A service level agreement is a document that sets out expectations and obligations between two parties involved in a service. It is used to manage services and set the standards for performance, availability, uptime and response times. A simple service level agreement template can help you create your own SSA with ease. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is an agreement between two parties regarding the performance standards of services provided by one party to another. Typically, an SLA is part of a broader set of documents known as a Service Contract—which usually consists of three elements: Scope of Services, Performance Standards, and Service Monitoring. In this blog post, we’ll go through a step-by-step guide for writing an SLA for your own business or organization. Let’s get started…
Decide on the timings of your SLA
The timings specified in the Service Level Agreement will include the start date of the agreement, the end date of the agreement, and any specific date ranges for which services are agreed upon. The date for the start of the agreement is often the date of the contract itself, and the date at which the services will end is usually a year from the date of the contract. Specific date ranges will vary from contract to contract, and are usually specified as an average number of hours per day/week/month/quarter.
Define what is included in the service
The contents of a service can vary from contract to contract, but defining the services being offered in the SLA is critical for both parties involved. It’s important to clearly state the type of service provided, the level of service (low, medium, or high), the timing of the services, and what the service includes. It’s also good to specify any limits to the service and any additional costs associated with the service.
Define what is excluded from the service
While you are in the process of defining what is included in the service, you should also specify what is not included in the service. It’s sometimes good to list out exclusions as bullets on the same line as service contents. Exclusions vary from contract to contract. Common exclusions are maintenance and repairs, setup, upgrades, testing, and technical support.
Define how you will measure performance
Performance standards set out what you will measure and track to determine if the services have been delivered. Performance metrics are the core indicators of quality and the crux of any SLA. To determine what metrics to include in your SLA, you should first look at the terms and conditions of your contract. The terms and conditions are usually where the client specifies what metrics you’ll track. If there aren’t any specific metrics, it’s good to go with a standard set of metrics.
Define your obligations to each other and their penalties
The obligations set out what each party is required to do. Obligations include the timings of delivery, the quality of the services, and the availability of the services. It’s important to be as specific with obligations as possible. You should also include how penalties are applied in the event of failure. Penalties can be monetary or non-monetary, and should be defined in the SLA.
Conclusion
A Service Level Agreement is an important part of any business relationship. In this article, we’ve covered everything you need to know when drafting an SLA from scratch. A good SLA will help you manage your business and set the standards for service quality. Stay tuned for more business and marketing content from us. A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Simple Service Level Agreement A service level agreement is a document that sets out expectations and obligations between two parties involved in a service. It is used to manage services and set the standards for performance, availability, uptime and response times. A simple service level agreement template can help you create your own SSA with ease. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is an agreement between two parties regarding the performance standards of services provided by one party to another. Typically, an SLA is part of a broader set of documents known as a Service Contract—which usually consists of three elements: Scope of Services, Performance Standards, and Service Monitoring. In this blog post, we’ll go through a step-by-step guide for writing an SLA for your own business or organization. Let’s get started…
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