One of the contracts signed between a service provider and the purchasing customer in order to protect the rights of both parties is SLA (Service-level Agreement). But what is SLA? How is SLA time tracking done?
What is SLA?
SLA (Service Level Agreement) is an agreement between a service provider and a customer. With this agreement, the level of service expected by the customer from a service provider is determined. The metrics that will be used to measure the service and solutions if the agreed service levels, if there are any, which cannot be reached, are put forward. Even though an SLA is usually done between companies and external suppliers, it can also be done between two different departments of a company.
What are the types of SLA?
Since there are various applications of service level agreements, they are divided into categories. Essentially there are 3 types of SLAs. These are:
Customer SLA: This is an agreement that is between a service provider and its external customers. It is also known as an external service contract.
Internal SLA: This type of agreement is made between an establishment and its internal customer. This customer could be another establishment, department or website. A service level agreement done between the sales department and the marketing department of a company could be an example of such an agreement.
Multi-level SLA: This type of agreement helps to divide the agreement into several levels for each customer.
How to Prepare an Effective SLA?
Here are the steps in order to prepare a service level agreement:
- The service which will be received/provided is determined.
- The measurements and metrics to be performed are defined.
- How the performance will be monitored during the agreement is decided on.
- Reporting procedure is determined.
- The document is prepared and submitted to the approval of the parties.
The necessary steps that should be taken while preparing a Service Level Agreement are basically as seen above. There are some things that should be taken into account in order to prepare an even more effective SLA. For instance; an effective SLA should be planned so that there are no areas of uncertainty or doubt between parties. The agreement must include two sub articles which are; management elements and terms of service. Management elements should include definitions of measurement standards, reporting processes, and resolution processes in case of any dispute.
Again, in the management elements part, an indemnity clause should be added that protects the customer against third party lawsuits arising from breaches of the agreement. Similarly, the terms of service should include standards such as; service elements, features of the service provided, and availability conditions of the service.
Service Level Agreements are not static documents. It must be open to revisions should the work conditions change. For this reason, considering that there might be a chance of revision, agreement must have flexible areas.
How is SLA Time Tracking Done?
One of the most important items that must take place in a Service Level Agreement is timing. Time tracking in the agreements are carried out by regularly measuring and reporting these metrics. For example; the time intervals determined for each service level in this agreement are checked at intervals determined in accordance with the agreement articles. Items such as the time elapsed since the agreements has been signed and the revicion frequencies are among the metrics used during the SLA time tracking.
Set Your Standards with Infoset
The design and preparation of Service Level Agreements and their follow-up after the approval can sometimes be challenging for the parties. With Infoset you can overcome these challenging processes with great ease. You can create specific SLAs on Infoset, set standards for your teams and reach detailed reports. Using the Omni-channel customer service system, you can manage all your support and sales channels and automate all your processes through one platform. Start using Infoset today to take your customer experience to the next level and increase your sales!
