Service management deep-dive · LessonBy Sneha I, ServiceNow Trainer, 8 yrs · Published · ServiceNow · all levels
Service portfolio and business services
Model services properly so impact, cost and ownership questions have answers.
Quick answer
Model services properly so impact, cost and ownership questions have answers.
Key takeaways
- Business services are consumed, technical services are operated
- Application services carry the CI map used for impact
- Start with the top ten services, not the full catalogue
- Attach tickets to services early so reporting has history
Why services matter
Incidents and changes are attached to services. Without a service model you can report on tickets by group but never on impact to the business, which is the question executives actually ask.
Technical versus business services
A business service is what the organisation consumes, for example Payroll. A technical service is what IT operates, for example the database cluster behind it. Application services map the CIs that deliver a service, and are what Service Mapping builds.
Getting there
Service modelling fails when it tries to be complete on day one.
- Start with the ten services that carry the most business risk
- Give each a named owner and an availability target
- Attach incidents and changes to services from the beginning so data accumulates
- Use Service Mapping for the services where impact analysis genuinely pays back
Practice challenge
+0 XPStreak ×0
Question 1 of 2
Which service type is consumed by the business?
Frequently asked questions
Do we need Service Mapping?
For services where you need automated impact and dependency detail, yes. For simpler services a manually maintained application service can be enough.
Who owns a service?
A named business or IT service owner accountable for availability and change, not a team mailbox.