The ITIL guiding principles are the foundational, strategic recommendations that guide an organization in all circumstances, especially during significant initiatives like a cloud migration. Adopting these principles ensures a holistic, value-focused, iterative, and collaborative approach. Placing continual improvement at the center ensures that the migration process and the resulting services are continuously refined. This overarching framework is the most comprehensive approach, as it provides the context and guidance within which specific activities (like journey mapping or risk analysis) are performed. It addresses the "how" of the entire initiative, not just a single part of it.

B. Drawing a customer journey map is a valuable technique to understand value, but it is a specific tool within a larger strategic approach, not the entire approach itself.

C. An onboarding workshop is a specific, tactical activity for stakeholder engagement, not the comprehensive, guiding framework needed for a major business initiative.

D. SWOT and risk analysis are essential planning and decision-making tools, but they represent specific steps rather than the overarching guiding philosophy for the entire initiative.

1. AXELOS. (2020). ITIL® 4: Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV). TSO (The Stationery Office).

Section 2.1

"The ITIL guiding principles": This section emphasizes that the principles are universal and enduring

designed to "guide organizations in their work as they adopt a service management approach and adapt ITIL guidance to their own specific needs and circumstances." This supports their use as the core approach for a major initiative.

2. AXELOS. (2019). ITIL® 4: Foundation

ITIL 4 Edition. TSO (The Stationery Office).

Chapter 4

"The ITIL guiding principles

" and Section 4.1

"Introduction to the ITIL guiding principles": This chapter explicitly states that the principles are recommendations that "can guide an organization in all circumstances

regardless of changes in its goals

strategies

type of work

or management structure." This confirms their role as the best foundational approach for any change or project.