What Is ITIL 4 DPI – ITIL Strategist Direct Plan and Improve

The ITIL 4 is the latest ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) version conceptualised in the 1980s. The ITIL 4 was released phase-wise in 2019, and the complete set of ITIL 4 modules was released in 2020.  

The ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve (DPI) module is one of the modules common under the ITIL Managing Professional and ITIL Strategic Leader streams. This module helps align their team’s objectives to the organisational strategy to provide guidance and continual improvement of the organisation.  

This blog will help you further understand distinct aspects of the ITIL 4 DPI approach, prerequisites, exam formats, and more.

Table of Contents

1) What is ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve?

2) Prerequisites for ITIL 4 Strategist DPI Exam

3) ITIL 4 DPI Exam Format 

4) What is the Purpose of ITIL 4 Direct, Plan and Improve Certification?

5) What are the key topics covered under the ITIL 4 DPI? 

6) Conclusion

What is ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve?

ITIL 4 is the latest version of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library). While ITIL is the designed framework to standardise the planning, delivery, and maintenance of IT services, the ITIL 4 Strategist: DPI (Direct, Plan, and Improve) is a strategic change embedded in the IT sector. It focuses on functional and technological aspects of the organisation. 

ITIL 4 Strategist: DPI is a common module offered under two streams (ITIL Managing Professional and ITIL Strategic Leader) of the ITIL Master training course. 

The ITIL 4 DPI stream can be either individually pursued or be compiled with other set of modules under the two streams of ITIL Master to be termed/certified as ITIL Managing Professional or ITIL Strategic Leader. 

If you manage to clear/pass all the modules in both ITIL Managing Professional and ITIL Strategic Leader, you will be certified as a ITIL Master. 

It has three important aspects. Let's briefly look at them:

Direction

Through creating and shaping the plan of action, direction orients towards the goals and activities of groups at different levels in an organisation. Every group needs to understand the objective and contribute to follow the business’s strategy. It includes:

1) Vision and mission

2) Policies and guidelines

Risks and controls Planning

Prerequisites for ITIL 4 DPI Planning involve a shared understanding of organisation and management of work. Simply put, contributors should understand their responsibilities and allow maintenance of actions and direction of the work. Thus, helping in improved efficiency. It helps in:

1) Increasing order

2) Reducing risk

3) Risks and Controls

Improvement

As the name suggests, it enhances the value for one or more stakeholders by changing strategy to get the desired results. A continual improvement implies an organisation’s growth and success in the market.

A smooth alignment of Direction, Planning and Improvement is critical to meet the organisation's objectives.
 

Prerequisites for ITIL 4 Strategist DPI Exam

The candidates interested in applying for ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan, and Improve (DPI) certification exam should possess the following educational qualifications:

a) A high school diploma or an undergraduate degree from a recognised institution. 

b) An ITIL Foundation Certificate.

c) Once you have passed the Foundation Exam you can go for ITIL 4 Managing Professional Transition Certificate.

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ITIL 4 DPI Exam Format

The exam format for ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan, and Improve (DPI) is as follows. 
 

All those professionals and strategic leaders interested in delivering high-value digital operating models can participate in ITIL4 Specialist: High Velocity IT Training. 

What is the purpose of ITIL 4 Direct, Plan and Improve Certification?

The ITIL 4 DPI certification will help the organisations determine the certification holder's knowledge in understanding and applying the underlying concepts in ITIL 4 Direct, Plan, and Improve (DPI) to successfully run IT-enabled teams, workflows, and services. 

The ITIL 4 DPI is one of the certifications which can be regarded as one of the prerequisites necessary to reach the post of project management professional.  

This certification assess the candidates' abilities and develop the ability to effectively implement IT (Information Technology) and digital strategies to tackle the IT-related disruptions. 

IT Managers and professionals willing to update your ITIL skills can join ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan and Improve DPI now. 

What are the key topics covered under the ITIL 4 DPI? 

The ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan, and Improve (DPI) covers universal skills and knowledge applicable to the ITIL Strategic Leader and ITIL Managing Professional streams of ITIL v4. This training focuses on imparting practical and strategic knowledge to improve the understanding of the ITIL 4 DPI applicants. 

The key topics covered under the ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan, and Improve (DPI) include planning and delivering continual improvement, influence, and impact of Agile and Lean. These are targeted towards all levels of managers and help them to shape the direction and plan improvement of the overall performance of the team. 

The course content or the curriculum for the ITIL 4 Strategist: Direct, Plan, and Improve (DPI) exam preparation is as follows. 

The candidate needs to have an understanding of the following:

1) Key concepts of Direct, Plan & Improve 

2) Know how to use key principles and methods of direction and planning and the scope of what is to be directed and/or planned 

3) Know how to integrate the principles and methods into the service value system and the Role of Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC)

4) Key principles and methods of continual improvement for all types of improvements 

5) Know how to use the key principles and methods of communication and organisational change management for planning, direction, and improvement 

6) Know how to use the key principles and methods of measurement and reporting in planning, direction, and improvement 

7) Understand and know how to direct, plan, and improve value streams and practices 

Conclusion

Overall, the ITIL 4 DPI (Direct, Plan & Improve) aids in continually improving and optimising the technical and functional operations. The modules offered under each stream of ITIL 4 cater to specific knowledge and skills. Nonetheless, all the ITIL v4 certifications bid a career boost to the certificate holders and benefit their understanding and aptitudes - to professionally address digital and IT-related issues. 

Understand the four dimensions of service management; register for our  ITIL 4 Foundation Exam Resit now and become an expert!