An introduction to Service Level Agreements

Most maintenance agreements have an SLA or Service Level Agreement component.  SLAs establish customer expectations with regard to the service provider’s performance and quality in a number of ways.  In the case of service agreements, SLAs usually revolve around response times and how long it will take a service provider to respond when you raise an issue.  Issues have to be raised in a specific way – for example an online system or via a help desk.

So you Guarantee to Respond but Not Fix it?

YES – Most support agreements will not guarantee resolution times. This is because the most severe, disruptive problems can take longest to fix and are often outside the immediate control of a service provider.

For example; a server crash can sometimes be resolved by simply restarting the server. That might only take five minutes. However, a server may also go offline because its hard disk has failed. If this happens, it may take a day or two to replace the disk, reinstall software and restore data from backups. Yet both these problems might be classed as ‘severe’, thus falling under the same resolution time.

What if I want Guaranteed RESOLUTION Times?

A guaranteed resolution time will not be provided under Calibre One’s standard terms. However, if you have a particular system that requires a higher level of response or uptime there are options available – your account manager will be able to assist you with developing a solution to meet your needs. Don’t have their info? Go to Contact Us and select IT Support for all the ways to contact us. 

Having a clear understanding of the SLAs associated with your maintenance agreement helps understand priorities, how work is allocated and sets expectations.

What are i-Metrix’s normal SLA definitions?

Calibre One defines our ticket PRIORITY levels as follows:

• Priority 1 (P1) – A complete business down situation or single critical system down with high financial impact. The client is unable to operate.
• Priority 2 (P2) – A major component of the clients’ ability to operate is affected.  Some aspects of the business can continue but its a major problem.
• Priority 3 (P3) – The clients’ core business is unaffected but the issue is affecting efficient operation by one or more people.
• Priority 4 (P4) – The issue is an inconvenience or annoying but there are clear workarounds or alternates.
• Priority 5 (P5) – The issue is a background or planned task and will be addressed when time permits or on the planned date.

Some Examples:

• My computer is not booting – Unless you’re the CFO or you’re doing Payroll for your company, this is likely a P3. If it’s payday and you’re the CFO then it would be a P2!.
• My email is not working. – a P3
• The companies EMAIL is not working –  a P2.
• The server is down – its taken our mail, files and whole companies login ability offline – A P1
• No one can get to the internet – for most companies a P3  (for ones with complete dependence on Internet for their line of business application this could be a P1 or P2).

Who determines the PRIORITY level of the issue?

The priority level will initially be determined by i-Metrix. We are very familiar with your business and are generally able to make this determination accurately.  However, the situation may escalate, or we might get this wrong, so please let us know if you think any issue warrants a different priority level and why.

How do we Determine the Priority Level?

The priority level for a particular job is determined based on the IMPACT of the problem and the perceived URGENCY as conveyed by the client. For our contract clients we utilise the following matrix to arrive at a PRIORITY level: