DEVELOPING YOUR SERVICE STRATEGY

ISO 20000

Details on the Topic

What Is ISO 20000?

ISO/IEC 20000 is an international standard for IT Service Management (ITSM). The processes it specifies are minimum requirements for a company to fulfil in order to ensure the delivery of IT services in a defined quality. This framework provides for the implementation of standardised IT processes such as Incident Management, Problem Management or Change Management as well as the preparation of a detailed portfolio including cost calculations.

ISO/IEC 20000 is based on the British Standard BS 15000. The Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information Technology, transferred it to the international ISO/IEC 20000 standard, which was published in December 2005. Building on the processes that are described in the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) developed by the UK Office of Government Commerce (OGC), ISO 20000 is to be considered an ITIL amendment.

Specification und Code of Practice

ISO/IEC 20000 consists of the following documents:
  • ISO/IEC 20000-1 – "Service Management: Specification" This formal specification contains the requirements that a company must meet in order to be entitled for certification.
  • ISO/IEC 20000-2 - "Service Management: Code of Practice" This document provides explanations of the best practices, guidelines, and recommendations to supplement the requirements outlined in part 1.

Requirements and Processes

ISO/IEC 20000 defines the following requirements and processes:
  • Requirements for the Management System
  • Planning and Implementing Service Management
  • Planning and Implementing New or Changed Service
  • Service Level Management
  • Service Reporting
  • Availability und Service Continuity Management
  • Financial Planning and Cost Accounting for IT Services
  • Capacity Management
  • Information Security Management
  • Business Relationship Management
  • Supplier Management
  • Incident Management
  • Problem Management
  • Configuration Management
  • Change Management
  • Release Management

Benefits of ISO 20000

ISO 20000 provides inter alia the following benefits for your company:
  • Continuous optimisation - Using the ISO-typical optimisation model Plan-Do-Check-Act, ISO 20000 triggers an ongoing improvement process in your IT organisation.
  • Measurable results - Metrics allow you to precisely determine and monitor your progress.
  • Increased client confidence - Processes in accordance with international standards help enhance client confidence in your performance.
  • Certification - While ITIL provides for the certification of individuals only, an ISO 20000 certification is an ideal solution for your company to prove its professional IT Service Management.

ISO 20000 in Your Company

Are you interested in implementing ISO 20000 in your company? Learn about our approach, or feel free to contact us.