Business of IT - Applications teaches ITIL, the widely used framework for managing IT as a set of services that create value for an organization.
It is a 4 competency unit course with no prerequisites, found in WGU's Cybersecurity and Information Assurance and Cloud and Network Engineering degrees. WGU aligns it to the ITIL Foundation certification.
The difficulty is vocabulary. ITIL uses precise terms whose everyday meanings differ, and certification-style questions test those exact definitions.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Course | D336 Business of IT - Applications |
| Level | Undergraduate, 4 competency units |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Certification alignment | ITIL Foundation |
| Typical work | Certification-style preparation, definitions, scenario questions |
What D336 Covers
WGU describes ITIL terminology, structure, policies and concepts, focused on managing IT infrastructure, development and operations. The two competencies are:
- Apply ITIL concepts, core components, principles and models of service management. This includes key definitions, the four dimensions of service management, the service value system and the guiding principles.
- Apply the six activities of the service value chain: plan, improve, engage, design and transition, obtain or build, and deliver and support.
Key Concepts Explained
Value, Outcomes, Costs and Risks
ITIL defines a service as a means of enabling value co-creation by facilitating outcomes customers want, without the customer managing specific costs and risks. Questions often turn on whether something is an output (a deliverable) or an outcome (a result for the customer).
Example: An IT team installs new laptops for a sales team. The installed laptops are an output. The outcome is that salespeople can work securely from client sites. A question asking what the customer values points to the outcome.
The Seven Guiding Principles
Focus on value; start where you are; progress iteratively with feedback; collaborate and promote visibility; think and work holistically; keep it simple and practical; optimize and automate.
Example: A manager wants to scrap the current service desk tool and build a new one. "Start where you are" suggests first assessing what the existing tool does well and reusing it where possible.
Practices That Are Easy to Confuse
Incident management restores normal service quickly. Problem management finds and manages the causes of incidents. Change enablement assesses and authorizes changes. Service request management handles routine, pre-defined user requests.
Typical Assessment and How to Prepare
| Question style | What it tests | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Definition recall | Exact ITIL terms | Learn the official wording of core definitions |
| Principle application | Choosing the guiding principle for a scenario | Practice matching short scenarios to principles |
| Value chain questions | Which activity a task belongs to | Map common IT tasks to the six activities |
| Practice purpose | Distinguishing similar practices | Build a table of purpose statements and compare them |
Check your course page for the current assessment method.
The Four Dimensions and the Service Value System
Two models carry much of the first competency, and questions often test whether you can place a factor in the right part of each.
| Four dimensions | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Organizations and people | Structure, roles, culture, skills |
| Information and technology | Information managed and technologies used to deliver services |
| Partners and suppliers | Relationships with other organizations involved in services |
| Value streams and processes | How parts of the organization work together to create value |
The service value system shows how demand and opportunity become value. Its components are the guiding principles, governance, the service value chain, practices and continual improvement. The value chain is the operating core, which is why the second competency is devoted to its six activities.
Why ITIL Matters Beyond the Course
WGU describes D336 as preparation for careers as IT professionals, business managers and business process owners. That breadth is deliberate: ITIL gives technical and business staff a shared language for services, so a network engineer and a finance manager can agree what "available" or "resolved" means.
When you revise, connect each concept to a workplace you know. Think about how your service desk logs incidents, who approves changes, and how customer feedback reaches the people who improve the service. Concrete links make abstract definitions far easier to recall under exam conditions.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Everyday meanings. "Problem" and "incident" mean different things in ITIL. Use the ITIL definitions only.
- Value chain overlap. One task can involve several activities. Pick the activity that matches the purpose described.
- Too much detail. Foundation-level questions test purpose and key concepts, not deep process steps.
Study Tips for D336
- Make flashcards of definitions using exact ITIL wording.
- Write one real-world example for each guiding principle from your own job or studies.
- Sketch the service value system on one page and redraw it from memory.
- Use timed practice questions and review every wrong answer against the definition.
How We Help with D336
Send the topics you find hardest and any practice scores. A tutor prepares plain-English explanations, comparison tables of ITIL practices, and original scenario questions with worked answers.
GradeEssays is independent of Western Governors University and not affiliated with ITIL's owners. We provide tutoring and revision material only: we never sit exams or assessments for you. Every order comes with free revisions within the scope of your original request and a full refund if it is late.
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Frequently Asked Questions
WGU's program guide states it is aligned to the ITIL Foundation certification. Check your course page for how the course is assessed.
No. WGU lists no prerequisites, so it can appear early or late in a degree plan.
WGU lists Business of IT - Applications at 4 competency units.
Plan, improve, engage, design and transition, obtain or build, and deliver and support.
Precise terminology and telling similar practices apart, such as incident and problem management.
No. We help you learn the material so you can pass yourself.