Managing a global or local enterprise means riding a moving beast. A service catalogue helps you keep track of it. ITIL 4 and ITSM tools offer templates, but disaster recovery also calls for an exported copy outside your ITSM system. You need access to the catalogue when things go wrong. These 20 strategies cover building and maintaining it.
- Identify all critical applications and services, including cloud-based applications, databases, web servers and network services.
- Determine the service level agreements (SLAs) for each critical application and service. Include expected uptime and response time.
- Create a catalogue template with fields for the service name, owner, expected uptime, expected response time and other relevant information.
- Fill in the template for each critical application and service, including its SLA details.
- Review the catalogue with the people who depend on these services. Check that it represents the organization's critical applications and services accurately.
- Set a process for keeping the catalogue current, such as a quarterly review.
- Give everyone who needs the catalogue, including end users and IT staff, access through a central location such as a company intranet or portal.
- Choose a format people can access and search, such as a database or spreadsheet.
- Create a way to request changes, such as a change request form, so you can document requests and obtain approval.
- Establish a change management process that includes review and approval of catalogue changes.
- Train and support staff in using the catalogue. Make sure they know the SLAs for each critical application and service.
- Review and update the catalogue on a regular schedule to reflect changes to critical applications and services.
- Define how you will report service performance, including uptime and response time. Keep those figures current in the catalogue.
- Back up the catalogue on a regular schedule and store it in a secure location to protect against loss or damage.
- Create an ITSM process for managing issues and incidents involving critical applications and services. Document that information in the catalogue.
- Integrate the catalogue with other IT management systems, including asset management and change management.
- Define how you will manage vendor relationships for critical applications and services. Document those relationships in the catalogue.
- Define how you will manage dependencies between critical applications and services. Record those dependencies in the catalogue.
- Secure the catalogue against unauthorized access or modification.
- Set a regular testing process to check that the catalogue works and provides accurate information.