When I first encountered the ITIL service catalog, I realized how vital it is to service management. Yet, many confuse service requests with incidents. Let me clarify this for you in this article.
What is a Service Catalog?
The service catalog is a structured document that lists all the predefined services a user can request. Think of it as a menu. Just as you wouldn’t order a dish not listed on a restaurant menu, users can only request services explicitly defined in the catalog.
For example, imagine a company offers password resets and software installations. These are listed in the service catalog. If a user calls and says, “I need you to book a cab,” and that service isn’t defined, the request cannot be fulfilled. The catalog sets clear boundaries.
Why Users Need the Service Catalog
To ensure users know what’s available, the catalog must be communicated effectively. If it’s not, users will guess or make unrealistic demands. Educating the user community is crucial. For instance, in one of my projects, we held monthly “service awareness” sessions where we showcased the catalog’s offerings. This improved clarity and reduced unnecessary requests.
Differentiating Service Requests and Incidents
Here’s where confusion arises. In the past, service providers lumped incidents and service requests together. Unfortunately, some still do. But these two are fundamentally different.
An incident signals a disruption. For example, when an employee can’t access email, it’s an incident. It affects productivity and requires immediate attention. In contrast, a service request is about getting something extra, like a new software tool.
By treating both as the same, you’re prioritizing incorrectly. For instance, if you’re addressing a software installation request with the same urgency as an email outage, you risk prolonging downtime. That downtime leads to financial and productivity losses.
The Business Case for Differentiation
Let’s break it down with a business case. A retail company faced frequent outages in their point-of-sale system. Simultaneously, they received requests for additional training sessions. Both were handled in the same queue.
The result? The POS outages lingered longer than necessary, directly impacting sales. Customers abandoned their carts, and the company lost revenue. Once we separated incidents and service requests, response times for critical outages improved. Training session requests were handled in their own timeframe, ensuring smoother operations overall.
The Implications of Clubbing Them Together
Combining incidents and service requests creates inefficiencies. It slows down responses to incidents, leading to user dissatisfaction. In one scenario I witnessed, unresolved incidents caused several employees to miss deadlines, delaying a client project. Meanwhile, trivial service requests consumed valuable time and resources. Separating the two processes resolved these issues almost instantly.
Final Thoughts
Differentiating between incidents and service requests is more than just good practice. It’s essential for maintaining operational efficiency. By leveraging the ITIL service catalog effectively, you ensure users know what’s available while safeguarding critical services from unnecessary delays.
A well-managed catalog enhances productivity and user satisfaction. Trust me, it’s worth the effort.
Credits: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
