There are two frameworks that are commonly in use when dealing with project management in IT organizations. One is ITIL and the other is PMP. ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library and it is a set of concepts and practices designed entirely to help with Information Technology Services Management or ITSM. The other one is PMP, or project management framework, which is basically the same as ITIL but it is structured differently and puts more importance on other matters.

1. The Importance And Advantages Of Combining The ITIL And PMP
Frameworks
There are two frameworks that are commonly in use when dealing with
project management in IT organizations. One is ITIL and the other is PMP.
ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library and it is a set
of concepts and practices designed entirely to help with Information
Technology Services Management or ITSM. The other one is PMP, or project
management framework, which is basically the same as ITIL but it is
structured differently and puts more importance on other matters.
There a good number of professionals who are under the impression that ITIL
and PMP project management certifications were frameworks which
conflicted that each other. They believed that you can specialize in one or the
other but never both at the same time. The ITIL framework and the Project
management framework serve different purposes and are most useful
whenever used together.
The ITIL framework works like a lifecycle, addressing the IT organization in
a business driven way and focuses on whether or not the organization as a
whole are doing the right things; whereas the project management framework
focuses on the implementation of the projects throughout the entire
organization and makes sure that everything is executed in the most efficient
manner.
It is the UK office of Government Commerce, also known as the OGC that is
responsible for the management and distribution of materials on the ITIL
framework. They, the OGC, are also the ones responsible for another
framework known as the PRINCE2. The PRINCE2 management framework
is used predominantly throughout Europe and it is both the PRINCE2 and the
ITIL framework which follows a similar lifecycle approach on their given
subjects.
In the Americas, it is the Project Management Institute that manages PMP
certification and this, too, overlaps with the PRINCE 2 management
framework. The PMP certification is based on the content contained within

2. the Project Management Body of Knowledge, or the PMBOK, which is a
book that is published by the PMI. The PMBOK is structured around nine
knowledge areas which are put to use throughout a projects existence.
There are many professionals that believe ITIL and PMP are focusing on the
same things and believe that learning both of them is a waste of time. This is,
simply put, flat out untrue. Through combining the ITIL framework with the
project management framework, this will give you the ability to execute
projects with more precision and the end result would be of much higher
quality as both of these frameworks provide a detailed set of instructions on
how an IT organization should handle itself. While there are a few structural
differences, combining both of these frameworks is potentially highly
beneficial for an IT organization. It is very likely that in the very near future,
IT professionals will begin to understand why they must be both an ITIL
expert and have a PMP certification.
There are some notable similarities between ITIL and PMP frameworks. ITIL
focuses on how IT organizations should act as a whole while PMP places
attention on how individual projects within organizations should be executed.
PMP applies to all the projects within an entire organization and not just
those concerning IT. Both of these frameworks rely heavily on the use of
tools to enable consistent execution of processes. Both of these frameworks
complement each other in such a way that it propels services and operations
to a much higher level of proficiency.
Moreover, these frameworks address the need to handle quality,
accountability, and risk. But the most important thing of all is how both ITIL
and PMP consistently help improve the usefulness and efficiency of an
organization. There are many who believe that whenever ITIL framework
goes according to the ideal model, then all will transpire smoothly and go
according to plan. But in reality, this end result is too optimistic and does not
work within the business world. An organization must implement measures
that allow certain individual projects to be finished within a few months so as
to achieve a desirable end result.
There are, however, some differences between the ITIL framework and the
project management framework but these are rather insignificant when you

3. compare it to the overall effectiveness of combining these two frameworks.
As was mentioned before, project management is not limited to IT. The PMP
framework focuses on the executing projects in the most efficient manner and
can be applied to any area of any organization. ITIL is unlike the project
management framework as the latter framework does not use a lifecycle
approach but is organized into nine key knowledge areas: project integration,
scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk, and
procurement management.
As aforementioned, instead of analyzing the breakdown of a project, the ITIL
framework places its attention on the whole picture, making it different. By
focusing on things as a whole through a lifecycle approach, ITIL makes sure
to examine service strategy, service design, service transition, service
operation, and continual service improvement. Take, for example, an
organization that is making and distributing an email service what ITIL will
do is, it will evaluate what is needed; PMP will look at that information and
further break it down into increments and make it much easier to handle.
Now consider how to take the project management approach and implement
it to ITIL. How can ITIL be effectively implemented using the principles
found within the PMBOK? Many professionals who specialize in both PMP
and ITIL have been bothered by this question. Working with organizations to
determine the most effective way to implement the ITIL service management
framework commonly leads to the realization that a series of projects that are
executed through a program management office is the best and most efficient
way to go about things. The challenge is to find out which projects brings
measurable, incremental improvements which will aid in organizational
change.
The continual service improvement model of ITIL provides the structure for
making a roadmap for ITIL implementation projects. This roadmap will allow
you to find your way about the complex interactions between processes. It is
worth noting that there are numerous books which have been published on
the subject of effective ITIL implementations. A majority of these are rather
consistent in their approach; begin with creating a stable environment
wherein you are in control of the impact of changes and decrease the duration
of outages.

4. If you are looking for ways to maximize your company's effectiveness, then
getting ITIL training as well as PMP certification will definitely help your
company prosper in a way you've never seen before. Implementing various
levels of checkpoints as you go along the way will guarantee that you keep
your services up-to-date and will raise performance in such a way to keep up
with the needs of your customers as well as their demands. Ignoring one
framework may lead to harder projects which will lead to wasting important
time, money, and skills.
ITIL and PMP have a strong and positive impact on how IT departments can
support the business as a whole. However, to this day, many IT organizations
fail to understand what the ITIL and PMP framework can do when combined.
They do not recognize how it can ensure that projects are finished in an
efficient and timely manner. Failing to do this may leave a company trailing
behind and it can be quite costly in the long run.
Knowledge Center Inc is a full service IT training and certification provider
specializing in many IT related courses, certifications, and boot camps. They
offer training and bootcamps nationwide to include ITIL v3 certification and
training to PMP certification and boot camps. You can visit Knowledge
Center Inc online at http://knowledgecenterinc.com.