Define Service Level Agreement (SLA)
Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a commitment between a service provider and a client. Particular aspects of the service – quality, availability, responsibilities – are agreed between the service provider and the service user.
What are some of the SLA for IT Support?
- Service Availability – Time available for support services – 8×5 or 24×7
- Response Time – Time taken between a user send a service request and a service personal send 1st response and start working on the issue.
- Resolution Time – Time taken between a user send a service request and a closure of the service request ticket.
- Recovery Time – Time taken to recover from an outage.
3 Types of SLA Structures
- Service Based
- Customer Based
- Multi-level or Hierarchical
Urgency or Severity Levels
If appropriate, classify problems into urgency or severity levels. Four or five levels are typical, with levels either numbered or assigned designations such as urgent, high, medium and low. For each level, describe the criteria for determining a problem’s level (such as the number of customers affected or the impact on customers’ ability to carry out their responsibilities), and specify the associated time frames or levels of responsiveness for each level.
This information is often presented in a table, such as the following.
Content of a Typical SLA
For a meaningful discussion, a typical SLA would consist of these key components.
- Introduction to the agreement and what it proposes
- Description of the service supported by the SLA
- Who is responsible for what part of the service
- Job Scope
- Applicable duration for which the service is available according to the agreement
- Reliability of the service.
- Service availability, that is, how much service is available during the service window and beyond it
- Customer Support Arrangements
- Primary and Secondary Contact Points
- Service Work Flow and Escalation Procedures
- Service Performance
- Security Measures
- Costs
- Payment Terms and Schedule
Common Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about IT Support
Microsoft Support Scam
Microsoft Support Scam A close friend shared this with me today. He has bought the new notebook from a popular retail store in Singapore a few days ago. Today, when he booted up his notebook. He was shocked to see this graphics above on his screen. Immediately, he called me to verify. I told him...
Consideration in selecting Outsourced IT Company
What are the consideration in selecting a suitable outsourced IT company? A CIO's present problem when choosing an IT Outsourced Company Today's CIOs are tasked with transforming firms into better enterprises. The new generation of decision makers operate in dynamic marketplaces, relying on an architecture that is built on a scalable platform and capable of...
Early Indicators or Signs of Bad IT Outsourcing
Early Indicators or Signs of Bad IT Outsourcing IT outsourcing isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for making your company's technology operations run smoothly. If it works, it has a lot of potential, but if it doesn't, it may cause harm, sometimes to the point of causing apparent problems. And if you are in, or believe you...
Common Mistakes in Outsourcing IT
Common Mistakes in Outsourcing IT Rather than taking on the entire task in-house, any company, regardless of size or structure, can benefit from outsourcing some of its work to specialists or contractors. Outsourcing projects and labour can help you save money while also giving you the time and competitive advantage you need to compete. However,...
How to Outsource IT Effectively?
How to Outsource IT Effectively? Effective communication is the key to successful outsourcing. When communication breaks out, outsourcing starts to go wrong. In order to develop a successful outsourcing connection, there are four stages you must take. 1. Establish a clear expectation Make it clear to your contractor or virtual assistant what you expect of...
What are the basic skills required for IT Support?
Basic Skills Required for IT Support -Basic Skills Required for IT Support-- Beside acquiring your IT Technical knowledge, it is also important that you must also pick up the other soft skills like communication, intra-personal and inter-personal skills. Communication Skills Language Competence Body Language Active Listening Technical Competency Skills Install and configure computer hardware operating...
What is the role of IT Support?
What is role of the IT Support? The primary role of the IT Support is to provide the business the ability to use IT solutions in a reliable and secure way. The secondary role is to integrate or unify all their IT solutions served on a single platform. Role of IT Support Processing Staff Onboarding...
Potential Problems in Outsourcing IT Support Services
Potential Problems in Outsourcing IT Support Services Potential Problems in Outsourcing IT Support Services can be identified early and should be addressed before it is blown into a big problem. Slower Response Time for Onsite Field Visit leading to Employee Downtime How to Overcome? Have Multi-Tier Onsite Site Visit Costing On depending on level of...
Risks in Outsourcing IT Support Services
Risks in Outsourcing IT Support Services There are risks involved in outsourcing IT support services to 3rd third party vendor. However, there are many ways that you can manage and migitate risks. Risk #1 - Over-Dependence on vendor recommendation How to overcome? Need to put check and balance in place like a secondary source of...
11 Reasons Why Business Should Consider to Outsource IT Support Services
11 Reasons Why SME Should Consider to Outsource IT Support Services By outsourcing your IT support services, you can lower your business operating costs. However, it come with a higher risk, if it is not managed properly. Running a SME is tough work, an entrepreneur is required to wear multiple hats and do multiple tasks....
Turbo-Charging Outsourced IT Support Services
Outsourced IT Support Services Served by Win-Pro’s Friendly, Competent and Qualified Technical IT Support team Established Fast and Secure tunnel connection between user and Support engineer Maintain Low Operational Cost by removing the travelling time and transport costs Require Minimal Physical Presence Accumulated Vast Knowledge and Experiences over 25 years of operating the business Provides...
