Service Specification

Any service can be clearly, completely, consistently, and concisely specified by means of the following 12 standard attributes which conform to the MECE principle (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive):

• Service Consumer Benefits
• Service-Specific Functional Parameter(s)
• Service Delivery Point
• Service Consumer Count
• Service Readiness Times
• Service Support Times
• Service Support Language(s)
• Service Fulfilment Target
• Maximum Impairment Duration Per Incident
• Service Delivering Duration
• Service Delivery Unit
• Service Delivering Price

The meaning and content of these attributes are:

Service Consumer Benefits describe the (set of) benefits which are callable, receivable, and effectively utilisable for any authorised service consumer and which are provided to him as soon as he requests the offered service. The description of these benefits must be phrased in the terms and wording of the intended service consumers.

Service-Specific Functional Parameters specify the functional parameters which are essential and unique to the respective service and which describe the most important dimension of the service scope, the service output or outcome, e.g. maximum e-mailbox capacity per registered and authorised e-mail service consumer.

Service Delivery Point describes the physical location and/or logical interface where the benefits of the service are made accessible, callable, receivable, and utilisable to the authorised service consumers. At this point and/or interface, the preparedness for service delivery can be assessed as well as the effective delivery of the service itself can be monitored and controlled.

Service Consumer Count specifies the number of intended, identified, named, registered, and authorised service consumers which shall be and/or are allowed and enabled to call and utilise the defined service for executing and/or supporting their business tasks or private activities.

Service Readiness Times specify the distinct agreed times of day when the described service consumer benefits are:

• Accessible and callable for the authorised service consumers at the defined service delivery point.
• Receivable and utilizable for the authorised service consumers at the respective agreed service level.
• All service-relevant processes and resources are operative and effective.
• All service-relevant technical systems are up and running and attended by the operating team.
• The specified service benefits are comprehensively delivered to any authorised requesting service consumer without any delay or friction.

The time data are specified in 24 h format per local working day and local time, referring to the location of the intended service consumers.

Service Support Times specify the determined and agreed times of day when the usage and consumption of commissioned services is supported by the service desk team for all identified, registered and authorised service consumers within the service customer's organizational unit or area. The service desk is/shall be the so called Single Point of Contact (SPoC) for any service consumer inquiry regarding the commissioned, requested and/or delivered services, particularly in the event of service denial, i.e. an incident. During the defined service support times, the service desk can be reached by phone, e-mail, web-based entries and/or fax, respectively. The time data are specified in 24 h format per local working day and local time, referring to the location of the intended service consumers.

Service Support Languages specifies the national languages which are spoken by the service desk team(s) to the service consumers calling them.

Service Fulfilment Target specifies the service provider's promise of effective and seamless delivery of the defined benefits to any authorised service consumer requesting the service within the defined service times. It is expressed as the promised minimum ratio of the counts of successful individual service deliveries related to the counts of requested service deliveries. The effective service fulfilment ratio can be measured and calculated per single service consumer or per consumer group and may be referred to different time periods (workday, calendar week, work month, etc.)

Maximum Impairment Duration per incident specifies the allowable maximum elapsing time between:

• The first occurrence of a service impairment, i.e. service quality degradation or service delivery disruption, whilst the service consumer consumes and utilises the requested service.
• The full resumption and complete execution of the service delivery to the content of the affected service consumer.

Service Delivering Duration specifies the promised and agreed maximum period of time for effectively delivering all specified service consumer benefits to the requesting service consumer at the currently chosen service delivery point.

Service Delivery Unit specifies the basic portion for delivering the defined service consumer benefits. The service delivery unit is the reference and mapping object for all cost for service generation and delivery as well as for charging and billing the consumed service volume to the service customer who has commissioned the service delivery.

Service Delivering Price specifies the amount of money the service customer has to pay for the distinct service volumes his authorised service consumers have consumed. Normally, the service delivering price comprises two portions:

• A fixed basic price portion for basic efforts and resources which provide accessibility and usability of the service delivery functions, i.e. service access price.
• A price portion covering the service consumption based on:
  • Fixed flat rate price per authorised service consumer and delivery period without regard on the consumed service volumes.
  • Staged prices depending on consumed service volumes.
  • Fixed price per particularly consumed service delivering unit.