Consultancy
Value-led service management for organisations that want IT to mean something. Standards alignment, operating model design, programme assurance and the honest second opinion.
Talk about a piece of work →
Service management should earn its keep.
Sol Seven Studio is created by David Barrow. David is the chair of the UK committee behind ISO/IEC 20000, has written five books, and for thirty years has helped organisations make service management a source of value rather than a tax on the business.
Chair, BSI IST/60/2UK input to ISO/IEC 20000
UK representativeISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 40/WG 2
#2 globallyThinkers360 IT Strategy, 2026
30 yearsIBM, Capgemini, and a lot since
WORK WITH DAVID
Three ways in. All of them start with a conversation.
About what value actually means to you, because it's rarely what the process diagram says.
Mentoring
For people building a career in service management, or stuck in one. Listening first, then helping you find your own way through.
Ask about mentoring →
Speaking
Value co-creation, standards, communities of practice and allyship. Previously at itSMF UK, SDI and SRVision, among others.
Invite David to speak →BOOKS
Two on service management, one on allyship, and a series of OH SH!T 'moment' diaries David never planned to write.
Allyship Actually
Why it's we and not me. With Lucy Hornsby. A series of stories based on fact, centred around misogyny and sexism in the modern workplace.
Buy the book →
OH SH!T. Part 3: Don't Call It a Comeback
It ends on the Isle of Wight, 107.85km later.
Coming soonSTANDARDS AND RECOGNITION
Committee rooms nobody photographs.
Most of what shapes service management happens there. David spends a fair bit of his time in them, making sure the standards work for the people who have to use them.
Chair, BSI IST/60/2The UK committee for IT service management standards
UK representative, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 40/WG 2International work on ISO/IEC 20000
CITP FBCSChartered IT Professional and Fellow of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
ITIL Master and ITIL AmbassadorITIL v2, v3 and ITIL 4
SIAM Community Championand Open Service Community board member
Thinkers360, 2026#2 globally for IT Strategy, #4 for Healthcare
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
David brought gravitas to our discussions with a major government client, building their confidence in our service management processes.
He uses his intelligence and industry knowledge to drive creative, engaging ideas and content.
David can operate at all levels, communicating succinctly with his peers and executives.
ELSEWHERE
The Substack ↗The OH SH!T diary, as it happens.
Beartown Backyard UltraAstbury Mere, 1 May 2027. Last person standing, for Bowel Cancer UK and No Tier Snooker.Website ↗Instagram ↗
Beartown Backyard UltraAstbury Mere, 1 May 2027. Last person standing, for Bowel Cancer UK and No Tier Snooker.Website ↗Instagram ↗Podcast and video
- The Graft Podcast ↗With Ben Glimmerveen, Spotify
- Learnings from an ITIL Ambassador: Meet David Barrow ↗ITIL, YouTube
- Humanising Service Management: Co-Creating Value in the Age of AI ↗HDILocal, YouTube
- A Practical Approach to Co-Creating Value Across the Organization ↗Ticket Volume with Matt Beran, YouTube
- Why listening to your service desk will fix tech in your organisation ↗Tech Life Stories with Kaan Azmi, YouTube
- PeopleCert Shop TalkWith Roman Zhuravlev. Coming soon
Start a conversation.
Tell David what you're trying to fix, or what you'd like him to talk about. He replies personally, usually within a couple of working days.
[email protected]