Enterprise Service Management Office, Service Request Management Standards
Purpose
This document is for all university organizations operating or managing IT services and defines the minimum standard for managing Service Requests at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Goal of Service Request Management
The goal of Service Request Management is to efficiently fulfill predefined, user-initiated service requests in a consistent and user friendly manner. Timely and predictable request fulfillment supports the university’s core operations including teaching, learning, research, and essential administrative functions by enabling access to services, information, and resources required for day-to-day work.
Service Request Management Standards
All campus IT units must adhere to the following Service Request Management standards. These requirements ensure consistent intake, fulfillment, documentation, and reporting of service requests across the University.
Submission and Intake
- A service request record must be recorded in the University-approved IT Service Management (ITSM) system, regardless of submission channel (e.g., portal, email, phone, walk-in).
- Requests must be reviewed at intake to confirm they meet the campus definition of a Service Request and are not Incidents, Problems, or Changes.
- Requests must be accurately categorized and associated with the correct service offering in the Enterprise IT Service Catalog.
- Each request must include all required information and any supporting documentation before fulfillment begins.
- Requests must be assigned an initial priority or fulfillment order to support workload management and timely delivery.
- Intake must identify whether approvals are required and route requests through the appropriate workflow.
- Duplicate requests may be linked or consolidated according to documented procedures.
- If a submission contains multiple distinct requests, separate request records must be created.
Fulfillment and Documentation
- All fulfillment activities, including work performed, approvals, and escalations, must be documented in the ITSM system.
- Common request types must have documented fulfillment workflows (service request models).
- A responsible group or individual must be accountable for progressing the request.
- Request status must be updated as fulfillment progresses.
- Documentation must be reviewed and updated when workflows or ownership changes.
- If a request cannot be fulfilled as submitted, it must be reclassified or routed.
Escalations and Approvals
- Escalation and approval requirements must be defined in workflows and enforced through the ITSM system.
- Escalation procedures must identify when a request requires higher-level intervention.
- Requests requiring approval must be routed to designated approvers in ITSM.
- Approval and escalation actions must be documented.
- Workflows must include delegation paths for unavailable approvers.
Communication and Notifications
- Users must receive confirmation that requests are submitted and recorded.
- Requesters must be informed of significant updates, delays, or changes.
- Communications must be clear and relevant.
- Closure notifications must summarize fulfillment.
- Alternative communication methods must be documented if automation is unavailable.
Service Level Agreements
- Defined delivery timeframes or service level targets must be documented and linked to service offerings.
- Performance against SLA targets must be tracked and reported.
- Service Level Management (SLM) is a related practice and may be defined separately.
Enterprise IT Service Catalog Alignment
- All service request types must be linked to an active service offering.
- The Enterprise IT Service Catalog serves as the authoritative source for requestable services.
- Catalog entries must be reviewed and updated as services evolve.
Service Request Record Requirements
The following information must be recorded for every Service Request, regardless of submission method or level of automation.
| Data Point | Definition |
|---|---|
| Request ID | Unique identifier for the request |
| Submitted Date/Time | Timestamp indicating when the request was submitted |
| Closed Date/Time | Timestamp when the request was formally completed |
| Initial Response Time | Time between submission and first action |
| Request Status | Current lifecycle state (e.g., Open, In Progress, Awaiting Response, Closed) |
| Data Point | Definition |
|---|---|
| Requester | The individual submitting the request or on whose behalf the request is submitted |
| User Contact Information | Relevant details for the requester or affected user(s), such as name, NetID, email address, phone number, or other identifiers required for communication |
| Responsible Group | The unit, team, or individual accountable for fulfilling or coordinating completion of the request |
| Approval Status | Indicates whether the service request has received the required authorization to proceed, including the current state of any required approvals |
| Data Point | Definition |
|---|---|
| Title | Short description that accurately reflects the nature of the request |
| User Provided Information | Information supplied by the requester describing the request or need |
| Fulfillment Actions Taken | Summary of fulfillment activities performed, including approvals obtained, escalations, and knowledge resources or documentation referenced |
| Associated Service Offering | The specific service offering in the Enterprise IT Service Catalog to which the request is linked |
Measurement and Reporting
The following metrics are required for reporting and are measured monthly.
| Metric | Data | Reporting Requirement | Reporting Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Service Requests / Request Volume | Count of service requests | Total count | By month, service offering, request type |
| Average Response Time | Submission to first response | Average | By month, service offering |
| Average Fulfillment Time | Submission to closure | Average | By month, service offering, request type |
| First Contact Fulfillment % | Resolved without escalation | Percentage | By month, service offering |
| SLA Compliance % | Met SLA targets | Percentage | By month, service offering, request type |
| Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) | Survey responses | Positive % | By month, service offering |
Terminology
- Service Request:
A request from a user or a user’s authorized representative that initiates a service action which has been agreed as a normal part of service delivery
- Service Request Record:
A record containing the details of a service request
- Request Type:
A category of service request that is used to group similar service requests together
- Service Request Model:
A predefined workflow or set of steps that is followed to fulfill a specific type of service request
- User:
An individual who uses the IT services provided
- ITSM System:
The tool that is used to support and manage IT service management activities
- Service Desk:
First point of contact for users. Responsible for logging, categorizing, and prioritizing service requests and incidents
- Fulfillment Group:
A group or team responsible for carrying out the activities required to fulfill service requests or service actions
- Intake:
The activity of receiving, logging, and initially assessing service requests before they are routed for handling or fulfillment
- Escalation:
The act of transferring responsibility of a service request to a higher-level authority or support level to resolve it effectively or within agreed targets
- Approval:
A formal agreement that a service request may proceed
- Request Priority:
Designation used to identify the relative importance of a service request and to determine the order in which it should be fulfilled
- Request Status:
Current state of a service request in its lifecycle
- Service Level Agreement (SLA):
A documented agreement between a service provider and a customer that identifies both the services required and the expected level of service
- Service Level Management (SLM):
The practice of setting clear business-based targets for service performance, so that the delivery of a service can be properly assessed, monitored, and managed against these targets
- Incident:
Any unplanned interruption to an IT Service offering or a reduction in the quality of an IT Service. If a service is not operating at the level of performance agreed upon in the service level agreement (SLA) or as defined by the service provider, it constitutes an incident and must be logged
- Problem:
A cause, or potential cause, of one or more incidents
- Change:
The addition, modification, or removal of anything that could have a direct or indirect effect on services