What is a Service Assessment?
Conducting regular assessments of your service is key to ensuring that it continues to provide value to users. The most important component of a service assessment is quantifiable data about your service. The data collected through the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics that you established during the service development phase serve as the foundation for your assessment.
Service assessments can be very targeted, focusing on one or two metrics, or they can be comprehensive, reviewing the service as a whole. For example, six months post launch your primary interest might be the number of subscribers or the volume of incidents. Later, you might carefully review an ordering process to determine efficiency and find opportunities for improvement. Alternatively, a year post launch, you might conduct a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of the service, both business and technical.
How do I perform a service assessment?
Select key areas of your service for assessment at least twice per year, especially for newly launched services. As part of the service development process, identify the targeted assessment dates, the service areas you will assess, and who needs to participate in the assessment.
Collect and analyze data about the usage of your service, using the KPIs and metrics you established during service development. After you complete your data analysis, meet with the assessment team to identify opportunities for improvement and define a schedule for implementing them.
It is also important to evaluate the criteria you are using to assess your service. Determine if the KPIs and metrics you defined are providing you with the information you need to manage your service. You might need to modify them or create new ones that help you more effectively measure the usefulness of your service.
How do I prepare for a service assessment?
| I want to: | Here's how: | When: | Who is responsible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule assessments | Typically scheduled at 6 and 12 months post production launch | During service development phase | Service manager |
| Define KPIs and metrics in support of your business goals | Review the instructions for Establishing Service Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | During service development phase | Service manager |
| Collect and analyze data associated with KPIs and metrics |
Review the instructions for Establishing Service Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Submit a request to the Service Development team |
Just prior to assessment | Service manager |
| Create a list of improvement opportunities and schedule implementation | Meet with the assessment team | During assessment | Service manager |
| Evaluate KPIs for effectiveness add/modify as needed | Review the instructions for Establishing Service Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | During assessment | Service manager |
