Service Catalogue Management Procedure

1. Introduction

The service catalogue is the Organisation's list of every live service, written so that customers, service desk staff and delivery teams all describe a service the same way. It is the source for what each service is, who owns it, when it is supported, what it depends on and which agreement applies. Other processes read from it: the service desk uses its categories to classify tickets, service level management uses its entries to attach agreements, and change management uses its dependencies to assess impact.

The catalogue has two views. The customer view lists what a customer can buy or request, in plain language. The technical view adds the support model, dependencies and configuration links that only staff need.

2. Purpose

To make sure that the Organisation keeps an accurate, approved and current catalogue of the services it provides, and that a service is added, changed or retired only through a controlled step that confirms it meets defined requirements.

3. Objectives

• Every service in the scope of the SMS has one catalogue entry with a named owner.
• Entries are accurate: reviewed at least every [6 months], and updated within [5 working days] of a live change.
• A new service is not made live until its entry is approved and its support arrangements, service levels and categories exist.
• Staff and customers can find the right version of the information quickly.
• Services that no longer meet evaluation criteria are identified and either improved or retired.

4. Scope

• In scope: all services delivered to customers and all internal services on which customer services depend, as listed in the SMS Scope and Service Management Plan.
• In scope: the customer view, the technical view, the retired services archive and the request and incident categories derived from entries.
• Out of scope: the design of a new service, which is in the Service Design and Transition Procedure, and the detail of agreements, which is in the Service Level Management Procedure.
• Applies to: service owners, the service catalogue manager, the service desk, relationship managers and any team that supports a service.

5. Terms and definitions

6. Roles and Responsibilities

7. Service lifecycle

A service moves through stages. The catalogue holds entries from the moment a service is approved for live operation until it has been retired and archived.

8. Procedure inputs and outputs

9. Service catalogue content

Each entry must hold at least the information in the template below. Fields are completed by the service owner and checked by the catalogue manager. A service with an empty mandatory field cannot be published.

9.1 Catalogue template

The table gives the catalogue layout with worked example rows. Use one row per service, and attach the detailed entry form (Annexure A) for each. Example rows are illustrative and show the level of detail to expect; replace them with the Organisation's own services.

9.2 Detailed entry fields

10. Service requirements

Service requirements are the conditions every service must satisfy before it is accepted into the catalogue. They come from customers, from law and contract, from the Organisation's policy and from the capability of the support teams. The service owner records them in the entry and the service catalogue manager checks them at approval.

11. Service catalogue management procedure

11.1 Add a new service

1. ProposeThe service owner submits a proposal and draft entry (Annexure A) after design has defined the service. Input: business case, requirements. Output: draft entry. Owner: service owner. Target: when the design phase begins.
2. AssessThe catalogue manager checks completeness and consistency with existing entries, and checks for overlap with other services. Output: assessment note. Owner: catalogue manager. Target: [3 working days].
3. EvaluateThe service is tested against the evaluation criteria below, with security and continuity checks. Output: evaluation record. Owner: service owner with process owners. Target: before go-live.
4. ApproveThe Management Representative approves the entry and service levels, after the governance group confirms support readiness. Output: approval. Target: [5 working days] from evaluation.
5. Create linksThe configuration manager links configuration items; the service desk loads categories and routing rules in the ticketing tool. Output: working categories. Target: before go-live.
6. PublishThe catalogue manager publishes the entry, sends a revision notice and archives the previous version. Target: on go-live day.

11.2 Change an existing service

1. TriggerA change request, review result, customer request or incident analysis shows that an entry is wrong or must change. Any employee may report the gap to the catalogue manager.
2. UpdateThe service owner updates the draft with the change, within [5 working days] of the live change being completed.
3. CheckThe catalogue manager checks the update and its effect on service levels, categories and dependencies.
4. ApproveThe service owner approves minor changes (text, contact, category). The process owner approves changes to hours, scope, support or price. Customer-visible changes are shared with the relationship manager before publication.
5. Publish and notifyThe revised entry is published and staff and affected customers are told of what changed and the effective date.

11.3 Retire a service

1. DecideThe service owner proposes retirement with reasons, impact, alternatives and a notice date. The Management Representative approves.
2. NotifyCustomers are given the notice required by the agreement, and at least [90 days] where none is stated. The relationship manager manages the conversation.
3. Wind downService is withdrawn in steps: new orders stop, migration support is given, data is returned or deleted as agreed, access is removed, and assets are disposed of under the Asset Disposal Process.
4. CloseAgreements are ended, configuration items marked retired, categories closed and the entry moved to the retired archive with the retirement record.

11.4 Periodic review

Each entry is reviewed at least every [6 months] and after any significant incident or change. The reviewer checks the owner and deputy, hours, support model, dependencies, agreements, categories and links against the live situation, and records the date. Entries not reviewed within [3 months] of their due date are reported to the governance group.

11.5 Process flow

1. Proposal or change trigger arrives with draft information.
2. Catalogue manager checks completeness and consistency.
3. Service evaluated against criteria; shortfalls fixed or accepted.
4. Approval by the right authority.
5. Links, categories and routing created in the tools.
6. Publication, notification and archive of the previous version.
7. Monitoring and periodic review; return to the start when a change is needed.

12. Service evaluation criteria and sample test case

A new or changed service is evaluated before go-live and in review. The criteria below are applied to all services; the service owner can add criteria suited to the service. A service passes when all mandatory criteria are met, or any gap is accepted in writing by the Management Representative with a date to close it.

12.1 Evaluation criteria

A service already live that fails its health criteria for [2 consecutive quarters] is placed on an improvement plan by the service owner. If the plan fails, the governance group considers withdrawal or redesign.

12.2 Sample test case

The sample below shows how an evaluation test case is recorded. Each service has its own set.

13. Interfaces with other processes

• Service level management: each entry points to its agreement; agreement changes trigger entry updates.
• Configuration and asset management: entries link to configuration items and dependency maps.
• Change management and release management: live changes that affect an entry trigger an update; release acceptance depends on a draft entry.
• Service design and transition: new services arrive with draft entries; transition checks use the evaluation criteria.
• Incident and request management: categories and routing derive from entries.
• Supplier management: supporting services are listed with their supplier agreements.
• Business relationship management: the customer view is the source for sales and account discussions.
• Information security management for services: data classification and security owner come from the entry.

14. Key performance indicators

15. Records and evidence

• Current and previous versions of every catalogue entry, with approval records, kept for [3 years] after retirement.
• Evaluation records and sample test case results for each new or changed service, kept for [3 years].
• Review log with dates, reviewers and changes, kept for [3 years].
• Retirement records with notices to customers, kept for [6 years] or the contract term plus [1 year], whichever is longer.
• Catalogue health reports, kept for [3 years].

Annexure A: Service catalogue entry form

Annexure B: Service catalogue register

Annexure C: Service evaluation record

Annexure D: Document history

16. Exception

Exceptions to this document are allowed only where compliance is not practicable and the risk has been assessed. A request must state what is to be excepted, why, the risk it creates, the compensating controls, and an end date no later than [6 months]. It is approved in writing by the document owner and the risk owner, recorded in the exceptions register, and reviewed at the end date. An exception does not change the document.

17. Enforcement

Compliance is monitored through internal audits, management review and routine checks by the document owner. Non-compliance is reported through the incident or non-conformity process and handled under the organisation's disciplinary procedure, and under the terms of any contract for people who are not employees. Serious or repeated non-compliance may lead to loss of access and, where the law is broken, to referral to the authorities.

18. Review

This document is reviewed at least every [12 months], and when there is a significant change to the organisation, its systems, its risks or the law, or after an incident that shows it was not effective. Each review is recorded in the revision history.

ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 references

Related documents

• SMS Scope and Service Management Plan
• Service Level Management Procedure
• Business Relationship Management Procedure
• Service Design and Transition Procedure
• Service Evaluation Criteria
• Configuration and Asset Management Procedure
• Service Operating Model
• Change Management Procedure