The Blueprint of SDI’s Latest Global Best Practice Standard for Service Desk (V9)
Looking to take your service desk to the next level? This Blueprint of SDI’s Global Best Practice Standard is your starting point.
Widely adopted around the world and recognised across the IT industry, the Best Practice Standard offers a detailed best practice model that examines every aspect of service desk operations, including leadership, customer and employee experience, resources, tools, training, strategy and continual improvement.
By benchmarking your service against the 10 concepts within the Standard, you can establish a strong baseline to measure progress, highlight areas for improvement, and track the impact of any changes over time. The Best Practice Standard provides clear, measurable criteria that go beyond the requirements of ISO/IEC 20000, offering a more comprehensive view of service excellence.
This Blueprint gives you a clear, visual overview of the 10 core concepts and the criteria inside the new Standard. It’s designed to help CIOs, IT leaders, and service desk managers quickly see what world-class service looks like — and where their efforts should be focussed.
Why use it?
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Clarity – see all areas of best practice in one structured framework.
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Benchmarking – identify strengths and gaps in your current service desk.
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Guidance – use the criteria to shape roadmaps, business cases, and continual improvement plans.
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Engagement – share with your team and stakeholders to build a shared vision of service excellence.
Download the Blueprint today and start applying the new Global Best Practice Standard to your own service. It’s the simplest way to turn the Standard into a roadmap for improvement, transformation and proven business value.
How the Standard Evolves with the Industry
Version 9 of the Global Best Practice Standard reflects today’s biggest ITSM challenges. It covers hybrid working, automation, digital experience, and business alignment. As a result, you’re benchmarking against a framework that addresses the realities of modern IT support, not outdated practices.
Turning Insight into Action
A benchmark is only powerful if it drives change. The Blueprint highlights gaps, but it also helps you prioritise improvements. For example, you may need to refine leadership practices, enhance training, or redesign customer touchpoints. Therefore, the Standard provides a clear pathway from assessment to measurable outcomes.
Beyond Compliance: Building Trust and Credibility
ISO/IEC 20000 focuses on compliance, but the Global Best Practice Standard goes further. It improves both performance and perception. Consequently, alignment with the Standard gives stakeholders confidence that IT delivers value, not just checks boxes. This is vital for building trust and securing investment.
A Tool for Every Level of Leadership
The Blueprint has value at every level. Service desk managers can use it as a hands-on guide for operations. CIOs and senior leaders, however, can apply it as a strategic tool. In addition, it proves IT’s value, aligns IT with business outcomes, and supports investment decisions.
Driving Continual Improvement
Great service isn’t built overnight. It is sustained through continual improvement. The Blueprint helps embed this culture by tracking progress, celebrating success, and surfacing new opportunities. Importantly, it ensures your service desk doesn’t just improve once, but continues to raise the bar year after year.
