TERM

DEFINITION

Failure

Loss of ability to Operate to Specification, or to deliver the required output. The term Failure may be used when referring to IT Services, Processes, Activities, and Configuration Items etc. A Failure often causes an Incident.

Fault

Synonym for Error.

Fault Tolerance

The ability of an IT Service or Configuration Item to continue to Operate correctly after Failure of a Component part. See Resilience, Countermeasure.

Fault Tree Analysis

(Problem Management) A technique that can be used to determine the chain of events that leads to a Problem. Fault Tree Analysis represents a chain of events using Boolean notation in a diagram.

Financial Management

A common abbreviation of Financial Management for IT Services

Financial Management for IT Services

(Financial Management) The Process responsible for managing an IT Service Provider's Budgeting, Accounting and Charging requirements.

First Time Fix Rate

(Service Desk) (Incident Management) A Metric that measures the percentage of Incidents resolved by First-line Support without delay or Escalation. Other definitions of this Metric are possible, for example some IT Service Providers define it as the percentage of Incidents that are Resolved during the initial User phone call.

First-line Support

(Service Desk) (Incident Management) The first level in a hierarchy of Support Groups involved in the resolution of Incidents. Each level contains more specialist skills, or has more time or other resources. See Escalation.

Fishbone Diagram

Synonym for Cause / Effect Diagram.

Fit for Purpose

An informal term used to describe a Process, Configuration Item, IT Service etc. that is capable of meeting its objectives or Service Levels. Being Fit for Purpose requires suitable design, implementation, control and maintenance.

Fixed Cost

(Financial Management) A Cost that does not vary with IT Service usage. For example the cost of Server hardware.

Follow the Sun Support

(Service Desk) A methodology for using Service Desks and Support Groups around the world to provide seamless 24 * 7 Service. Calls, Incidents, Problems and Service Requests are passed between groups in different time zones.

Full Release

(Release Management) A Release that includes all Components of a Release Unit, including those that have not changed. See Release Type.

Function

An intended purpose of a Configuration Item, Person, Team, Process, or IT Service. For example one Function of an Email Service may be to store and forward outgoing mails, one Function of a Business Process may be to dispatch goods to Customers. The term Function also has two other meanings:

• perform the intended purpose correctly, "The computer is Functioning"
• Team or group of people, "The Change Management Function".

Functional Escalation

Transferring an Incident, Problem or Change to a technical team with a higher level of expertise to assist in an Escalation.