Management System Certification
ISO/IEC 20000-1 – IT Service Management System
Certifiable proof that your IT service delivery is managed, measured and improving.
Why organisations certify
Key benefits of ISO/IEC 20000-1
What certification actually returns, stated specifically rather than generically.
Credibility
Certification proves your service management is systematic and audited, not dependent on a handful of experienced individuals.
Market Access
Government, PSU and enterprise IT tenders frequently list ISO/IEC 20000-1 as a qualification criterion alongside ISO 27001.
Risk Reduction
Formal change, problem and configuration management directly reduce change-induced incidents — historically the largest single cause of unplanned downtime.
Operational Efficiency
Capacity planning, problem elimination and request automation reduce firefighting effort and the cost per ticket.
Customer Trust
Published, measured and reviewed service levels change the client relationship from dispute to data.
Regulatory Compliance
Provides a defensible framework for contractual SLA obligations and regulatory service-availability expectations.
How it works
Our process for ISO/IEC 20000-1
Every stage has a defined purpose, a realistic duration and a stated output.
- 01
Application & Quotation
2–3 working days
You submit an application form covering scope, headcount, sites and shift pattern. We review complexity, confirm audit-day allocation against accreditation rules and issue a fixed quotation.
- 02
Contract & Audit Planning
1 week
On acceptance we appoint a lead auditor with verified technical competence for your sector, agree audit dates and share the audit plan in advance.
- 03
Stage 1 — Readiness Review
1 day (typical)
A documentation and readiness assessment: scope confirmation, review of your management system documents, internal audit and management review evidence, and identification of anything that would block Stage 2.
- 04
Stage 2 — Certification Audit
2–5 days (scope dependent)
On-site assessment of the system in operation. We sample processes, interview staff, examine records and raise findings graded as major, minor or opportunity for improvement.
- 05
Corrective Action & Decision
2–4 weeks
You close out any nonconformities with root-cause analysis and evidence. An independent certification decision-maker — not the audit team — reviews the file and grants certification.
- 06
Certificate Issue
3–5 working days
A three-year certificate is issued and your organisation is listed on our public certified-client directory for verification by your customers.
- 07
Surveillance & Recertification
Annual
Surveillance audits at 12 and 24 months confirm the system remains effective. A full recertification audit is completed before the three-year expiry.
Preparation
Documents required
What we will ask to see. Having these ready before Stage 1 is the single biggest factor in a certification that runs to schedule.
- Completed and signed application form
- Certificate of incorporation / business registration
- Organisation chart and scope statement
- Management system manual or equivalent documented information
- Documented processes, procedures and work instructions
- Internal audit reports covering the full scope
- Management review minutes
- Records of corrective actions and continual improvement
- Applicable legal and regulatory licences for your activity
- Service management policy, objectives and service management plan
- Service catalogue and documented service level agreements
- SLA performance reports and service review minutes
- Incident, service request and major incident procedures with records
- Problem management records with root-cause analysis and known-error database
- Change management records including emergency change and post-implementation review
- Configuration management database and verification records
- Capacity and availability plans; service continuity plans and test results
- Supplier and partner agreements with performance monitoring records
Not sure whether your scope is right?
Scope is the single thing most often got wrong, and it appears verbatim on your certificate. We will review yours before you apply, at no charge — it costs us less than fixing it at recertification.
Talk to a specialistOften certified together
Related standards
Standards sharing the High Level Structure can be operated as one integrated system and audited together, which reduces total audit days.
Information Security Management System
Certify an ISMS that protects the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information through assessed risk.
Learn moreBusiness Continuity Management System
Certify a business continuity management system built on impact analysis, tested plans and proven recovery times.
Learn moreQuality Management System
Certify a quality management system that delivers consistent products and services and satisfies customers.
Learn moreCommon questions
ISO/IEC 20000-1 — frequently asked questions
Direct answers, including where the honest answer is inconvenient for us.
No. ITIL is a framework of good practice and its certifications are held by individuals. ISO/IEC 20000-1 is a standard that organisations are certified against. ITIL adoption is excellent preparation but is neither necessary nor sufficient on its own.
Yes, but the standard requires you to demonstrate governance of processes operated by other parties. You must show control of the outsourced services through defined requirements, monitoring and review. You cannot certify a scope whose processes you neither operate nor govern.
Very commonly, yes. The two share a management system structure and interlock at incident management, change management, capacity and continuity. An integrated audit programme reduces total audit days and prevents two systems drifting apart.
Question not answered here? Ask a certification specialist — we answer technical questions without requiring an enquiry first.
Talk to us
Talk to a certification expert
Tell us your scope and headcount and we will send a fixed quotation for ISO/IEC 20000-1 with the audit-day calculation shown.
- Quotation within 2–3 working days
- IAF MD 5 audit-day calculation included
- Full three-year cycle cost, not just the first audit
- Your details are used only to answer this enquiry
Next step
Ready to certify to ISO/IEC 20000-1?
We will scope it honestly, show you the calculation behind the price, and tell you plainly if the timeline you need is not achievable.