As organizations increasingly rely on technology to drive business outcomes, the need for effective IT service management (ITSM) has never been greater. To address this need, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed the ISO/IEC 20.000 family of standards, which provide a framework for IT service management best practices. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the ISO/IEC 20.000 standard, what it entails, and what the benefits are of achieving this standard.

The latest version of the ISO/IEC 20.000 standard is ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018. It was published in March 2018 and replaced the previous version, ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011. The 2018 version provides a framework for the planning, design, transition, delivery, and improvement of IT services. It also incorporates the latest industry best practices and provides a more flexible approach to service management.

ISO/IEC 20.000 is a family of standards that provide a framework for IT service management. The standard was first published in 2005 and has since been updated to reflect changes in the ITSM landscape. The standard is based on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework, which is a widely adopted set of ITSM best practices.

The ISO/IEC 20.000 standard consists of several parts, each of which provides guidance on a different aspect of IT service management. These parts include:

1. ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 – Part 1 provides an overview of the standard, defines the scope of the standard, and outlines the requirements for a service management system (SMS) that meets the standard.
2. ISO/IEC 20000-2:2019 – Part 2 provides guidance on the application of the SMS requirements defined in Part 1. It provides a more detailed explanation of how to implement and maintain an effective SMS, including best practices and examples.
3. ISO/IEC 20000-3:2019 – Part 3 provides guidance on the scope and applicability of the standard to different types of organizations, including small businesses, large enterprises, and service providers.
4. ISO/IEC 20000-4:2019 – Part 4 provides guidance on the process assessment model (PAM) for the standard. It outlines the assessment process and criteria for evaluating compliance with the standard.
5. ISO/IEC 20000-5:2019 – Part 5 provides guidance on the concepts and terminology used in the standard. It explains key terms, concepts, and definitions to ensure a common understanding of the standard across organizations and individuals.

Each of these parts plays a different role in defining the requirements and guidance for implementing an effective service management system that meets the ISO/IEC 20000 standard. Together, they provide a comprehensive framework for managing IT services and ensuring their quality, consistency, and continuous improvement.

The ISO/IEC 20000 certification is based on Part 1 of the standard, ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018. This part of the standard outlines the requirements for a service management system (SMS) that meets the standard. An organization seeking certification must demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this part of the standard through an audit by an accredited certification body.

However, it is important to note that the other parts of the standard, such as Part 2 and Part 3, provide guidance and best practices for implementing and maintaining an effective SMS. While compliance with these parts of the standard is not required for certification, they can be helpful in ensuring that an organization’s SMS is effective and meets the needs of the business and its customers.

Achieving ISO/IEC 20.000 certification can bring a number of benefits to organizations, including:

1. Improved service quality: By following the ITSM best practices outlined in the standard, organizations can improve the quality of their IT services, leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction and improved business outcomes.
2. Increased efficiency: The standard provides a framework for streamlining ITSM processes, which can lead to increased efficiency and reduced costs.
3. Improved risk management: By implementing a structured approach to ITSM, organizations can better identify and manage risks related to their IT services.
4. Better alignment with business objectives: The standard emphasizes the importance of aligning IT services with the needs of the business, which can help organizations to better meet their strategic objectives.
5. Competitive advantage: Achieving ISO/IEC 20.000 certification can give organizations a competitive advantage by demonstrating their commitment to best practices in ITSM.

Achieving ISO/IEC 20.000 certification requires a structured approach to IT service management. Organizations can follow a number of steps to achieve certification, including:

1. Assess current ITSM practices: The first step in achieving ISO/IEC 20.000 certification is to assess the organization’s current ITSM practices to identify areas for improvement. Most organization start this process by conducting an ISO/IEC 20.000 Readiness Assessment.
2. Develop an implementation plan: Based on the results of the assessment, organizations should develop a plan for implementing the ITSM best practices outlined in the standard.
3. Implement ITSM best practices: Organizations should implement the ITSM best practices outlined in the standard, including processes for service delivery, service level management, and incident management.
4. Conduct internal audits: Once the ITSM processes have been implemented, organizations should conduct internal audits to ensure compliance with the standard.
5. Seek certification: Finally, organizations should seek certification from a recognized certification body to demonstrate compliance with the ISO/IEC 20.000 standard.