A service-level agreement (SLA) is a part of a service contract where a service is formally defined. In practice, the term SLA is sometimes used to refer to the contracted delivery time (of the service or performance). As an example, internet service providers will commonly include service level agreements within the terms of their contracts with customers to define the level(s) of service being sold in plain language terms. In this case the SLA will typically have a technical definition in terms of mean time between failures (MTBF), mean time to repair or mean time to recovery (MTTR); various data rates; throughput; jitter; or similar measurable details.
By providing a guarantee that contracted services will be delivered as per agreement By including penalties if contracted services are not delivered By allowing you to negotiate the highest level a provider can guarantee
SLAs (Service Level Agreements) are defined agreements between a service provider and a customer that outline the level of service expected. They specify parameters such as response time, resolution time, and availability. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are metrics used to measure the performance of a process or activity. KPIs are often used to monitor and track the performance of the service provider against the agreed SLAs. KPIs provide measurable data, while SLAs define the expected levels of service.
The main purpose of Service Level Management is: • To develop and negotiate SLAs with customers • To ensure SLAs are underpinned by internal (OLAs) and external (UCs) agreements that support the achievement of agreed service levels • To act as a bridge between the IT service provider and the business • To manage and maintain positive, constructive relationships with the customer. As the primary interface between IT and the business, it must be kept up to date with all relevant developments.
Where one party delivers services to another, it is a good idea to have some kind of agreement setting out the basis on which the service is provided. Such agreements would normally contain, among other things, a description of what is to be provided, the key performance indicators, the way the service is to be charged for (where relevant) and the responsibilities of each of the parties. In ITIL SLM, the agreements between the internal IT service provider and the business customers that it supports are known as Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and it is through SLAs that SLM manages the relationship between itself and its customers. It would be hard to find IT services provided by IT giants like TCS, Infosys, Wipro etc., where they do not have any accepted/agreed upon SLAs with their customers. In order to be effective, the SLA must be a written document signed off by all parties affected by it. SLAs are important so they will rarely be agreed without negotiation between the IT service provider and the customer, beginning with a Statement of Intent that sets out the terms, conditions and targets to be agreed. It has to be in a language that both sides will understand, and this means in the language of the customer and not the technical language or jargon of the provider. The SLA defines (in language that has meaning to the customer) precisely what is to be delivered and when and where it is to be delivered. It also defines the standard of quality to be delivered, usually in terms of performance and availability. It will define the responsibilities of both the service provider and the customer. This is important. It makes little sense for a service provider to commit to deliver a service without making it clear what is expected of the customer. The SLA will include contact details, what should happen if something goes wrong, the way any disputes should be handled, any provisions for redress, the mechanism for getting the SLA changed if necessary and the period over which the agreement will stand unless otherwise changed by agreement. If the service is to be charged for, then the way charges are to be determined and the arrangements for invoicing should be included. Charges may also be included in a separate document, the Tariff, referenced in the SLA. It is common in IT for individual services to be shared by a number of customers, and individual customers will use a range of services. This means that there is a choice in designing SLAs: they can be customer-based, where an SLA covers a range of services delivered to a particular customer; or they can be service-based, where a common SLA covers all customers of a given service.
Where one party delivers services to another, it is a good idea to have some kind of agreement setting out the basis on which the service is provided. Such agreements would normally contain, among other things, a description of what is to be provided, the key performance indicators, the way the service is to be charged for (where relevant) and the responsibilities of each of the parties. In ITIL SLM, the agreements between the internal IT service provider and the business customers that it supports are known as Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and it is through SLAs that SLM manages the relationship between itself and its customers. It would be hard to find IT services provided by IT giants like TCS, Infosys, Wipro etc., where they do not have any accepted/agreed upon SLAs with their customers. In order to be effective, the SLA must be a written document signed off by all parties affected by it. SLAs are important so they will rarely be agreed without negotiation between the IT service provider and the customer, beginning with a Statement of Intent that sets out the terms, conditions and targets to be agreed. It has to be in a language that both sides will understand, and this means in the language of the customer and not the technical language or jargon of the provider. The SLA defines (in language that has meaning to the customer) precisely what is to be delivered and when and where it is to be delivered. It also defines the standard of quality to be delivered, usually in terms of performance and availability. It will define the responsibilities of both the service provider and the customer. This is important. It makes little sense for a service provider to commit to deliver a service without making it clear what is expected of the customer. The SLA will include contact details, what should happen if something goes wrong, the way any disputes should be handled, any provisions for redress, the mechanism for getting the SLA changed if necessary and the period over which the agreement will stand unless otherwise changed by agreement. If the service is to be charged for, then the way charges are to be determined and the arrangements for invoicing should be included. Charges may also be included in a separate document, the Tariff, referenced in the SLA. It is common in IT for individual services to be shared by a number of customers, and individual customers will use a range of services. This means that there is a choice in designing SLAs: they can be customer-based, where an SLA covers a range of services delivered to a particular customer; or they can be service-based, where a common SLA covers all customers of a given service.
They should be easily understood Responsibilities should be easily measured Compliance failure must have associated penalties They should be capable of evolving over time
It stands for "service level agreement" or Symbionese Liberation ArmyAnswer--A service level agreement (frequently abbreviated as SLA) is a part of a service contract where the level of service is formally defined. In practice, the term SLA is sometimes used to refer to the contracted delivery time (of the service) or performance. Answer:An SLA is a Service Level Agreement. These agreements are set up prior to a project's start so that expectations can be set. It will identify a Project Coordinator and project team members. It will allow supervisors and team coordinators of team members to approve the time that will be spent on the project. Funding will be identified for the project as well as maintenance. Expectations for IT and for the customer are identified so everyone knows what will be done and by whom. Reporting measures are set up so that IT and the customers can be aware of where the project is at any time. Finally, evaluations by the customer and project coordinator will be done at the completion of the project.
A service-based SLA is an agreement with all the customers of a specific service. An example might be the organization's intranet service. This kind of agreement makes good sense where all customers are offered the same level of service, but becomes complicated when this is not the case. Sometimes, different levels of service are inevitable (e.g. where remote users have to rely on low-speed communications). Alternatively, customers may simply demand choice. For example, some organizations will offer a PC support service with identical terms and conditions for all users, but others may offer different levels of service according to what the customer is prepared to pay. Using banded levels of service (e.g. bronze, silver and gold support levels) is a very common way of simplifying this problem. Another issue with service-based SLAs is who signs on behalf of the customer and who represent them. Having user groups with elected representatives or spokespersons is one solution
The key is beside the right hand Shift key (under the ? key) The back slas i see how do i make it a forward slas?Thanks
A customer-based SLA is an agreement with a specific customer or customer group covering all the IT services they use. For example, a local authority education department might have a single agreement embracing payroll, school administration, human resources, purchasing, financial management systems, and so on. In some ways, this simplifies the relationship between IT and the customer, putting the customer's perspective to the fore. On the other hand, customer-based SLAs are complex and often difficult to agree and manage. Additionally, customers may be disappointed that the same service levels available to them, for common services such as email, for example, cannot be tailored to their specific needs.
Stig Claesson went by Slas.
Some organizations choose a multi-level SLA approach, where elements of services common to all customers are covered by a corporate-level SLA. Issues relating to a particular customer or customer group, no matter what the service, are then covered by a customer-level SLA and all issues relating to a specific service for the customer or customer group are covered by a service-specific SLA. The SLA for a service must be based on realistic, achievable targets (e.g. for performance and availability), and the achievement of these targets depends on the performance of the internal and external services that underpin the delivery of the main service. Putting it another way, SLAs must reflect the levels of service actually being delivered or that can be delivered. They are about what can be done rather than what we would like to be done. If a customer requires a different level of service, this would normally be dealt with by raising a Service Level Requirement. In order for SLM to be confident about the achievement of its SLA targets, it must have specific agreements with the internal and external providers. These agreements fall into two distinct types: • Underpinning Contracts (UCs) • Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) Both should be negotiated, agreed and in place before a commitment is made to the relevant SLA.