Service Catalog Logical Structure

Best Practices › Best Practices Foundation › Service Catalog Logical Structure

Service Catalog Logical Structure

You can use a table or spreadsheet to design the full logical structure of the catalog before its actual implementation. This approach facilitates communication between stakeholders and end users regarding the service catalog structure and content required.

We recommend that you agree on the general service catalog content and structure first and the details next. As the catalog and its use mature within an organization, some restructuring and fine-tuning are likely to occur.

An example of the logical structure of the catalog, including both the Folder/Service structure and the category-class-subclass specification is illustrated in the following table:


IT Support Services
Folder	Service	Service Option	Category	Class	Subclass	Description
Data Security
	Virus Protection / Remediation Plan SLA
		Bronze	Service	IT	SLA	Bronze SLA for Virus Protection/Remediation
		Silver	Service	IT	SLA	Silver SLA for Virus Protection/Remediation
		Gold	Service	IT	SLA	Gold SLA for Virus Protection/Remediation
	VPN Access
		Request VPN Access	Service	IT	Security	Request VPN access for remote user
	Proxy Access
		Subscribe to Proxy	Service	IT	Security	Request proxy access (security request)
	Pre-Production Security Scans
		Security Scan	Service	IT	Security	Request Security Scan before production status
Data Management
	Backup Data
		Backup Production Server Data	Service	IT	Data	Backup Services for Production Server Data
		Backup Local PC / Laptop Data	Service	IT	Data	Backup Services for Local PC / Laptop Data
	Restore Data					Services to restore production or local data
		Restore Production Server Data	Service	IT	Data	Restore data on a production server from backup files
		Restore Local PC / Laptop Data	Service	IT	Data	Restore data on a local PC from backup files

We recommend limiting the number of levels that users navigate to reach specific services in your catalog. As an example, consider an IT Support Services category such as Hardware and Software Procurement. For ease of use, divide it into two separate categories. Examples include Hardware Procurement and Software Procurement. This approach is more efficient than using subfolders, for example, under Hardware and Software Procurement.

You can customize the structure of the provided content to meet the needs of your organization. For example, you can divide a single Server service into the following services: Blade Server, Standard Server, and Mainframe Server. In this case, create a folder named Server to contain the other thee services. Each service contains descriptions and service option group items to assist users in their selection.