An IT service catalog describes the services an organization makes available to its users, what each service provides and how to access it. For an employee, its value comes down to a practical question: is this the right service for what I need?
Someone looking for a temporary laptop needs to know who qualifies, what the loan includes and how availability is confirmed. Those answers belong in the entry, before the employee starts filling out a form.
Separate service information from its interface
The catalog holds service information. A self-service portal is one place to display it, while a ticket queue holds individual requests and issues. Within the portal, navigation helps employees reach an entry; the entry’s content helps them choose.
Both deserve attention when evaluating European ITSM options such as Matrix42’s ITSM platform. Work through a sample entry from search to the request form, checking whether employees can find the service, understand its conditions and decide whether it fits. A feature checklist alone tells you little about that experience.
Give employees the information they need to choose
Start with a recognizable name. “Borrow a laptop” describes an action; “EUC provisioning” expects employees to understand internal IT terminology. Organize entries around employee needs, using categories such as computers and equipment, rather than support-team names.
A broad service can contain several specific request options. Computer support, for example, might include temporary equipment loans and permanent replacements. Each option needs a distinct description so employees can tell them apart.
Establish the scope: what is included, what falls outside the service and where to go for a different need. State any charge or required approval alongside these details, before employees open the request form.
Keep eligibility separate from availability. Someone can qualify for a loan while the equipment pool is empty. Similarly, distinguish acknowledgment from fulfillment: confirmation that a request has arrived is different from confirmation that equipment is reserved. If you publish a turnaround target, explain what it covers and when the clock starts.
Example: turn an internal label into a useful entry
Consider a hypothetical organization that lends laptops to employees while their assigned computers are being repaired.
An entry labeled “End-user equipment services” and described only as “Submit your requirements” gives little direction. A clearer version would read:
- Borrow a laptop: Request a temporary laptop and charger while your assigned computer is being repaired.
- Who can use this service: Employees whose repair has been logged with the service desk and who can collect and return equipment at the main office.
- Loan period and availability: Loans last up to 10 business days, subject to equipment availability. A device is reserved only after the service desk confirms availability for the requested dates.
- What to expect: Provide your repair reference and requested dates. The service desk will arrange collection once the reservation is confirmed.
- Need something else? Use “Report a computer problem” to start a repair or “Request a replacement computer” for a permanent replacement. Ask the service desk about alternatives if main-office collection is impractical.
The title now identifies a specific action. The scope separates a temporary loan from a purchase or permanent replacement, and the collection requirement appears where employees can use it to decide whether the service fits.
Check whether an employee can use the entry
Ask an employee unfamiliar with the service to find the appropriate entry, then describe who qualifies, what is included and what they expect after submission. Let them work through it without an explanation from the catalog owner.
Next, change the scenario. An employee seeking a permanent replacement should find a different entry; one unable to collect equipment should notice the restriction and find the alternative contact route.
Listen for uncertainty rather than coaching them toward the intended answer. A mistaken expectation about availability points to wording that needs attention. Difficulty finding the entry calls for a review of its category and search terms, rather than automatically adding more description.
Assign someone to update the entry when service conditions change. Start with one existing item: find the first point where an employee needs an explanation, and put that explanation where the decision happens.