Service Request Management
Definition
"The practice of supporting the agreed quality of a service by handling all predefined, user-initiated service requests in an effective and user-friendly manner."
To fulfil the purpose, an organization needs to:
- Ensure the service request fulfilment procedures for all services are optimized
- Ensure all service requests are fulfilled according to the agreed procedures and to user satisfaction
Key Terms
Service request: "a request from a user or a user's authorized representative that initiates a service action which has been agreed as a normal part of service delivery."
Service request model: "a repeatable predefined approach to the fulfilment of a particular type of service request."
Request catalogue: a view of the service catalogue, providing details on service requests for existing and new services, which is made available to the user.
Service request vs incident: A service request is a normal, predefined action (password reset, access request, new equipment). An incident is an unplanned interruption to service. Both may arrive through the same channel (service desk), but they follow different processes. Requests use pre-approved models; incidents require investigation and diagnosis.
Common Service Request Types
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Access requests | New account, permission change, software license |
| Information requests | Status enquiries, how-to questions, policy clarification |
| Standard changes | Password reset, email distribution list change |
| Equipment requests | New laptop, monitor, peripherals |
| Service subscriptions | Subscribe to or unsubscribe from a service |
| Move/add/change | Desk moves, phone extensions, equipment relocation |
Processes
Service Request Fulfilment Control
- Request categorization: Classify the request and identify the appropriate request model.
- Service request model initiation and control: Follow the predefined fulfilment steps.
- Ad hoc fulfilment control: Handle requests that do not fit an existing model.
- Fulfilment review: Verify that the request has been fulfilled correctly and to the user's satisfaction.
Service Request Review and Optimization
- Service request records and reports analysis: Analyse request data for trends and improvement opportunities.
- Service request model improvement initiation: Propose changes to request models.
- Service request model update communication: Inform stakeholders about updated procedures.
Recommendations for Practice Success
- Focus on value for users and service value streams
- Ensure clear and user-friendly interfaces and procedures
- Consider monitoring and event management for maintenance-focused events
- Start with the most popular service requests (high volume, well understood)
- Include feedback capturing in all service request models
Key Metrics
| Metric | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Service request catalogue completeness | Coverage of all common request types |
| Unsupported requests | Requests with no predefined model |
| Fulfilment team satisfaction with instructions | Quality of request model documentation |
| Average request fulfilment time and cost (by type) | Efficiency of fulfilment |
| Automated request fulfilment (%) | Automation maturity |
| Requests fulfilled within SLA | Service level compliance |
| Incident impact from incorrect fulfilment | Quality control |
| User satisfaction with request fulfilment | User experience |
| Requests fulfilled with procedural deviations | Process adherence |
Key Roles
- Request initiator: The user who submits the service request. Unlike other practices, service request management does not typically define a dedicated manager role: fulfilment is distributed across teams.
Software Tools
- Workflow management and collaboration tools
- Monitoring and event management tools
- Publishing tools
- Social media
- Analysis and reporting tools
- Work planning and prioritization tools