| All | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W |
| Term |
Description |
| Objective |
defined purpose or aim of a Process, an Activity or an Organisation as a whole. Objectives are usually expressed as measurable targets. The term Objective is also informally used to mean a Requirement.
See Outcome. |
| Off the Shelf |
Synonym for Commercial Off the Shelf. |
| Office of Government Commerce |
OGC owns the ITIL brand (copyright and trademark). OGC is a UK Government department that supports the delivery of the government's procurement agenda through its work in collaborative procurement and in raising levels of procurement skills and capability with departments. It also provides support for complex public sector projects |
| Office of Public Sector Information |
OPSI license the Crown Copyright material used in the ITIL publications. They are a UK Government department who provide online access to UK legislation, license the re-use of Crown copyright material, manage the Information Fair Trader Scheme, maintain the Government’s Information Asset Register and provide advice and guidance on official publishing and Crown copyright. |
| Offshore |
(Service Strategy) Provision of Services from a location outside the country where the Customer is based, often in a different continent. This can be the provision of an IT Service, or of supporting Functions such as Service Desk. See On-shore, Near-shore. |
| Onshore |
(Service Strategy) Provision of Services from a location within the country where the Customer is based. See Off-shore, Near-shore. |
| Operate |
To perform as expected. A Process or Configuration Item is said to Operate if it is delivering the Required outputs. Operate also means to perform one or more Operations. For example, to Operate a computer is to do the day-to-day Operations needed for it to perform as expected. |
| Operation |
(Service Operation) Day-to-day management of an IT Service, System, or other Configuration Item. Operation is also used to mean any pre-defined Activity or Transaction. For example loading a magnetic tape, accepting money at a point of sale, or reading data from a disk drive. |
| Operational |
The lowest of three levels of Planning and delivery (Strategic, Tactical, Operational). Operational Activities include the day-to-day or short term Planning or delivery of a Business Process or IT Service Management Process.
The term Operational is also a synonym for Live. |
| Operational Cost |
Cost resulting from running the IT Services. Often repeating payments. For example staff costs, hardware maintenance and electricity (also known as "current expenditure" or "revenue expenditure"). |
| Operational Expenditure |
Synonym for Operational Cost |
| Operational Level Agreement |
(Service Design) (Continual Service Improvement) An Agreement between an IT Service Provider and another part of the same Organisation. An OLA supports the IT Service Provider's delivery of IT Services to Customers. The OLA defines the goods or Services to be provided and the responsibilities of both parties. For example there could be an OLA between the IT Service Provider and a procurement department to obtain hardware in agreed times, and between the Service Desk and a Support Group to provide Incident Resolution in agreed times. |
| Operations Bridge |
(Service Operation) A physical location where IT Services and IT Infrastructure are monitored and managed. |
| Operations Control |
Synonym for IT Operations Control |
| Operations Management |
Synonym for IT Operations Management |
| Opportunity Cost |
(Service Strategy) A Cost that is used in deciding between investment choices. Opportunity Cost represents the revenue that would have been generated by using the Resources in a different way. For example the Opportunity Cost of purchasing a new Server may include not carrying out a Service Improvement activity that the money could have been spent on. Opportunity cost analysis is used as part of a decision making processes, but is not treated as an actual Cost in any financial statement. |
| Optimise |
Review, Plan and request Changes, in order to obtain the maximum Efficiency and Effectiveness from a Process, Configuration Item, Application etc. |
| Organisation |
A company, legal entity or other institution. Examples of Organisations that are not companies include International Standards Organisation or itSMF. The term Organisation is sometimes used to refer to any entity which has People, Resources and Budgets. For example a Project or Business Unit. |
| Outcome |
The result of carrying out an Activity; following a Process; delivering an IT Service etc. The term Outcome is used to refer to intended results, as well as to actual results. See Objective. |
| Outsourcing |
(Service Strategy) Using an External Service Provider to manage IT Services. See Service Sourcing, Type III Service Provider. |
| Overhead |
Synonym for Indirect cost |
