Service Management System Context, Requirements and Scope
Implementation Guidance (The header page and this section must be removed from final version of the document)
Purpose of this document This document sets out the organisational context of the SMS. It describes what the organisation does, how it does it, what factors influence the way it operates and the reasons for the definition of the scope of the SMS.
Areas of the standard addressed This document addresses many of the requirements in section 4 – “Context of the Organisation� in the ISO20000 standard. This includes: 4. Context of the Organisation 4.1 Understanding the organisation and its context 4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties 4.3 Determining the scope of the SMS
General Guidance This is an absolutely key document that will need involvement from senior management to put together. In overview, it describes why an effective SMS is needed and what may happen to the organisation if one is not in place. The processes and risk assessments required by later sections of the standard will then define this in more detail. As part of the implementation you may need to meet with the various interested parties to understand their view of the risk areas and consequences of failure. You may also need to obtain legal advice if your industry is subject to significant legal or regulatory requirements. As with most of the documents in the SMS you should ensure that all relevant parties are aware of the contents of this document, particularly as it sets out the need for additional procedures which may involve asking employees to do more work. Understanding the reason for this may reduce resistance to the SMS within the organisation. It is worth spending some time getting the scope of the SMS right as the other areas of the standard rely upon this. As with most international standards, it is acceptable to start with a limited scope definition and then to expand it over time as more familiarity and experience is gained by the organisation.
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