Delivering high quality IT services
IT is essential to delivering today’s business. However, concerns are increasingly being raised about IT services, both internal and outsourced, not aligning with the needs of businesses and customers.
A recognized solution to this problem is to use an IT Service Management System (ITSMS) based on ISO/IEC 20000, the international standard for IT service management. Certification to this standard enables you to independently demonstrate to your customers that you meet best practice.
ISO/IEC 20000 is based on and replaces BS 15000, the internationally recognized British Standard.
ISO/IEC 20000 is published in two parts:
Part One is the specification for service management which covers the IT service management. It is this part which you can be audited against and it sets out minimum requirements that must be achieved in order to gain certification.
Part Two is the code of practice for service management, which describes the best practices for service management processes within the scope of the specification.
Who is it relevant to?
ISO/IEC 20000 is applicable to any organization, large or small, in any sector or part of the world which relies on IT services. The standard is particularly suitable for internal IT service providers, such as IT departments, and external IT service providers, such as IT outsourcing organizations.
The standard is already making a positive impact in some of the leading IT-dependent sectors, such as the business process outsourcing, telecommunications, finance and public sectors.
Download the ISO 20000 Checklist here
Primarily, ISO/IEC 20000 certification demonstrates that an organization has adequate controls and procedures in place to consistently deliver a cost effective, quality IT service.
Some of the key benefits are listed below:
- IT service providers become more responsive to services which are business led rather than technology driven
- External service providers can use certification as a differentiator and win new business as this increasingly becomes a contractual requirement
- Gives you the ability to select and manage external service providers more effectively
- More opportunities to improve the efficiency, reliability and consistency of IT services impacting costs and service
- Certification audits enable the regular evaluation of the service management processes, which helps to maintain and improve effectiveness
- The certification process can reduce the amount of supplier audits, thereby reducing costs
- ISO/IEC 20000 is fully compatible with the ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) framework of best practice guidance for ITSM processes
We are experts in training as well as assessment and have a network of public and in-house courses dedicated to teaching you the skills you need before, during and after registration to the standard.
From a one-day introductory course to implementation training or auditor courses, our network of public and in-company training can help you at every stage of the process. Our experience of how organizations of all types and sizes relate to the standard is unequalled - and we can deliver the training you need for understanding, implementing, assessing and certifying your IT service management system.
We offer a comprehensive programme of training courses covering every aspect of ISO/IEC 20000 for:
Delegates who are new to ISO/IEC 20000 and IT service management systems
- Courses in awareness, understanding and implementing a new system
Delegates who need to audit and improve an existing system
- Courses in auditing, assessing and improving an existing system
Next steps

For further information about specific training on this subject, please call us on
(+44) (0)845 086 9000 or enter your details in our enquiry form.
If you’re already one of our clients and have various standards in place, your Client Manager can help you to assess where you are now, and guide you through the certification process.
If you’re new to BSI, don’t worry, it’s still a simple process.
1. Choose the standard
Before you can begin preparing for your application, you’ll require a copy of the standard. You should read this and make yourself familiar with it.
2. Make contact
Get in touch and tell us what you need, so we can sort out the best services for you. We’ll then give you a proposal detailing the cost and time involved in a formal assessment.
3. Meet your assessment team
We’ll assign you a Client Manager, who will be your main point of contact through the process – and beyond. They’ll have an excellent understanding of your business area and will support you as you move forward to assessment and registration of your IT service management system.
4. Consider training
Whether you’re seeking to implement a IT service management system or would like to increase your general awareness of the standard, there are a range of workshops, seminars and training courses available. Read more about training.
5. Review and assessment
We can do a desktop review of your existing management system against the standard, and identify any omissions or weaknesses that need resolving before formal assessment. Once these have been addressed, we’ll conduct a full on-site assessment.
6. Certification and beyond
Once the assessment has been successfully completed, we’ll issue a certificate of registration, clearly explaining the scope of your certification. The certificate is valid for three years, and your assessor will visit you regularly to help you make sure you remain compliant, and support you in the continual improvement of your systems.
Next steps
For further information or a "quick quote" please call us on (+44) (0)845 080 9000. Alternatively enter your details into our enquiry form and one of our advisors will contact you.