Page 78 - ITIL® Foundation 3.15

Service Assets as Resources & Capabilities
Assets are categorized as either Resources or Capabilities. Resources are typically more tangible and include financial capital (budget), infrastructure, buildings,
applications,
data, information, and people. These “mostly tangible” things provide the physical mechanism to deliver services. Resources can often be hired, purchased, leased, or rented.
Capabilities are
the mechanisms used to manage resources. Capabilities include knowledge, processes, organizational mechanisms, managerial ability, management, and people. Capabilities are often more “intangible”. They represent all of the control mechanisms used to ensure that resources deliver whatever they are supposed to be delivering. If resources are not properly managed, then they will devalue over time, and the organization as a whole will suffer. Think of a sports team....The resources are the players, equipment, training facilities, and stadiums. Capabilities include the coaches and engagement plans. If a sports team consistently fails to win, the first thing to be replaced is the coach, because management of resources often define whether the organization is successful.
Service Assets are translated into Strategic Assets by the introduction of control mechanisms (Service Management, Work Instructions, Role & Responsibility definitions, etc) that increase the service value to the business. The business only cares about the performance of their assets. IT assets that increase the performance of customer assets are highly valued.
Service Assets
Capabili3es
Represent an organiza.on’s ability to coordinate, control, and deploy resources to produce value.
• Include work methods or developed bodies of knowledge (accumulates from experience)

Resources
Management
Financial Capital
Are capable of being purchased rather than developed. Can be used to develop or arrange capabili.es around.
• No.ce that people can be both resources and capabili.es.
Organiza.on
Infrastructure
Processes
Applica.ons
Knowledge
Informa.on
People
Based on ITIL® material. Reproduced under license from Cabinet Office.
Capabili.es and Resources are to be transformed into services that the customer finds valuable...If enough value is created, IT resources become strategic assets.
Transform Assets to Strategic Assets
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Based on AXELOS (ITIL®) material. Reproduced under license from AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.