According to ITIL best practices, a service catalog is like a restaurant menu — it clearly shows customers (your users) what they can order and what to expect.
In small and medium-sized companies, IT often works like a private chef: users just ask for anything, and the team somehow makes it happen. But when you start outsourcing services or want clearer boundaries and accountability, a well-defined IT service catalog becomes essential.
This guide walks you through building your own service catalog from scratch — based on real-world experience.
1. Start by Listing All Current IT Activities
Don’t overthink structure at the beginning. Just document what your IT team already does daily.
Real examples of common requests:
- “Please create a new email mailbox”
- “I can’t print from my laptop”
- “My device won’t connect to Wi-Fi”
- “My laptop is slow”
- “I need Microsoft Teams set up”
Write down every request you receive for at least 2–4 weeks.
2. Group Activities into Logical Services (Categorization)
Turn individual requests into named services:
| User Request | → Service Name |
|---|---|
| Create new mailbox | Email Services |
| Printer not working | Print Services |
| Can’t connect to Wi-Fi | Network & Connectivity |
| Software installation | Endpoint & Application Services |
| Password reset | Access Management |
Pro tip: Aim for 8–20 services at first. Too many = confusing catalog.
3. Separate Service Requests from Incidents
This distinction is critical for proper expectations and routing:
| Type | Description | Urgency | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Request | Standard, planned fulfillment | Low–Medium | New mailbox, software install |
| Incident | Unplanned interruption or reduction in quality | High | Printer down, no Wi-Fi |
4. Define Service Quality Metrics (Prepare for SLA)
For each service, define measurable parameters so you can track performance and set realistic expectations.
Common quality metrics examples:
| Service | Key Metrics (Examples) |
|---|---|
| Email Services | Time to fulfill new mailbox request ≤ 4 hours |
| Network & Connectivity | Time to acknowledge incident ≤ 15 minTime to resolve ≤ 2 hours |
| Print Services | Printer availability ≥ 99%Time to fix ≤ 1 hour |
| Access Management | Password reset ≤ 10 minutes (self-service or supported) |
Every request or incident must have these metrics recorded in your ticketing/reporting system.
5. Collect Data and Establish Baseline Performance
After 4–8 weeks of tracking:
- Calculate actual average response and resolution times
- Identify your current realistic performance (baseline)
This baseline becomes the foundation of your Service Level Agreement (SLA).
6. Create Clear Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
Turn your baseline + desired improvement into formal SLAs.
Example SLA tiers (you can brand them):
| Tier | Response Time | Resolution Target | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | ≤ 15 min | ≤ 1 hour (incidents) | Critical business applications |
| Standard | ≤ 30 min | ≤ 4 hours | Most services |
| Basic | ≤ 1 hour | ≤ 8 hours/next business day | Non-urgent requests |
Publish the SLA alongside each service in the catalog.
7. Keep Iterating — A Service Catalog Is Never “Finished”
Your service catalog should be a living document:
- Review and update quarterly
- Add new services as technology/business changes
- Remove obsolete ones
- Adjust SLAs based on real data and user feedback
Bonus: Use the Catalog to Make Better In-Source vs Out-Source Decisions
Once your catalog is mature, you can:
- Calculate internal cost per service (using timesheets or effort tracking)
- Compare with external provider quotes (apples-to-apples)
- Identify services where outsourcing brings clear cost or quality benefits
When to Keep Services In-House
- Strict regulatory or compliance restrictions
- Your internal team consistently meets or exceeds SLA targets
- High user satisfaction with current performance
- Strategic importance or unique customization needed
Otherwise, regularly benchmark against the market — even if you don’t outsource, it keeps your team sharp.
Final Thoughts
Building an IT service catalog is one of the highest-ROI activities in IT service management. It brings clarity for users, accountability for IT, and data-driven decisions about outsourcing.
Start small, document everything, measure relentlessly, and iterate.
You’ve got this!