ISO 20000-1 outlines requirements for organizations to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve a Service Management System (SMS). These requirements encompass the planning, design, transition, delivery, and enhancement of services to meet service requirements and deliver value.​

This document is intended for:​

a) Customers seeking services and requiring assurance about service quality; b) Customers needing a consistent approach to the service lifecycle across all service providers, including those in a supply chain; c) Organizations aiming to demonstrate their capability in planning, designing, transitioning, delivering, and improving services; d) Organizations monitoring, measuring, and reviewing their SMS and the services provided; e) Organizations improving service planning, design, transition, delivery, and enhancement through effective SMS implementation and operation; f) Organizations or other entities performing conformity assessments against the requirements specified in this document; g) Providers of training or advisory services in service management.​

ISO 20000-1 , the term “service” refers to the specific service or services within the SMS scope. The term “organization” refers to the entity within the SMS scope responsible for managing and delivering services to customers. This organization may be a department within a larger corporation. A service provider, whether internal or external, manages and delivers services to customers.​

Any use of the terms “service” or “organization” with a different context is clearly distinguished within ISO 20000-1 ​

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