Demystifying a foundational concept in service management.
What is a service in ITSM? It’s a question that often gets buried in jargon. Frameworks like ITIL® define services in abstract terms that may be accurate but aren’t always helpful. For practitioners and users alike, we need something more tangible, a definition that speaks to real-world delivery and value.
Understanding the User’s Perspective
From the user’s point of view, a service is simply the thing they consume, the functionality that allows them to complete a task or achieve a goal. Much like turning on a tap for water or flipping a switch for electricity, users expect IT to deliver outcomes without needing to understand what happens behind the scenes.
So, what is a service in ITSM from their view? It’s the ability to send emails, access systems, run reports, or complete transactions. They’re not concerned with infrastructure, they just want the outcome to be timely, reliable, and useful.
ITIL’s Definition vs Practical Understanding
ITIL v3 defines a service as “a means of delivering value to customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve, without the ownership of specific costs and risks.” While technically sound, this type of wording doesn’t always resonate with practitioners or users trying to define what they actually do.
Instead, many professionals take a practical approach: define the service in terms of what the user sees, uses, and values. It’s not about databases and servers, it’s about outcomes, support, and expectations.
Not All Service Models Are the Same
Some organisations prefer a black-box model where the user receives the service with minimal involvement in how it’s delivered. Others prefer more control, particularly in technical departments and expect visibility or shared ownership of certain components like infrastructure or support layers.
Neither model is right or wrong. What matters is that everyone involved understands the scope of the service and their responsibilities within it. This shared clarity is what prevents misalignment, especially when services span internal teams and external vendors.
A View I Prefer. The USM Facility Model
While ITIL and similar frameworks offer service-based definitions, I prefer the approach taken in Unified Service Management (USM). Rather than relying on the overloaded term “service”, USM refers to a facility as defined as the combination of a means and an agreement.
- The means is the functionality or capability being delivered.
- The agreement is the mutual understanding of how, when, and under what conditions it will be delivered.
This definition is not only service neutral meaning it applies to IT, HR, Facilities, and more, but it’s also practical and modular. A facility is a building block that can be reused and managed consistently, regardless of the domain.
A Practical Definition That Works
For most organisations, a usable definition might be:
“An IT service is the offering and/or consumption of a technology based transaction that supports a business need.”
This keeps the focus on outcomes, ensures clarity for both IT and the business, and makes space for more universal models like USM’s.
In the end, defining a service well is about making sure it’s understood the same way by everyone, users, providers, and partners. That’s what enables true service management.
🔗 Further Information.