1 Defining world class

The terms ‘world class’ and ‘best practice’ are often used interchangeably to describe the attainment level of a particular IT organization or service offering. However, they do not mean the same thing at all and it is important that the differences between these two terms are understood. This chapter defines ‘world class’ and ‘best practice’ as well as the relationship between them and then goes on to show how they can both be used to govern IT service delivery. A number of concepts and models are introduced, starting with some well-known examples from outside IT and concluding with an accession model developed by the author specifically for IT services departments.