SkarpSkarp

Chapter 15 of 19

Continual Improvement: Model, Activities, and Everyday Practice

Follow the continual improvement model step by step and see how it becomes a recurring habit across teams, value streams, and lifecycle phases—not just a one-off project.

27 min readen

From One-Off Fixes to Continual Improvement

Why Continual Improvement Matters

In ITIL 4, continual improvement is not a side-project. It is a core practice that runs through the entire service value system and every team.

Canonical Definition (Memorize This)

continual improvement: "A recurring activity performed at all levels to ensure that an organization’s performance continually meets stakeholders’ expectations."

Key Phrases To Notice

Recurring activity (again and again), at all levels (strategy to teams), focused on stakeholders’ expectations (customers, users, sponsors, regulators, partners).

Not Just Projects or Changes

Projects and single changes can implement improvements, but they are temporary. Continual improvement is the ongoing discipline that keeps performance aligned.

Place in the Service Value System

In the ITIL service value system, continual improvement surrounds guiding principles, governance, the service value chain, and all practices.

The Continual Improvement Model: The 7 Canonical Steps

Meet the 7-Step Model

ITIL’s continual improvement model has seven steps that form a loop: from vision, through action, to learning and momentum.

The Seven Steps (Overview)

  1. What is the vision? 2. Where are we now? 3. Where do we want to be? 4. How do we get there? 5. Take action 6. Did we get there? 7. How do we keep the momentum going?

Grouped into Phases

Steps 1–3 set direction, 4–5 execute, 6–7 learn and embed. This is not a one-time project; it is a repeating cycle.

Link to PDCA

The model aligns with PDCA: Plan (1–4), Do (5), Check (6), Act (7). This connection sometimes appears in exam distractors.

Common Exam Traps

Scenarios that skip vision or measurement, or that describe a one-off project, are not good examples of continual improvement.

Steps 1–3: Vision and Gap – From "Now" to "Target"

Step 1: What Is the Vision?

Align improvement with strategy and stakeholders. Ask: How does this support our direction? Which stakeholders care, and what value will they see?

Guiding Principles at Step 1

Vision work is driven by Focus on value and Think and work holistically. It connects improvement to the bigger picture.

Step 2: Where Are We Now?

Baseline the current state with data: metrics, process maps, feedback, incident trends. Avoid guessing; measure reality.

Step 3: Where Do We Want To Be?

Define a measurable target state (SMART objectives). Example: reduce password resets by 60% and resolution time to 5 minutes.

From Now to Target via Vision

Picture a diagram: current state on the left, target state on the right, with the vision as the guiding arrow above connecting them.

Steps 4–7: Plan, Act, Measure, Sustain

Step 4: How Do We Get There?

Design the path from current to target: options, risks, priorities, resources. Use Start where you are and Keep it simple.

Step 5: Take Action

Implement improvements via changes, projects, or agile work. Build, test, deploy, train, and communicate with stakeholders.

Step 6: Did We Get There?

Measure outcomes against targets. Compare metrics and gather feedback. Without this, you cannot know if the change is an improvement.

Step 7: Keep the Momentum

Embed the new way of working, update procedures and dashboards, and feed new ideas into the improvement backlog.

Exam Reminder

If a scenario lacks measurement (step 6) and sustaining (step 7), it describes a one-off change, not complete continual improvement.

Worked Example: Continual Improvement of Incident Handling

Scenario: Overloaded University Service Desk

Students complain about slow IT support during exam periods. The service desk is overwhelmed. Time to apply the 7-step model.

Steps 1–3: Vision, Now, Target

Vision: stress-free student experience. Now: 8h response, 36h resolution, many Wi‑Fi tickets. Target: 1h response, 8h resolution, 70% fewer Wi‑Fi issues.

Step 4: Plan the Path

Choose options: exam support squad, better Wi‑Fi monitoring, self-help guide. Align with Plan, Design and transition, Obtain/build activities.

Step 5: Take Action

Train the squad, configure alerts, publish the guide, and communicate. This plays out mainly in Deliver and support.

Steps 6–7: Measure and Sustain

Check metrics (now 45m response, 7h resolution, 65% fewer issues). Standardize the squad each term and add new Wi‑Fi work to the backlog.

Improvement Opportunities and the Improvement Backlog

Where Do Improvement Ideas Come From?

Ideas arrive via incidents, monitoring, surveys, audits, retrospectives, and everyday conversations. They need structure to become action.

What Is an Improvement Backlog?

A visible, prioritized list of improvement opportunities, regularly reviewed and connected to the continual improvement model.

Typical Backlog Fields

Description, expected value, effort and risk, links to services or value streams, and a clear status from idea to verified.

Good vs Weak Backlogs

Good: prioritized, owned, reviewed. Weak: a pile of complaints with no owner, no priorities, and no review cadence.

Guiding Principles at Work

Backlogs support Collaborate and promote visibility, Keep it simple and practical, and Optimize and automate.

Continual Improvement Across the Service Value Chain

Value Chain Reminder

The service value chain is a set of interconnected activities that deliver products and services and enable value realization.

Improvement in Plan and Engage

Plan: improve strategy and prioritization. Engage: improve how you collect and use feedback from customers, users, and sponsors.

Improvement in Design, Obtain/Build

Design and transition: smoother, safer go-lives. Obtain/build: better supplier collaboration and more efficient building and automation.

Improvement in Deliver and Support, Improve

Deliver and support: fewer incidents, faster resolution. Improve: better backlog management, analysis, and knowledge sharing.

Everyone Improves, Not Just One Team

Continual improvement is applied in all value chain activities; it is not only the job of an "improvement" department.

Thought Exercise: Is It Continual Improvement or a One-Off?

Use this short reflection exercise to practice spotting continual improvement in exam-style scenarios.

For each scenario, decide: Continual improvement or One-time project/change?

  1. A bank runs a 9‑month program to replace its core banking platform. After go-live, the project team is dissolved. There is no defined plan to measure outcomes beyond initial acceptance tests.
  • Your judgment?
  • Why?
  1. A help desk holds a monthly review of incident trends. Each month they pick one issue, run a small experiment to improve it, measure the results, and either adopt or drop the change. They maintain a visible improvement backlog.
  • Your judgment?
  • Why?
  1. A university introduces a new student portal. After launch, they collect feedback for 3 months, make some adjustments, then stop reviewing metrics and move everyone to a new project.
  • Your judgment?
  • What would need to change to make this continual improvement?
  1. A cloud team runs a weekly "error budget" review to see whether reliability meets agreed expectations. They adjust release frequency and infrastructure based on the data.
  • Your judgment?
  • How does this reflect the continual improvement definition?

Write down your answers (or say them aloud), then check yourself against the guidance on the next slide.

Quiz 1: Core Concepts of Continual Improvement

Test your understanding of the definition and model steps.

Which option best describes continual improvement according to ITIL 4?

  1. A temporary project to upgrade a critical service, ending once the upgrade is complete.
  2. A recurring activity performed at all levels to ensure that an organization’s performance continually meets stakeholders’ expectations.
  3. Any change that results in better performance, regardless of whether it is repeated.
  4. A set of tools used by process owners to automate workflows.
Show Answer

Answer: B) A recurring activity performed at all levels to ensure that an organization’s performance continually meets stakeholders’ expectations.

The canonical ITIL definition is: "A recurring activity performed at all levels to ensure that an organization’s performance continually meets stakeholders’ expectations." The other options describe projects, single changes, or tools, not the ongoing discipline.

Quiz 2: Applying the Continual Improvement Model

Now focus on the seven-step model and exam traps.

A team implements a new monitoring tool to reduce downtime. They install it, run basic tests, and move on to other work. No targets were set and no follow-up measurement is planned. Which statement is MOST accurate from an ITIL continual improvement perspective?

  1. This fully follows the continual improvement model because a new tool was implemented.
  2. This is not continual improvement because tools cannot be part of improvement activities.
  3. This is an incomplete application of the continual improvement model because it lacks clear targets and post-implementation measurement.
  4. This is continual improvement only if the monitoring tool is AI-based.
Show Answer

Answer: C) This is an incomplete application of the continual improvement model because it lacks clear targets and post-implementation measurement.

The scenario skips "Where do we want to be?" (targets) and "Did we get there?" (measurement). Implementing a tool alone is just a change. Continual improvement requires direction and feedback, regardless of whether AI is used.

Flashcards: Key Definitions and Model Steps

Use these cards to lock in critical exam terms and the continual improvement model.

continual improvement
A recurring activity performed at all levels to ensure that an organization’s performance continually meets stakeholders’ expectations.
service value system
A model representing how all the components and activities of an organization work together as a system to enable value creation.
service value chain
A set of interconnected activities that an organization performs to deliver a valuable product or service to its consumers and to facilitate value realization.
Step 1 of the continual improvement model
What is the vision? Align improvement with organizational direction and stakeholders’ expectations.
Step 2 of the continual improvement model
Where are we now? Establish the current state using data and evidence.
Step 3 of the continual improvement model
Where do we want to be? Define the target state with clear, measurable objectives.
Step 4 of the continual improvement model
How do we get there? Plan specific improvement initiatives to move from current to target state.
Step 5 of the continual improvement model
Take action. Implement the improvement initiatives (often via changes, projects, or agile work).
Step 6 of the continual improvement model
Did we get there? Measure and evaluate results against the target state.
Step 7 of the continual improvement model
How do we keep the momentum going? Embed gains, standardize, and feed new ideas into the improvement backlog.

Bringing It All Together and Next Study Steps

Core Idea to Remember

Continual improvement is a recurring, all-level activity to keep performance aligned with stakeholders’ expectations, not a one-off project.

Model + Backlog + Value Chain

You now know the 7-step model, how improvement backlogs work, and how improvement touches every service value chain activity.

Exam Readiness

Expect scenario questions that ask you to spot missing steps (vision, measurement, momentum) or confuse projects with continual improvement.

Your Skarp Next Steps

Take the diagnostic, then a mock exam. Let the spaced review queue and gap guide focus you on any weak continual improvement concepts.

Key Terms

user
A person who uses services.
service
A means of enabling value co-creation by facilitating outcomes that customers want to achieve, without the customer having to manage specific costs and risks.
sponsor
A person who authorizes budget for service consumption.
utility
The functionality offered by a product or service to meet a particular need.
customer
A person who defines the requirements for a service and takes responsibility for the outcomes of service consumption.
warranty
Assurance that a product or service will meet agreed requirements.
service offering
A description of one or more services, designed to address the needs of a target consumer group.
value co-creation
The joint activities performed by a service provider and a service consumer to create value.
service management
A set of specialized organizational capabilities for enabling value for customers in the form of services.
service value chain
A set of interconnected activities that an organization performs to deliver a valuable product or service to its consumers and to facilitate value realization.
service value system
A model representing how all the components and activities of an organization work together as a system to enable value creation.
continual improvement
A recurring activity performed at all levels to ensure that an organization’s performance continually meets stakeholders’ expectations.

Finished reading?

Test your understanding with a custom practice exam on this chapter.

Test yourself