Service Catalog Best Practices

Overview

Without a defined governance process, the Service Catalog grows in an uncontrolled way. Services are added without proper review, duplicates proliferate, outdated entries persist long after the services they describe have changed or disappeared, and the overall quality of the catalog declines. Governance is the mechanism that keeps the catalog intentional, accurate, and trustworthy.

Best Practice

Establish and document a formal governance process that defines exactly how services are added to, changed within, and removed from the catalog. At minimum, the governance model should address: who has the authority to propose new services; what information must be provided before a service can be added; who reviews and approves proposed additions, changes, and retirements; and what triggers a service retirement.

It is a best practice to establish a formal Service Catalog governance policy that documents these processes and the authority structure behind them.

Benefit(s)

A governance model transforms the Service Catalog from a document that anyone can change arbitrarily into a managed asset with integrity. New services are added intentionally and consistently. Changes are reviewed before they go live, preventing errors and inconsistencies. Outdated services are retired cleanly rather than lingering as confusion for customers. Over time, a governed catalog is significantly more trustworthy and more useful than an ungoverned one.