Service Delivery (SD) (CMMI-SVC)

The Service Delivery process area focuses on the following:

• Establishing and maintaining service agreements
• Preparing and maintaining a service delivery approach
• Preparing for service delivery
• Delivering services
• Receiving and processing service requests
• Maintaining service systems

Service delivery covers establishing and maintaining a written agreement with customers. A “service agreement” describes the service to be delivered to the customer, service level targets, and responsibilities of the service provider, customer, and end user as appropriate.

A service agreement can cover multiple services or multiple customers. It can take the form of a service level agreement (SLA), performance work statement (PWS), statement of objectives (SOO), statement of work (SOW), or other type of agreement. The service agreement can be part of a contract, a memorandum of agreement, an approved requirements document, or some other document. For simple cases, it may be nothing more than a printed menu of services and prices.

The Service Delivery process area supports a positive relationship between the service provider and its customers and end users while meeting the needs of all three. Service delivery processes should encourage open communication without the assignment of blame. The primary focus is on satisfying the documented needs of end users.

A “customer” is a party (i.e., individual, group, organization) responsible for accepting the service or for authorizing payment. Customers identify their needs for services, buy services, and define and agree to service level targets. Customers can be internal or external to the service provider’s organization, and may or may not be the same as end users, who are the ultimate beneficiaries of service delivery.

In addition to establishing service agreements, the Service Delivery process area includes practices for preparing for service delivery as well as for operating, monitoring, and maintaining the service system. Service delivery is accomplished through the operation of the service system in response to service requests, which are communications from customers or end users that identify a need to deliver an agreed service. These requests are made within the context of an accepted service agreement.

The two types of service requests are as follows:

• Those service requests specified on a continuous or scheduled basis as determined by service agreements
• Those service requests identified over time by customers or end users as their needs develop on an ad-hoc basis

 

Whatever the nature of a specific service request, it should be recorded, tracked, and resolved through some type of request management system. This approach helps to ensure that all service requests are fulfilled to meet service agreements. The response to service requests also encompasses performing any needed low-level planning as a detailed extension of broader work planning activities.