Every company approaches Service Level Management differently. However, there are a few standard best practices that should be considered as a starting point. This includes detailing the services offered and defining what is excluded, to avoid misinterpretation and assumptions by either side; identifying performance metrics, with the definition and method of measurement, as well as the expected turnaround time setting up responsibility and escalation procedures and negotiating tradeoffs between costs and services.
SLM helps ensure that everyone is on the same page, which means departments don’t have to fight about who is responsible for what. This is particularly important when you are working with external vendors. Documenting SLAs will help you avoid mistakes that could lead to late delivery dates as well as poor metrics and unhappy clients.
Additionally, SLM can help you stay agile by constantly reviewing and evaluating your service and levels. You can then make rapid adjustments if needed.
You can also improve the quality of service to meet or exceed your goals. For example, you might like to improve the speed at which your website loads. There may not be any improvement if you exceed the threshold.
SLAs can be a fantastic method to draw in potential customers since they provide them with an understanding of what their investment will look like. A team dedicated to SLM can be a great idea because it means that their efforts won’t be overlooked or discarded even after the contract has been signed.
