SD.SP 2.1 Establish the Service Delivery Approach
Summary
Establish and maintain the approach to be used for service delivery and service system operations.
Description
The service delivery approach identifies and describes resources, processes, and interfaces that are essential to successful service delivery over time.
- Delivering services in accordance with an established schedule
- Preparing and updating the schedule for daily operations
- Making and transferring assignments for performing service delivery operations
- Communicating appropriate information to operations staff, management, customers, and end users
- Using methods and tools for performing service delivery operations
- Assigning and transferring responsibility for resolving requests
- Assigning and transferring responsibility for monitoring the status of requests and for tracking the progress of actions related to requests
- Enabling customers and end users to submit requests
- Categorizing requests
- Using methods and tools for request management
- Collecting, distributing, and analyzing performance data
A mature project or organization treats these items as components of a defined service system and develops them during a rigorous set of service system development practices.
Example Work Products
- Service delivery approach (i.e., approach to request management and service system operations)
- Contact and roster lists
- Service request criteria
- Internal status reporting templates (e.g., dashboards)
- External status reporting templates (e.g., service request completion notices)
Subpractices
1. Define criteria for determining service requests.
To be able to identify valid service requests, criteria must be defined that enable service providers to determine what is and what is not a service request. In addition, there are typically criteria for differentiating the priority of a service request and its associated impact.
2. Define categories for service requests and criteria for categorizing service requests.
The fulfillment of service requests is facilitated by having an established set of categories. These predetermined categories can enable appropriate and efficient assignment of resources.
- Administrative service request (e.g., setup new user, change passwords, restore backup files)
- Software request (e.g., install a software package, upgrade a software package)
- Lab request (e.g., radiology analysis, blood analysis)
- Oversized package delivery
- Billing inquiry
3. Describe how responsibility for processing service requests is assigned and transferred.
- Who is responsible for addressing the request
- Who is responsible for monitoring and tracking the status of the request
- Who is responsible for tracking the progress of actions related to the request
- How responsibility for all of these activities is assigned and transferred
4. Identify one or more mechanisms that customers and end users can use to submit service requests.
These mechanisms should account for how groups and individuals can submit requests, such as through telephone support, paper forms (mailed or delivered in person), and electronic forms submitted through web pages.
5. Identify requirements on the amount of time defined for the fulfillment of service requests in the service agreement.
Often, the agreed minimum and maximum amount of time needed for fulfillment of service requests is documented in the service agreement before the start of service delivery.
6. Determine the resource requirements for service delivery as required.
Resource requirements are generated by service agreements, by the need to respond to foreseeable service incidents and requests, and by the need to maintain service systems so that service delivery can continue over time. These resources can include staff, consumables, and any other resources that should be controlled to ensure that service is delivered in accordance with service agreements.
7. Review, refine, or enhance stakeholder communication mechanisms (e.g., notices, status reports, dashboards) as necessary.
Methods and tools for communicating with customers, end users, service provider staff, and other relevant stakeholders during the course of service delivery are components of a complete service system. These methods and tools (e.g., contact lists) can be created during service system development, but they should be reviewed regularly, tailored, and possibly supplemented to meet ongoing service delivery needs.
8. Document the service delivery approach.
9. Review and get agreement with relevant stakeholders on the approach for delivering each separately identifiable service.
Information presented to relevant stakeholders about the approach should be in terms that they can understand. The review should allow them to identify concerns about the approach.
10. Revise the approach for delivering services as necessary.