ISO 20000:2018
The ISO
20000 Certification standard provides organizations with a set of
requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually
improving a service management system (SMS).
Organizations can utilize the guidance in this
standard as a framework on how to effectively manage an SMS. In September
2018, ISO 20000-1:2018 (Service Management System Requirements) and ISO
20000-10:2018 (Concepts and Vocabulary) were updated to address the evolving
needs and challenges in the delivery of IT service management.
New ISO 20000 structure
The updated version of ISO 20000-1:2018 has been
restructured into the High-level Structure (HLS) to better align/integrate
with other ISO management system standards, such as the Information Security
Management System (ISMS) contained in ISO 27001
HLS details the requirements of service management
processes. The operational processes are grouped into seven subsections that
cover the entire lifecycle of the service creation, delivery, and support, as
well as interactions with customers and suppliers – both internal and external.
However, ISO 20000
Certification does not include requirements for the structure of the SMS or
for the terms used for its components. This illustration of the HLS should not
be considered as a set-in-stone structural hierarchy, authority levels, or
naming convention. Rather, the HLS should be considered as a framework that can
be adjusted to suit the operational needs of the organization. For example,
there may be an overlap of SMS support and operational processes within your
organization, so it may make sense to combine these two areas. Nevertheless,
regardless of how the HLS is organized, none of the requirements of the
standard can be ignored, because all clauses are mandatory for compliance.
Furthermore, none of the clauses from ISO 20000:2011
have been deleted from the 2018 version. Clauses have only been modified and
renamed in ISO
20000:2018 Certification where deemed necessary. The following sections
contain details on the updated clauses.
Clause 4: Context of the organization
The context of the organization clause of ISO
20000:2018 Certification states the requirements necessary to establish,
implement, maintain, and continually improve a service management system (SMS).
Defining the scope and objectives of the SMS is highly emphasized in clause 4.
Additionally, the clause stresses the importance of gaining an understanding of
both internal and external factors and the role of interested parties (i.e.,
stakeholders), in addition to their requirements that may potentially impact an
organization and its ability to achieve its objectives. In order to implement
an effective SMS, clearly understanding these key points is crucial to success.
Clause 5: Leadership
Successful implementation of ISO 20000
Certification Services requires active engagement and commitment by an
organization’s leadership. Proper commitment by the top management includes
ensuring that the necessary policies, processes, people, tools, and
technologies are in place to deliver quality services to the business. This
clause includes specific requirements for top management to establish and
communicate service management policy. Additionally, top management is also
required to ensure that organizational roles, responsibilities, and authorities
related to the SMS are communicated throughout the organization to support
efficient delivery of services.
Clause 6: Planning
Planning for an SMS plays a critical role in an
organization. Effective planning supports both risk management and the ability
to seize opportunities. Planning clearly defines the actions required to
achieve the organization’s service management objectives. When conducting
planning for an SMS, service management-related objectives should be established
at all relevant levels of the organization.
Clause 7: Support of the service management system
Clause 7 requirements emphasize the importance of
the roles that multiple organizational areas play in supporting the
effectiveness of the service management system. Requirements take a holistic an approach that covers critical areas such as availability of resources, employee
competence, situational awareness, internal/external communications,
documented information, and knowledge management for proper support of the SMS.
Clause 8: Operation of the service management system
The goal of the requirements in clause 8 is to
ensure that the activities necessary for the operation of the SMS are conducted
in an effective and efficient manner. Operations requirements in this clause
cover all stages of the operational service lifecycle, such as planning and
control, service design, and service assurance, among other areas. It should
also be noted that this clause is “closest” to the processes required in the
2011 revision of the standard.
Clause 9: Performance evaluation
Clause 9 requires an organization to assess the
performance of the SMS through monitoring, measurement, analysis, and
evaluation of the system. It is suggested managerial good practice to have both
external and internal audits done on your organization’s SMS. But there are specific
requirements in this clause for establishing an audit program and conducting
internal audits at regular intervals. Furthermore, the quantitative and
qualitative data obtained from audits should be reported and reviewed by
management in order to support informed decision making on the SMS.
Clause 10: Improvement
Included in clause 10 are requirements regarding
nonconformity, corrective action, and continual improvement. The requirements
in this clause specify the corrective actions to take when nonconformities are
encountered by the organization. These actions support the continual
improvement philosophy of effective service management
.
If you are looking for an ISO 20000 Certification
Body to assist you with your certification, you should ensure that the
company has the qualification and expertise necessary to offer relevant ISO 20000 Certification
Services. While accreditation is not compulsory for ISO certification
companies, an accreditation certificate is an indicator of good qualification.
After reading that you have a question in mind that how
to get ISO Certification for that there are many ISO
20000 Certification body helps to check out the ISO procedure.
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