Published: April 25, 2008

Position of the Build SMF within the MOF IT Service Lifecycle

The MOF IT service lifecycle encompasses all of the activities and processes involved in managing an IT service: its conception, development, operation, maintenance, and—ultimately—its retirement. MOF organizes these activities and processes into Service Management Functions (SMFs), which are grouped together in lifecycle phases. Each SMF is anchored within a lifecycle phase and contains a unique set of goals and outcomes supporting the objectives of that phase. The SMFs can be used as stand-alone sets of processes, but it is when SMFs are used together that they are most effective in ensuring service delivery at the desired quality and risk levels.

The Build SMF belongs to the Deliver Phase of the MOF IT service lifecycle. The following figure shows the place of the Build SMF within the Deliver Phase, as well as the location of the Deliver Phase within the IT service lifecycle.

Figure 1. Position of the Build SMF within the IT service lifecycle

Before you use this SMF, you may want to read the following MOF 4.0 guidance to learn more about the MOF IT service lifecycle and the Deliver Phase:

• MOF Overview
• Deliver Phase Overview

Why Use the Build SMF?

This SMF should be useful for anyone who is involved with a project team tasked with the actual development of an IT service solution, with creating a development and test lab, or with preparing an IT service solution for pilot deployment.

It addresses how to do the following:

• Get ready for development.
• Build the IT service solution.
• Get ready to release the solution.
• Meet the requirements for the Scope Complete Milestone.