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Glossary

ITSM, AI & Compliance — clearly explained.

The key terms from IT service management, Data & AI and regulated IT — defined concisely. For decision-makers who want clarity, fast.

IT Service Management & ITIL

ITSM (IT Service Management)
The discipline of planning, delivering and continually improving IT as end-to-end services — aligned with business goals rather than technology alone.
ITIL 4
The world's most widely adopted framework for IT service management. ITIL 4 puts value creation (the Service Value System) and flexible "practices" ahead of rigid processes.
ESM (Enterprise Service Management)
Applying ITSM principles to other parts of the business, such as HR, facilities or finance — a shared service approach that extends beyond IT.
Service Value Chain
The central model in ITIL 4: six activities (Plan, Improve, Engage, Design & Transition, Obtain/Build, Deliver & Support) that together turn demand into value.
Incident Management
The process of resolving disruptions (incidents) as quickly as possible and restoring normal service operation.
Problem Management
The systematic analysis of recurring disruptions to permanently eliminate their root causes.
Change Enablement (Change Management)
The controlled management of changes to IT services, aimed at maximising benefit and minimising risk.
Service Catalogue
A structured list of all the IT services on offer, with descriptions, costs and service levels — the "menu" of IT.
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
A binding agreement on measurable service quality (e.g. availability, response time) between provider and customer.
CMDB (Configuration Management Database)
A database of all IT components (configuration items) and their relationships — the foundation for transparency and impact analysis.
Maturity Assessment
A structured evaluation of how mature an organisation's ITSM processes are, including a prioritised set of improvement steps.
Continual Improvement
The ITIL principle of ongoing, data-driven improvement of services and processes.

Data & AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Software that performs tasks normally requiring human intelligence — such as understanding language, recognising patterns or supporting decisions.
Generative AI
AI that creates new content (text, images, code) rather than simply classifying it — the foundation of tools such as ChatGPT.
LLM (Large Language Model)
A large language model trained on vast amounts of text that understands and generates natural language.
RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
A technique in which a language model retrieves relevant documents before answering — keeping responses fact-based and current.
AI Agent (Agentic AI)
An AI system that doesn't just respond, but independently plans and executes multi-step tasks using tools.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
An open standard through which AI models securely access external data sources and tools.
Data Engineering
Building reliable data pipelines and platforms so data can be used cleanly, securely and with strong performance.
Business Intelligence (BI)
Turning company data into dashboards and reports that support well-informed decisions.
Data Governance
Rules, roles and processes that ensure the quality, security and lawful use of data.
Machine Learning
A subfield of AI in which models learn from data instead of being explicitly programmed.

Quality, Compliance & Regulatory

FADP (Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection)
Switzerland's federal data protection act, governing the handling of personal data (revised in 2023).
GDPR
The EU General Data Protection Regulation — applicable as soon as the data of EU citizens is processed.
GxP
Umbrella term for regulatory "good practice" guidelines in life sciences (GMP, GLP, GCP …) that safeguard patient safety, product quality and data integrity.
CSV (Computer System Validation)
Documented evidence that a computerised system works reliably and in compliance with regulations in regulated environments.
GAMP 5
A guide for the risk-based validation of computerised systems in the pharmaceutical and medtech industries.
SaMD (Software as a Medical Device)
Software that itself qualifies as a medical device — with corresponding approval and documentation obligations (MDR, FDA).
MDR (Medical Device Regulation)
The EU regulation for medical devices, with strict requirements for safety, clinical evaluation and documentation.
Swiss Hosting / Data Residency in Switzerland
Operating data and services exclusively on servers in Switzerland (or the EU) — important for data protection and digital sovereignty.
Zero Retention
The guarantee that data entered into an AI service is neither stored nor used for training.

Methods & Frameworks

HERMES
The Swiss federal administration's project management method — the standard for IT and organisational projects at cantonal and federal level.
Scrum / Agile
An iterative approach that delivers working results in short cycles (sprints) — flexible when requirements change.
PMO (Project Management Office)
A central function that ensures project standards, governance and reporting across the entire portfolio.
Portfolio Management
The prioritised steering of all projects and initiatives in line with corporate strategy.

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