What does operational management refer to in ITIL 4?

Operational management in ITIL 4 specifically refers to the day-to-day activities, processes, and functions that are essential for running and maintaining services across the organization. This involves ensuring that services are delivered effectively and efficiently, meeting the agreed-upon service levels, and addressing any incidents or problems that may arise.

By focusing on the ongoing management of services, operational management plays a crucial role in sustaining the organization's service performance and reliability. This includes monitoring performance metrics, managing service disruptions, and coordinating operations across different teams. The emphasis is on maintaining a stable environment that supports business functions effectively.

The other options relate to different aspects of IT service management. While practices related to new service development are vital, they fall under service development rather than operational activities. Similarly, managing customer relationships is essential but pertains more to service strategy and design rather than the operational execution of services. Creating policies for service delivery represents a more strategic task that guides how services should be managed but does not encompass the day-to-day operations involved in maintaining those services.