The Service Catalog is a document that contains all the services offered by an organization. It provides customers with access to all the services they can request, as well as essential information about those services. It is a fundamental document, and therefore, today we will understand how to build an IT Service Catalog.
The customer’s perspective on services is crucial to the catalog, but it is not the only perspective. The technical perspective, or the IT team’s perspective, on each of the services offered should also be included in the catalog. It is, therefore, a crucial document for both customers and employees to consult on important aspects of each service.
As such, the Catalog has two different sections that contain the list of services and their descriptions from two different perspectives: the customer’s perspective and the IT perspective.
The Customer’s Perspective
Imagine that the customer’s perspective, in the service catalog, is like the menu of a restaurant. This menu should describe the dishes with names that customers recognize, their components (rice, beans, steak, etc.), and the price. The same applies to the catalog, where services should be described in a familiar and recognizable language for the customer.
The Technical Perspective (of IT)
Following the restaurant menu metaphor, it is also important that the kitchen has its own menu, which describes the same services but from its perspective: the preparation of ingredients, cooking of ingredients, service delivery, delivery service, etc. In addition, the delivery of these services depends on the supply of water, electricity, gas, supplies, cleaning, and so on. All of this should be described according to the names and language of IT.
Having understood the fundamental structure of the Service Catalog, let’s get to work.
Building Your Service Catalog
The catalog below is a sufficiently complete example of services and specifications that can be present in your organization’s catalog. Please read each item carefully and consider them within your organization’s needs. You will notice the separation between the business catalog, representing the customer’s perspective, and the IT service catalog, representing the technical perspective. These are two sections of the same catalog, not two different catalogs. Remember that the information contained in both sections of the catalog should represent the perspective and use the language of each of the different audiences of the sections.
| Business Catalog | ||
| Customer | Logistics | Customer X |
| Name | File Storage | Service Name Y |
| SLA | SLA W | |
| Price |
| IT Service Catalog | ||
| Service Name | Business Hours Support Service | After-Hours Support Service |
| Price | $ 276.32 / per open ticket | $ 1,876.32 / per open ticket |
| Description | 1st Level Support, etc. | On-Call Support |
| Type | Customer Support | Customer Support |
| Who provides support? | First level | Second level |
| Business Owner(s)? | Jack, John and Paul | Alex |
| Business Unit(s) | Logistics, HR, Marketing | Logistics, HR, Marketing |
| Business Impact | Medium | Low |
| Business Priority | Medium | Low |
| When it is available | From 8am to 6pm | Weekends |
| SLA Response Time | 30 minutes | 2 hours |
| Business Contact | Phone, email | Supervisor’s phone, email |
| Escalation Contact | CS Coordinator | IT Manager, for Business Owner |
| To whom reports should be sent? | Philip | Philip |
| Security Range | High | Very High |
| Service Review Date | Last day of every Quarter | Last day of every Quarter |
The Relationship Between the Catalog and Other Processes
However, the catalog involves not only Service Catalog Management but also Configuration Management, Service Level Agreement Management, and Change Management. Any changes to the service catalog must be made through a Request for Change (RFC), and the catalog must be updated accordingly.
In addition, the services described in the catalog must be supported by agreements. Let’s take a look at them:
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
It is essential that services provided to the customer are governed by a pre-established contract that defines the level, or minimum quality, in which these services must be delivered.
Operational Level Agreement (OLA)
For services from a technical or IT perspective, the Operational Level Agreement establishes the same agreed-upon quality of service, but in this case, between the internal teams.
Underpinning Contract (UC)
It serves the same function as the two contracts above but is a formal contract focused on services provided to the organization.
Conclusion
When building your service catalog, consider the necessary information to describe the services from both the customer’s and IT’s perspectives. Remember that, often, even the service name differs between employees and customers. Therefore, names, terms, and language must also be appropriate.
Don’t forget that the services in the catalog must always be supported by agreements related to other processes, such as the Service Level Agreement (SLA), Operational Level Agreement (OLA), and Underpinning Contracts (UC).
And if you are going to make any changes to the catalog, remember to open a Request for Change (RFC) and avoid confusion!
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