ISO/IEC 29110-5-3

• Abstract:

  1.1 Fields of application These Service Delivery guidelines are applicable to Very Small Entities (VSEs). A VSE is an enterprise, an organization, a department or a project having up to 25 people. ISO/IEC TR 29110-5-3:2018 provides guidance to manage a set of services delivered to customers. The VSE can act as an internal service provider (providing services internal to the VSE) or as an external service provider (providing services commercially to external customers). These lifecycle processes (Governance, Service Control, Service Relationship and Service Incident) support and enhance the activities of software and system operations (further to development and installation) to create effective and efficient products and services. ISO/IEC TR 29110-5-3:2018 provides guidance for Service Delivery. This document, when implemented, will assist and guide the VSE in the delivery of services which can benefit customers. This document does not promote uniformity in approach across all organizations as specific objectives and initiatives are tailored to suit an individual organization's needs. Tasks described in this guideline document (and therefore activities and processes) are related by input/output relationships which imply a logical execution sequence. The order of presentation of the processes or the associated numbering scheme is for identification purposes only, NOT to indicate implementation or execution order. As every VSE is different; tasks can be implemented in an order that is suitable for the organization, while respecting the relationships between tasks. 1.2 Target audience ISO/IEC TR 29110-5-3:2018 is intended to be used by VSEs to establish processes to implement effective and efficient service delivery. This service delivery guidelines document can be used by VSEs that are offering only services to its customers or it can be combined with the information from ISO/IEC 29110 systems and/or software management and engineering guidelines.

• Status: Not Published
• ICS: 35.080 - Software
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 - Software and systems engineering
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 - Software and systems engineering
• Current Stage: 6000 - International Standard under publication
• Start Date: 04-Sep-2026
• Completion Date: 12-Sep-2026

• Revises: ISO/IEC TR 29110-5-3:2018 - Systems and software engineering — Lifecycle profiles for Very Small Entities (VSEs) — Part 5-3: Service delivery guidelines
• Effective Date: 24-Dec-2022

Overview

ISO/IEC 29110-5-3:2026 delivers vital service delivery guidelines for Very Small Entities (VSEs) operating in the fields of systems and software engineering. A VSE is defined as an enterprise, department, project, or organization with up to 25 people. The standard addresses the unique needs of VSEs, guiding them in managing, operating, and improving their service delivery processes-whether services are provided internally or to external customers.

ISO/IEC 29110-5-3 helps VSEs create, manage, and deliver effective and efficient services across an entire lifecycle, supporting system and software operations, and enhancing both product and service quality. The guidance is adaptable to the organization’s specific context, allowing customization of tasks and activities to suit particular business needs without enforcing a one-size-fits-all approach.

Key Topics

• Service Delivery Processes: Establishes practical processes that are essential for effective delivery of IT and digital services such as SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, information security services, and IT hardware services.
• Lifecycle Management: Focuses on four core process groups: Governance, Service Control, Service Relationship, and Service Incident management.
• Task Interconnection: Emphasizes logical relationships between tasks, creating a process flow that is tailored but structured, ensuring outputs from one activity serve as inputs to the next where relevant.
• Role Definitions: Clarifies key roles and responsibilities within service delivery, enhancing accountability and streamlining collaboration within small teams.
• Operational Flexibility: Encourages VSEs to implement processes in an order that aligns with the organization's workflow, as long as task relationships are respected.
• Guidance Integration: Can be used standalone by service-only providers or combined with other ISO/IEC 29110 management and engineering guidelines for system/software-focused VSEs.

Applications

ISO/IEC 29110-5-3 is tailored for practical adoption by:

• Internal IT Service Providers: Departments within larger companies or government agencies seeking to formalize and improve their service management practices.
• External Service Providers: Small businesses delivering digital, IT, or managed services to clients and needing a robust, internationally recognized framework.
• Startups and Microenterprises: Early-stage companies can leverage the guidelines to structure their service delivery without the overhead of complex, large-enterprise standards.
• Consultants and Auditors: Professionals guiding VSEs toward improved service delivery or preparing for assessments and potential business expansion.

Benefits of implementing ISO/IEC 29110-5-3 include enhanced service quality, repeatability, and customer satisfaction, as well as easier demonstration of compliance and capability in competitive and regulated markets.

Related Standards

• ISO/IEC 29110 Series: Comprehensive support for VSEs, including management, engineering, compliance, and assessment.
• ISO/IEC 29110-5: Broader management, engineering, and service delivery guidelines for VSE profiles.
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207: International standard for software life cycle processes, which provides the foundation for the 29110 series.
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288: Systems life cycle processes, closely related and referenced within the 29110 family.
• ISO/IEC 20000-1: IT Service Management - a standard for larger organizations that inspired key concepts in 29110-5-3, providing avenues for further process maturity.
• Other ISO/IEC 29110 Parts: Guidance around assessment (Part 3), profile definitions (Parts 2, 4, 6, 7), and supporting documentation standards.

Keywords: ISO/IEC 29110, VSE, service delivery guidelines, IT services, software engineering, systems engineering, small business standards, lifecycle management, service incident management, governance, ISO standard for VSEs, service control process, best practices for microenterprises.

By adopting ISO/IEC 29110-5-3, very small entities in the IT and software sectors can establish standardized, effective, and efficient service delivery processes, empowering them to compete globally and meet growing customer expectations.

FINAL DRAFT
International
Standard
ISO/IEC
FDIS
29110-5-3
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7
Systems and software
Secretariat: BIS
engineering — Life cycle profiles for
Voting begins on:
very small entities (VSEs) —
2026-07-09
Part 5-3:
Voting terminates on:
2026-09-03
Service delivery guidelines
Ingénierie des systèmes et du logiciel — Profils de cycle de vie
pour très petits organismes (TPO) —
Partie 5-3: Lignes directices de prestation des services
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT,
WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION OF ANY
RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE
AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING DOCUMENTATION.
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BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO­
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES, DRAFT
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE
TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL
TO BECOME STAN DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE
MADE IN NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
Reference number
ISO/IEC FDIS 29110­5­3:2026(en) © ISO/IEC 2026

FINAL DRAFT
ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
International
Standard
ISO/IEC
FDIS
29110-5-3
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7
Systems and software
Secretariat: BIS
engineering — Life cycle profiles for
Voting begins on:
very small entities (VSEs) —
Part 5-3:
Voting terminates on:
Service delivery guidelines
Ingénierie des systèmes et du logiciel — Profils de cycle de vie
pour très petits organismes (TPO) —
Partie 5-3: Lignes directices de prestation des services
RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT,
WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION OF ANY
RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE
AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING DOCUMENTATION.
© ISO/IEC 2026
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO­
LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES, DRAFT
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
TO BECOME STAN DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE
MADE IN NATIONAL REGULATIONS.
ISO copyright office
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ISO/IEC FDIS 29110­5­3:2026(en) © ISO/IEC 2026

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
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ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3  Terms and definitions . 1
4  Naming, diagramming and definitions conventions . 6
4.1 General .6
4.2 Naming, diagramming and definition conventions .6
4.3 Abbreviated terms .8
5 Overview . 8
5.1 General .8
5.2 Processes and activities of the service delivery profile .8
6 Governance (GO) process . 9
6.1 GO process purpose .9
6.2 GO process outcomes .9
6.3 GO activities and tasks .9
6.3.1 Overview of the GO process .9
6.3.2 GO activities.10
7 Service control (CO) process .12
7.1 CO process purpose . 12
7.2 CO process outcomes . 13
7.3 CO activities and tasks . 13
7.3.1 Overview of the CO process . 13
7.3.2 CO activities .14
8 Service relationship (RE) process . 17
8.1 RE process purpose .17
8.2 RE process outcomes .18
8.3 RE activities and tasks .18
8.3.1 Overview of the RE process .18
8.3.2 RE activities .18
9 Service incident (IN) process . 19
9.1 IN process purpose .19
9.2 IN process outcomes. 20
9.3 IN activities and tasks . 20
9.3.1 Overview of the IN process . 20
9.3.2 IN activities . 20
10 Service delivery roles .22
11 Description of work products .24
12 Software tools .35
Bibliography .36

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
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ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are
members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical
committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity.
ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/
IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives or www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs).
ISO and IEC draw attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the
use of (a) patent(s). ISO and IEC take no position concerning the evidence, validity, or applicability of any
claimed patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO and IEC had not
received notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers
are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent
database available at www.iso.org/patents and https://patents.iec.ch. ISO and IEC shall not be held
responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
In the IEC, see www.iec.ch/understanding-standards.
This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 7, Software and systems engineering.
This first edition cancels and replaces ISO/IEC TR 29110-5-3:2018, which has been technically revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— a few definitions have been modified to align this document with ISO/IEC 29110-1-2:2024;
— naming, diagramming, and definition conventions have been revised and modified to be consistent with
other parts in the ISO/IEC 29110 series;
— diagrams have been redrawn with revised conventions.
A list of all parts in the ISO/IEC 29110 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards
body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html and
www.iec.ch/national-committees.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
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ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
Introduction
0.1  Introduction to the ISO/IEC 29110 series
For the purpose of the ISO/IEC 29110 series, a very small entity (VSE) is an enterprise, an organization (e.g.
government agency, non-profit organization), a department, or a project having up to 25 people. Many VSEs
develop and maintain systems and the software components used in those systems, either as independent
products or incorporated into the larger system. Due to this, a recognition of VSEs as suppliers of high-
quality products is required.
VSEs around the world are creating valuable products and services. According to the World Bank, small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for about 90 % of enterprises worldwide. According to the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), SMEs represent 99 % of all businesses
and generate about 60 % of employment. Almost one person out of three is employed in a micro firm with less
than 10 employees. The European Union reports that micro firms, with fewer than 10 persons, account for
93,5 % of all enterprises and small firms, with 10 to 49 employees, account for 5,5 % of all enterprises. The
challenge facing OECD governments is to provide a business environment that supports the competitiveness
of this large heterogeneous business population and that promotes a vibrant entrepreneurial culture.
From studies and surveys conducted, it is clear that the majority of international standards do not address
the needs of VSEs. Implementation of and conformity with these standards is difficult, if not impossible.
Consequently, VSEs have no, or very limited, ways to be recognized as entities that produce quality systems/
system elements, including software in their domain. Therefore, VSEs are excluded from some economic
activities.
It has been found that VSEs find it difficult to relate International Standards to their business needs and
to justify the effort required to apply standards to their business practices. Most VSEs can neither afford
the resources in terms of a number of employee nor do they see a net benefit in establishing over-complex
systems or software life cycle processes. To address some of these difficulties, a set of guidelines has
been developed based on a set of VSE characteristics. The guidelines are based on subsets of appropriate
standards processes, activities, tasks, and outcomes, referred to as Profiles. The purpose of a profile is to
define a subset of international standards relevant to the VSEs' context, for example, processes, activities,
tasks, and outcomes of ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207 for software; processes, activities, tasks, and outcomes of
ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 for systems; information products (documentation) of ISO/IEC/IEEE 15289 for
software and systems; and ISO/IEC 20000-1 for service management.
VSEs can achieve recognition through implementing a profile and by being audited against ISO/IEC 29110
specifications.
The ISO/IEC 29110 series can be applied at any phase of system or software development within a life cycle.
The ISO/IEC 29110 series is intended to be used by VSEs that do not have experience or expertise in adapting
or tailoring ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207, ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 or the ISO/IEC 20000 series to the needs of a specific
project. VSEs that have expertise in adapting or tailoring ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207, ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 or the
ISO/IEC 20000 series are encouraged to use those standards instead of the ISO/IEC 29110 series.
The ISO/IEC 29110 series is intended to be used with any life cycle, such as waterfall, iterative, incremental,
evolutionary, or agile.
In the context of the ISO/IEC 29110 series, systems are typically composed of hardware and software
components.
The ISO/IEC 29110 series, targeted by audience, has been developed to improve system, software, service
quality, and process performance. Figure 1 describes the ISO/IEC 29110 series and positions the parts
within the framework of reference.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
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ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
Figure 1 — The ISO/IEC 29110 series
ISO/IEC 29110-1-1 introduces processes, life cycle and standardization concepts, the taxonomy (catalogue) of
ISO/IEC 29110 profiles, and the ISO/IEC 29110 series. ISO/IEC 29110-1-1 also introduces the characteristics
and needs of a VSE, and clarifies the rationale for specific profiles, documents, standards, and guidelines.
ISO/IEC 29110-1-2 defines the terms common to the ISO/IEC 29110 series. ISO/IEC 29110-1-1 and
ISO/IEC 29110-1-2 are targeted at VSEs and their customers, assessors, standards producers, tool vendors,
and methodology vendors.
ISO/IEC 29110-2 introduces the concepts for systems and software engineering profiles for VSEs. It
establishes the logic behind the definition and application of profiles. For standardized profiles, it specifies
the elements common to all profiles (structure, requirements, conformity, and assessment). For domain-
specific profiles (profiles that are not standardized and developed outside of the ISO process), it provides
general guidance adapted from the definition of standardized profiles. ISO/IEC 29110-2 is targeted at profile
producers, tool vendors, and methodology vendors.
ISO/IEC 29110-3 defines certification schemes, assessment guidelines, and compliance requirements for
process capability assessment, conformity assessments, and self-assessments for process improvements.
ISO/IEC 29110-3 also contains information that can be useful to developers of certification and assessment
methods and developers of certification and assessment tools. ISO/IEC 29110-3 is addressed to people who
have direct involvement with the assessment process, e.g., the auditor, certification and accreditation bodies,

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
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ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
and the sponsor of the audit, who need guidance on ensuring that the requirements for performing an audit
have been met. ISO/IEC 29110-3 is targeted at VSEs and their customers, assessors, and accreditation bodies.
ISO/IEC 29110-4 provides the specifications for all generic profiles of the generic profile group that are based
on subsets of appropriate standards elements. ISO/IEC 29110-4 is targeted at VSEs, customers, standards
producers, tool vendors, and methodology vendors.
ISO/IEC 29110-5 provides management, engineering, and service delivery guidelines for profiles of the
generic profile group. ISO/IEC 29110-5 is targeted at VSEs and their customers.
ISO/IEC 29110-6 provides the specifications for specific profiles that are based on subsets of appropriate
standards elements. ISO/IEC 29110-6 is targeted at VSEs, customers, standards producers, tool vendors, and
methodology vendors.
ISO/IEC 29110-7 provides a guideline for each profile of the specific profile group. ISO/IEC 29110-7 is
targeted at VSEs and their customers.
If a new profile is needed, any of ISO/IEC 29110-4, ISO/IEC 29110-6, ISO/IEC 29110-7, or ISO/IEC 29110-5
can be developed with minimal impact to existing documents.
Since a VSE may be an enterprise, a project, or a department of an organization, a customer of a VSE can be
internal or external to the organization.
0.2  Introduction to this document
This document provides guidelines to manage a set of services delivered to internal and external customers.
The services are digital or IT services, such as digital content, software as a service (SaaS), platform as a
service (PaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), information as a service (InfoaaS), information security
services, and IT hardware services.
This document is intended to be used by VSEs to establish processes to implement effective and efficient
service delivery. This document can be used by VSEs that offer only services to their customers, or it can be
combined with the information from either ISO/IEC 29110 systems management and engineering guidelines
or ISO/IEC 29110 software management and engineering guidelines, or both. The life cycle processes
(governance, service control, service relationship, and service incident) support and enhance the activities
of software and system operations (further to development and installation) to create effective and efficient
services.
Tasks described in this document (and therefore activities and processes) are related by input/output
relationships, which imply a logical execution sequence. The order of presentation of the processes, or the
associated numbering scheme, is for identification purposes only and does not indicate implementation or
execution order. As every VSE is different, tasks can be implemented in an order suitable for the organization,
while respecting their relationships. This document does not promote uniformity in approach across all
organizations, as specific objectives and initiatives are tailored to suit an individual organization’s needs.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
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FINAL DRAFT International Standard ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
Systems and software engineering — Life cycle profiles for
very small entities (VSEs) —
Part 5-3:
Service delivery guidelines
1 Scope
This document provides guidance for very small entities (VSEs) on managing the services they deliver to
customers.
This document applies to both external services that VSEs provide commercially to external customers and
internal services that VSEs provide to themselves.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3  Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
activity
set of cohesive tasks of a process (3.22)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207:2017, 3.1.3]
3.2
agreement
mutual acknowledgement of terms and conditions under which a working relationship is conducted
EXAMPLE Contract, memorandum of agreement.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207:2017, 3.1.5]
3.3
audit
independent examination of a work product or set of work products to assess compliance with specifications,
standards, contractual agreements (3.2), or other criteria
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207:2017, 3.1.10]

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
3.4
change
modification of an existing application comprising additions, alterations and deletions
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 29110-1-2:2024, 3.26]
3.5
configuration item
CI
item or aggregation of hardware, software, or both, that is designated for configuration management and
treats as a single entity in the configuration management process (3.22)
Note 1 to entry: Configuration items can vary widely in complexity, size and type, ranging from an entire system (3.37)
including all hardware, software and documentation, to a single module or a minor hardware component.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023, 3.11, modified — The abbreviated term "CI" and note 1 to entry have
been added.]
3.6
control manager
CM
role that approves or rejects changes (3.4) and manages change-related tasks such as testing and deployment
Note 1 to entry: This role may be combined with other roles and is a direct report (or shared role) with the service
manager (3.34). If one person is appointed to the role, the person reports to the service manager for service matters
and has the authority over change-related tasks.
3.7
customer
CUS
person or organization (3.19) that could or does receive a product or a service (3.27) that is intended for or
required by this person or organization
EXAMPLE Consumer, client, end-user, retailer, receiver of product or service from an internal process (3.22),
beneficiary and purchaser.
Note 1 to entry: A customer can be internal or external to the organization.
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.2.4, modified — The abbreviated term "CUS" has been added.]
3.8
document
information and the medium on which it is contained
EXAMPLE Record (3.24), specification, procedure (3.21) document, drawing, report, standard.
Note 1 to entry: The medium can be paper, magnetic, electronic, or optical computer disc, photograph, or master
sample, or a combination thereof.
Note 2 to entry: A set of documents, for example, specifications and records, is frequently called “documentation”.
Note 3 to entry: Some requirements (e.g., the requirement to be readable) relate to all types of documents. However,
there can be different requirements for specifications (e.g., the requirement to be revision controlled) and for records
(e.g., the requirement to be retrievable).
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.8.5]
3.9
effectiveness
extent to which planned activities (3.1) are realized and planned results are achieved
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.7.11, modified — Note 1 to entry has been removed.]

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
3.10
efficiency
relationship between the result achieved and the resources (3.26) used
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.7.10]
3.11
external service provider
person or organization (3.19) providing services (3.27) commercially to external customers (3.7)
3.12
governance
human-based system (3.37) comprising directing, overseeing and accountability
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 38500:2024, 3.3]
3.13
incident
anomalous or unexpected event, set of events, condition, or situation at any time during the life cycle of a
project, product, service (3.27), or system (3.37)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023, 3.17, modified — Note 1 to entry has been removed.]
3.14
incident manager
IM
role that has authority over all incidents (3.13) and manages incident-related tasks
Note 1 to entry: This role may be combined with other roles. This role is a direct report (or shared role) with the
service manager (3.34). The person can also be responsible for a service desk, if one exists.
3.15
information security policy
document (3.8) that states, in writing, how an organization (3.19) plans to protect its physical and information
technology assets
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 29110-1-2:2024, 3.47]
3.16
internal service provider
person or organization (3.19) providing services (3.27) internal to the VSE
3.17
life cycle
evolution of a system (3.37), product, service (3.27), project or other human-made entity, from conception
through retirement
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023, 3.21]
3.18
management
MGT
coordinated activities (3.1) to direct and control an organization (3.19)
Note 1 to entry: Management can include establishing policies and objectives, and processes (3.23) to achieve these
objectives.
Note 2 to entry: The word “management” sometimes refers to people, i.e. a person or group of people with authority
and responsibility for the conduct and control of an organization. When “management” is used in this sense, it should
always be used with some form of qualifier to avoid confusion with the concept of “management” as a set of activities
defined above. For example, “management shall.” is deprecated whereas “top management shall.” is acceptable.
Otherwise different words should be adopted to convey the concept when related to people, e.g., managerial or
managers.
© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.3.3, modified — The abbreviated term "MGT" has been added.]
3.19
organization
person or a group of people that has its own functions with responsibilities, authorities and relationships to
achieve its objectives
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.2.1, modified — Notes to entry have been removed.]
3.20
practitioner
PT
person or team performing the activities (3.1) within one or more process (3.22) areas
3.21
procedure
specified way to carry out an activity (3.1) or a process (3.22)
Note 1 to entry: Procedures can be documented or not.
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.4.5]
3.22
process
set of interrelated or interacting activities (3.1) which transforms inputs into outputs
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE12207: 2017, 3.1.33]
3.23
profile
subset of appropriate standards’ processes (3.22) and their outcomes, activities (3.1) and tasks combined to
accomplish a particular function
Note 1 to entry: The base standards used to develop profiles for VSEs are ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207, ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288
and ISO/IEC/IEEE 15289.
3.24
record
document (3.8) stating results achieved or providing evidence of activities (3.1) performed
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15289:2019, 3.1.21]
3.25
relationship manager
RM
role that develops and manages interactions with customers (3.7) and suppliers (3.36)
3.26
resource
asset that is utilized or consumed during the execution of a process (3.22)
Note 1 to entry: Includes diverse entities such as funding, personnel, facilities, capital equipment, tools, and utilities
such as power, water, fuel and communication infrastructures.
Note 2 to entry: Resources include those that are reusable, renewable or consumable.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207:2017, 3.1.45]

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ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
3.27
service
output of an organization (3.19) with at least one activity (3.1) necessarily performed between the
organization and the customer (3.7)
Note 1 to entry: The dominant elements of a service are generally intangible.
Note 2 to entry: A service is coherent, discrete, and can be composed of other services.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023, 3.42]
3.28
service catalogue
documented information about services (3.27) that an organization (3.19) provides to its customers (3.7)
3.29
service change request
formal procedure (3.21) for submitting a request for an adjustment of a configuration item (3.5)
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC TR 18018:2010, 3.5, modified — The term has been changed from "change request" to
"service change request"; the abbreviated term has been removed.]
3.30
service delivery policy
formal, brief and high-level statement that embraces an organization’s (3.19) general beliefs, ethics, goals
and objectives of service(s) (3.27)
3.31
service design
creation of a service (3.27) solution(s), typically including the components that create the desired
functionality, the technology architecture that supports the components, the processes (3.22) to support and
manage the solution, the service organization (3.19) and human resource capabilities to deliver the service,
and the associated measures (internal performance or customer (3.7) agreed measures), and the supply
chain interfaces
3.32
service level agreement
SLA
documented agreement (3.2) between the organization (3.19) and the customer (3.7) that identifies services
(3.27) and their agreed performance
Note 1 to entry: A service level agreement can also be established between the organization and an external supplier
(3.36) or an internal group or a customer acting as a supplier.
Note 2 to entry: A service level agreement can be included in a contract or another type of documented agreement.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 20000-10:2018, 3.2.20, modified — "organization" has been replaced by "service
provider"; note 1 to entry has been updated.]
3.33
service infrastructure
hardware, software, working environment, and controls to support services (3.27)
3.34
service manager
SM
role that directly oversees the delivery of services (3.27) and provides leadership and direction; has decision-
making authority on all activities (3.1); and is a direct report or peer to the highest level of the organization
(3.19)
Note 1 to entry: The service manager may have more than one role in the delivery of services (assign the responsibilities
of the control manager (3.6) and service manager to the same individual).

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
3.35
stakeholder
individual or organization (3.19) having a right, share, claim, or interest in a system (3.37) or in its possession
of characteristics that meet their needs and expectations
EXAMPLE End users, end user organizations, supporters, developers, trainers, maintainers, disposers, acquirers,
supplier (3.36) organizations and regulatory bodies.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023, 3.44, modified — EXAMPLE has been updated; note 1 to entry has
been removed.]
3.36
supplier
SUP
organization (3.19) or an individual that enters into an agreement (3.2) with the acquirer for the supply of a
product or service (3.27)
Note 1 to entry: Other terms commonly used for supplier are contractor, producer, seller or vendor.
Note 2 to entry: The acquirer and the supplier sometimes are part of the same organization.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023, 3.45, modified — The abbreviated term "SUP" has been added.]
3.37
system
arrangement of parts or elements that together exhibit a stated behaviour or meaning that the individual
constituents do not
Note 1 to entry: A system is sometimes considered as a product or as the services (3.27) it provides.
Note 2 to entry: In practice, the interpretation of its meaning is frequently clarified by the use of an associative noun,
e.g., aircraft system. Alternatively, the word “system” is substituted simply by a context-dependent synonym (e.g.,
aircraft), though this potentially obscures a system principles perspective.
Note 3 to entry: A complete system includes all of the associated equipment, facilities, material, computer programs,
firmware, technical documentation, services, and personnel required for operations and support to the degree
necessary for self-sufficient use in its intended environment.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023, 3.46]
3.38
vital business service
service (3.27) that is critical to the success of the business
4  Naming, diagramming and definitions conventions
4.1 General
Conventions for naming, diagramming, describing, and defining profiles are defined in ISO/IEC 29110-2-1.
4.2  Naming, diagramming and definition conventions
The following process structure description and notation are used to describe the processes.
Process name – process identifier, followed by its abbreviation in parenthesis “( )”.
Process purpose – high-level objective of performing the process and the likely outcomes of effective
implementation of the process.
Process outcomes – observable result of the successful achievement of the process purpose. Outcomes are
identified by the abbreviation of the process name, followed by the letter “O” and a consecutive number, for
example, GO.O1, CO.O2.
© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
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Input work products – Work products that can be used to perform the process and its corresponding source,
which can be another process or an external entity to the project, such as the customer. They are identified
by the abbreviation of the process name.
Output work products – Work products generated by the process and its corresponding destination, which
can be another process or an external entity to the project, such as customer. They are identified by the
abbreviation of the process name.
All work products’ names are initiated with capital letters. Some work products have one or more statuses
attached to the work product name surrounded by square brackets “[ ]” and separated by ”,”. The work
product state may change during the process execution. See Clause 11 for the alphabetical list of the work
products, its descriptions, possible states, and the source of the work product. The source can be another
process or an external entity to the project, such as the customer.
Roles involved – Names and abbreviations of the functions to be performed by project team members.
Several roles may be played by a single person and one role may be assumed by several persons. Roles are
assigned to project participants based on the characteristics of the project. The role list is identified by the
abbreviation of the process name and shown as a two-column table. See Clause 10 for the alphabetical list of
the roles and the description of the required competencies.
Diagram – Graphical representation of the processes. The large round-edged rectangles indicate processes
or activities, and the smaller square-edged rectangles indicate the work products. The directional or
bidirectional thick arrows indicate the major flow of information between processes or activities. The thin
directional or bidirectional arrows indicate the input or output work products. The notation used in the
diagrams does not imply the use of any specific process life cycle.
Activity – A set of cohesive tasks of a process. The task statements in this document are not imperative. A
process activity is the first level of process workflow decomposition and the second one is a task. Activities
are identified by process name abbreviation followed by consecutive number and the activity name.
Activity description – Each activity description is identified by the activity name and the list of related
outcomes surrounded by parenthesis “( )”. For example, GO.01 Define the scope of the activity and required
roles (GO.O1) means that the activity GO.01 Define the scope of the activity and required roles contributes to
the achievement of the listed outcome: GO.O1.
Task description – Each task description begins with an active verb (e.g., assign, test) and is followed by an
object (e.g., review the project plan). To facilitate their implementation, a few tasks are broken down into
elementary tasks. The task description doesn’t impose any technique or method to perform it. The selection
of the techniques or methods is left to the VSE or project team.
Task description tables contain four columns corresponding to:
— Role – the abbreviation of roles involved in the task execution.
— Task – description of the task to be performed. Each task is identified by activity ID and consecutive
number, for example, GO.01.01, GO.01.02. A few numbered items are added to provide additional
information intended to assist the understanding or use of tasks.
— Input work products – work products needed to execute a task.
— Output work products – work products created or modified by the execution of a task.
NOTE 1 A conditional task is executed if its associated work product (e.g., software user documentation) is required
by the customer and listed in the delivery instructions. The conditional task statement is followed with this text:
"Conditional task".
Incorporation to project repository – list of work products to be saved in a project repository. A few work
products (e.g., requirements) are baselined, a change to a baselined work product can be done through an
approved change request.
NOTE 2 Tables used in process description are for presentation purpose only.

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
NOTE 3 The term ‘Entry’ is using a capital ‘E’ to indicate an ISO/IEC 29110 profile (e.g., the Entry profile) while
the term ‘entry’ is used when referring to the act of entering a place or something written or printed in a dictionary,
account book.
NOTE 4 A work product is baselined when it has been approved and uploaded in the repository.
4.3 Abbreviated terms
CO service control process
GO governance process
IN service incident process
RE service relationship process
VSE very small entity
WP work product
5 Overview
5.1 General
This document is intended to be used by the VSE to establish processes to implement an effective and
efficient service delivery. A VSE can also request suppliers to follow the same processes to help ensure an
effective and efficient supply chain.
NOTE This document contains the profile process specification and is used for implementation. The companion
document, ISO/IEC 29110-4-3 contains the profile requirements specification, and is used for conformity assessment.
A VSE may apply the guidance in one of several approaches:
— Implementing one or more of the four processes: governance, service control, service relationship,
service incident. Additionally, implementing the governance process can address two scenarios:
— as a stand-alone process, to create a good management base for the VSE; and
— as an addition to implementing software or systems guidelines in the ISO/IEC 29110 series.
— Meeting the requirements of ISO/IEC 29110-4-3 for either the full (all four processes mentioned above)
or partial implementation (e.g., the governance process or the operational processes only) of the profile
requirements;
— Requesting third-party supplier(s) to partially or fully implement processes that conform to the profile
requirements in ISO/IEC 29110-4-3.
5.2  Processes and activities of the service delivery profile
Figure 2 illustrates the service delivery processes which are presented in this document. They are:
— governance process (GO) which establishes a system for directing and controlling activities within the
VSE; the governance process is crucial to the success of the profile implementation;
— service control process (CO) which supports and controls change to defined vital business services and
mitigates the associated risk of change;
— service relationship process (RE) which maintains quality relationships with customers and suppliers
needed to support efficient service delivery;

© ISO/IEC 2026 – All rights reserved
ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
— service incident process (IN) which restores service to the business with minimal disruption or prevents
incidents from occurring.
Figure 2 — Service delivery processes diagram
6 Governance (GO) process
6.1 GO process purpose
The purpose of the governance process is to establish a system for directing and controlling service delivery
activities within the VSE. The result of these activities defines the scope, responsibilities, and leadership
requirements for an effective and efficient service delivery.
The governa
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ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7/WG 24
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Secretariat: BIS
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Service delivery guidelines
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ISO copyright office
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CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
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CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
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Phone: + 41 22 749 01 11
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Website: www.iso.orgwww.iso.org
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Published in Switzerland
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Contents
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Foreword . vii
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Introduction . viii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Naming, diagramming and definitions conventions . 7
4.1 General . 7
4.2 Naming, diagramming and definition conventions . 7
4.3 Abbreviated terms . 8
5 Overview . 9
5.1 General . 9
5.2 Processes and activities of the service delivery profile . 9
6 Governance (GO) process . 10
6.1 GO process purpose . 10
6.2 GO process outcomes . 10
6.3 GO activities and tasks . 11
7 Service control (CO) process . 14
7.1 CO process purpose . 14
7.2 CO process outcomes . 15
7.3 CO activities and tasks. 16
8 Service relationship (RE) process . 19
8.1 RE process purpose . 19
8.2 RE process outcomes . 20
8.3 RE activities and tasks . 20
9 Service incident (IN) process . 23
9.1 IN process purpose . 23
9.2 IN process outcomes . 23
9.3 IN activities and tasks . 23
10 Service delivery roles . 26
11 Description of work products. 29
12 Software tools . 41
Bibliography . 42

Foreword . vi
Introduction . vii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
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3 Terms and definitions . 1
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5 Overview . 8
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5.1 General . 8
5.2 Processes and activities of the Service Delivery profile . 9
6 Governance (GO) process . 10
6.1 GO process purpose . 10
6.2 GO process outcomes . 10
6.3 GO activities and tasks . 10
6.3.1 Overview of the GO process . 10
6.3.2 GO activities . 10
7 Service Control (CO) process . 13
7.1 CO process purpose . 13
7.2 CO process outcomes . 14
7.3 CO activities and tasks. 14
7.3.1 Overview of the CO process . 14
7.3.2 CO activities . 15
8 Service relationship (RE) process . 17
8.1 RE process purpose . 17
8.2 RE process outcomes . 17
8.3 RE activities and tasks . 17
8.3.1 Overview of the RE process . 17
8.3.2 RE activities . 18
9 Service incident (IN) process . 19
9.1 IN process purpose . 19
9.2 IN process outcomes . 19
9.3 IN activities and tasks . 19
9.3.1 Overview of the IN process . 19
9.3.2 IN activities . 20
10 Service Delivery roles . 21
11 Description of work products. 23
12 Software tools requirements . 35
Bibliography . 36
Table of illustrations
Figure 1 — The ISO/IEC 29110 series . viii
Figure 2 — Service delivery processes diagram . 9
Figure 3 — Governance process diagram . 10
Figure 4 — Service control process diagram . 14
Figure 5 — Service relationship process diagram . 18
Figure 6 — Service incident process diagram . 20
Table of tables
Table 1 — GO.01 Task list . 11
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Table 2 — GO.02 Task list . 11
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Table 5 — CO.01 Task list . 15
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Table 6 — CO.02 Task list . 16
Table 7 — CO.03 Task list . 16
Table 8 — RE.01 Task list . 18
Table 9 — RE.02 Task list . 18
Table 10 — IN.01 Task list . 20
Table 11 — IN.02 Task list . 20
Table 12 — Roles . 22
Table 13 — Definition of states of work products . 23
Table 14 — Business goals and objectives . 24
Table 15 — Configuration record . 25
Table 16 — Customer agreement . 25
Table 17 — Customer experience approach . 26
Table 18 — Data and document management procedure . 26
Table 19 — Feedback log . 27
Table 20 — Improvement report . 27
Table 21 — List of assigned roles . 28
Table 22 — Secure component procedure . 28
Table 23 — Service catalogue . 28
Table 24 — Service change request . 29
Table 25 — Service change schedule . 30
Table 26 — Service change, built . 30
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Table 30 — Service design, build, test & deployment procedure(s) . 32
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Table 31 — Service incident record . 32
Table 32 — Service performance report . 33
Table 33 — Service test report . 33
Table 34 — Supplier agreement . 34
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Foreword
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ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
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Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members
of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of
document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC
Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directiveswww.iso.org/directives or
www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocswww.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs).
ISO and IEC draw attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of
(a) patent(s). ISO and IEC take no position concerning the evidence, validity, or applicability of any claimed
patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO and IEC had not received
notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are
cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database
available at www.iso.org/patents and https://patents.iec.ch.www.iso.org/patents and https://patents.iec.ch.
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ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
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Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
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constitute an endorsement.
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For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
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related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
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Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html. In the IEC, see www.iec.ch/understanding-
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standardswww.iec.ch/understanding-standards.
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This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 7, Software and systems engineering.
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This first edition cancels and replaces ISO/IEC TR 29110-5-3:2018, which has been technically revised.
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— — a few definitions have been modified to align this document with ISO/IEC 29110-1-2:2024; 3.5 cm + 4.2 cm + 4.9 cm + 5.6 cm + 6.3 cm + 7 cm
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— — naming, diagramming, and definition conventions have been revised and modified to be consistent
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with other parts in the ISO/IEC 29110 series;
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— — diagrams have been redrawn with revised conventions.
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A list of all parts in the ISO/IEC 29110 series can be found on the ISO website.
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Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
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complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.htmlwww.iso.org/members.html and
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www.iec.ch/national-committeeswww.iec.ch/national-committees.
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Introduction
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0.1 0.1  Introduction to the ISO/IEC 29110 series .
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For the purpose of the ISO/IEC 29110 series, a very small entity (VSE) is an enterprise, an organization (e.g.
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government agency, non-profit organization), a department, or a project having up to 25 people. Many VSEs
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develop and maintain systems and the software components used in those systems, either as independent
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products or incorporated into the larger system. Due to this, a recognition of VSEs as suppliers of high-quality
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products is required.
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VSEs around the world are creating valuable products and services. According to the World Bank, small and Formatted
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medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for about 90 % of enterprises worldwide. According to the
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Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), SMEs represent 99 % of all businesses and
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generate about 60 % of employment. Almost one person out of three is employed in a micro firm with less
than 10 employees. The European Union reports that micro firms, with fewer than 10 persons, account for
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93,5 % of all enterprises and small firms, with 10 to 49 employees, account for 5,5 % of all enterprises. The
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challenge facing OECD governments is to provide a business environment that supports the competitiveness
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of this large heterogeneous business population and that promotes a vibrant entrepreneurial culture.
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From studies and surveys conducted, it is clear that the majority of International Standardsinternational
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standards do not address the needs of VSEs. Implementation of and conformity with these standards is
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difficult, if not impossible.
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Consequently, VSEs have no, or very limited, ways to be recognized as entities that produce quality
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systems/system elements, including software in their domain. Therefore, VSEs are excluded from some
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It has been found that VSEs find it difficult to relate International Standards to their business needs and to
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justify the effort required to apply standards to their business practices. Most VSEs can neither afford the
resources in terms of a number of employee nor do they see a net benefit in establishing over-complex systems
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or software life cycle processes. To address some of these difficulties, a set of guidelines has been developed
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based on a set of VSE characteristics. The guidelines are based on subsets of appropriate standards processes,
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activities, tasks, and outcomes, referred to as Profiles. The purpose of a profile is to define a subset of .
International Standardsinternational standards relevant to the VSEs' context, for example, processes,
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activities, tasks, and outcomes of ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207 for software; processes, activities, tasks, and outcomes
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of ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 for systems; information products (documentation) of ISO/IEC/IEEE 15289 for
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software and systems; and ISO/IEC 20000--1 for service management. .
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VSEs can achieve recognition through implementing a profile and by being audited against ISO/IEC 29110
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specifications.
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The ISO/IEC 29110 series can be applied at any phase of system or software development within a life cycle.
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The ISO/IEC 29110 series is intended to be used by VSEs that do not have experience or expertise in adapting
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or tailoring ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207, ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 or the ISO/IEC 20000 series to the needs of a specific
project. VSEs that have expertise in adapting or tailoring ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207, ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288 or the
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ISO/IEC 20000 series are encouraged to use those standards instead of the ISO/IEC 29110 series.
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The ISO/IEC 29110 series is intended to be used with any life cycle, such as waterfall, iterative, incremental, .
evolutionary, or agile.
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In the context of the ISO/IEC 29110 series, systems are typically composed of hardware and software
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components.
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ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:20252026(en)
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The ISO/IEC 29110 series, targeted by audience, has been developed to improve system, software, service
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quality, and process performance. Figure 1 describes the ISO/IEC 29110 series and positions the parts within
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the framework of reference.
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© ISO/IEC 2025 2026 – All rights reserved
ix
ISO #####-#:####(X/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
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ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:20252026(en)
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Figure 1 — The ISO/IEC 29110 series
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ISO/IEC 29110-1-1 introduces processes, life cycle and standardization concepts, the taxonomy (catalogue) Asian text, Adjust space between Asian text and
of ISO/IEC 29110 profiles, and the ISO/IEC 29110 series. ISO/IEC 29110-1-1 also introduces the numbers
characteristics and needs of a VSE, and clarifies the rationale for specific profiles, documents, standards, and
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guidelines. ISO/IEC 29110-1-2 defines the terms common to the ISO/IEC 29110 series. ISO/IEC 29110-1-1
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and ISO/IEC 29110-1-2 are targeted at VSEs and their customers, assessors, standards producers, tool
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vendors, and methodology vendors.
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ISO/IEC 29110-2 introduces the concepts for systems and software engineering profiles for VSEs. It
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establishes the logic behind the definition and application of profiles. For standardized profiles, it specifies the
elements common to all profiles (structure, requirements, conformity, and assessment). For domain-specific
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profiles (profiles that are not standardized and developed outside of the ISO process), it provides general
guidance adapted from the definition of standardized profiles. ISO/IEC 29110-2 is targeted at profile
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producers, tool vendors, and methodology vendors.
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ISO/IEC 29110-3 defines certification schemes, assessment guidelines, and compliance requirements for
process capability assessment, conformity assessments, and self-assessments for process improvements.
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ISO/IEC 29110-3 also contains information that can be useful to developers of certification and assessment
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methods and developers of certification and assessment tools. ISO/IEC 29110-3 is addressed to people who
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ISO #####-#:####(X/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
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have direct involvement with the assessment process, e.g., the auditor, certification and accreditation bodies,
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and the sponsor of the audit, who need guidance on ensuring that the requirements for performing an audit
have been met. ISO/IEC 29110-3 is targeted at VSEs and their customers, assessors, and accreditation bodies.
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ISO/IEC 29110-4 provides the specifications for all generic profiles of the generic profile group that are based
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on subsets of appropriate standards elements. ISO/IEC 29110-4 is targeted at VSEs, customers, standards
producers, tool vendors, and methodology vendors.
ISO/IEC 29110-5 provides management, engineering, and service delivery guidelines for profiles of the
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generic profile group. ISO/IEC 29110-5 is targeted at VSEs and their customers.
ISO/IEC 29110-6 provides the specifications for specific profiles that are based on subsets of appropriate
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standards elements. ISO/IEC 29110-6 is targeted at VSEs, customers, standards producers, tool vendors, and
methodology vendors.
ISO/IEC 29110-7 provides a guideline for each profile of the specific profile group. ISO/IEC 29110-7 is
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targeted at VSEs and their customers.
If a new profile is needed, any of ISO/IEC 29110-4, ISO/IEC 29110-6, ISO/IEC 29110-7, or ISO/IEC 29110-5
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can be developed with minimal impact to existing documents.
Since a VSE may be an enterprise, a project, or a department of an organization, a customer of a VSE can be
internal or external to the organization.
0.2 0.2  Introduction to this document
This document provides guidelines to manage a set of services delivered to internal and external customers.
The services are digital or IT services, such as digital content, software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service
(PaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), information as a service (InfoaaS), information security services, and
IT hardware services.
This document is intended to be used by VSEs to establish processes to implement effective and efficient
service delivery. This document can be used by VSEs that offer only services to their customers, or it can be
combined with the information from either ISO/IEC 29110 systems management and engineering guidelines
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or ISO/IEC 29110 software management and engineering guidelines, or both. The life cycle processes
(governance, service control, service relationship, and service incident) support and enhance the activities of
software and system operations (further to development and installation) to create effective and efficient
services.
Tasks described in this document (and therefore activities and processes) are related by input/output
relationships, which imply a logical execution sequence. The order of presentation of the processes, or the
associated numbering scheme, is for identification purposes only and does not indicate implementation or
execution order. As every VSE is different, tasks can be implemented in an order suitable for the organization,
while respecting their relationships. This document does not promote uniformity in approach across all
organizations, as specific objectives and initiatives are tailored to suit an individual organization’s needs.
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FINAL DRAFT International Standard ISO/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2025(en)

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Systems and software engineering — LifecycleLife cycle profiles for
very small entities (VSE) — VSEs) —
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Part 5-3:
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Service delivery guidelines between Asian text and numbers
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This document provides guidance for very small entities (VSEs) on managing the services they deliver to
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customers.
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This document applies to both external services that VSEs provide commercially to external customers and
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internal services that VSEs provide to themselves.
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2 Normative references
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There are no normative references in this document.
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numbers
3 Terms and definitions
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For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
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ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
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— — ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obphttps://www.iso.org/obp
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— — IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/https://www.electropedia.org/
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3.1 3.1
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activity stops: Not at 0.7 cm + 1.4 cm + 2.1 cm + 2.8 cm +
set of cohesive tasks of a process (3.22)(3.22) 3.5 cm + 4.2 cm + 4.9 cm + 5.6 cm + 6.3 cm + 7 cm
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[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207:2017, 3.1.3]
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3.2 3.2
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agreement
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mutual acknowledgement of terms and conditions under which a working relationship is conducted
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EXAMPLE Contract, memorandum of agreement.
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[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207:2017, 3.1.5]
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3.3 3.3
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audit
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independent examination of a work product or set of work products to assess compliance with specifications,
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standards, contractual agreements (3.2),(3.2), or other criteria
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[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207:2017, 3.1.10]
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© ISO/IEC 2025 – All rights reserved
ISO #####-#:####(X/IEC FDIS 29110-5-3:2026(en)
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3.4 3.4
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change
modification of an existing application comprising additions, alterations and deletions
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 29110-1-2:2024, 3.26]
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3.5 3.5
configuration item
CI
item or aggregation of hardware, software, or both, that is designated for configuration management and
treats as a single entity in the configuration management process (3.22)(3.22)
Note 1 to entry: Configuration items can vary widely in complexity, size and type, ranging from an
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entire system (3.37)(3.37) including all hardware, software and documentation, to a single module or a minor hardware
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component.
stops: Not at 0.7 cm + 1.4 cm + 2.1 cm + 2.8 cm +
3.5 cm + 4.2 cm + 4.9 cm + 5.6 cm + 6.3 cm + 7 cm
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023, 3.11, modified — The abbreviated term "CI" and note 1 to entry have
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been added.]
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3.6 3.6
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control manager
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CM
role that approves or rejects changes (3.4)(3.4) and manages change-related tasks such as testing and
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Note 1 to
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