What is an ITIL service catalog?

An ITIL service catalog lists all the IT services your company provides for its customers. It brings together a huge amount of information regarding these services. That includes everything from adding a network printer to resetting a password. Understanding the contents of an ITIL service catalog, and how it can benefit your business, could help your organization get even more from its IT services.

Contents

The contents of an ITIL service catalog can vary. In general, the document will include information about deliverables, prices, contact points, ordering, and request processes. This information is often produced as a simple spreadsheet, but it can be presented in a variety of different formats. The exact information it contains, and in what format, depends on how the organization will use it.

For the IT department, you can use a spreadsheet format that lists all the current and potential services. They will also include information like critical components and training needed. Customers usually prefer more of a brochure format. If it’s publicly available, a brochure-style service catalog can double up as marketing material, showcasing your IT services to potential customers.

Defining a service catalog

Although there are no hard and fast rules about what an ITIL service catalog should include, there are a number of data elements that most catalogs will contain. These include the:

• Service name
• Service description
• Availability
• Target availability
• Backup
• Service owner
• Service representative
• Service criticality

Many of these data elements are simple and straightforward, but properly defining them has many benefits. It helps avoi