Quality management in services

Improving processes through a structured approach

Discover how standards help to achieve and maintain a desired level of quality within service organizations

Article

How to ensure quality with a service management system

IT service providers need to deliver the very best for their customers, however, sometimes in the face of new technologies or unforeseen circumstances they can struggle. Facing conflicting business conditions such as time and cost, providers often find themselves spending too much time reacting to problems rather than spending time preventing them. Good providers will be planning, training, investigating, and working with customers to ensure problems do not occur in the first place. Whilst striving to deliver high levels of service to their customers, providers are also being asked for improved quality, lower costs and faster customer responses. An integrated framework for delivering and managing IT services to the customer can provide control, greater effectiveness, and opportunities for improvement within the organization. IT service management standard BS ISO/IEC 20000 provides such a framework. What is IT Service Management Standard BS ISO/IEC 20000? BS ISO/IEC 20000 is the first internationally recognized standard for IT service management. The IT service management standard is published in three parts. BS ISO/IEC 20000-1 outlines requirements for developing and implementing an IT management system. The standard outlines how to implement IT services that are driven by and support business objectives – rather than just technology needs. It is applicable for any service organization, large or small, in any sector or part of the world which relies on IT services. The standard is particularly suitable for internal IT service providers, such as IT departments, and external IT service providers, such as IT outsourcing organizations. The IT service management standard is making a positive impact in some of the leading IT-dependent service organizations such as the business process outsourcing, telecommunications, finance, and public sectors. The benefits to be gained from the implementation of service management best practices include: Improved customer service Focused service that supports the business strategy Cost efficiency Reliable and consistent service quality Independent proof of service quality To learn how standards support new trends in the service industry, click here. Service management systems: What are BS ISO/IEC 20000-2:2019 and BS ISO/IEC 20000-3:2019? These are Parts 2 and 3 of the international standard on how to put a service management system (SMS) in place. This type of SMS was traditionally applied to IT service management, but it’s now recognized that the techniques and discipline of an SMS are useful in other areas as well, such as facilities management and business process outsourcing. They’re essential for those implementing a service system management based on BS ISO/IEC 20000-1. They can also be used by any organization looking for guidance on how to improve service management, whether or not they’re interested in seeking certification. The standards apply to service management supplied by any service provider: internal or external, large or small, and commercial or non-commercial. They are easy to read and understand. Part 2 follows the clauses in Part 1 and from clause 4 onward provides three sections per clause: Required activities, Explanation, and Other information. Part 3 focuses on fulfilling the requirements specified in Part 1, the applicability of Part 1, and general principles for the scope of an SMS. The requirements for service management best practices processes do not change according to the organizational form. The service management framework provided allows processes to be followed and applied accordingly. The BS ISO/IEC 20000-1 and over 100,000 more internationally recognized standards are available for simple and flexible access with a BSI Knowledge subscription. In your trust-critical industry, our subscription service puts the control in your hands, with traceability to monitor and demonstrate your business's compliance to standards, and self-serve functionality that enables you to manage your subscriptions, standards, users, and content quickly and simply. Request to learn more. Ensure quality within your service organization by adding standards BS ISO/IEC 20000-1, BS ISO/IEC 20000-2, and BS ISO/IEC 20000-3 to your collection today.