ISO 20000-1 Information Technology Service Management System (SMS) is an international standard that pertains to the management of IT services. It establishes requirements for organizations when setting up, implementing, and maintaining service-related processes. It also assists organizations in establishing policies and objectives for service delivery and implies improvements in meeting user and stakeholder needs.
The standard follows a process-oriented approach to managing incidents, service requests, change management, and problem management. Additionally, it involves maintaining configurations for hardware and software assets. This enables effective management of service requests by considering all elements in the process.
Three main goals of the standard:
- Reduction of exposure to risks
- Fulfillment of agreed requirements (SLA)
- Demonstration of service quality
Who is the standard intended for?
- Organizations that require a consistent approach from all their service providers
- Service providers intending to demonstrate their capability in designing, transitioning, delivering, and improving IT services
- Service providers that need to monitor, measure, and review their processes
- Auditors as a basis for assessing service compliance with requirements
Benefits of ISO 20000-1 certification:
- Alignment of IT services with the organization’s business strategy
- Increased trust from users and stakeholders
- Enhanced service level through clearly defined responsibilities
Regardless of whether IT services are internal or provided as part of the company’s activities, they must be reliable, cost-effective, and efficient. This standard helps organizations effectively manage IT services and allows for easy integration with existing management systems.
Connection to other standards:
Structurally, ISO 20000-1 is most similar to the ITIL standard, which also focuses on IT service and asset management. The similarity with ISO 9001 is reflected in both standards’ reliance on the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle and their inclusion of similar elements (management responsibility, document control, resource management, measurement, analysis, and improvements). Therefore, ISO 9001 serves as an excellent foundation for implementing ISO 20000.
Furthermore, the SMS is also connected to ISO 27001. The main impact of ISO 27001 on ISO 20000 is seen in section 6.6 – Information Security Management, as it provides a broader picture of how to implement information security systems within an organization.
An ISO 20000-1 certificate issued by an accredited certification body is proof of the quality and control of your services.
If you wish to achieve compliance with ISO 20000-1, you can send us a request for a quote with your basic information so we can respond to your inquiry as quickly as possible and connect you with the appropriate person.