IT service management · SMS
ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018
Requirements for a service management system to plan, design, transition, deliver and improve services — most often IT services.
1 What it covers
ISO/IEC 20000-1 sets requirements for managing the whole service life cycle: the service portfolio, relationships and agreements with customers and suppliers, capacity and demand, service design and transition, incident and request handling, problem management, and service assurance (availability, continuity and information security). Many IT service frameworks map onto it.
2 Who uses it
Managed-service providers, internal IT departments, outsourcers and cloud providers that want independent assurance of their service management.
3 Structure and key clauses
Clauses 4–10 follow the high-level structure; clause 8 contains service management:
8 Operation of the service management system
- 8.2 Service portfolio
- 8.3 Relationship and agreement
- 8.4 Supply and demand
- 8.5 Service design, build and transition
- 8.6 Resolution and fulfilment
- 8.7 Service assurance
4 Key facts for courses and exams
- Current edition: ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 + Amendment 1:2024.
- IRCA runs an IT service management (ISO/IEC 20000-1) auditor certification scheme.
5 ISO/IEC 20000-1 qualifications
| Qualification | UK courses listed |
|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 20000-1 Auditor conversion | 1 |
S Sources
Facts on this page last checked 3 October 2026.
- iso.org, ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 page — https://www.iso.org/standard/70636.html
- CQI|IRCA certification schemes — https://www.quality.org/schemes