ISO 20000 Certification ISO 20000 Service Management System (SMS) 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which clause of ISO 20000-1:2018 establishes the requirements for determining the scope of the Service Management System?
- Clause 4.3 – Determining the scope of the SMS (Correct answer)
- Clause 6.1 – Actions to address risks and opportunities
- Clause 8.2 – Planning and control
- Clause 5.1 – Leadership and commitment
Correct answer: Clause 4.3 – Determining the scope of the SMS
Clause 4.3 of ISO 20000-1:2018 specifically requires the organization to determine the boundaries and applicability of the SMS and document a defined scope statement.
Question 2: What does ISO 20000-1 require an organization to establish and maintain as evidence of the effective operation of its SMS?
- A risk register updated quarterly
- Documented information (Correct answer)
- A balanced scorecard of KPIs
- An annual service review report
Correct answer: Documented information
ISO 20000-1 uses the term 'documented information' to encompass both documents and records, requiring organizations to create and maintain documented information to support the operation and retain it as evidence of results.
Question 3: Under ISO 20000-1, who holds ultimate accountability for the effectiveness of the Service Management System?
- The service desk manager
- External auditors
- Top management (Correct answer)
- The IT steering committee
Correct answer: Top management
Clause 5.1 places accountability for the SMS squarely with top management, requiring them to demonstrate leadership and commitment by ensuring the SMS achieves its intended outcomes.
Question 4: In ISO 20000-1, which term describes the set of interrelated or interacting elements of an organization used to establish policies, objectives, and processes to achieve those objectives for the delivery of services?
- Service catalogue
- Service Management System (SMS) (Correct answer)
- Configuration Management Database (CMDB)
- Service portfolio
Correct answer: Service Management System (SMS)
ISO 20000-1 defines the Service Management System (SMS) as the system of interrelated or interacting elements that an organization uses to direct and control how it plans, designs, transitions, delivers, and improves services.
Question 5: Which ISO 20000-1 clause requires an organization to monitor, measure, analyze, and evaluate the SMS to assess service management performance?
- Clause 7.4 – Communication
- Clause 6.2 – Service management objectives
- Clause 9.1 – Monitoring, measurement, analysis, and evaluation (Correct answer)
- Clause 8.1 – Operational planning and control
Correct answer: Clause 9.1 – Monitoring, measurement, analysis, and evaluation
Clause 9.1 mandates that the organization determine what needs to be monitored and measured, the methods to be used, when results shall be analyzed, and when results shall be reported to ensure the SMS performs as intended.
Question 6: When an organization identifies a nonconformity within its SMS, what does ISO 20000-1 require it to do in addition to correcting the nonconformity?
- Immediately notify the certification body
- Perform a root-cause analysis and take corrective action to prevent recurrence (Correct answer)
- Suspend the affected service until a full audit is completed
- Document the nonconformity and defer action to the next management review
Correct answer: Perform a root-cause analysis and take corrective action to prevent recurrence
Clause 10.1 of ISO 20000-1 requires that upon detecting a nonconformity, the organization reacts to it, investigates its root cause, and takes corrective action to prevent recurrence — not merely address the immediate symptom.
ISO 20000 Certification ISO 20000 Service Management System (SMS) 1
Which clause of ISO 20000-1:2018 establishes the requirements for determining the scope of the Service Management System?