Methods, including service methods, articles of manufacture, systems, articles and programmable devices are provided for creating and using shared services through service-oriented architecture governance and a services lifecycle process. Service lifecycle steps are identified within a service-oriented architecture shared services model. Service stakeholders, decision-making touch-points and service state transition touch-points are identified in the shared services model, and service state-based lifecycle governance checkpoints within the shared services model are defined as a function of the identified service lifecycle steps, service stakeholders, decision-making touch-points and state transition touch-points. Further, integration points to existing processes are defined as a function of defined service state-based lifecycle governance checkpoints, governance fit-gap analysis are performed as a function of defined service state-based lifecycle governance checkpoints and identified service stakeholders, and services lifecycle gap touch-points are implemented as a function of the governance fit-gap analysis.