USM's Service management system
The term service management system is composed of three terms: service, management and system. The definition of a service management system is logically based on the definitions of those three components.
What is a system?
Without a doubt, Russell Ackoff was one of the greatest leaders in the Systems Thinking domain. He defined a system not as the sum of the parts, but as the result of the interaction of those parts:
"The essential properties that define any system are properties of the whole which none of the parts have. A system is more than the sum of its parts; it is an indivisible whole. It loses its essential properties when it is taken apart. The elements of a system may themselves be systems, and every system may be part of a larger system. ...The basic managerial idea introduced by systems thinking, is that to manage a system effectively, you might focus on the interactions of the parts rather than their behavior taken separately."
In proper English, we define a system therefore as a coherent set of components, characterized by the performance of that set and not by the characteristics of the components. In order to function properly, such a system must be efficiently arranged and the components must be a logically related set. If you want to learn more on the term 'system', you may want to study the great overview that Graham Berrisford has put online.
What is a management system?
Managing is the organizing and coordinating of resources, for an effective and efficient realization of goals. In an organization, these resources are the people, the processes they execute, and the stuff they use: People, Process & Technology. Decades ago, we learned that an organization can be pictured as "people doing things with stuff".
The management system is the coherent set of resources for the effective and efficient realization of organization goals.
ISO 9000:2015 defines the requirements that a management system should comply with. That is an incomplete set of requirements, but more importantly: ISO9001 does not define how a management system is constructed. That is where USM demonstrates its added value.
USM specifies how a service organization sets up a management system that structures its work, people, and resources to achieve its objectives effectively and efficiently. You can think of it as an organization's “operating system,” which ensures consistent and predictable operation.
What is a service management system?
A service is a supported facility. Services are provided by service providers and consumed by service consumers (customers and their users).
A service management system therefore is a management system that is used for managing services:
A service management system is the coherent set of resources that can be used to effectively and efficiently realize the goals of the service organization.
At its core, this service management system consists of three essential components that are inextricably linked:
- People: The employees and teams who operate the work (the “who”).
- Processes: The agreed steps and activities that describe what needs to be done to achieve a specific objective (the “what”).
- Technology: The resources, tools, and systems used to support and operate the work (the “how”).
By combining these three elements, an organization creates standardized routines. This ensures that tasks are carried out in a predictable and controlled manner, leading to better control and efficiency.
The basis for a good management system is a [USM's service management architecture management architecture]. This is a set of rules, principles, and guidelines that serves as the blueprint for the management system. This architecture ensures that all parts of the organization are built consistently and sustainably and work together.
The purpose of a management system is therefore to ensure that all (internal and external) teams work together in a uniform manner, as standardized links in a strong chain, network, or ecosystem. The USM method offers a standardized management system with only five processes and eight workflows that can be applied by any service organization.
USM thus specifies the meta Operating Model of every service organization. With the help of USM guidelines, this model can be applied to every conceivable practice. For such a practice application, reference models can be developed in various industries that provide inspiration for the design of a single organization.
Why is a service management system important?
USM defines a universal service management system. USM focuses on the realization of that service management system and therefore at the routines the service organization applies for the demonstrable realization of agreed services.
The USM definitions are based on the theoretical definitions of Systems Thinking (see above) and they focus on those routines:
- Management system: a set of coherent components that generate routines for the realization of organizational goals.
- Service management system: a management system for a service organization.
The service management system realizes the goals of the service organization in a structured way, based on USM's service management architecture. The service management system, for example, defines the organizational structure, tasks, authorities, and responsibilities of the profiles, rules and guidelines, culture, resources and routines (processes, procedures and work instructions). The key factor is the universal process architecture, providing the fundament for all routines.
A service management system is applicable to one or more service disciplines, such as IT, HRM, finance, telephony or health care, for a single team of the organization, for multiple teams, or for the entire organization. It is easy to see that the use of a common service management system for several teams or even for the entire organization will positively influence the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. The USM book covers all components and aspects of the service management system.
