Tactical   The middle of three levels of Planning and delivery (Strategic, Tactical, Operational). Tactical Activities include the medium term Plans required to achieve specific Objectives, typically over a period of weeks to months.
       
Tag   (Service Strategy) A short code used to identify a Category. For example tags EC1, EC2, EC3 etc. might be used to identify different Customer outcomes when analyzing and comparing Strategies. The term Tag is also used to refer to the Activity of assigning Tags to things.
       
TCO   Total Cost of Ownership
       
TCU   Total Cost of Utilization
       
Technical Management   (Service Operation) The Function responsible for providing technical skills in support of IT Services and management of the IT Infrastructure. Technical Management defines the Roles of Support Groups, as well as the tools, Processes and Procedures required.
       
Technical Observation (TO)   (Continual Service Improvement) A technique used in Service Improvement, Problem investigation and Availability Management. Technical support staff meet to monitor the behavior. and Performance of an IT Service and make recommendations for improvement.
       
Technical Service   Synonym for Infrastructure Service.
       
Technical Support   Synonym for Technical Management.
       
Tension Metrics   (Continual Service Improvement) A set of related Metrics, in which improvements to one Metric have a negative effect on another. Tension Metrics are designed to ensure that an appropriate balance is achieved.
       
Terms of Reference (TOR)   (Service Design) A Document specifying the Requirements, Scope, Deliverables, Resources and schedule for a Project or Activity.
       
Test   (Service Transition) An Activity that verifies that a Configuration Item, IT Service, Process, etc. meets its Specification or agreed Requirements.

See Service Validation and Testing, Acceptance.
        
Test Environment   (Service Transition) A controlled Environment used to Test Configuration Items, Builds, IT Services, Processes etc.
       
Third Party   A person, group, or Business who is not part of the Service Level Agreement for an IT Service, but is required to ensure successful delivery of that IT Service. For example a software Supplier, a hardware maintenance company, or a facilities department. Requirements for Third Parties are typically specified in Underpinning Contracts or Operational Level Agreements.
       
Third-line Support   (Service Operation) The third level in a hierarchy of Support Groups involved in the resolution of Incidents and investigation of Problems. Each level contains more specialist skills, or has more time or other Resources.
       
Threat   Anything that might exploit a Vulnerability. Any potential cause of an Incident can be considered to be a Threat. For example a fire is a Threat that could exploit the Vulnerability of flammable floor coverings. This term is commonly used in Information Security Management and IT Service Continuity Management, but also applies to other areas such as Problem and Availability Management.
       
Threshold   The value of a Metric which should cause an Alert to be generated, or management action to be taken. For example "Priority1 Incident not solved within 4 hours", "more than 5 soft disk errors in an hour", or "more than 10 failed changes in a month".
       
Throughput   (Service Design) A measure of the number of Transactions, or other Operations, performed in a fixed time. For example 5000 emails sent per hour, or 200 disk I/Os per second.
       
TO   Technical Observation
       
TOR   Terms of Reference
       
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)   (Service Strategy) A methodology used to help make investment decisions. TCO assesses the full Lifecycle Cost of owning a Configuration Item, not just the initial Cost or purchase price.

See Total Cost of Utilization.
       
Total Cost of Utilization (TCU)   (Service Strategy) A methodology used to help make investment and Service Sourcing decisions. TCU assesses the full Lifecycle Cost to the Customer of using an IT Service.

See Total Cost of Ownership.
        
Total Quality Management (TQM)   (Continual Service Improvement) A methodology for managing continual Improvement by using a Quality Management System. TQM establishes a Culture involving all people in the Organization in a Process of continual monitoring and improvement.
       
TQM   Total Quality Management
       
Transaction   A discrete Function performed by an IT Service. For example transferring money from one bank account to another. A single Transaction may involve numerous additions, deletions and modifications of data. Either all of these complete successfully or none of them is carried out.
       
Transition   (Service Transition) A change in state, corresponding to a movement of an IT Service or other Configuration Item from one Lifecycle status to the next.
       
Transition Planning and Support   (Service Transition) The Process responsible for Planning all Service Transition Processes and coordinating the resources that they require. These Service Transition Processes are Change Management, Service Asset and Configuration Management, Release and Deployment Management, Service Validation and Testing, Evaluation, and Knowledge Management.
       
Trend Analysis   (Continual Service Improvement) Analysis of data to identify time related patterns. Trend Analysis is used in Problem Management to identify common Failures or fragile Configuration Items, and in Capacity Management as a Modeling tool to predict future behavior. It is also used as a management tool for identifying deficiencies in IT Service Management Processes.
       
Tuning   The Activity responsible for Planning Changes to make the most efficient use of Resources. Tuning is part of Performance Management, which also includes Performance Monitoring and implementation of the required Changes.
       
Type I Service Provider   (Service Strategy) An Internal Service Provider that is embedded within a Business Unit. There may be several Type I Service Providers within an Organization
       
Type II Service Provider   (Service Strategy) An Internal Service Provider that provides shared IT Services to more than one Business Unit.
       
Type III Service Provider   (Service Strategy) A Service Provider that provides IT Srvices to External Customers.

U

UC   Underpinning Contract
       
Underpinning Contract (UC)   (Service Design) A Contract between an IT Service Provider and a Third Party. The Third Party provides goods or Services that support delivery of an IT Service to a Customer. The Underpinning Contract defines targets and responsibilities that are required to meet agreed Service Level Targets in an SLA.
       
Unit Cost   (Service Strategy) The Cost to the IT Service Provider of providing a single Component of an IT Service. For example the Cost of a single desktop PC, or of a single Transaction.
       
UP   User Profile
       
Urgency   (Service Transition) (Service Design) A measure of how long it will be until an Incident, Problem or Change has a significant Impact on the Business. For example a high Impact Incident may have low Urgency, if the Impact will not affect the Business until the end of the financial year. Impact and Urgency are used to assign Priority.
       
Usability   (Service Design) The ease with which an Application, product, or IT Service can be used. Usability Requirements are often included in a Statement of Requirements.
       
Use Case   (Service Design) A technique used to define required functionality and Objectives, and to Design Tests. Use Cases define realistic scenarios that describe interactions between Users and an IT Service or other System.

See Change Case.
        
User   A person who uses the IT Service on a day-to-day basis. Users are distinct from Customers, as some Customers do not use the IT Service directly.
       
User Profile (UP)   (Service Strategy) A pattern of User demand for IT Services. Each User Profile includes one or more Patterns of Business Activity.
       
Utility   (Service Strategy) Functionality offered by a Product or Service to meet a particular need. Utility is often summarized as "what it does".

See Service Utility.

V

Validation   (Service Transition) An Activity that ensures a new or changed IT Service, Process, Plan, or other Deliverable meets the needs of the Business. Validation ensures that Business Requirements are met even though these may have changed since the original Design.

See Verification, Acceptance, Qualification, Service Validation and Testing.
       
Value Chain   (Service Strategy) A sequence of Processes that creates a product or Service that is of value to a Customer. Each step of the sequence builds on the previous steps and contributes to the overall product or Service.

See Value Network.
        
Value for Money   An informal measure of Cost Effectiveness. Value for Money is often based on a comparison with the Cost of alternatives.

See Cost Benefit Analysis.
       
Value Network   (Service Strategy) A complex set of Relationships between two or more groups or organizations Value is generated through exchange of knowledge, information, goods or Services.

See Value Chain, Partnership.
        
Value on Investment (VOI)   (Continual Service Improvement) A measurement of the expected benefit of an investment. VOI considers both financial and intangible benefits.

See Return on Investment.
        
Variable Cost   (Service Strategy) A Cost that depends on how much the IT Service is used, how many products are produced, the number and type of Users, or something else that cannot be fixed in advance.

See Variable Cost Dynamics.
        
Variable Cost Dynamics   (Service Strategy) A technique used to understand how overall Costs are impacted by the many complex variable elements that contribute to the provision of IT Services.
       

Variance   The difference between a planned value and the actual measured value. Commonly used in Financial Management, Capacity Management and Service Level Management, but could apply in any area where Plans are in place.
       

VBF   Vital Business Function
       
Verification   (Service Transition) An Activity that ensures a new or changed IT Service, Process, Plan, or other Deliverable is complete, accurate, Reliable and matches its Design Specification.

See Validation, Acceptance, Service Validation and Testing.
        
Verification and Audit   (Service Transition) The Activities responsible for ensuring that information in the CMDB is accurate and that all Configuration Items have been identified and recorded in the CMDB. Verification includes routine checks that are part of other Processes. For example, verifying the serial number of a desktop PC when a User logs an Incident. Audit is a periodic, formal check.
       
Version   (Service Transition) A Version is used to identify a specific Baseline of a Configuration Item. Versions typically use a naming convention that enables the sequence or date of each Baseline to be identified. For example Payroll Application Version 3 contains updated functionality from Version 2.
       
Vision   A description of what the Organization intends to become in the future. A Vision is created by senior management and is used to help influence Culture and Strategic Planning.
       
Vital Business Function (VBF)   (Service Design) A Function of a Business Process which is critical to the success of the Business. Vital Business Functions are an important consideration of Business Continuity Management, IT Service Continuity Management and Availability Management.
       
VOI   Value on Investment
       
Vulnerability   A weakness that could be exploited by a Threat. For example an open firewall port, a password that is never changed, or a flammable carpet. A missing Control is also considered to be a Vulnerability.

W

Warm Standby   Synonym for Intermediate Recovery.
       
Warranty   (Service Strategy) A promise or guarantee that a product or Service will meet its agreed Requirements.

See Service Validation and Testing, Service Warranty.
        
WIP   Work in Progress
       
Work in Progress (WIP)   A Status that means Activities have started but are not yet complete. It is commonly used as a Status for Incidents, Problems, Changes etc.
       
Work Instruction   A Document containing detailed instructions that specify exactly what steps to follow to carry out an Activity. A Work Instruction contains much more detail than a Procedure and is only created if very detailed instructions are needed.
       
Workaround   (Service Operation) Reducing or eliminating the Impact of an Incident or Problem for which a full Resolution is not yet available. For example by restarting a failed Configuration Item. Workarounds for Problems are documented in Known Error Records. Workarounds for Incidents that do not have associated Problem Records are documented in the Incident Record.
       
Workload   The Resources required to deliver an identifiable part of an IT Service. Workloads may be Categorized by Users, groups of Users, or Functions within the IT Service. This is used to assist in analyzing and managing the Capacity, Performance and Utilization of Configuration Items and IT Services. The term Workload is sometimes used as a synonym for Throughput.

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