This organisation had IT services suffering from inconsistent definitions, some named after applications, others after infrastructure layers, and many using local site specific terminology that had evolved organically over years among staff. While these names were well understood locally and reflected how teams had referred to the services for a long time, they created mismatched terminology between technical teams and broader business stakeholders. 

This disconnect led to significant challenges such as, unclear ownership, unreliable reporting, blocked future charge-back models, ineffective service reviews, and poor communication with the business. Perhaps most critically, it severely complicated twice-annual financial planning cycles where IT proposed multi-million-dollar infrastructure investments, only to face difficult conversations when the business asked, “How does this improve our bottom line, and which specific service does it support?” Without clearly defined and aligned business services, justifying spend and demonstrating value became increasingly strained.

I led a collaborative initiative, working closely with a small internal team and a consultancy partner to design and implement the Business Services Definition Playbook. The playbook introduced a common service language understood by IT, Finance, and the business alike. More importantly, it provided a structured framework with clear guidance on how to define and build business services in business-centric terms.  This enabled us to start creating consistent, well-aligned business services, which in turn delivered accurate service portfolio management, stronger stakeholder engagement, and a solid foundation for cost transparency and future financial models.

Applying the framework transformed service definitions from fragmented and technical to business-centric and sustainable. The result positioned the organisation for more effective ITSM governance and clearer value demonstration.