This is an amended version of something I wrote last year, but I think it’s important to update it following the recent ITIL release.

I work in IT Service Management, but also help lead my organisation’s Agile Community of Practice. I don’t see these two things as being different, so much as just being two distinct lenses through which we can observe and influence how work is done. One thing I have noticed is that I come across very few people who are familiar with both the ITIL Guiding Principles and the Twelve Principles of Agile Software Development. This leads to assumptions that they are very different, and in many ways polar opposites, but there is actually a lot of synergy, and even the differences are not that different.

With the release of ITIL (Version 5) in early 2026, the framework has evolved to be both AI-native and complexity-native, designed specifically for today’s digital and AI-driven environments. While the seven guiding principles remain unchanged from ITIL 4, ITIL (Version 5) introduces a new 8-stage Product and Service Lifecycle Model (Discover, Design, Acquire, Build, Transition, Operate, Deliver, Support) that explicitly bridges product and service management communities—something Agile practitioners have long advocated for.

The ITIL guiding principles and the Twelve Principles of Agile Software Development share common themes, such as a focus on value, collaboration, and continuous improvement. However, they originate from different frameworks: ITIL is primarily concerned with IT service management, while Agile focuses on software development methodologies. Both are definitely usable with all sorts of different types of work outside what they were originally designed for, and ITIL (Version 5)’s emphasis on complexity and experimentation brings it even closer to Agile thinking.

Comparison of ITIL Guiding Principles and Agile Principles

ITIL Guiding Principles	Twelve Agile Principles	Comparison & Key Differences
1. Focus on value	1. Customer satisfaction through early and continuous software delivery	Both emphasise delivering value to customers. ITIL applies this broadly to IT services and digital products, while Agile focuses on delivering working software quickly. With ITIL (Version 5)’s product and service lifecycle model, this alignment is even stronger.
2. Start where you are	12. Regularly reflect and adjust behaviour for effectiveness	ITIL suggests building on existing resources, while Agile promotes frequent reflection to refine practices. ITIL (Version 5)’s complexity-native approach encourages experimentation from your current state, making this principle more aligned with Agile’s adaptive mindset.
3. Progress iteratively with feedback	3. Deliver working software frequently	Both advocate incremental improvements, though Agile focuses more on frequent product releases. ITIL (Version 5)’s lifecycle stages (Discover, Design, Acquire, Build, Transition, Operate, Deliver, Support) support iterative progression throughout the product and service journey.
4. Collaborate and promote visibility	4. Business and developers must work together daily	ITIL emphasises collaboration across IT and product teams, while Agile insists on daily business-developer cooperation. ITIL (Version 5) explicitly bridges product and service communities, creating a stronger foundation for the daily collaboration Agile promotes.
5. Think and work holistically	6. Face-to-face conversation is the best way to communicate	ITIL promotes a systemic, interconnected approach across the entire product and service lifecycle, while Agile emphasises direct, personal communication. ITIL (Version 5)’s holistic view of how products and services work together complements Agile’s communication practices.
6. Keep it simple and practical	10. Simplicity—the art of maximising work not done—is essential	Both stress simplicity, but Agile focuses on minimising unnecessary work, while ITIL emphasises practical solutions. ITIL (Version 5)’s focus on being “practical to apply from day one” makes this principle even more actionable, similar to Agile’s pragmatic approach.
7. Optimise and automate	8. Sustainable development should be maintained indefinitely	ITIL advocates automation for efficiency, while Agile promotes sustainable work practices to maintain long-term efficiency. ITIL (Version 5)’s AI-native design acknowledges the role of AI and automation in creating sustainable, efficient workflows.

ITIL (Version 5)’s New Principles: AI-Native and Complexity-Native

ITIL (Version 5) introduces two overriding design principles that weren’t explicitly present in ITIL 4:

• AI-native: Created with the use of AI in mind and the need for effective AI governance. This addresses the modern reality that many Agile teams are already incorporating AI tools into their workflows.

• Complexity-native: In the unclear context of a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, ITIL (Version 5) supports experimentation to find the right direction for organisations, not just execute a plan. This represents a significant shift toward the Agile mindset of inspect-and-adapt rather than predict-and-plan.

These new principles bring ITIL (Version 5) significantly closer to Agile philosophy, acknowledging that in complex environments, we need to experiment, learn, and adapt rather than simply follow prescriptive processes.

The 8-Stage Product and Service Lifecycle Model

ITIL (Version 5) introduces an 8-stage lifecycle model that shows how key activities apply to every product and service:

1. Discover - Understanding needs and opportunities
2. Design - Creating solutions
3. Acquire - Obtaining necessary components
4. Build - Constructing the product or service
5. Transition - Moving to operational state
6. Operate - Running the service
7. Deliver - Providing value to customers
8. Support - Maintaining and assisting users

This lifecycle model is iterative and non-linear, much like Agile’s approach to software development. It recognises that products and services are “two sides of the same, digitally-enabled technology solution to deliver business value”; a concept Agile teams have embraced for years.

Key Differences

• Customer Interaction: Agile emphasises continuous customer collaboration, while ITIL (Version 5) delivers service and product value holistically across the entire lifecycle.
• Speed & Adaptability: Agile encourages rapid iterations and responsiveness, whereas ITIL traditionally focused on stability, efficiency, and control. However, ITIL (Version 5)’s complexity-native approach introduces experimentation and adaptability as core concepts, narrowing this gap.
• Communication: Agile prioritises face-to-face communication, while ITIL supports visibility and collaboration across product and service teams.
• Automation & AI: ITIL (Version 5) actively promotes automation and is designed to be AI-native, while Agile focuses more on human collaboration but increasingly incorporates AI tools in practice.
• Scope: Agile is primarily focused on software delivery, while ITIL (Version 5) explicitly covers both digital products and services across all lifecycle stages.

Conclusion

Both frameworks advocate for efficiency, value delivery, and continuous improvement, but Agile is more developer-centric and fast-paced, while ITIL (Version 5) is more holistic and lifecycle-oriented. However, with ITIL (Version 5)’s complexity-native and AI-native design, the gap between these frameworks has narrowed considerably. ITIL (Version 5) no longer presents itself as a prescriptive, process-heavy framework but rather as “practical to apply from day one” guidance that supports experimentation and adaptation—core tenets of Agile thinking.

Organisations increasingly integrate both frameworks to balance agility and stability in IT service management and digital product development. ITIL (Version 5)’s explicit bridge between product and service management communities makes this integration more natural than ever before, and that is very much the end goal I have for the work I am doing right now, and for my organisation as a whole. The evolution of ITIL demonstrates that even established frameworks can embrace Agile principles of adaptation and continuous improvement.