The Big Picture: Evolution, Not Reinvention

ITIL v5’s Core Philosophy

ITIL (Version 5) Foundation wasn’t designed to replace ITIL 4, it was created to extend and modernize it based on how organizations actually operate in 2026’s complex digital ecosystems. PeopleCert explicitly designed ITIL v5 with three strategic principles:

1. Build on What Works

• Retain proven concepts from ITIL 4
• Honor the global community’s investment in ITIL knowledge
• Ensure smooth transition pathways for existing practitioners

2. Address Modern Realities

• AI is now embedded in service operations (not optional or emerging)
• Organizations deliver value through integrated products AND services
• Digital experience (customer and employee) drives competitive advantage
• Transformation is continuous, not episodic

3. Make It Practical

• The framework must be applicable from day one
• Guidance should fit real constraints, not just ideal scenarios
• Language should reflect how practitioners actually work

What This Means for You

If you’re ITIL 4 certified or using ITIL 4 practices, you’re not starting from zero. Your existing knowledge provides a solid foundation. ITIL v5 gives you updated language, enhanced models, and new emphasis areas, not a completely different framework.

What Stayed the Same: The Solid Foundation

Before diving into changes, let’s acknowledge what ITIL v5 intentionally preserved from ITIL 4:

1. The Seven ITIL Guiding Principles

Unchanged and Central:

• Focus on value
• Start where you are
• Progress iteratively with feedback
• Collaborate and promote visibility
• Think and work holistically
• Keep it simple and practical
• Optimize and automate

Why They Stayed: These principles represent timeless decision-making guidance that applies regardless of technological evolution. They remain the philosophical foundation of ITIL.

2. The Four Dimensions of Service Management

Unchanged Structure:

• Organizations and People: Culture, roles, capabilities
• Information and Technology: Data, knowledge, emerging tech
• Partners and Suppliers: Relationships, contracts, ecosystem
• Value Streams and Processes: How work flows, and activities connect

Why They Stayed: The four dimensions provide a holistic perspective, ensuring balanced service management. They’re as relevant today as when introduced in ITIL 4.

3. The ITIL Service Value System (SVS)

Core Concept Retained:

The overall system thinking remains: guiding principles + governance + value chain activities + practices + continual improvement = value creation.

Evolution Note: While the SVS structure stays, ITIL v5 renames it the ITIL Value System (ITIL VS) to be more inclusive of products alongside services.

4. The 34 ITIL Management Practices

Largely Unchanged:

All 34 practices from ITIL 4 remain in ITIL v5 with only minor terminology updates. The practices still include:

General Management Practices (14):

• Architecture management, continual improvement, information security management, knowledge management, portfolio management, relationship management, strategy management, and more

Service Management Practices (17):

• Availability management, incident management, problem management, change enablement, service desk, service level management, and more

Technical Management Practices (3):

• Deployment management, infrastructure management, software development and management

Why They Stayed: These practices represent proven, practical approaches that organizations worldwide have successfully implemented. They work.

5. Foundation as Universal Entry Point

Unchanged:

ITIL Foundation remains the single prerequisite for all advanced certifications. Both ITIL 4 Foundation and ITIL v5 Foundation serve this role equally.

What Changed: The Key Differences

Now let’s explore the 60% of content that’s new or changed in ITIL v5:

1. From Service Value Chain to Product and Service Lifecycle Model

The Biggest Structural Change

ITIL 4 Approach:

• Introduced the Service Value Chain with six activities:
  • Plan → Improve → Engage → Design & Transition → Obtain/Build → Deliver & Support
• Flexible, non-linear model emphasizing value streams
• Primarily service-focused perspective

ITIL v5 Approach:

• Introduces the Product and Service Lifecycle Model (PSLM) with eight explicit activities:
  1. Discover: Identify opportunities and understand customer needs
  2. Design: Create solutions that deliver value
  3. Develop/Acquire: Build or procure products and services
  4. Build: Configure and create service components
  5. Deploy/Transition: Release solutions to production
  6. Deliver: Provide ongoing service delivery
  7. Support: Resolve issues and maintain quality
  8. Optimize: Continuously improve performance
• (Note: Some sources list slight variations, but the concept remains: an explicit, end-to-end lifecycle)

Why It Counts?

• Clearer end-to-end structure: More explicit guidance from conception to retirement
• Product AND service integration: Reflects how modern organizations deliver value through both
• Practical application: Easier to map your organization’s activities to the model
• Reduced ambiguity: Less interpretation needed compared to the flexible value chain

Real-World Impact: Teams can now more easily identify gaps, bottlenecks, and handoff problems across the complete lifecycle, not just within operational stages.

2. AI-Native Framework Design

The Headline Innovation

ITIL 4 Approach:

• Acknowledged automation and emerging technologies
• High Velocity IT (HVIT) module addressed DevOps, Agile, and cloud
• AI is mentioned as an emerging consideration

ITIL v5 Approach:

• “AI-native by design” throughout the framework
• Assumes AI is already embedded in your environment
• Provides explicit AI governance guidance
• Introduces the AI Capability Model (6C Model):
  • Creation: Generating AI models and capabilities
  • Curation: Managing data quality and training sets
  • Clarification: Making AI decisions transparent
  • Cognition: Enabling AI to understand and reason
  • Communication: AI interacting with humans
  • Coordination: Orchestrating AI with other systems

New ITIL AI Governance Extension Module:

• Optional certification focused on responsible AI adoption
• Covers ethics, risk management, regulatory compliance
• Addresses transparency, accountability, and trust

Why It is Required:

• Reflects 2026 reality: AI isn’t “coming” it’s here (chatbots, automated routing, predictive analytics, copilots)
• Builds responsible adoption: Helps organizations use AI safely and ethically
• Addresses governance gaps: Many organizations deploy AI without clear oversight
• Future-proofs your practices: Prepares for increasingly AI-augmented operations

Real-World Impact: Organizations can now confidently adopt AI-assisted service management while maintaining trust, quality, and accountability.

3. Integrated Product and Service Management

Bridging Traditional Silos

ITIL 4 Approach:

• Primarily service-focused framework
• Product management concepts are emerging but not central
• Service Value Chain emphasized service delivery

ITIL v5 Approach:

• Unified “Digital Product and Service Management” as a core concept
• Products and services are treated as an integrated value delivery system
• Recognizes that most services today are delivered through digital products
• Eliminates artificial separation between “product teams” and “service teams”

Why It Matters:

• Matches organizational reality: Your ITSM portal IS a product; your chatbot IS a product
• Reduces handoff friction: Product and service teams operate with a shared lifecycle
• Improves customer experience: Customers don’t care about internal silos, they want seamless value
• Supports modern delivery models: Aligns with SaaS, platforms, and digital-first organizations

Real-World Impact: Organizations can eliminate the “not my job” problems where product teams build features, but service teams support them, with no one owning the complete experience.

4. Enhanced Focus on Experience Management

From Stakeholder Value to Experience Design

ITIL 4 Approach:

• Module: Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV)
• Focused on understanding and delivering stakeholder value
• Customer journey concepts introduced

ITIL v5 Approach:

• Module: ITIL Experience (Version 5)
• Expanded emphasis on customer AND employee experience
• Explicit journey mapping and touchpoint optimization
• Experience measurement and improvement frameworks
• Digital experience management as core competency

Why It Matters:

• Employee experience is now strategic: Not just customer-facing
• Experience drives loyalty and retention: Poor experience = churn
• Touchpoint optimization: Identify friction across complete journeys
• Competitive differentiation: In commoditized markets, experience wins

Real-World Impact: Service teams can now systematically design, measure, and improve experience rather than reactively addressing complaints.

5. Simplified, Role-Aligned Certification Structure

Clearer Career Pathways

ITIL 4 Approach:

• Four intermediate modules (CDS, DSV, HVIT, DPI)
• All four are required for Managing Professional
• Extension modules (various)
• Less clear role alignment

ITIL v5 Approach:

• Three clear designation streams:
  • Practice Manager (PM): Operational specialists
  • Managing Professional (MP): End-to-end delivery
  • Strategic Leader (SL): Governance and direction
• Role-based module design:
  • PM: Choose ONE practice module (MSF, PIC, or CAI) + Transformation
  • MP: Product + Service + Experience + Transformation
  • SL: Strategy + Transformation
• Universal module: Transformation required for all three pathways (but only taken once)

Why It Counts:

• Clearer progression: Easier to understand “What certification do I need for my role?”
• Reduced redundancy: Don’t need all modules for every designation
• Cost efficiency: Practice Manager requires only 2 modules (not 5)
• Better role fit: Certifications align with actual job responsibilities

Real-World Impact: Professionals can strategically invest in certifications that directly support their career trajectory without unnecessary courses.

6. Stronger Value Stream Emphasis

From Concept to Core Practice

ITIL 4 Approach:

• Introduced value streams as an important concept
• Less explicit guidance on mapping and management
• Theory was clear; application was less detailed

ITIL v5 Approach:

• Value Stream Mapping and Management is now an explicit learning objective at the Foundation level
• Detailed guidance on:
  • Identifying value streams within your organization
  • Mapping activities, information flows, and handoffs
  • Measuring value stream performance
  • Optimizing for speed, quality, and flow

Why It Matters:

• Reduces waste: Identify unnecessary steps and delays
• Improves flow: Eliminate bottlenecks between teams
• Increases visibility: Everyone understands how value moves
• Enables optimization: Data-driven improvement of end-to-end delivery

Real-World Impact: Teams can systematically improve delivery speed and quality by optimizing the entire value stream, not just individual processes.

7. Broader Scope: “For Every Organization, Every Role”

From ITSM to Enterprise Service Management

ITIL 4 Approach:

• Primarily positioned for IT Service Management teams
• Emerging relevance to Enterprise Service Management

ITIL v5 Approach:

• Explicitly positioned for “IT and every role, for every organization”
• Guidance applicable to:
  • HR service delivery
  • Facilities management
  • Finance operations
  • Legal workflows
  • Any shared service organization
• Small organizations to global enterprises

Why It Matters:

• Expands applicability: ITIL isn’t just for IT anymore
• Supports ESM adoption: Non-IT departments can adopt proven practices
• Common language: Cross-functional teams share terminology
• Scalable guidance: Works for teams of 5 or 5,000

Real-World Impact: Organizations can extend service management excellence beyond IT into every department that delivers internal or external services.

Side-by-Side Comparison: ITIL 4 vs ITIL v5

Aspect	ITIL 4	ITIL v5
Launch Year	2019	2026
Core Focus	Service Value System and value streams	Digital Product and Service Management
Operating Model	Service Value Chain (6 activities)	Product and Service Lifecycle (8 activities)
AI Integration	Emerging topic (HVIT module)	AI-native throughout + AI Governance module
Product Focus	Service-centric with emerging product concepts	Integrated product-service management
Experience	Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV)	ITIL Experience (expanded CX + EX)
Value Streams	Important concept, less explicit guidance	Mapping and management explicit at Foundation
Guiding Principles	7 principles (unchanged)	7 principles (unchanged)
Four Dimensions	Present	Present (unchanged)
Practices	34 practices	34 practices (minor terminology updates)
Target Audience	ITSM professionals, emerging ESM	"Every organization, every role"
Certification Structure	4 intermediate modules for MP	3 role-based designation pathways
Transformation Focus	Part of DPI module	Universal standalone module
Content Evolution	Baseline	40% retained, 36% new, 24% changed

Practical Implications: What These Changes Mean for Your Organization

For Service Desk and Support Teams

Key Changes That Matter:

• AI-assisted support: Framework now guides responsible chatbot and automation adoption
• Experience focus: Measure and improve employee support experience systematically
• Knowledge AI: Guidance on AI-generated knowledge articles and intelligent search

Action Items:

• Review current AI tools through the v5 governance lens
• Map employee support journey and identify friction points
• Consider the Practice Manager (MSF) certification for team leads

For IT Managers and Service Delivery Leaders

Key Changes That Matter:

• Product-service integration: Eliminate silos between builders and supporters
• Lifecycle visibility: Clear end-to-end model from discovery to optimization
• Value stream optimization: Systematic approach to reducing handoffs and delays

Action Items:

• Map your organization to the 8-activity lifecycle (identify gaps)
• Conduct value stream mapping workshops
• Consider Managing Professional (MP) certification pathway

For Senior Leaders and Executives

Key Changes That Matter:

• AI governance: Framework for responsible, trustworthy AI adoption at scale
• Strategic alignment: Updated guidance on digital strategy and investment prioritization
• Enterprise applicability: Extend service excellence beyond IT

Action Items:

• Establish an AI governance committee using ITIL v5 guidance
• Consider the Strategic Leader (SL) certification
• Plan organizational adoption of ITIL v5 principles

For Organizations Currently Using ITIL 4

Key Changes That Matter:

• No forced migration: ITIL 4 practices remain valid and effective
• Incremental adoption: Incorporate v5 concepts gradually
• Strategic refresh opportunity: Use v5 as a catalyst for improvement initiatives

Action Items:

• Assess which v5 concepts address your current challenges (AI governance? Experience gaps? Value stream bottlenecks?)
• Plan transition timing around certification renewals
• Update internal training materials with v5 language where beneficial

Should You Adopt ITIL v5 Now or Wait?

Adopt ITIL v5 Now If:

• Your organization is deploying AI in service
• You work in a product-centric or digital-native
• Experience management is a strategic
• You’re starting fresh with ITSM (no legacy ITIL 4 implementations
• You lead thought leadership, consulting, or training roles
• Certification renewals are approaching

Wait on ITIL v5 If:

• Your ITIL 4 implementation is new and working
• Your organization has no immediate AI adoption
• Budget or bandwidth is
• You want to observe early adopter experiences first
• Training availability in your region is limited

The Hybrid Approach (Recommended for Most)

Strategy: Use ITIL 4 Foundation/certifications as prerequisites for ITIL v5 advanced modules when pursuing new certifications. This allows you to:

• Keep current ITIL 4 credentials valid
• Gain v5 knowledge through advanced certifications
• Transition naturally without disruption
• Maximize ROI on training investments

Conclusion

ITIL v5 represents a thoughtful evolution of the world’s leading service management framework. By retaining 40% of ITIL 4 content while updating 60%, PeopleCert has struck a strategic balance: honoring existing knowledge while addressing 2026’s realities of AI, digital products, and experience-driven value.

The Core Message: Your ITIL 4 knowledge isn’t obsolete, it’s foundational. ITIL v5 gives you updated language, enhanced models (especially the Product and Service Lifecycle), and critical new guidance (AI governance, integrated product-service management, expanded experience focus) that make your service management practices more relevant to today’s challenges.

Whether you transition immediately or wait for the right timing, understanding these differences positions you to make informed decisions about your professional development and your organization’s service management evolution.

Ready to explore ITIL v5 training and certification? Invensis Learning offers comprehensive ITIL v5 Foundation and advanced certification programs with expert instructors, flexible delivery options, and dedicated support. Contact our certification advisors to discuss the optimal pathway for your career goals and organizational needs.

The future of service management is here, and it builds on everything you already know.