What is ISO/IEC 20000-1 Service Management System?

ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 is the international standard for an IT Service Management System (SMS), originally inspired by the British Standard BS 15000 and aligned with the process approach defined by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC)'s IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). It shapes consistency in the management of IT services and infrastructure, whether delivered internally or outsourced, benefiting employees and clients. The standard covers key processes ranging from service level management reporting, budgeting, and accounting for IT services, to information security, supplier, incident, change, and release management.

What are the key benefits?

ISO/IEC 20000-1 certification helps companies improve and streamline IT processes, boost effectiveness, and ensure a controlled, consistent, high-quality delivery of services — internally, and externally for extended networks and end customers. This demonstrates a company's commitment to a reliable IT service and infrastructure, supporting employee performance and corporate image.

Other key benefits include:

• Cost reduction through increased productivity
• Leveraging a proven set of best practices
• A common framework used across the IT service management industry
• Better alignment between business objectives and IT, reducing risks, and improving communication between business areas and IT
• Market advantage through a certificate issued following CCI's independent Stage 1 and Stage 2 audit and certification decision process

How certification works

Certification follows an application review, a Stage 1 documentation and readiness review, and a Stage 2 audit of your SMS in operation. Following a successful Stage 2 audit, an independent certification decision is made and your certificate is issued. Certificates are valid three years with annual surveillance audits. Your organisation — or a consultant of your choosing — implements the SMS; CCI's role is the independent assessment.