What to Include in Service-Level Agreements

Service-level sla agreements are an important part of any contract between a corporate customer and their supplier. They define specific metrics for ascertaining the quality of a service, set penalties for failure to meet those standards and outline responsibilities of both parties to the agreement. They can also include a variety of remedies for breach, including fee reductions, service credits or even the right to terminate the contract. The SLA must also clearly define the points of contact for the measurement and determination of whether goals are met.

In addition to the above, an SLA should include a description of services supplied including applications and processes used, hours of operation, maintenance inclusions, any dependencies and mitigating circumstances. It should also highlight any services that are not offered to eliminate confusion and room for interpretation.

Lastly, the SLA should clearly define pricing for the service provided. This includes a mechanism for periodic pricing review and provision for sharing of cost savings. It should also include a process for managing disputes or issues and outline reporting and meetings as well as information provision.

It is important to remember that an SLA should be a living document and that both parties will likely evolve over time to better meet their needs. It is therefore important to set realistic and achievable goals for the SLA. It is also important to resist the temptation to include too many goals, as this can make them more difficult to monitor.