IT departments are realizing the importance of a Service Catalog, but the business still needs to be convinced

United Kingdom, 20 January, 2010 – Axios Systems, the world’s leading provider of IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions, including the assyst software, today reveals the results of a global survey that shows the majority of organizations can now see the importance of a Service Catalog, with 64% implementing or looking to implement one in the next 6 months and only a small percentage (3.6%) not considering it at all.

Service Catalogs are seen as the method by which organizations can demonstrate the value of their services and accelerate their ITIL maturity. Not implementing a Service Catalog can be detrimental to the continual improvement of the organization. Gartner explains, "To reduce costs in the business, IT organizations should develop an effective IT service catalog to connect IT capabilities with business outcomes." [1]

Despite the importance of a Service Catalog, IT are still finding it difficult to convince the business of its value. The research indicated that 60% of organizations believe the business decision makers within their organizations still don’t understand the full value that can be delivered to the business from a Service Catalog implementation.

According to the research, the majority (65%) of the Service Catalog projects started, or that are due to start, are driven by the IT department, with just 24% driven by the business. Only half (53%) of those surveyed believed that they had a good understanding of what customers expect from the services that are provided, indicating a need for increased knowledge and research for the Service Catalog project to be a success and more dialog between IT and service owners.

Ailsa Symeonides, Sales & Marketing Director at Axios Systems, says, “Gaining buy-in from the business is essential for a successful Service Catalog project. Axios can help organizations build a strong and convincing business case around a Service Catalog implementation, which will enable them to prove its value.”

Sharon Taylor, ITIL V3 Chief Architect, says, “By helping the business understand the benefits that will be derived by a Service Catalog implementation, IT will be able to prove its value. The challenges of implementing a Service Catalog project can be minimized if the IT department and the business realize they are working together to reach the same end goal.”

The study was conducted in November and December 2009 and is based on over 1200 IT professionals from North America, Europe and Asia.

[1] A Checklist for Cost Optimization, Publication Date: 12 May 2009/ID Number: G00167576 - Gartner