customers. This Role is often combined with the Service Level Manager Role.

See Account Manager.
         
Business Service   An IT Service that directly supports a Business Process, as opposed to an Infrastructure Service which is used internally by the IT Service Provider and is not usually visible to the Business.

The term Business Service is also used to mean a Service that is delivered to Business Customers by Business Units. For example delivery of financial services to Customers of a bank, or goods to the Customers of a retail store. Successful delivery of Business Services often depends on one or more IT Services. 
        
Business Service Management (BSM)   (Service Strategy) (Service Design) An approach to the management of IT Services that considers the Business Processes supported and the Business value provided.

This term also means the management of Business Services delivered to Business Customers. 
        
Business Unit   (Service Strategy) A segment of the Business which has its own Plans, Metrics, income and Costs. Each Business Unit owns Assets and uses these to create value for Customers in the form of goods and Services.