Yukishi log. 
Do you want to learn ITIL, the global standard for IT service management, but feel that “it seems difficult with too many technical terms” or “I can’t see the connection to actual work”? I once understood the importance of ITIL while working in project management and service operations, but I never had the opportunity to study it systematically.
That’s when I discovered “ITIL First Step: A Clear Understanding of ITIL Basics and Business Improvement Mechanisms.” From my perspective as an IT engineer and former family restaurant manager with service operations experience, I’d like to share the value of this book.
✅ Perfect for ITIL Beginners
ITIL concepts become intuitively understandable through examples like grocery stores and inns
💰 Excellent Value for Certification Preparation
ITIL4 compatible at ¥1,980, also suitable for Foundation exam preparation
📖 Clear Connection to Practical Work
Step-by-step explanation from familiar non-IT examples to actual IT operations
⏰ Quick Mastery Possible
Appropriate volume of 256 pages, readable in 1-2 weeks
🚀 Direct Career Advancement
Acquire ITIL knowledge required for job positions with salaries of ¥4-6 million
🌐 Latest Information Coverage
Published in 2019, covers ITIL4 changes comprehensively
👥 Must-Read for Management
Content immediately applicable to service operations and team management improvement
📚 Book Title
ITIL First Step: A Clear Understanding of ITIL Basics and Business Improvement Mechanisms
✍️ Author
Chikako Mogami (ITIL certified instructor who has trained over 10,000 people)
📅 Publication Date
March 11, 2019
💰 Price
¥1,980 (tax included)
📏 Page Count
256 pages (B6 format)
🏢 Publisher
Shoeisha
🔄 Version Support
ITIL4 compatible (based on traditional ITIL 2011 edition + ITIL4 changes explained)
This article contains affiliate advertising. The products and services introduced have been recommended after actual use and research.
As an IT engineer with over 15 years of experience in service management and project management, I only had fragmentary knowledge of ITIL. While I frequently heard the term “ITIL-compliant operations” in system incident response and service improvement situations, I had never studied it systematically.
The turning point came in 2019 when I was assigned to educate new engineers about ITIL. I needed to explain “what IT service management is” in an understandable way, but my own understanding was vague, and I was struggling with how to teach it. Traditional ITIL materials had too many technical terms and were difficult for newcomers to understand.
That’s when I found this “ITIL First Step” at a bookstore. I was attracted by the catchphrase on the cover: “What if we introduced ITIL to a grocery store?” When I checked the contents, it was exactly what I was looking for – “explaining ITIL management techniques using familiar non-IT examples.” I was convinced that “this can be used for newcomer education” and purchased it immediately.
I chose this book from among many ITIL-related books for three reasons:
🎯 Application to Newcomer Education
With its structure starting from familiar examples like “What if we introduced ITIL to a grocery store?”, I selected it as the optimal material for teaching ITIL to new engineers.
📊 Latest Version Support
Published in 2019 with ITIL4 information included, I judged it would avoid the risk of learning from outdated information.
👩🏫 Author’s Track Record
Chikako Mogami has conducted ITIL training for over 10,000 people as a professional instructor. I expected practical and understandable explanations that could be used in educational settings.
The greatest feature of this book is that you can learn ITIL concepts from familiar examples outside of IT. The following examples were particularly impressive:
🥕 Grocery Store Example
Through “from vegetable procurement to sales,” it explains the entire service delivery flow. Quality control, inventory management, and customer service importance become intuitively understandable.
🏨 Inn Example
Through the service delivery process “from customer check-in to checkout,” you learn concepts of incident management and change management.
☕ Coffee Shop Example
Using “adding new menu items” as an example, it explains the importance of change management processes.
As a former family restaurant manager, these examples felt very realistic and easy to understand. Particularly, the perspective of “what kind of mechanisms are needed behind the scenes to satisfy customers” completely matched what I had actually experienced in store operations.
After understanding basic concepts in the first half, the second half teaches actual application methods of IT service management.
🔧 Major Process Explanations
Specific explanations of ITIL’s core processes including incident management, problem management, change management, and release management.
📊 Service Strategy and Design
Methodology for designing IT services from business requirements.
⚡ Service Operations and Continuous Improvement
Concrete introduction of cycles that lead from daily operations to service improvement.
What was particularly impressive was being able to read while comparing with actual system incident response situations I had experienced. It became clear “why the response at that time didn’t go well” and “how we could have responded more efficiently.”
Since this book was published in 2019, it also provides thorough explanations of the latest ITIL4.
🔄 Changes from Previous Version
Clear organization of major changes from ITIL 2011 edition to ITIL4.
🎯 Service Value System
Detailed explanation of the “Service Value System (SVS),” which is a core concept of ITIL4.
⚡ Relationship with Agile/DevOps
Also touches on the relationship between modern development methodologies and ITIL.
With an appropriate volume of 256 pages, I completed reading in about 2 weeks using weekday commute time and concentrated weekend reading. Each chapter is well-structured, and if you understand the previous chapter’s content, you can smoothly proceed to the next chapter.
📝 Rich Diagrams and Charts
Abundant diagrams and charts showing process flows and relationships, with a visually understandable structure.
💡 Careful Explanation of Technical Terms
Technical ITIL terms are always explained when first introduced, and the glossary is also comprehensive.
🔗 Inter-chapter Relationships
Clear indication of how content learned in previous chapters is utilized in next chapters, allowing systematic knowledge acquisition.
By applying what I learned from this book to actual projects, the following improvements were observed:
🚨 Incident Response Efficiency
Reviewed response procedures during system failures according to “incident management processes.” Reduced average recovery time by 30%.
📋 Change Management Process Introduction
Established risk assessment and approval flows for system changes. Significantly reduced failures caused by changes.
📊 Service Level Management Improvement
In SLA setting with customers, I was able to set more realistic and measurable indicators using ITIL concepts.
👥 Success in Newcomer Education Application
The book was hugely successful for newcomer education, which was the original purpose of purchase. By starting with familiar examples outside of IT services, new engineers had the impression that “ITIL isn’t difficult,” and they smoothly understood the subsequent specialized content. Educational effectiveness improved dramatically compared to conventional methods.
After completing this book, I challenged the ITIL4 Foundation exam. The result was a one-shot pass (83% correct rate).
📚 Basic Knowledge Acquisition
I felt that this book alone covered about 80% of the exam scope.
⏱️ Efficient Learning
Since conceptual understanding was already complete, additional problem set study was very efficient.
💭 Practical Understanding
Because I could learn based on understanding rather than memorization, I could handle application problems as well.
For ITIL learning, I considered and read multiple books besides this one. Here’s my comparison:
📖 Official Guidebook (English Translation)
Most detailed and accurate but difficult for beginners. Easy to understand when read after learning basics with this book. Expensive at ¥6,000-8,000.
📝 Exam Preparation Books
Centered on problem practice, unsuitable for practical understanding. Effective when used together with this book. Price around ¥3,000-4,000.
💻 Online Training Courses
Systematic and understandable but expensive (¥100,000-300,000). This book covers about 80% of that content for ¥1,980.
🎯 This Book’s Position
A rare book that combines three elements: “easy for beginners to understand, applicable to practice, and serves as a foundation for certification.” Cost performance is overwhelming.
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6/5)
Practicality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Can be applied to work immediately after reading, directly contributed to actual project improvement
Readability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – ITIL concepts become intuitively understandable through familiar examples
IT Applicability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Must-read level for engineers involved in system operations and service management
Long-term Value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Basic ITIL concepts are universal and remain reference material long-term
Cost Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Can acquire training-level content for ¥1,980, also applicable to certification
🎯 Structure That Won’t Discourage Beginners
Starting from familiar industry examples, you can gradually understand ITIL concepts. Technical terms are carefully explained, making it readable even for those without IT industry experience.
💰 Overwhelming Cost Performance
Covers ¥100,000-class training content for ¥1,980. Even when aiming for certification, you can first build a foundation with this one book before attending expensive schools.
⚡ Immediate Practical Application
Rich in practical content, not just theory. Acquire knowledge level that can be immediately applied to system operations and service management improvement after reading.
📚 Optimal for Certification Foundation
Covers about 80% of ITIL4 Foundation exam scope. By learning basics with this book and then working on problem sets, you can efficiently aim for certification.
🔄 Peace of Mind with Latest Version Support
Published in 2019 with thorough ITIL4 changes explanation. No risk of learning from outdated information, acquire knowledge aligned with current industry standards.
📖 Supplementation Needed for Exam Preparation
When aiming for certification exams, this book alone lacks problem practice. Need to use additional problem sets or online learning.
🏢 Limited Details for Large Organizations
For enterprise-level complex operations, more specialized books or official guides may be necessary.
⏰ Need for Continuous Learning
ITIL is a deep framework. Even after learning basics from this book, continuous learning through practice is important.
✅ Strongly Recommended For
Engineers involved in system operations and maintenance, those responsible for service management duties, beginners aiming for ITIL certification, leaders involved in team management, those seeking career advancement in IT industry
✅ Surprisingly Recommended For
Service industry workers outside IT (restaurant, hospitality, retail, etc.), new graduates and second career changers aiming for IT industry, freelance engineers wanting to enhance project acquisition ability
❌ Not Particularly Recommended For
Those already holding advanced ITIL certifications, developers wanting to improve only programming skills, those seeking solutions to urgent technical issues
📅 Week 1: Overall Understanding
First, skim through to grasp overall structure and content. Focus on the first half’s familiar examples to understand basic ITIL concepts.
📝 Week 2: Detailed Learning
Focus on the second half’s IT-related sections, reading while comparing with actual work. Use markers and sticky notes for important parts.
🔄 Week 3: Review and Practice
While trying learned content in actual work, re-read relevant sections as needed.
📖 Physical Book
Recommended for those prioritizing marker and sticky note learning, easy diagram confirmation. Easy to search for relevant sections during review.
📱 E-book
Optimal for those wanting to study during commutes or utilize search functions. Slightly cheaper price and readable on multiple devices.
💡 My Recommendation
Combined pattern of studying with physical book initially and using e-book for review. Physical media is superior for understanding diagrams.
Step 1 (1-2 weeks): Foundation Building with This Book
First understand ITIL’s overall picture and basic concepts with this book. Make sure to memorize particularly important technical terms.
Step 2 (1-2 weeks): Practice with Problem Sets
Use ITIL4 Foundation-compatible problem sets to consolidate knowledge. Review relevant sections in this book for incorrect answers.
Step 3 (1 week): Final Check with Mock Exams
Practice with online mock exams in formats close to the actual test. Ready for exam when consistently scoring 70% or above.
💰 Total Cost
This book ¥1,980 + Problem set ¥3,000 + Exam fee ¥42,000 = About ¥47,000 to aim for certification.
💼 Use in Job Hunting
Many IT service management-related job postings have “ITIL knowledge required” conditions. Knowledge learned from this book is effective as appeal material in interviews.
📊 Expected Salary Increase
ITIL certification holders’ salary range centers around ¥4-6 million. Advanced certifications can lead to job postings of ¥8 million or more.
🎯 Target Job Types
ITIL knowledge is required in various job types including system operations engineers, service managers, IT consultants, project managers, and internal system engineers.
🔄 Continuous Growth
ITIL knowledge isn’t finished once acquired. Combining with practical experience allows development of deeper service management capabilities.
I’m convinced that “ITIL First Step” is the best possible book as an entry point into the world of IT service management. As a 44-year-old IT engineer and former service industry worker, I could truly appreciate this book’s value.
🎯 Greatest Appeal
Despite being a specialized book, the structure that allows learning from familiar examples completely eliminates preconceptions about ITIL being “difficult.” With content immediately applicable to practice, not just theory, you acquire knowledge level that enables immediate business improvement after reading.
💰 Cost Performance
Acquiring content equivalent to ¥100,000-class training for ¥1,980 is remarkable. I strongly recommend that anyone considering ITIL learning start with this one book.
🚀 Investment in the Future
In today’s world where IT service importance is increasing, ITIL knowledge is becoming essential skill. Building a foundation with this book enables seizing various career advancement opportunities including certification acquisition, job changes, and promotions.
I want everyone involved in system operations, management layers aiming for service quality improvement, and engineers wanting to broaden their IT careers to read this book.
としゆき
