your simple introduction to the basics of ISO 20000

  • ISO 20000 is the international standard for IT Service Management (ITSM).
  • The standard describes a set of management processes designed to help you deliver more effective IT services (both to those within your business and to your customers).
  • ISO 20000 gives you the methodology and the framework to help you manage your ITSM, while allowing you to prove that your company follows best practices; in turn, these best practices will help to improve your delivery of IT services.
  • ISO 20000 is applicable to any company size and any industry.

Getting to the heart of why ISO 20000 is important

To understand the importance of ISO 20000, it’s vital to understand the relationship between IT and the overall success of your organization. You rely on IT to help you achieve your organizational goals. It affects how you operate and how you communicate – it’s a fundamental element of how you do business.

You use IT to overcome your competitors, to reach larger audiences, and to become more productive and more efficient. In myriad ways, IT is vital to improving revenues, reducing costs, and enhancing your reputation.

So, it’s crucial that you get the most from your IT investments – meaning IT services must be well planned, designed, managed, and delivered. Without high-quality IT Service Management, IT projects routinely fail or go over budget. Ongoing costs become hard to manage, and you often see businesses fail before achieving any return on their investment.

So, put simply, high-quality IT Service Management standards are fundamental to your success. And following the ISO 20000 standard is a way to ensure that quality.

What does ISO 20000 actually look like?

It includes service management system (SMS) requirements in following areas:

  • Context of the organization
  • Leadership
  • Planning
  • Support of the service management system
  • Operation of the service management system
  • Performance evaluation
  • Improvement

The second part: ISO 20000-2:2019 is the code of practice for IT Service Management; it is the guidance for the application of service management systems. In other words, it helps you interpret the requirements of the standard. It defines the best practice management processes, and it is very useful if you’re preparing to be audited against ISO 20000 or planning service improvements.

It’s important to note that your company can get certified against ISO 20000-1:2018, but not against ISO 20000-2:2019 (this is a code of practice only).

Why is ISO 20000 a good idea for your organization?

The benefits of ISO 20000 cannot be overstated; companies large and small have used this standard to great effect, discovering and securing tremendous cost and efficiency savings. Here are just a few of these benefits:

Improve your image and credibility – ISO 20000 is the only internationally recognized standard for IT Service Management. Its international adoption has been rapid in recent years, as organizations see it as a key differentiator in the marketplace. And, as a popular and proven standard, you can be sure of the efficacy and scalability of the processes.

Become more productive – Gain a competitive advantage through increased efficiency and effectiveness due to more reliable IT services. With everybody clear about who does what and when, you’ll reduce both the number of incidents and your ability to handle them.

Increased customer satisfaction – Whether it’s your internal or external customers, you’re able to deliver improved IT services that better meet their needs – while at the same time better protecting the company and its assets, shareholders, and directors.

Benchmark and improve – You can compare your organization’s processes and activities against the international standard for ITSM (you can then easily identify and implement any necessary improvements). And, because an independent certification body audits your company, you (and anyone interacting with your organization) can be sure you’re meeting the required level of service.

Fully integrated processes – ISO 20000 helps you align IT services with the wider business strategy. You can ensure your company is focused on the IT Service Management solutions best suited to serving your customers and the needs of the business.

Reduce the cost of IT – Better understand and manage the cost of IT. Plan future financial costs with greater accuracy and clarity. With simpler processes and clear responsibilities, you can operate a leaner, more efficient service.

Create a culture of continual improvement – The business environment does not sit still, particularly in our age of digital and technological innovation. Ensuring your organization is always improving its processes in reaction to customer feedback is not just a nice-to-have – it’s essential for a company’s longevity. And this also extends to improvements identified internally, changing technology, and developing business norms.

Become more agile and change quickly – ISO 20000 creates a solid framework of best practice that helps support innovation. Change in your organization can be handled more adeptly and with greater speed, meaning you reduce internal and external risk levels and are more likely to meet your organizational objectives.

Gain a competitive advantage – Through more effective and efficient delivery of IT services, you can give your organization tangible advantages over your competitors. For example, you can reduce IT issues and respond to them faster, freeing up more of your time for strategic IT development in your organization.