Establishing a new Service

There are two occasions likely to arise where a new service might be needed. The first is that a set of previously unmet needs is identified - this could be as a new product line for the end consumer, or it could be to enhance how internal services work.

The second circumstance occurs when two or more existing services are addressing a need within their service boundary and the opportunity to remove duplication exists by consolidating that capability as a shared service that they - and other services could consume instead.

To establish the service in both cases, a service contract should be drafted that documents the user needs, a Service Manager should be appointed by the Executive and a budget allocated for the discovery phase of development.

When the discovery concludes, the outcome should be presented to the executive with the understanding that what has been learned may influence the contents of the service contract.

Steps required to draft a service contract

  1. Name the service
  2. Define users & their needs
  3. Define metrics for each outcome
  4. Write service description
  5. List any known service dependencies
  6. Consider the stage of evolution for service as a whole
  7. Assign a Service Manager