The Open Group IT4IT Reference Architecture is a standard reference architecture and value chain-based operating model for managing the business of IT. It uses a value chain approach to create a model of the functions that IT performs to help organizations identify the activities that contribute to business competitiveness. This value chain framework, called the IT Value Chain and specified in this document as part of the IT4IT Reference Architecture, applies this concept to IT by defining an integrated IT management framework focusing on the lifecycle of services. It identifies the key things that IT must do – and do well. It allows IT to achieve the same level of business predictability and efficiency that supply chain management has allowed for the business, and was designed by practitioners to be industry, product, and vendor-independent.

This document was updated in March 2017 to correct the data flow from the Chargeback/Showback component to the Project component in the R2F Level 2 Diagram (Figure 31 and Figure 56) and also to correct the reference to Actual Service in Figure 30.

This document was updated in May 2017 to replace the list of IT4IT™ Forum members with a URL.

This document was updated in December 2017 to correct the Change Control component in the R2D Level 2 Diagram (Figure 46 and Figure 47). The Change Control component belongs to the D2C value stream and must therefore appear as a gray rectangle.