20 Mostly Asked ISO 20000 Lead Implementer Interview Questions and Answers

ISO 20000 is an internationally recognized standard for IT Service Management. The standard provides guidance on how to develop IT services that serve business goals rather than only technical requirements. Organizations that have earned the ISO 20000 Certification benefit from enhanced customer trust, a reduction in incidents, and improved incident management. The ISO 20000 Lead Implementer Certificate validates a professional’s expertise in implementing an SMS in accordance with ISO/IEC 20000 criteria. It aids individuals in improving their IT SMS implementation skills.

An ISO 20000 Lead Implementer who holds the certification performs the IT Service Management System (SMS) implementation, analyzes the standard's requirements, and implements IT SMS in accordance with best practices. They also plan and implement service delivery, control, and problem-solving procedures. Additionally, qualified experts maintain and administer IT SMS in line with the standard. Having the ISO 20000 Lead Implementer Certification also makes it easier for professionals to get employment abroad and to command greater compensation.


Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a collection of best practices that govern IT services. ISO 20000 Standard is a set of auditable requirements that an organization must implement and demonstrate to receive certification. Both ITIL and ISO 20000 focus on the management of a IT Service Management System. Moreover, ITIL provides best practices for a service lifecycle that businesses may follow as long as they have a service management system in place that complies with ISO 20000 standards.

ISO 20000 is the global standard for ITSM (Information Technology Service Management). It makes it possible for IT organizations to make sure that their ITSM procedures are in line with business requirements and global best practices. Businesses may demonstrate that they adhere to best practices by using the methodology and framework provided by ISO 20000, which will help them manage their ITSM and enhance the quality of their IT service delivery. Additionally, ISO 20000 can be used in any sector and by any size of business.

This question is intended to gauge a professional's aptitude for a job in process improvement. Candidate’s responses may include a mention of their greatest traits related to process improvement. The three most critical traits for someone working in process improvement are creativity, problem-solving abilities, and communication abilities. He/she also needs to be able to share their ideas with others and work in teams to put them into action. Additionally, they should have excellent interpersonal skills to collaborate with other employees.

There are four perspectives of ITSM: the people perspective, the partner/supplier perspective, the products/technology perspective, and the process perspective. The “soft” side of IT is the people perspective which includes IT staff members, customers, and other stakeholders to ensure they have the skills needed to do their job.

Successful service management could only be achieved through the effective and efficient use of four perspectives of ITSM. These guarantees that the resulting goods and services have the largest possible impact or benefit on the organization. The four perspectives of ITSM are
  • People: Organization and people
  • Products: Information and technology
  • Partners: Partners and suppliers
  • Processes: Value streams and processes

A continuous improvement manager is responsible for monitoring the employees' productivity and the effectiveness of organizational procedures. They work along with other stakeholders to boost productivity and employee satisfaction. Continuous improvement manager conducts meetings to discuss issues and voice their thoughts with the other members of the team. They create plans to enhance business procedures with the aid of other team members. In addition, they gather data to help look at complaints, problems, and gaps in the organization.

The interviewer gains insight into the candidate's methodology and approach to work by asking this question. ISO 20000 Lead Implementer examines the present metrics and contrasts them with industry standards. After that, he/she formulates an improvement strategy in light of their findings. Prior to concentrating on other areas that need development, professionals first pays attention to any areas where they are lagging. This enables them to make sure that they are on the right path of achieving objectives and enhancing performance levels.

ISO 20000 Lead Implementer certified professionals use Visio to construct and edit flowcharts. Visio is a diagramming program for Microsoft Windows that has symbols and templates that let users construct flowcharts, mind maps, infographics, organizational charts, floor plans, network diagrams, and more. Although, it is a standalone program, it is a component of the Microsoft Office software package.

Service Level Management (SLM) is one of five components in the ITIL Service Delivery area. SLM procedures offer a framework through which services are defined, service levels necessary to enable business processes are agreed upon, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) are produced to meet the agreements, and charges of services are developed. The primary goal of SLM is to ensure that all IT services already offered and those planned for the future are supplied in accordance with the previously established service level goals.

A process improvement plan is a written document that describes how to enhance processes once it have been identified and examined. A process improvement strategy seeks to locate any inefficient bottlenecks or weak links in the workflow and then determines how to eliminate them. As a consequence, procedures are performed more quickly, effectively, and with outputs of greater quality.

This is a possible interview question to gauge the ISO 20000 Lead Implementer's ability to oversee quality standards and ensure their consistent compliance. Professional review the organization’s current quality standards with team members. He/she regularly audits business procedures to make sure they adhere to these requirements. Certified professionals even adopt new techniques to help organizations more effectively satisfy quality standards while identifying areas for making improvements.

A gap analysis is a technique for evaluating how well a business unit is performing. Organizations utilize this technique to determine whether or not business needs or objectives are being fulfilled and, if not, what actions should be done to do so. It draws attention to shortcomings and areas for development by contrasting the situation with an ideal situation or set of goals.

A Business Impact Aanalysis (BIA) gathers data necessary to create recovery strategies and forecasts the effects of a business function or process disruption. It is an essential component of an organization's Business Continuity Plan (BCP). BIA measures the effects of service interruptions, threats to service delivery, Recovery Time Targets (RTOs), and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs).

A Definitive Media Library (DML) is a secure facility where the final, approved iterations of software package Configuration Items (CIs) are kept and safeguarded. A DML is made up of one or more repositories, which are places where files are stored in software libraries. ISO 20000 Lead Implementers can create, update, and administer DML repositories using the Definitive Media Library application.

Control Charts are graphs that are used to monitor a process's development and the information is presented chronologically. These charts include a centerline, an upper control limit, and a lower control limit representing the average, upper limit, and lower limit, respectively. Additionally these charts are based on historical patterns. ISO 20000 Lead Implementers can determine if the process variance is predictable or consistent by contrasting the most recent data with these lines.

Process improvement may help businesses become more competitive by boosting productivity and quality while reducing expenses. It also helps them respond to developments in the marketplace more rapidly. Additionally, it enables product differentiation, which guarantees that goods stand out from one another so they may compete with one another and take a sizable chunk of the market.

Operational Level Agreements are internal contracts that a service provider establishes for internal users to satisfy SLAs. It also includes one or more goals or service objectives. The internal service commitments would be tracked using the OLAs such as response time for issues or events involving IT groups and access to servers that support a variety of applications.

The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle serves as a model for implementing change. It is a crucial component of the lean manufacturing concept and a crucial requirement for continuous process and people improvement. PDCA is a straightforward four-stage methodology that helps organizations to prevent reoccurring errors and enhance procedures. The ”Plan” step involves determining and outlining changes, ”Do” is the implementation stage, ”Check ” implies monitoring and measuring, while ”Act” denotes the steps done to achieve ongoing progress.

This question can aid the interviewer in determining ISO 20000 Lead Implementer’s leadership qualities and the ability for motivating others. Professionals attempt to ascertain the reasons behind my team members' resistance to changing their existing practices. After that, they would discuss the advantages of introducing new practices or procedures and implore them to give them a try. Furthermore, professionals should ask for extra time to make the adjustments if members continued to object so they could observe the consequences for themselves.

The main objectives of Incident Management are as follows:
  • Ensure that techniques that have been authorized and are in compliance with regulations are applied to all processes, including effective response, documentation, analysis, and continuous management.
  • Report issues to the IT services as soon as they happen and rectify them.
  • Pay attention to customer and user satisfaction.
  • Coordinate incident management efforts effectively.

The common mistakes to avoid while getting an ISO 20000 certification audit are
  • Lack of Management Support
  • Insufficient Resources
  • Lack of External Support

The following areas of the company's processes are covered by Management systems
  • Finances
  • Customer relations
  • Employee satisfaction
  • Compliance with quality standards and safety regulations

The different types of audit include:
  • Internal Audit
  • Certification Audit
  • Surveillance Audit
  • Recertification Audit

The key principles of the process approach are as follows
  • Process Integration
  • Customer Focus
  • Continual Improvement
  • Process Ownership
  • Accountability and Responsibility
  • Risk Management
  • Measurement and Reporting
  • Compliance

The audit triangle includes Question, Check, and Observe. It is a structured model for conducting ISO 20000 audits for IT service management. Furthermore, it provide a systematic and thorough method for auditors to assess the conformance and effectiveness of an organization's IT service management system.

The key elements included in the scope of the service management system are:
  • Location of the service
  • Customers
  • Customer location
  • Technology

The core processes of ITSM include Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, Service Request Management, Service Level Management, Knowledge Management, and IT Asset Management.

Problem management is the process of identifying and managing the causes of incidents in an IT service. It assists in identifying and understanding the root cause of a problem and helps in choosing the most effective strategy to eliminate it. Additionally, it enhances service stability and prevents future incidents.

The process of creating, distributing, using, and managing an organization's knowledge and information is known as knowledge management. It alludes to a multidisciplinary strategy for reaching corporate goals while utilizing information to its fullest extent. It increases overall efficiency, lowers incident response times, and improves service quality.

The Service Level Agreement includes:
  • Introduction to the SLA
  • Service description
  • Mutual responsibilities
  • Scope of SLA
  • Applicable service hours
  • Service availability
  • Reliability
  • Customer support arrangements
  • Contact points and escalation
  • Service performance
  • Security
  • Costs and charging method used

  • Customer SLA: between a service provider and its external customers
  • Internal SLA: between an organization and its internal customer
  • Multilevel SLA: specific to a series of customers using the service.

ISO 20000 offers a robust system that ensures employees actively engage and process service that complies with customers' requirements and regulations. It also streamlines processes, making it easier for the manufacturing facility to operate and increasing the productivity of the team.

The Service Strategy roles include:
  • Business Relationship Manager
  • Demand Manager
  • Financial Manager
  • IT Steering Committee
  • Service Portfolio Manager
  • Service Strategy Manager

ISO 20000 encourages the alignment of IT services with the organization's business goals and objectives. It provides a structured framework for IT Service Management (ITSM) that emphasizes the importance of aligning IT services with the needs and goals of the business. Additionally, it ensures that IT services contribute to business success and competitiveness.

ISO 20000 Lead Implementer should have knowledge of ISO 20000, IT Service Management (ITSM) expertise, audit and assessment knowledge, risk management, communication skills, leadership and management, problem-solving, and analytical skills.

ISO 20000 certification is valid for three years from the date of obtaining it. Organizations need to undergo regular surveillance audits to maintain their certification. It demonstrates their ongoing compliance with ISO 20000 standards. If non-conformities or problems are found during the surveillance audits, the organization must address and rectify them to maintain certification.

No, ISO 20000 is not just for businesses in the IT industry. It may be used by any business that offers IT services. Numerous service providers, such as internal IT departments, managed service providers, telecommunications firms, and other service-oriented enterprises, can implement ISO 20000.

The amount of time required for ISO 20000 will differ based on a variety of factors, including the organization's size and type. Additionally, businesses that have already received certification against other management standards unquestionably have a distinct edge. However, a business may often need to spend one or two years making preparations for the certification audit.

The following areas of concern can be addressed by ITSM:
  • Services
  • Quality
  • Cost
  • Business
  • End-users

ITSM software and tools that align with ISO 20000 are ServiceNow, BMC Helix ITSM, Axios Systems Assyst, Ivanti Service Manager, and EasyVista. However, it's critical to consider how effectively the software can be modified to meet the IOS 20000 standard and organizations requirements.