Zoocha Achieves ISO 20000:2018 Certification

Introduction

Zoocha is delighted to share that we have achieved ISO 20000 certification. The certification covers all service delivery activities within the Zoocha Group and achieving it marks an important step in the ongoing development of our service management framework across the Zoocha Group. 

ISO 20000 sets out recognised requirements for well governed, reliable and high quality service delivery. Securing this certification is a testament to the effort of our teams and the strength of the processes we rely on to support our clients. It confirms that our service management approach meets an international benchmark and is upheld by mature, consistent and measurable practices. Moreover, achieving ISO 20000 strengthens the foundations of our integrated Business Management System and reinforces our commitment to delivering dependable and well structured services.

What ISO 20000 means

ISO 20000 is the international standard for service management systems. It provides a structured framework for designing, delivering and improving services in a way that is consistent, measurable and aligned with recognised best practice. 

It is worth noting that the standard is accredited through APMG, which distinguishes it from several of our other certifications that are assessed under UKAS. APMG is the recognised accreditation body for ISO 20000 and they apply a rigorous, service-management-specific assessment approach. The use of APMG for ISO 20000 confirms that the certification has been evaluated against criteria tailored to service management, offering clients assurance that our practices meet the benchmark set by the industry’s designated authority.

For Zoocha, ISO 20000 brings a formalised approach to how we define, operate and review the services delivered across the Zoocha Group. The scope of our certification covers all service delivery activities within the organisation. This ensures that each service we manage, from standard Drupal support through to more complex digital transformations involving multiple development and creative services, is underpinned by a clear set of processes and governance controls.

Integrating service management into our Business Management System

Our existing certifications in ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22301, ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 provided a strong foundation for working towards ISO 20000. The principles embedded within these standards already shaped how we plan, document and review our core processes, which meant that many of the requirements for service management were in place before we began the formal certification work.

Building on this foundation, integrating ISO 20000 into our Business Management System became a natural extension rather than a major change. The standard brings additional consistency to how services are defined, governed and measured, and supports a joined up view across all elements of the BMS.

For example, we have found great value in aligning Business Continuity activities with Service Continuity activities based on their natural synergies. 

Enhancing our service management capabilities

Establishing the ISO 20000 framework strengthened several aspects of how we manage and review our services. Reporting and performance measurement were already well established for a number of our mature services, such as support and hosting, but the standard helped us bring the same level of structure and consistency to all services across the Zoocha Group. This creates a clearer, more holistic view of how services are performing and allows us to take a more data led approach to proactive improvements or addressing issues.

Importantly, the certification supported the formalisation of our service portfolio and service catalogue. This work involved clearly defining each service, outlining the purpose it serves, the activities it includes, the processes that underpin it, the roles accountable for delivering it and the expectations clients can rely on. The resulting catalogue is used internally as a reference point for planning, onboarding and day to day delivery, helping teams maintain consistency in how services are operated. Externally, it provides clients and partners with a clearer understanding of what our services include and the standards they can expect every time they engage with us.

ISO 20000 also helped us to expand our existing Operational Level Agreements beyond our internal service desk to take into consideration any activity that service delivery depends on, including formalising OLAs for activities such as resource management and peer review.

These enhancements build on the practices already in place, ensuring that our service management approach remains effective, measurable and aligned with recognised best practice.

Continuous improvement at the core

Continuous improvement is a central principle of ISO 20000 and aligns closely with Zoocha’s existing practices and culture. This was reflected in the auditor’s feedback, "The Continual Improvement process, documentation and culture is of a high standard in Zoocha".

The standard requires a structured approach to reviewing performance, understanding issues and identifying incremental improvements. This fits well with how we manage both continuous improvement and strategic initiatives at Zoocha. For us, it is crucial that we provide all team members with the opportunity to raise opportunities for improvement, no matter how big or small, and that we have the appropriate processes in place to make them happen.

By embedding ISO 20000 into this environment, we have a framework that not only strengthens this core value but provides evidence-based insights through performance metrics and trends to drive tangible, positive improvements to our processes and ultimately the outcomes for our clients. 

A team effort

Achieving ISO 20000 reflects the collective effort of the Zoocha team across the Group. The certification process brought together those involved in service delivery, compliance and the leadership team, each contributing insight and experience to help us meet the requirements of the standard.

The work involved reviewing existing practices, refining documentation, strengthening controls and ensuring that our service management activities were aligned in a consistent and measurable way. The commitment shown throughout this process helped us reach a successful outcome and demonstrated the value of collaboration across teams.

We are grateful for the time, focus and expertise that the Zoocha team invested throughout the assessment, and their ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible services to our clients.

What this means for our clients

ISO 20000 provides clients with added assurance that our services are managed in a structured, consistent and accountable way. The standard strengthens the controls that support day to day operations, helping us maintain stable performance and reduce risk across all service areas.

It also brings greater clarity to how our services are defined and managed through the formalised service portfolio and service catalogue. This gives existing (and potential clients) a clearer understanding of what they can expect from each service we deliver and how we will deliver it to the same high standard every time.

Overall, the outcome for our clients is straightforward: confidence that our services are governed by an internationally recognised framework and that we remain committed to ongoing improvement.

Conclusion

Adding ISO 20000 to our existing standards marks a significant milestone in our maturity as an organisation. It strengthens the infrastructure that supports our day to day operations and gives us a strong platform upon which to continue building.

The question is, what next? We want to continue to adopt standards that help us deliver the best possible services for our clients. With that in mind, planning is already underway for the next additions to our management system, and we look forward to sharing more as this work progresses. Keep your eyes peeled!