Service Request Management is an ITIL practice that aims to support the agreed quality of a service by managing all the
pre-defined and user-initiated requests, in an effective and user-friendly manner. This practice constitutes a fundamental pillar in ITIL service management practices.
Key Features of Service Request Management
In the context of services, maintaining high quality standards and satisfying users’ needs are fundamental objectives. The management of service requests is a crucial aspect of the successful service delivery, as it ensures that user requests are handled competently and accurately.
A Service Request is defined as an instance submitted by a user or a user’s authorised representative, requesting the performance of a specific action, established in advance as an integral part of the service offering.
The activity flow for the management of service requests consists of four essential steps:
- Initiation: formal registration of the request and initiation of the management process.
- Fulfilment: execution of the necessary actions to fulfil the request.
- Approval: verification and confirmation of the correct completion of the activities undertaken.
- Management: coordination and supervision of the entire process to ensure that quality standards are met.
Examining how each stage contributes to the upkeep of the service quality and efficiency in handling requests provides an in-depth view of best practices for successful service delivery.
Service Request Management: Categories of Requests
Service requests can be divided into different categories, with each corresponding to specific needs or actions related to service delivery. Here is an overview of the main types of requests:
- Request for Action Related to the Delivery of the Service: These requests involve specific actions expected within the scope of the service offered.
Example: Request to provide a report or to replace a toner cartridge.
- Request for Information: This category includes requests aimed at obtaining general or detailed information on aspects of the service.
Example: Request for assistance in configuring software or information on system requirements.
- Procurement Requests for Resources or Services: Procurement requests are aimed at obtaining additional resources or services.
Example: Request for provisioning a telephone or laptop for a user, or a virtual server for a development team.
- Request to Access Resources or Services: This category includes requests to obtain access to specific resources or services.
Example: Request for access to a shared file or folder.
- Feedback: Compliments and Complaints: Feedback requests include both compliments for work done and complaints about problems or dissatisfaction.
Example: Complaints about a new interface or compliments on the support received from a group.
Satisfying Service Requests: Procedures and Workflows
The fulfilment of service requests may involve changes to services or their components, and generally these changes fall into the category of standard changes. Service requests are a normal part of service delivery and should not be confused with service failures or degradations, which are instead handled as incidents.
Since service requests are pre-defined and agreed upon as part of the normal course of service, they can be formalised through a standardised procedure for their initiation, approval, fulfilment and management. Some requests, such as those for general information, follow very simple workflows. Other requests, such as those for the onboarding of a new resource, may be quite complex and require the input of several groups and systems to be fulfilled.
It is crucial that the steps required to fulfil a request are well defined, known and tested, thus ensuring the effectiveness of the process and the quality of the service provided.
The Guidelines in Service Request Management
The handling of service requests should be as standardised and automated as possible to ensure efficiency and consistency in the process. It is essential to establish clear rules and policies regarding service requests that can be fulfilled with limited approvals or in some cases without the need for approvals, thus simplifying the process.
Users’ expectations regarding the time frame for fulfilling requests must be clearly defined, based on the realistic capabilities of the organisation. It is also important to identify and implement improvement opportunities in order to speed up intervention timescales and exploit the full potential of automation.
Policies and workflows must include procedures to document and redirect requests that, although initially submitted as service requests, must be treated as incidents or changes.
It should be noted that some service requests can be fully managed through automation, from start to finish, thus providing a complete self-service experience for users.
ITIL Service Request Management Training
IT professionals that have already followed an ITIL Foundation training and that are dealing with Service Request Management, can continue their ITIL journey with the Monitor, Support & Fulfil course.
This is a combined course consisting of practical modules that offer shorter and more flexible training. The course comprises the following 5 practices:
If you are interested in learning more about the ITIL Monitor, Support and Fulfil course visit our website or contact us!
