1) ITIL is a framework: It can tell you what and where, but not necessarily how -- it is not that process oriented until you get to Service Operations; it simply gives definitions of what is.

2) Organizations need more than a framework: At bare minimum, Project Management is needed -- better, the ISO standard. Certainly, ITIL can show the flow, but implementation needs process.

3) Not even IT supports ITIL in most organizations. Most of us who have come from the IBM Mainframe environment find ITIL concepts quite familiar [although it doesn't help much taking the test for certification with all those downright illogical questions which have nothing to do with ITIL]. If IT doesn't support ITIL, what chance does the rest of the organization have?

Our ITIL instructor was SHOCKED! SHOCKED! I say, when I showed him the Agile Manifesto. Agile uses exactly the opposite principles from ITIL to accomplish what it does. Unfortunately, IT is an armed camp here: Developers use Agile and the Operations folk use ITIL. [For those who aren't clued in to Agile, let's just say that the key is to throw away process, throw everything up in the air, and make continuous unplanned changes without any planning or discipline. Agile works because the customer thinks he or she is getting something for nothing. Think endless rewrites, because there's never time to do things right, just to do things over... and over... and over....] Ironically, ITIL seems to work best when it is in place and budgets are downsized: ITIL will save money in the long term -- but then, you have to convince IT first and management later that is the case.

The solution to #3 is to have the IT staff take the class and be certified with the ITIL Foundations class. Hopefully, at least 30% will pass. The biggest problem of all is that people don't know what ITIL is, let alone what it can do for you [what?! we have infitesimally small failure rates because we have a framework!?!], and IT, these days, seems to be the most clueless of all.

In the end, we can blame ITIL failure on the Boomer phenomenon of "Have your say and go your way" -- nothing gets done because a framework is just too structured and process is boring [the same kind of boring as not having a car accident because the auto is well tuned and well maintained and the driver has kept himself fit].

Side not:

Jason, forget spinich and find another food. Spinich has oxalates in it and while the body does need SOME, in excess [and spinich has the most naturally occuring] it seems to be involved in the production of kidney stones, interferes with the absorption of iron [ironic because spinich is deemed a source of iron], interferes with the absorption of calcium, and, in severe cases, in excess may cause death. This is not something a five year old needs while attempting to grow strong healthy bones.

As to what you may choose as an alternative? Good luck!