Best Tech Certification Prep Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 58: Service Level Management 22:19

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4d ago22:19

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Service level management ensures that expectations are clear and performance is measured against agreed standards. In this episode, we’ll define how service level management establishes, monitors, and reviews service level agreements (SLAs) between providers and consumers. Its purpose is to make sure that services are delivered at levels that meet …

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Episode 57: Service Desk 22:14

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The service desk is often described as the “face of IT,” serving as the single point of contact between users and service providers. In this episode, we’ll explain how the service desk practice supports users by handling incidents, service requests, and communications. Its role is not only technical but also relational, ensuring that users feel sup…

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Episode 56: Service Request Management 22:26

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Service request management is one of the most common and visible practices in ITIL, as it deals with handling user requests in a consistent and efficient way. In this episode, we’ll define service requests as formal user-initiated actions such as asking for access to an application, requesting new equipment, or seeking information. The goal of this…

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Episode 55: Problem Management 22:26

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Where incident management is about quick restoration, problem management focuses on addressing the root cause of recurring issues. In this episode, we’ll dive into how problem management identifies underlying faults, performs root cause analysis, and reduces the likelihood and impact of future incidents. ITIL makes a clear distinction between incid…

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Episode 54: Incident Management 22:47

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Incident management is one of the most visible ITIL practices because it deals directly with restoring services when disruptions occur. In this episode, we’ll explain how the purpose of incident management is to minimize negative impact by restoring normal operations as quickly as possible. An incident can be anything from a password reset request …

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Episode 53: Change Enablement 23:04

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Change enablement is one of the most examined practices in ITIL 4, reflecting its importance in balancing agility with stability. In this episode, we’ll explain how change enablement ensures that risks are assessed and approvals are in place before modifications are made to services, infrastructure, or processes. It doesn’t exist to block progress …

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Episode 52: Release Management + Continual Improvement 23:58

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Release management and continual improvement may seem very different, but both play critical roles in keeping services relevant and reliable. Release management ensures that new software, updates, or service components are bundled and introduced into production environments in a structured and safe way. It coordinates planning, testing, and communi…

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Episode 51: Monitoring & Event Management + Deployment Management 24:07

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This episode covers two practices that ensure services stay healthy and evolve effectively: monitoring and event management, and deployment management. Monitoring and event management focus on observing services, detecting conditions, and interpreting events to maintain stability. They allow organizations to spot incidents before they escalate, red…

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Episode 50: IT Asset Management + Service Configuration Management 24:16

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Assets and configurations form the backbone of service delivery, and ITIL provides two practices to manage them. In this episode, we’ll explore IT asset management, which tracks the financial, contractual, and lifecycle aspects of assets like hardware and software. Service configuration management complements this by managing the technical details …

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Episode 49: Relationship & Supplier Management 25:09

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Strong relationships are central to successful services, and this episode explores two practices that enable them: relationship management and supplier management. Relationship management ensures that customers, users, and stakeholders feel heard, valued, and supported, building trust that sustains service delivery. Supplier management ensures that…

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Episode 48: Information Security Management 26:15

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Information security is a foundational practice in ITIL, ensuring that confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information are protected at all times. In this episode, we’ll explain how the information security management practice establishes policies, roles, and controls that safeguard services against threats. It’s not just about technica…

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Episode 47: Design & Transition, Obtain/Build, Deliver & Support — End-to-End Flow 25:00

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The remaining three activities of the service value chain — design and transition, obtain/build, and deliver and support — represent the heart of operational service delivery. In this episode, we’ll explain how design and transition ensures that new or changed services meet quality and business requirements before they go live. Obtain/build focuses…

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Episode 46: Engage Activity — Interacting with Stakeholders 23:50

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The “Engage” activity ensures that all stakeholder needs are understood, communicated, and met throughout the service lifecycle. In this episode, we’ll explore how engagement creates a two-way relationship between service providers and consumers. Effective engagement captures requirements, manages expectations, and builds trust. It ensures that fee…

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Episode 45: Improve Activity — Continual Improvement Mindset 23:30

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Improvement is not a one-time project but a continuous cycle, and the service value chain embeds this philosophy in the “Improve” activity. In this episode, we’ll explain how the improve activity ensures that services, practices, and processes are always evaluated and refined. Improvement is guided by feedback, performance data, and alignment to bu…

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Episode 44: Plan Activity — Setting Direction and Goals 24:44

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The first activity in the service value chain is “Plan,” and in this episode we’ll explain its purpose and relevance. Planning provides a shared vision and direction for all aspects of service management, ensuring that goals, strategies, and policies align with organizational objectives. Without effective planning, efforts across the value chain be…

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Episode 43: Service Value Chain Overview — Six Activities 25:10

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At the heart of the SVS is the Service Value Chain, which represents the core activities required to create and manage services. In this episode, we’ll introduce its six activities: plan, improve, engage, design and transition, obtain/build, and deliver and support. Each activity plays a unique role, but together they form a dynamic model rather th…

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Episode 42: Governance, Practices, and Guiding Principles Inside SVS 24:36

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Governance, practices, and guiding principles are three of the most important elements within the SVS, and in this episode we’ll look at how they function. Governance ensures that policies, decision-making, and accountability are aligned to organizational strategy. Practices provide the structured approaches and resources that keep work consistent …

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Episode 41: What is the ITIL Service Value System (SVS)? 26:19

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The Service Value System, or SVS, is one of the defining innovations of ITIL 4, and this episode introduces it in detail. The SVS provides a holistic model that shows how all the components of ITIL — guiding principles, governance, service value chain, practices, and continual improvement — fit together to create value. Rather than treating these e…

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Episode 40: Four Dimensions in Balance — Avoiding Weak Spots 23:22

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Individually, each dimension is important, but ITIL stresses that they must work in balance. In this episode, we’ll explore how overemphasizing one dimension at the expense of others creates weaknesses. For example, focusing too much on technology without investing in people leads to tools that are underutilized. Over-reliance on suppliers without …

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Episode 39: Value Streams and Processes — Linking Activities to Results 23:16

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The fourth dimension brings the focus back to how work is organized and delivered. In this episode, we’ll explain value streams as end-to-end sequences of activities that create value for customers. Processes are structured sets of activities that transform inputs into outputs, supporting those value streams. Together, they ensure that services are…

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Episode 38: Partners and Suppliers — External Support Explained 23:54

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The third dimension of service management highlights that no organization operates alone. Partners and suppliers play a critical role in delivering value, whether through hardware, software, cloud hosting, or specialized expertise. In this episode, we’ll explain how ITIL defines the relationship between providers, partners, and suppliers, and why m…

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Episode 37: Cloud, Automation, and Emerging Tech in ITIL 26:02

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Technology never stands still, and ITIL 4 recognizes that organizations must embrace change while managing risks. In this episode, we’ll focus on how cloud services, automation, and emerging technologies fit into the information and technology dimension. Cloud computing provides scalability and flexibility, allowing organizations to deliver service…

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Episode 36: Information and Technology — Tools That Enable Services 24:58

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The second dimension of service management, information and technology, provides the tools and data that enable modern services. In this episode, we’ll discuss how this dimension includes everything from enterprise software and automation platforms to monitoring systems and knowledge repositories. Information refers not just to raw data but to how …

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Episode 35: Communication and Collaboration in Teams 23:48

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Strong collaboration is essential for organizational success, and ITIL underscores the need for effective communication within the people dimension. In this episode, we’ll explore why collaboration matters, how silos can weaken value creation, and what practices improve teamwork. Effective communication ensures that goals are shared, progress is vi…

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Episode 34: Organizations and People — Roles, Culture, Competence 24:51

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The first of the four dimensions focuses on organizations and people, reminding us that technology alone cannot deliver value. In this episode, we’ll explore how organizational structure, defined roles, skills, and culture directly shape the effectiveness of service management. People provide creativity, decision-making, and accountability, while o…

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Episode 33: Introduction to the Four Dimensions 25:01

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To understand ITIL 4 fully, you must see service management as more than just processes or technologies. In this episode, we’ll introduce the four dimensions of service management: organizations and people, information and technology, partners and suppliers, and value streams and processes. These dimensions are the lenses through which services mus…

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Episode 32: Mini-Review: Seven Principles Recap 25:21

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After exploring each guiding principle in detail, this episode serves as a recap to lock the concepts firmly in your memory. We’ll briefly revisit each principle — from “Focus on Value” through “Optimize and Automate” — and remind you of their definitions, key applications, and exam cues. This mini-review is designed to reinforce your learning thro…

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Episode 31: Exam Pitfalls Around Principles 24:44

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Principles are straightforward in theory, but exam questions often test them in tricky ways. In this episode, we’ll walk through the most common pitfalls candidates face when answering principle-related questions. A frequent mistake is treating the principles as isolated rather than interconnected. Another is misapplying them — for example, confusi…

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Episode 30: Guiding Principles in Daily Work 26:23

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The value of guiding principles is proven not only in theory but in the everyday work of IT professionals. In this episode, we’ll translate the principles into relatable analogies and daily practices. For instance, “Keep It Simple and Practical” might be compared to writing a clear grocery list — it’s short, direct, and ensures you get what you nee…

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Episode 29: Interactions Between Principles — How They Work Together 24:59

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While each guiding principle can stand alone, their true power emerges when they are applied together. In this episode, we’ll explore how the seven principles interact, often reinforcing each other in practice. For example, “Start Where You Are” works naturally with “Progress Iteratively with Feedback,” ensuring that teams evolve existing processes…

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Episode 28: Optimize and Automate — Efficiency and Tools 26:44

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The final guiding principle, “Optimize and Automate,” reflects modern IT realities where efficiency and technology play critical roles. In this episode, we’ll explain how optimization comes first: before automating, organizations must understand their processes, remove waste, and ensure the work adds value. Only then does automation make sense, bec…

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Episode 27: Keep It Simple and Practical — Avoiding Complexity 28:03

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Complexity is one of the biggest threats to efficiency, and ITIL’s principle “Keep It Simple and Practical” addresses this directly. In this episode, we’ll explore how simplicity reduces errors, accelerates adoption, and makes processes more resilient. Simplicity means focusing only on the steps that truly add value, while discarding unnecessary co…

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Episode 26: Think and Work Holistically — The Big Picture 25:16

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ITIL emphasizes that no element of a service operates in isolation, and this is captured in the guiding principle “Think and Work Holistically.” In this episode, we’ll explain how services, practices, teams, and processes are interconnected parts of a larger system. Thinking holistically means recognizing these interdependencies and managing servic…

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Episode 25: Collaborate and Promote Visibility — Team and Transparency 28:41

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No service can succeed in isolation, which is why collaboration is essential in ITIL’s framework. In this episode, we’ll examine the guiding principle “Collaborate and Promote Visibility,” which emphasizes teamwork, communication, and openness as the drivers of success. Collaboration ensures that diverse perspectives are included in decision-making…

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Episode 24: Progress Iteratively with Feedback — Why Small Steps Matter 28:15

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Big-bang changes often fail because they are too risky and too complex. The principle “Progress Iteratively with Feedback” reminds us that improvement should come in manageable steps, each guided by learning and user input. In this episode, we’ll explore why breaking work into smaller increments reduces risk, builds momentum, and allows teams to ad…

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Episode 23: Start Where You Are — Assess Before You Build 26:26

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Change and improvement are constant in IT, but too often organizations throw away what already works. This guiding principle, “Start Where You Are,” encourages you to first assess the current state before making changes. In this episode, we’ll explain how this principle helps avoid waste and ensures improvements are built on proven strengths. You’l…

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Episode 22: Focus on Value — Customer First 30:21

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The first guiding principle is “Focus on Value,” and it captures the essence of why IT services exist at all. In this episode, we’ll explore how every decision, process, and improvement effort should be evaluated by the value it creates for customers and stakeholders. Value is not defined by the provider but by the consumer, meaning that understand…

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Episode 21: What Are Guiding Principles? 30:41

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Guiding principles are one of the most distinctive features of ITIL 4, offering simple yet powerful advice that can be applied universally across organizations and situations. In this episode, we’ll introduce the seven guiding principles that serve as a compass for decision-making and service management activities. Unlike strict processes, these pr…

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Episode 20: Service Relationships: Provision, Consumption, Management 29:41

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Services don’t exist in a vacuum — they exist in relationships between providers and consumers. In this episode, we’ll examine the ITIL concept of service relationships, which involve three main elements: service provision, service consumption, and service relationship management. Provision refers to the provider delivering services, resources, and…

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Episode 19: Service Offerings Explained 20:03

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Service offerings form the bridge between a service provider and the consumers who benefit from their services. In this episode, we’ll define what an offering is in ITIL terms — a formal description of one or more services, goods, or resources presented to a target consumer group. We’ll break down the components of offerings, which can include tang…

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Episode 18: Utility and Warranty — Twin Pillars of Service Value 23:00

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Utility and warranty together define whether a service truly delivers value. In this episode, we’ll revisit and expand on these two foundational concepts. Utility is fitness for purpose — does the service provide the functionality customers need? Warranty is fitness for use — does it perform reliably at the required level of availability, capacity,…

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Episode 17: Understanding Risk in Services 19:47

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Risk is an unavoidable part of delivering services, and ITIL places strong emphasis on understanding how risk shapes outcomes. In this episode, we’ll explore the ITIL definition of risk as a possible event that could cause harm or make achieving objectives more difficult. Services always involve balancing risks against opportunities: every new feat…

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Episode 16: Outputs vs. Outcomes — Getting Real Results 22:24

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One of the most important distinctions in ITIL is between outputs and outcomes. Outputs are the direct deliverables of a process — the things you produce, like a software update or a report. Outcomes are the results achieved by using those outputs — improved user productivity, reduced risk, or higher customer satisfaction. The exam often asks you t…

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Episode 15: Cost and Value — What’s the Difference? 23:57

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In service management, cost and value are closely linked but not the same. This episode focuses on distinguishing these two concepts, which the exam often tests in subtle ways. Cost represents the resources required to deliver a service — the money, time, and effort invested. Value, on the other hand, is the benefit or outcome that the customer per…

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Episode 14: Value in Everyday Life 23:23

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Abstract definitions can be difficult to grasp, so this episode connects ITIL’s concept of value to examples you use every day. Think of subscribing to Netflix, hailing a ride on Uber, or ordering through a food delivery app. In each case, you are not buying technology; you are buying outcomes and experiences. ITIL defines value as the perceived be…

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Episode 13: Service Management as a Practice — What It Means 24:19

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Service management is more than a collection of processes; it is a professional practice that organizations adopt to consistently deliver value. In this episode, we’ll define what ITIL means by “service management as a practice” and why it is critical to success in modern IT. You’ll learn that it encompasses structured ways of working, standardized…

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Episode 12: Customers, Users, and Sponsors — Roles in Service Management 22:39

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Service management is not just about technology; it’s about people and their roles in creating and consuming value. In this episode, we’ll explain the three primary roles ITIL identifies: customers, users, and sponsors. Customers define requirements for services and take responsibility for outcomes, while users are those who actually consume the se…

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Episode 11: What is a Service? 24:47

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At the heart of ITIL lies one fundamental question: what is a service? In this episode, we’ll unpack the ITIL definition of a service as a means of enabling value co-creation by facilitating outcomes that customers want to achieve, without the customer having to manage specific costs and risks. Two key ideas drive this definition: utility and warra…

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Episode 10: Key Terms Q–Z 24:40

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The final part of our glossary journey takes you through the key terms from Q through Z. This segment closes the loop, ensuring you have the full language of ITIL at your fingertips before we dive deeper into frameworks and practices. Terms in this section often appear in exam questions where precision matters — knowing exactly how ITIL defines the…

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Episode 9: Key Terms H–P 23:01

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Continuing our glossary foundation, this episode covers the essential ITIL terms from H through P. As with the previous glossary section, our focus is not only on giving you clear definitions but also on showing you how these terms fit together within the framework. You’ll encounter terms like “incident,” “outcome,” and “problem,” which are central…