ISO/IEC TR 20000-10:2015

TECHNICAL ISO/IEC TR
REPORT 20000-10
Second edition
2015-11-01
Information technology — Service
management —
Part 10:
Concepts and terminology
Technologies de l’information — Gestion des services —
Partie 10: Concepts et terminologie
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2015
© ISO/IEC 2015, Published in Switzerland
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ii © ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Terms and definitions . 1
3 Terminology used in ISO/IEC 20000 . 6
4 Service management systems . 7
4.1 General . 7
4.2 What is an SMS . 7
4.3 The integrated process approach . 8
4.4 Continual improvement . 8
4.5 What constitutes an effective SMS . 9
4.6 Benefits of an SMS based on ISO/IEC 20000 . 9
4.6.1 General benefits of an SMS . 9
4.6.2 Benefits from independent assessment of an SMS against ISO/IEC 20000-1 .10
4.6.3 Benefits related to different service management scenarios .11
4.7 Misperceptions about an SMS and ISO/IEC 20000-1 .12
4.7.1 Introduction .12
4.7.2 Misperception 1 — ISO/IEC 20000 is only for large commercial organisations .12
4.7.3 Misperception 2 — ISO/IEC 20000 is only applicable to IT infrastructure .13
4.7.4 Misperception 3 — ISO/IEC 20000 is only for external service providers .13
4.7.5 Misperception 4 — Service providers should use a specific best practice
framework to fulfil the requirements specified in ISO/IEC 20000-1 .13
4.7.6 Misperception 5 — ISO/IEC 20000 can make service management slow,
more costly and bureaucratic .13
5 ISO/IEC 20000 .14
5.1 General .14
5.2 ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 Service management system requirements .15
5.2.1 Scope .15
5.2.2 Purpose .15
5.3 ISO/IEC 20000-2:2012 Guidance on application of service management systems .15
5.3.1 Scope .15
5.3.2 Purpose .15
5.3.3 Relationship with ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 .15
5.4 ISO/IEC 20000-3:2012 Guidance on scope definition and applicability of ISO/
IEC 20000-1 .16
5.4.1 Scope .16
5.4.2 Purpose .16
5.4.3 Relationship with ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 .16
5.5 ISO/IEC TR 20000-4:2010 Process reference model .16
5.5.1 Scope .16
5.5.2 Purpose .16
5.5.3 Relationship with ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 .17
5.6 ISO/IEC TR 20000-5:2013 Exemplar implementation plan for ISO/IEC 20000-1 .17
5.6.1 Scope .17
5.6.2 Purpose .17
5.6.3 Relationships with ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 .17
5.7 ISO/IEC TR 20000-9:2015 Guidance on the application of ISO/IEC 20000-1 to
cloud services .18
5.7.1 Scope .18
5.7.2 Purpose .18
5.7.3 Relationships with ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 .18
6 Other related International Standards and Technical Reports .18
© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved iii

6.1 Closely related International Standards and Technical Reports .18
6.2 ISO/IEC TS 15504-8:2012 .19
6.2.1 Scope .19
6.2.2 Purpose .19
6.2.3 Relationships with ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 .19
6.3 ISO/IEC 27013: — .19
6.3.1 Scope .19
6.3.2 Purpose .19
6.3.3 Relationships with ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 .19
6.4 ISO/IEC TR 90006:2013 .20
6.4.1 Scope .20
6.4.2 Purpose .20
6.4.3 Relationships with ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 .20
6.5 Supporting International Standards .21
6.5.1 General.21
6.5.2 ISO 9000:2005 .21
6.5.3 ISO 9001:2008 .21
6.5.4 ISO 10007:2003 .22
6.5.5 ISO/IEC 19770-1:2012 .22
6.5.6 ISO/IEC 27000:2014 .22
6.5.7 ISO/IEC 27001:2013 .23
6.5.8 ISO/IEC 27031:2011 .23
6.5.9 ISO 31000:2009 .23
6.5.10 ISO/IEC 38500:2015 .23
6.5.11 ISO 22301:2012 .24
Bibliography .25
iv © ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical
activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the
work. In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee,
ISO/IEC JTC 1.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for
the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the
Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, Subcommittee
SC 40, IT Service Management and IT Governance.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO/IEC TR 20000-10:2013), which has been
technically revised.
ISO/IEC 20000 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information technology —
Service management:
— Part 1: Service management system requirements
— Part 2: Guidance on the application of service management systems
— Part 3: Guidance on scope definition and applicability of ISO/IEC 20000‑1
— Part 4: Process reference model [Technical Report]
— Part 5: Exemplar implementation plan for ISO/IEC 20000‑1 [Technical Report]
— Part 9: Guidance on the application of ISO/IEC 20000‑1 to cloud services [Technical Report]
— Part 10: Concepts and terminology [Technical Report]
— Part 11: Guidance on the relationship between ISO/IEC 20000‑1:2011 and service management
1)
frameworks: ITIL® [Technical Report]
The following parts are under preparation
— Part 6: Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of service management systems
— Part 8: Guidance on usage and benefits of the application of service management systems for smaller
organizations [Technical Report]
1) ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited.
© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved v

— Part 12: Guidance on the relationship between ISO/IEC 20000‑1:2011 and service management
2)
frameworks: CMMI-SVC® [Technical Report]
2) CMMI® and CMMI-SVC® are registered trademarks of the CMMI Institute.
vi © ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved

Introduction
This part of ISO/IEC 20000 provides an overview of the concepts and the terminology of ISO/IEC 20000. It
establishes a common framework for helping organizations to understand the purpose of all the parts of
ISO/IEC 20000 and the relationships between the parts. This part of ISO/IEC 20000 is intended to become
the authoritative source for definitions used in all the parts of ISO/IEC 20000. Terms defined in this part
of ISO/IEC 20000 will be removed from other published parts of ISO/IEC 20000 as they are updated.
This part of ISO/IEC 20000 also identifies other documents that have relationships with ISO/IEC 20000-
1:2011 and identifies common areas with related International Standards to aid the use and integration
of multiple International Standards in organizations.
This part of ISO/IEC 20000 can be used by any organization or individual involved in the planning,
design, transition, delivery and improvement of services using ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011. It can also be used
for those involved in the assessment or audit of service management systems (SMS), providing details
of all parts of ISO/IEC 20000 and how they can be used. More specifically, this part of ISO/IEC 20000
a) defines the terms used in ISO/IEC 20000,
b) promotes cohesion between the parts of ISO/IEC 20000 by explaining the concepts and terminology
used across all parts,
c) contributes to the understanding of ISO/IEC 20000 by clarifying the relationships between all the
parts,
d) clarifies the possible interfaces and integration between the service provider’s SMS and other
management systems,
e) provides an overview of other International Standards which can be used in combination with
ISO/IEC 20000, and
f) identifies common areas between ISO/IEC 20000-1 and other International Standards.
Figure 1 represents an overview of the relationships between the parts of ISO/IEC 20000 as well as
relevant frameworks and other external influences.
© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved vii

Frameworks
Sector specific National International
and good
Standards
standards standards
practices
ISO/IEC 20000
ISO/IEC 20000 -1:2011
Information technology—Service management system requirements
ISO/IEC 20000 -2:2012 ISO/IEC 20000-6
Guidance on application of Requirements for bodies
service management systems providing audit and certification
of service management systems
ISO/IEC 20000 -3:2012 ISO/IEC 20000 -9:2015
Guidance on scope definition and Guidance on the application of
applicability of ISO/IEC 20000-1 ISO/IEC 20000-1 to cloud services
ISO/IEC TR 20000- 4:2010 ISO/IEC 20000 -11
Process reference model Guidance on the relationship
between ISO/IEC 20000-1 and
service management framework: ITIL
ISO/IEC TR 20000- 5:2013
Exemplar implementation plan
for ISO/IEC 20000-1
ISO/IEC TR 20000 -10:2015
Concepts and terminology
Key
External
Under
influences
development
in the series
Figure 1 — Overview of parts of ISO/IEC 20000 addressed in ISO/IEC/TR 20000-10
viii © ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved

TECHNICAL REPORT ISO/IEC TR 20000-10:2015(E)
Information technology — Service management —
Part 10:
Concepts and terminology
1 Scope
This part of ISO/IEC 20000 describes the core concepts of ISO/IEC 20000, identifying how the different
parts support ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 as well as the relationships between ISO/IEC 20000 and other
International Standards and Technical Reports. This part of ISO/IEC 20000 also explains the terminology
used in ISO/IEC 20000, so that organisations and individuals can interpret the concepts correctly.
This part of ISO/IEC 20000 is for
a) service providers considering using any part of ISO/IEC 20000 and looking for guidance on how to
use the different parts of ISO/IEC 20000 to achieve their goal,
b) service providers that wish to understand how ISO/IEC 20000 can be used in combination with
other International Standards, and
c) practitioners, auditors, and other parties who wish to gain an understanding of ISO/IEC 20000.
2 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
NOTE 1 Terms and definitions used in ISO/IEC 20000 but not included in this part can be found in standard
English dictionaries.
NOTE 2 The formatting of the terms and definitions clause has been edited to reflect the ISO/IEC Directives, Part
2, 2011 version. It has not changed the content of the definitions as they were published in ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011.
2.1
availability
ability of a service or service component to perform its required function at an agreed instant or over
an agreed period of time
Note 1 to entry: Availability is normally expressed as a ratio or percentage of the time that the service or service
component is actually available for use by the customer to the agreed time that the service should be available.
2.2
configuration baseline
configuration information formally designated at a specific time during a service or service
component’s life
Note 1 to entry: Configuration baselines, plus approved changes from those baselines, constitute the current
configuration information.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765:2010, modified]
2.3
configuration item
CI
element that needs to be controlled in order to deliver a service or services
© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved 1

2.4
configuration management database
CMDB
data store used to record attributes of configuration items, and the relationships between configuration
items, throughout their lifecycle
2.5
continual improvement
recurring activity to increase the ability to fulfil service requirements
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005, modified]
2.6
corrective action
action to eliminate the cause or reduce the likelihood of recurrence of a detected nonconformity or
other undesirable situation
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005, modified]
2.7
customer
organization or part of an organization that receives a service or services
Note 1 to entry: A customer can be internal or external to the service provider’s organization.
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005, modified]
2.8
document
information and its supporting medium
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005]
EXAMPLE Policies, plans, process descriptions, procedures, service level agreements, contracts or records.
Note 1 to entry: The documentation can be in any form or type of medium.
Note 2 to entry: In ISO/IEC 20000, documents, except for records, state the intent to be achieved.
2.9
effectiveness
extent to which planned activities are realized and planned results achieved
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005]
2.10
incident
unplanned interruption to a service, a reduction in the quality of a service or an event that has not yet
impacted the services to the customer
2.11
information security
preservation of confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of information
Note 1 to entry: In addition, other properties such as authenticity, accountability, non-repudiation and reliability
can also be involved.
Note 2 to entry: The term ‘availability’ has not been used in this definition because it is a defined term in this part
of ISO/IEC 20000 which would not be appropriate for this definition.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 27000:2014, modified]
2 © ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved

2.12
information security incident
single or a series of unwanted or unexpected information security events that have a significant
probability of compromising business operations and threatening information security
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 27000:2014]
2.13
interested party
person or group having a specific interest in the performance or success of the service provider’s
activity or activities
EXAMPLE Customers, owners, management, people in the service provider’s organization, suppliers,
bankers, unions or partners.
Note 1 to entry: A group can comprise an organization, a part thereof, or more than one organization.
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005, modified]
2.14
internal group
part of the service provider’s organization that enters into a documented agreement with the service
provider to contribute to the design, transition, delivery and improvement of a service or services
Note 1 to entry: The internal group is outside the scope of the service provider’s SMS.
2.15
known error
problem that has an identified root cause or a method of reducing or eliminating its impact on the
services by working around it
2.16
nonconformity
non-fulfilment of a requirement
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005]
2.17
organization
group of people and facilities with an arrangement of responsibilities, authorities and relationships
EXAMPLE Company, corporation, firm, enterprise, institution, charity, sole trader, association, or parts or
combination thereof.
Note 1 to entry: The arrangement is generally orderly.
Note 2 to entry: An organization can be public or private.
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005]
2.18
preventive action
action to avoid or eliminate the causes, or reduce the likelihood, of occurrence of a potential
nonconformity or other potential undesirable situation
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005, modified]
2.19
problem
root cause of one or more incidents
Note 1 to entry: The root cause is not usually known at the time a problem record is created and the problem
management process is responsible for further investigation.
© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved 3

2.20
procedure
specified way to carry out an activity or a process
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005]
Note 1 to entry: Procedures can be documented or not.
2.21
process
set of interrelated or interacting activities which transforms inputs into outputs
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005]
2.22
record
document stating results achieved or providing evidence of activities performed
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005]
EXAMPLE Audit reports, incident reports, training records or minutes of meetings.
2.23
release
collection of one or more new or changed configuration items deployed into the live environment as a
result of one or more changes
2.24
request for change
proposal for a change to be made to a service, service component or the SMS
Note 1 to entry: A change to a service includes the provision of a new service or the removal of a service which is
no longer required.
2.25
risk
effect of uncertainty on objectives
Note 1 to entry: An effect is a deviation from the expected — positive and/or negative.
Note 2 to entry: Objectives can have different aspects (such as financial, health and safety, and environmental
goals) and can apply at different levels (such as strategic, organization-wide, project, product and process).
Note 3 to entry: Risk is often characterized by reference to potential events and consequences, or a
combination of these.
Note 4 to entry: Risk is often expressed in terms of a combination of the consequences of an event (including
changes in circumstances) and the associated likelihood of occurrence.
[SOURCE: ISO 31000:2009]
2.26
service
means of delivering value for the customer by facilitating results the customer wants to achieve
Note 1 to entry: Service is generally intangible.
Note 2 to entry: A service can also be delivered to the service provider by a supplier, an internal group or a
customer acting as a supplier.
4 © ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved

2.27
service component
single unit of a service that when combined with other units will deliver a complete service
EXAMPLE Hardware, software, tools, applications, documentation, information, processes or supporting
services
Note 1 to entry: A service component can consist of one or more configuration items.
2.28
service continuity
capability to manage risks and events that could have serious impact on a service or services in order to
continually deliver services at agreed levels
2.29
service level agreement
SLA
documented agreement between the service provider and customer that identifies services and
service targets
Note 1 to entry: A service level agreement can also be established between the service provider and a supplier or
an internal group or a customer acting as a supplier.
Note 2 to entry: A service level agreement can be included in a contract or another type of documented agreement.
2.30
service management
set of capabilities and processes to direct and control the service provider’s activities and resources for
the design, transition, delivery and improvement of services to fulfil the service requirements
2.31
service management system
SMS
management system to direct and control the service management activities of the service provider
Note 1 to entry: A management system is a set of interrelated or interacting elements to establish policy and
objectives and to achieve those objectives.
Note 2 to entry: The SMS includes all service management policies, objectives, plans, processes, documentation
and resources required for the design, transition, delivery and improvement of services and to fulfil the
requirements specified in ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011.
Note 3 to entry: Adapted from the definition of ‘quality management system’ in ISO 9000:2005.
2.32
service provider
organization or part of an organization that manages and delivers a service or services to the customer
Note 1 to entry: A customer can be internal or external to the service provider’s organization.
2.33
service request
request for information, advice, access to a service or a pre-approved change
2.34
service requirement
needs of the customer and the users of the service, including service level requirements, and the needs
of the service provider
© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved 5

2.35
supplier
organization or part of an organization that is external to the service provider’s organization and
enters into a contract with the service provider to contribute to the design, transition, delivery and
improvement of a service or services or processes
Note 1 to entry: Suppliers include designated lead suppliers but not their sub-contracted suppliers.
2.36
top management
person or group of people who direct and control the service provider at the highest level
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005, modified]
2.37
transition
activities involved in moving a new or changed service to or from the live environment
3 Terminology used in ISO/IEC 20000
Most terms in ISO/IEC 20000 use the definitions found in commonly available English language
dictionaries and in some cases use defined terms. These defined terms are taken from other management
system standards or are specifically defined for ISO/IEC 20000, e.g. ‘document’, ‘effectiveness’ and ‘top
management’ from ISO 9000:2005, ‘information security’ from ISO/IEC 27000, ‘service’ specifically
defined for ISO/IEC 20000.
The term ‘top management’ in the context of ISO/IEC 20000 refers to the person or group of people
who direct and control the service provider at the highest level. If the service provider is part of a
larger organisation ‘top management’ in ISO/IEC 20000 still refers to those who direct and control the
part of the organisation that is defined as the service provider. The term ‘top management’ is used
in ISO 9000:2005 for those responsible for the organization. In ISO/IEC 20000 ‘top management’ is
responsible for that part of the organization relevant to the service provider’s SMS and its scope.
Other terms defined in ISO 9000:2005 are used in ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011. Generally these terms are
closely linked to management systems (e.g. process, procedure, document, record, corrective action,
preventive action). In some cases the definitions in ISO 9000:2005 have been adapted to apply to
services, because ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 was developed specifically for SMS and services.
The term ‘governance’ is an example of a term commonly available in English language dictionaries but
that is used in ISO/IEC 20000 only in the context of ‘governance of processes operated by other parties’.
ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 uses a defined term, configuration item (CI), as an element that should be controlled
in order to deliver a service or services. The service provider should therefore define what should be
controlled as a CI to support business objectives and service requirements specific to its organization.
Some but not necessarily all assets can be considered CIs, for example a software application or a service
level agreement (SLA) are assets that are also CIs. Records can be assets but not CIs.
Although the wording of the definition of ‘information security incident’ used in ISO/IEC 20000 was
taken from ISO/IEC 27000:2009, the way is defined and used in ISO/IEC 20000 is different.
In ISO/IEC 27000:2014, information security incident is the term used for all unwanted events
threatening information security. ISO/IEC 27001:2013 describes a single process to deal with
information security incidents.
NOTE ISO/IEC 27013 provides further information about the integration of ISO/IEC 20000-1 and
ISO/IEC 27001 including how to reconcile the differences between terminology in the two standards.
In contrast, in ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 there are several mechanisms used for managing unwanted
events and related records: incident, information security incident, problem, known error, and major
6 © ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved

incident. These can all be information security incidents according to ISO/IEC 27001:2013, depending
on their characteristics.
ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 also has a variety of mechanisms to manage these events, such as incident and
service request management, major incident procedure and problem management. An unwanted event
can be managed by more than one of these processes and procedures during its lifecycle.
In order to keep all parts of ISO/IEC 20000 aligned, defined terms, words and phrases are used
consistently across all parts. For example, the phrase ‘fulfil requirements’, is used, not ‘meet
requirements’. This consistency has also been adopted to assist in the consistent translation of the
parts of ISO/IEC 20000 into other languages.
4 Service management systems
4.1 General
An SMS can provide service providers with a means of delivering services that are aligned to the business
needs and the customer requirements. The implementation of an SMS can enable top management to
have the visibility and control they require to deliver business value and sustain competitive advantage.
Managing services via an integrated process approach can help to ensure that services are consistent
and that the introduction of new or changed services is planned and coordinated.
4.2 What is an SMS
An SMS is a set of interacting components to direct and control the service management activities of
the service provider. It includes policies, objectives, plans, processes, documentation and resources to
achieve the service management objectives of the service provider and to fulfil the service requirements.
An SMS should direct and control the service management activities of the service provider to design,
transition, deliver, manage and improve services to fulfil the business needs and customer requirements
(internal or external).
An SMS for delivering and managing services to the customer, based on ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011, can
provide increased control, greater effectiveness and more opportunities for improvement within the
service provider organization. An SMS can directly contribute to the efficient and effective management
of service components and services, providing value and reducing the potential risk of failure by the
service provider. As an SMS can contribute to an improved quality of the services provided, more
flexible time to market, faster response to customer needs and improved relations with customers,
among other things, the service provider can benefit from increased credibility as a service provider
and a stronger market position.
The SMS relies on the following principles:
a) focus on the customer’s agreed service requirements;
b) strong leadership to support the SMS and communicate its importance to interested parties;
c) end to end management of services involving:
1) the service provider;
2) internal or external customers;
3) suppliers;
4) internal groups;
5) interested parties;
d) integrated process approach;
© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved 7

e) continual improvement using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) methodology.
The effectiveness of an SMS depends on the level and quality of implementation of each of these principles.
The design and establishment of an SMS can be influenced by the service requirements and service
management objectives, which should be revised over time as the organization evolves. Other factors
can contribute. For example the size and structure of the service provider, the type of services and
whether the services are provided to internal customers, external customers, or both.
SMS and associated concepts are generic and intended to be applicable to all service providers,
regardless of type, size and the nature of the service delivered. ISO/IEC 20000-1 can be applied
by many types and sizes of organizations from very large enterprises with thousands of staff in
multiple locations to small and medium enterprises with a low number of staff in a single location.
ISO/IEC 20000-1 can be used for management of information, communication and technology enabled
services within these organizations. ISO/IEC 20000-1 can be used across various business sectors
and for various services such as telecommunications, finance, transportation, cloud services, facilities
management, business process outsourcing, and many other services. The requirements for an SMS
specified by ISO/IEC 20000-1 can be readily adopted for each organization to fit the sector, size and
type of service.
4.3 The integrated process approach
A process is a set of interrelated or interacting activities with a defined objective that should be managed
in an integrated way with other processes. This integration is achieved via interfaces between processes,
specifically the process inputs and outputs. The output from one process can directly form the input to
another process. Examples of process inputs and outputs can be viewed in ISO/IEC 20000-2:2012, Annex
A. Processes state ‘what’ is to be done and they are often supported by procedures that state ‘how’
activities should be performed. The adoption of an integrated process approach requires the service
provider to document and implement the service management processes, their interfaces with each other
and their integration with the rest of the SMS. Critical processes can often apply across organizational
boundaries thus complicating the specification of process management roles and responsibilities. In
order to support a truly integrated model, top management should expect a degree of organizational
transformation facilitated by consistent top management commitment and decision-making.
4.4 Continual improvement
The benefits derived from the continual improvement of the SMS include ensuring ongoing alignment of
the SMS and services to the evolving needs of the business. This can enable the service provider to work
as a mature learning organisation.
The improvement approach used in ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 is based on the PDCA methodology.
Figure 2 illustrates how the PDCA methodology can be applied to the SMS, including the service
management processes specified in ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011, Clauses 5 to 9 and the services. Each
element of the PDCA methodology is dependent on the previous element and is a vital part of a
successful implementation of an SMS.
8 © ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved

Plan
Service
management
system
Service
management
processes
Do Act
Services
Check
Figure 2 — PDCA methodology applied to service management
4.5 What constitutes an effective SMS
Many factors contribute to an effective SMS that can enable a service provider to address its service
management objectives. Example factors include having:
a) policies that drive the correct behaviours;
b) a set of integrated service management processes, policies and plans contributing to and supporting
measurable service management objectives;
c) an approach and framework for the design, transition, delivery and improvement of services
consistent with the organizational culture;
d) visible support and commitment from all levels of management, especially top management;
e) a measurement system used to assess performance in service management and provide feedback
and suggestions for improvement;
f) a service management owner and champion who has a mandate to manage and improve the SMS
and services.
For the service provider to show evidence of the effectiveness of the SMS, specific performance
indicators should be defined, monitored and reported for each of the factors listed above. For each
indicator, the service provider should confirm its level of effectiveness and any improvements required.
4.6 Benefits of an SMS based on ISO/IEC 20000
4.6.1 General benefits of an SMS
When service providers implement an SMS, the ability to apply consistent and well understood
management principles can be demonstrated to customers and other interested parties.
© ISO/IEC 2015 – All rights reserved 9

Benefits realised from the adoption of an SMS can include but are not limited to:
a) improving service performance and the value provided by the service provider to the business and
customers through the implementation and continual improvement of the SMS and services;
b) reducing cost, time and disruption to services;
c) ensuring the SMS components are aligned with business objectives and that they provide value to
the business;
d) ensuring the service management activities meet the business needs and fulfil service requirements
in the scope of the SMS;
e) facilitating confidence of the business and customers with an SMS based on ISO/IEC 20000-1;
f) reducing risks through the use of an agreed risk management approach;
g) enabling improved coordination between a servi
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