The use of a process model as a tool to professionalise a field of operations is not new. The ITIL process model is generally acknowledged as a means of improving the field of ICT infrastructure management. The Applications Services Library (ASL) is increasingly being used for improvement of application management. And the Business Information Services Library (BiSL) is available for the professionalisation of information systems management from a business perspective

ITIL

ITIL is a best practice framework which was developed by the British government, initially for its own use. The second version of ITIL, introduced in 2001, comprises eight books describing an integrated, process-based framework for the management of ICT infrastructure and ICT services. The best practices that are described are largely derived from, and can be applied in, the infrastructure domain, although ITIL is increasingly being positioned as the service management model for all ICT management domains. The infrastructure domain covers those services associated with the provisioning and maintenance of, in particular, hardware, system software and development tools. Attention is also devoted to, amongst others, service support and delivery processes, ICT infrastructure management, application management and security management.

ASL

At the end of the nineties, ASL was developed specifically for the application management domain to complement ITIL. In this domain it serves to ensure the prudent management of application software, databases and the relevant documentation throughout the useful life of the relevant business processes that are supported by the application. ASL describes the implementation of service management processes in the application management domain, and processes for the modification of applications, the development of strategy and management in its entirety.

In addition to constituting a conceptual approach, framework and terminology context, ASL also includes best practices for the implementation of the various processes. It devotes significantly more attention than ITIL to the strategic processes as part of which the future of an ICT portfolio which supports a business process, is determined on the one hand, along with the future of the relevant administrative structure. The processes concerning enhancement and renovation of applications are considered as an enrichment of ITIL. The ASL processes complement those of ITIL.

BiSL

The maintenance of the functionality of ICT facilities, which need to continue to align with business processes as closely as possible, occurs in the domain of the user organisation (the business). The user organisation bears ultimate responsibility for the information supply and generally acts as the owner of the information systems and as a client to the suppliers of application and infrastructure services. BiSL is a process model which has been developed for this domain to complement ITIL and ASL.

BiSL focuses on achieving an optimal alignment of the ICT with the business needs and, like ITIL and ASL, makes it possible to work more efficiently, to cut costs through standardisation and to improve communication between ICT demand and supply. The methodology describes the structure of user support and information management, based on best practices.