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Definitions and roles for service management

We are pleased to provide a glossary of definitions and roles for service management. This list is not comprehensive and will continue to grow.

Service lifecycle

Services have a defined lifecycle that involves five areas of activity. Each area represents a set of processes within the lifecycle where services are:

  • Conceptualized in Service Strategy
  • Defined and designed in Service Design
  • Built, tested, and deployed in Service Transition
  • Effectively and efficiently delivered in Service Operation
  • Improved and enhanced in Continual Service Improvement (CSI)
  • Service Hierarchy

Service hierarchy

The Service Hierarchy is the relationship between individual service offerings and a service area.

  • Service category – A set of services that benefit from being managed together
  • Service – A combination of people, processes, and technology that deliver something to the end user
  • Service offering – A specific technology-focused activity, application, or product used to provide a service

Service roles

Service roles define responsibilities, governance, and accountability for the activities around a particular service.

Service roles within Rutgers Service Management (RSM) include Service Owner, Service Lead, and Technical Lead.

Service owner

The Service Owner is accountable for the strategy and success of a Service regardless of where the technology components live.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Developing and reviewing the service with critical stakeholders
  • Identifying and creating management and technical teams to build and run the service
  • Determining the metrics by which the service will be measured
  • Reviewing the service support model for effectiveness
  • Negotiating and reviewing service level expectations

Service lead

Typically, there is one Service Lead per service. The Service Lead is responsible for completing the related service activities and provides input into other lifecycle phases for that particular service.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Managing successful service request fulfillment
  • Developing the service support model
  • Coordinating efforts between support and technical teams
  • Monitoring and reporting on service performance
  • Ensuring that negotiated service levels are maintained
  • Coordinating service transition activities

Technical lead

Typically, there is one Technical Lead per service. The Technical Lead is responsible for the completion of day-to-day technical activities and signs off on any functional changes.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Administrating or architecting the technology components that enable the service
  • Acting as the technical escalation point for a service offering
  • Coordinating efforts, incidents, or resolving technical problems
  • Tracking the component items that make up the service offering
  • Escalating issues to a vendor if required