ChallengeIT and the service catalog

Nature is our role model...

... because it is fascinating how it continuously develops procedures, processes, systems and strategies. In a hive, every bee knows what to do when, where and in which quality. Obviously, bees also get along with a shortage of resources in the short term and reconcile brood care, rearing and daily survival. In doing so, they use natural resources to cover the most diverse needs that humans also use. These include e.g. honey, wax, royal jelly and putty (propolis). We took the bees as a model and - as diligently - we dealt, firstly in general and then in particular, with services, their content, capacity, acceptance, invoicing and the standardized and comprehensible documentation. Not to be missed in this context is the verifiability through key figures, which we have addressed separately.

Design & approach

Requirements regarding the design and provision of (IT) services are becoming ever more complex due to constantly changing technical, strategic and economic conditions. A central role is played by the service catalog, in which services are supposed to be comprehensible and standardized, described and documented. It is important to take into account both the view of the service users and that of the service providers, as both often have different expectations and objectives in practice, which can lead to mutual communication and comprehension problems. This is to be avoided by clear, transparent and for all sides comprehensible service descriptions incl. corresponding scopes of services, prices and design possibilities. ChallengeIT considers at least two points of view when creating the catalog. If the service is not provided from one source (= team / area / organization / company) but is performed by several players (= teams / areas / organizations / companies), this fact must be reflected in the description. Using a service catalog / service catalogues, it must be easy for the service user to select IT services as required and to procure them in the quality described. The service provider, on the other hand, is able to provide a more efficient service through the binding and standardized specification of the IT service. When developing service catalogs, ChallengeIT always takes BestPractise approaches from own experience and publicly available sources into consideration, which are then tailored individually to the requirements and framework conditions, always with the goal to design the service effectively and efficiently according to the interest of the customer.

Structure

The service catalog is compiled by ChallengeIT according to the modular principle and contains both services that are to be regarded as "standard services" (basic services) and "add-on" services that supplement the standard services in order to cover special related situations. Thus, the catalog includes an individually combinable number of different services. A generic, uniform price for "each" performance is not necessarily realized because the modules vary in terms of time and content. However, a single service can be used to create a frequently required service bundle (e.g., on-call service of selected 2nd-level support units for weekend release deployments). Conversely, by extrapolating the potential incidents, a sum, e.g. for a week, a month or a quarter can be calculated and an appropriate performance and price cap can be agreed upon.

Scope & validity

The service catalog is to be provided with a validity (for whom / until when), which should be based on the needs of the customer. It is particularly important to make services as standardized as possible for different service users in order to avoid uncertainty among employees about their validity. If incoming requirement messages, malfunctions or complaints would be directly linked to the appropriate service during the recording, it would be clear to each processor within which periods and specifications he or she has to move. Within the validity range, a review of the requirements and services should be carried out on a regular basis (for example quarterly), which may lead to the creation of additional or the discontinuation of defined services. If changes to the catalog should be or become necessary, these must be prepared and submitted as an addition or deletion to the existing catalog. This guarantees that the service catalog and the services it contains are always geared to the current needs of the service users. If necessary, adjustments are made or decided in a committee. ChallengeIT has translated a proven system into the IT service and used it successfully for the rapid development. An "adaptation" to the conditions is usually quite fast. If an IT has e.g. a ticket system in which a classification of an incident, the assignment of a component (service / software / hardware) is already implemented and the integration of an SLA / OLA / UC module is possible, an experienced administrator is able to implement a catalog according to its definition with a few simple steps.

What can ChallengeIT do for you?

We have the appropriate tools, methods, and experiences to identify, describe, and standardize IT services so that they can be analyzed, their quality can be evaluated, they can be financially assessed, and accounted for. If required, we are happy to assist with the negotiation with the customers.

In close consultation with you, we also gladly take on the optimization and further development of existing agreements, focusing in particular on the areas that are crucial for you. The focus of our advice is to find the right combination of agility, flexibility and standardization of a service for your organization. Although standards provide basic criteria, they do not provide universal solutions. In doing so, we pursue a holistic approach that aims for long-term improvements: from the competence carrier to a reliable and competent service provider.

A rough overview of our services:

• Creation of new or analysis and, if necessary, optimization of existing service contracts and service catalogs
• Creation of new service catalogs and contracts in collaboration with your experts
• Support in the implementation of agreements in your own organization, if necessary, with the help of third parties (upon consultation)

We are looking forward to your inquiry!

What is your advantage?

• A compilation of the services you offer including
  
• a pricing component, 
• an element chain about the components of the service and 
• an implementation requirement for the standardization of services across locations or countries
• A display / listing of all required source systems and available substitutions.
• Templates and forms to expand the portfolio individually according to strategic specifications.