ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 - IT Service Management Systems

What is ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018?

ISO/IEC 20000-1 is defined as the internationally recognized standard that specifies requirements for an organization to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve an IT Service Management System (SMS). The requirements specified in this standard include the planning, design, transition, delivery, and improvement of services to meet the service requirements and deliver value.

The current version of ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 was released in September 2018.

By obtaining ISO/IEC 20000-1 certification, you will enable your company to have reliable, effective, consistent, and continually improved IT services.

Benefits of ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 Certification

ISO/IEC 20000-1 helps organizations to ensure their customers consistently receive high quality IT services, which in turn brings many benefits where some benefits are mentioned below:
  • Improved Service Delivery
  • Increased Customer Satisfaction
  • Reduced Operating Costs
  • Less Incidents & Vulnerabilities
  • Increased Focus on Risks
  • Greater Compliance
  • Gain Competitive Advantage
  • Improved stakeholder relationships
  • International Recognition

Journey to ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 Certification

ISO/IEC 20000-1 Certification is a 3rd party audit performed by MQA, during the audit we will verify that your organization is following the requirements of ISO/IEC 20000-1, if received positive results then we will issue an ISO/IEC 20000-1 certificate. This certification is then maintained through annual surveillance audits by MQA, with re-certification of the ISO/IEC 20000-1 Certification after three years. See below cycle to know how you can get started on the road to certification:

MQA Certification Cycle

Year 1
Step 1.1 (Initial Application)
  • Client request a quotation.
  • MQA will assess Client’s requirements.
  • MQA will share proposal with client.
  • Client signed the 3-year Certification Contract with MQA.
Step 1.2 (Certification Audit)
  • MQA will conduct:
    1. Gap Assessment (Readiness Review)
    2. Stage-1 Audit (Documentation Review)
    3. Stage-2 Audit (Implementation Review)
  • MQA Auditor will share the audit reports to MQA’s Certification Decision Committee.
Step 1.3 (Certificate Management)
  • If certification decision is positive, then certificate is issued by MQA.
  • If certification decision is negative, then verification audit is planned by MQA.
  • Client will receive the MQA Portal access to:
    1. View the Audit Reports.
    2. Download the ISO Certificate.
    3. Review & Respond to Audit Findings, etc.
Year 2 & 3
Step 2.1 (Renewal Request)
  • MQA request for renewal.
  • Client agreed for Surveillance Audit.
Step 2.2 (Surveillance Audit)
  • MQA will conduct Surveillance Audit
  • MQA Auditor will share the audit reports to MQA’s Certificate Decision Committee.
Step 2.3 (Certificate Management)
  • If no critical non-conformity found, then certificate is renewed by MQA.
  • If any critical nonconformity found, then verification audit is planned by MQA.
  • Client have the MQA Portal access to:
    1. View the Audit Reports.
    2. Download the ISO Certificate.
    3. Review & Respond to Audit Findings, etc.

Why Was ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 Revised?

All ISO standards are reviewed every five years to serve the business community and maintain its relevance in today’s marketplace. ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 is designed to respond to the latest trends and be compatible with other management systems such as ISO 27001, 22301, etc.

ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 is the latest standard which sets out the criteria for an IT Service Management System and is the only standard in the family that can be certified to.

What Are the Main Changes to the Standard?

The key changes relate to:

  • The new version follows a new, higher level structure to make it easier to use in conjunction with other management system standards as follows Annex SL.
  • Documented information was minimized.
  • More emphasis on Risk Based Approach.
  • Greater focus on leadership.

What Are the Impacts if You Are Certified to ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011?

If you’re ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 certified, then you’ve to upgrade your company to ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 version before 29th September 2021 otherwise your ISO/IEC 20000:2011 certificate will be expired automatically, and it will impact your market reputation.

MQA help you to certify your organization to ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018.

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