What is a situation where part of the output of an activity is used as new input called?

In the context of ITIL and broader service management practices, a situation where part of the output of an activity is used as new input is referred to as a feedback loop. This concept emphasizes the iterative nature of processes, where insights and results from previous actions are leveraged to improve future activities. Feedback loops are essential for ensuring that lessons learned and data gathered during one phase of a process can inform subsequent decisions and actions.

In many service management frameworks, creating a feedback loop fosters a culture of continuous improvement. It allows organizations to adapt to changing circumstances, refine processes, and enhance service quality based on real-world performance. This ongoing interaction between outputs and inputs supports agile and flexible service delivery, aligning with ITIL’s principles of delivering value.

Other concepts, such as continual improvement and value chains, focus on broader strategies for enhancing services or managing processes but do not specifically describe the cyclical relationship that characterizes a feedback loop. DevOps, while related to integration and collaboration between development and operations teams, also doesn't define this particular process relationship. Thus, the feedback loop is the most accurate term in this scenario as it captures the cyclical nature of input and output interactions.