Best practice processes for IT Service Lifecycle ITIL Templates by ITPM  

The ITIL Process Map Repository

What is a "Repository"

The BPM Institute, in part, says: "A Business Process Repository is a central location for storing information about how an enterprise operates.". It goes on to say: "A repository of business processes provides a central reference location to ensure consistent communication about what each process is, how it should be applied, who is responsible for its successful execution …"

The ITIL Process Map Repository

In the case of the ITIL Process Map Repository (V3 Visio only), it holds more than process information. It also holds information on:

In earlier releases, the Repository was in an MS Access database. This latest release of the ITIL Process Map V3 for Visio introduces the Repository in an MS Excel Workbook, making it more accessible to organisations that may not have MS Access resources / skills.

Along with the changeover to MS Excel, the concept of User Definable Elements was also introduced, together with a "new" toolbar for Visio.

Additionally, it is now possible to maintain multiple repositories and switch between them as needed, for example if you need to manage process models for areas other than ITIL, or in different languages. See below, for more details:

Repository Layout

Each record in the Repository has 8 Data fields (Custom Properties), as follows:

  1. Name (Name of the Object)
  2. Note (Description of the Object)
  3. Reference (Reference tag for the Object, e.g. ―1.2.3)
  4. AssignedTo (Assignment to the next higher level of detail – Incident Management, for example, is assigned to Service Operation)
  5. UniqueID (Unique identifier for the process – the primary key for selecting Objects from the Repository)
  6. HyperlinkDescriptor (The link description - the link text appearing in the Visio context menu)
  7. HyperlinkAddress (The first part of the link target: the Visio file name - this field may also hold document file names, or URLs, if documents or web pages are the link targets)
  8. HyperlinkSubAddress (The second part of the link target: the diagram name within the targeted Visio file)
Processes Processes

ITIL ProcessThe Process shape represents an ITIL process and is mostly used to illustrate process interdependencies. The [drop-shadow] indicates the presence of a linked sub-process, as does the [+] sign at the bottom. The [i] symbol in the lower right corner indicates the presence of an extended description of the process is in the [Custom Properties].
Data Objects Data Objects

ITIL Data ObjectData Objects contain detail of what information is being exchanged between processes. The [i] symbol in the lower right corner indicates the presence of an extended description of the data object is in the [Custom Properties].
Checklists Checklists

ITIL ChecklistChecklists contain additional documentation available for a process. There is typically a link to a document in Microsoft Word format. The [drop-shadow] indicates the presence of a linked document. The [i] symbol in the lower right corner indicates the presence of an extended description of the checklist is in the [Custom Properties].
Roles Roles

ITIL RoleRoles are used to indicate who is responsible for a process or for certain process activities. The [i] symbol in the lower right corner indicates the presence of an extended description of the role is in the [Custom Properties].
User Definable User Definable

User Defined ObjectUsers may optionally create Repository elements of their own, e.g. [Tasks] / [Attachments]. Included is an "empty" Attachment section, which does not appear in the original versions of the process models - they are meant to represent your organization’s own documents. For example, Attachment objects may represent detailed Working Instructions for performing certain tasks – if placed next to Task objects and configured with the correct links, the Working Instructions can be opened from within the Visio process diagrams. The [drop-shadow] indicates the presence of a linked item, as per above. The [i] symbol in the lower right corner indicates the presence of an extended description of the item is in the [Custom Properties].
Toolbar Toolbar

The Toolbar has four choices:

  1. [Refresh] - Refreshes Selected Items, using current values from the Repository
  2. [Refresh File] - Refreshes the entire Visio file, using current values from the Repository
  3. [Select] - Opens the Select Data Record window, showing all Repository items for the type of object selected.
  4. [Options] - Opens the Options window, where the User may select which Repository and Language to use.