What Is Drive Stakeholder Value in ITIL?

In ITIL 4, Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV) is a core module within the Managing Professional (MP) certification track. It focuses on managing and optimizing interactions and relationships between service providers and their stakeholders—including customers, users, suppliers, and partners—to co-create value through services. DSV aims to guide organizations in delivering customer-centered IT services and improving user experiences by emphasizing engagement, understanding needs, and effectively managing the customer journey.

Understanding Stakeholder Value and Co-Creation

The concept of value co-creation is central to ITIL 4. In DSV, value is not something delivered unilaterally by service providers; instead, it is created collaboratively with stakeholders. This process requires mutual understanding and active participation from both sides to achieve shared goals. Service providers and consumers work together to ensure that services meet real needs, solve relevant problems, and deliver outcomes that contribute to each party's objectives.

By focusing on value co-creation, the DSV module helps service providers:

• Develop services that are more relevant and tailored to the needs of different stakeholders.

• Foster a customer-centric culture that aligns IT services with business goals.

• Build trust and long-lasting relationships with stakeholders.

The Customer Journey

A primary focus of DSV is managing the customer journey, which is the complete experience that a stakeholder has when interacting with a service provider, from initial contact to the final outcome. This journey consists of several stages, each with its own set of interactions and expectations:

• Explore: The stage where stakeholders discover potential service providers and evaluate which ones align with their needs.

• Engage: Here, stakeholders establish a relationship, negotiate terms, and set expectations for the service.

• Offer: The service provider proposes specific services that address the stakeholder's needs, including features, costs, and outcomes.

• Agree: Both parties formalize their relationship by defining service levels, contracts, and mutual responsibilities.

• Onboard: The stakeholder becomes an active service user, receiving orientation and support as they integrate the service into their workflow.

• Co-create: Both parties actively participate in the delivery and use of the service, making adjustments as needed to ensure value.

• Realize: Stakeholders reflect on the service experience and the value received, providing feedback and evaluating ongoing improvements.

Understanding and managing each stage of the customer journey enables service providers to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience that meets customer expectations and maximizes value.

Stakeholder Engagement and Management

Effective stakeholder engagement is essential to building strong relationships, understanding customer needs, and adapting services accordingly. In DSV, engagement is not only about regular communication but also about actively involving stakeholders in decision-making, improvement initiatives, and problem-solving.

Stakeholder engagement strategies covered in DSV include:

• Active Listening: Ensuring that stakeholder feedback is heard, understood, and used to make improvements.

• Transparency and Visibility: Keeping stakeholders informed about service developments, challenges, and improvements fosters trust and aligns expectations.

• Regular Feedback: Gathering feedback continuously helps identify areas for enhancement and shows stakeholders that their input is valued.

Through meaningful engagement, service providers can align their goals with those of the stakeholders and adapt their services to deliver maximum benefit.

Customer and User Experience

DSV places significant emphasis on customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX), recognizing that both play a critical role in how services are perceived. While CX encompasses the overall relationship between the service provider and the customer, UX focuses on the user’s direct interaction with the service.

Key factors that contribute to positive customer and user experiences include:

• Service Reliability and Quality: Ensuring that services consistently meet defined standards and deliver expected outcomes.

• Ease of Use: Creating intuitive, user-friendly service interfaces that simplify the user experience.

• Responsiveness and Support: Providing timely, effective support and being ready to resolve issues quickly enhances the stakeholder experience.

By prioritizing CX and UX, service providers can enhance user satisfaction, improve service adoption, and build a positive reputation.

Expectation Management and Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

In any service relationship, clear expectations are crucial for satisfaction and alignment. DSV emphasizes expectation management as a proactive way to clarify what stakeholders can and should expect from a service. This involves defining and communicating service level agreements (SLAs), key performance indicators (KPIs), and any other metrics that establish service expectations.

SLAs formalize the terms of the service, specifying:

• Performance Standards: Metrics that indicate the level of service quality.

• Availability and Reliability: Expected uptime, response time, and resolution time.

• Accountabilities: Responsibilities of both the service provider and the customer.

By setting clear expectations, service providers reduce misunderstandings, minimize conflicts, and ensure that both parties work toward common goals.

Continual Improvement Through Feedback

Continual improvement is a key principle in ITIL 4, and in DSV, it is driven by regular feedback loops. By gathering and analyzing feedback from stakeholders at each stage of the customer journey, service providers can identify areas for enhancement and take action to improve service quality.

The DSV module provides guidelines for:

• Implementing Feedback Mechanisms: Surveys, interviews, and feedback tools help gather stakeholder insights.

• Prioritizing Improvements: Using feedback to identify high-impact improvements and prioritize initiatives based on value and feasibility.

• Monitoring and Measuring Impact: Continuously assessing the effectiveness of improvements ensures they are aligned with stakeholder needs and expectations.

Service Design and Value Proposition

In DSV, service providers are encouraged to develop a strong value proposition that clearly communicates the benefits of their services. This involves:

• Understanding Stakeholder Needs: Identifying what stakeholders truly value in a service.

• Crafting Relevant Services: Designing services that address those specific needs and stand out in the market.

• Aligning with Business Outcomes: Ensuring that services support broader organizational objectives and contribute to overall success.

A well-defined value proposition ensures that services resonate with stakeholders, making them more likely to engage and invest.

Conclusion

The ITIL 4 Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV) module is centred on creating and nurturing valuable relationships between service providers and stakeholders. By guiding service providers through the customer journey, stakeholder engagement, and feedback-driven improvement, DSV enables organizations to foster customer satisfaction, build lasting relationships, and maximize value co-creation. By following DSV principles, organizations can improve customer and user experiences, align services with stakeholder needs, and ultimately deliver more meaningful and impactful IT services.