subject: Service Level Agreement Template [print this page] A Service Level Agreement is the principal document specifying the terms and conditions of the service offered by a Service Provider to a customer. The customer may be an end-user or an IT firm and the Service Provider may be other out sourced IT or non-IT companies. Whatever the case may be, it is the service level agreement that is the binding contract between the 2 parties. It may be a legal binding contract or an informal contract .It may be written in simple language with complex technical terms used to define the nature of service. Service Level agreements (SLA) are used by IT, Telecom, Internet Service Providers and Outsourcing companies.
Components of a Service Level Agreement:
The Service Level Agreement contains information on
Nature of service
Availability of service
Performance Levels expected from the Service Provider
Operating conditions with exceptions
Responsibilities of both the parties
Priorities
Guarantees
Warrantees
Targets or Deadlines
Quotient of Service Satisfaction
Response time to Customers inquiry
Customers working hours
Trouble shooting time
Service Charges
Since the Service Level Agreement is drawn by mutual consent, it should meet both the expectations of the end user and the capability of the service provider. The Service Level Agreement may quantify details like the number of users to be serviced, the time frame of operation, the performance benchmarks and the lead and response time of the service provider.
Usually, a Service Level Agreement Template is used to chalk out an SLA.
Service Level Agreement Template:
The Service Level agreement Template is the skeletal framework that defines the broad spectrum of the SLA. It should specify the service roles, responsibilities and objectives of the Information service Department of a firm and one of its business services.
What a Service Level agreement template should contain?
The SLA Template usually comprises of the following segments:
1.Purpose-
Here the purpose of the firm for entering into a service contract with an outsourced party is explicitly defined. The objectives of the SLA are stated in terms of short and long term goals. This helps to outline the role of the Service Provider.
2.Scope of Agreement
In the Scope of Agreement, the functions of the Service Provider are clearly outlined. It declares the following:
1.The Primary service to be provided by the Managed Service Provider.
2.The Description of the Maintenance Program
3.The Vendor Response Time of the Service provider
4.The Service availability
5.Responsibility of Equipment Move
6.After Hours Support
7.Accessory support
8.Responsibility of Training
9.change Management
10.Fleet Management
11.Frequency of Vendor Reports
12.Credit Handling
3. Processes and Procedures related to SLA
4. Changes related to SLA
5. Terms & Conditions
6. Metrics
7. Roles and Responsibilities
8. Definitions
The Service Level Agreement Template is the model on which the SLA of each company should be drafted to achieve maximum efficiency.
