Originally published November 2016 | Updated May 2025 In the earlier days of ITIL® education, we often referenced “RCV” - shorthand for Release, Control, and Validation - a lifecycle-based intermediate course in ITIL v3. While ITIL 4 has moved away from that structure, understanding RCV still provides important historical context and insight into key practices that continue to drive value in modern service management. A Quick Flashback: RCV in ITIL v3 RCV was one of the five ITIL v3 Lifecycle modules, focusing on ensuring that changes to services are properly managed, tested, and deployed. The primary goal? Minimize risk while improving the business's ability to adapt to changing requirements. The core practices in the RCV module included: Change Management (now evolved into Change Enablement) Release and Deployment Management Service Validation and Testing Service Asset and Configuration Management Evaluation and Knowledge Management These processes hel...
Fresh Ideas for the Service Desk: Inspired by ITIL 4 The Service Desk has always been at the heart of IT service delivery, connecting users to the services they need and providing vital support. But in today’s fast-paced digital world, the expectations placed on the Service Desk are evolving. Organizations need more than just a team that answers tickets; they need a strategic partner that contributes to business value, user satisfaction, and continual improvement. Whether you're just beginning your journey or ready to take your Service Desk to the next level, here are some fresh ideas inspired by ITIL® 4 that can help you modernize and thrive. 💡 1. Shift from Process-Focused to Value-Focused ITIL 4 encourages us to think in terms of value co-creation , not just process adherence. The Service Desk isn’t just logging incidents, it’s playing a central role in delivering value to users and the organization. Idea: Start mapping common user interactions to value streams...