Introduction to ITIL's Service Level Management Process by Anticlue

There is a simple process that needs to be followed in providing great customer service. First, you have to understand what the customer needs, desires, and dreams. Second, you have to clearly define if you what you can meet. For example, don't go to starbucks for a great burger. Finally you have go above and beyond in assuring you can deliver what you plan to meet.

So in the field of information technology what has best practices shown us? First you can really deliver anything that one cannot measure. Once you have a measurable level of service, a Service Level Agreement can be drafted. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a document stipulating the measurable levels of service and assuring the services are provided. It provides the customer and IT with a defined product. Once an SLA is drafted and agreed with by the customer it becomes a guideline for managing the relationship between the customer and IT. Service Level Management (SLM) is the process of planning, coordinating, drafting, agreeing on, monitoring, and reporting on the service level agreements (SLAs). SLM also engages in assuring that the service quality strives for continuous improvement.

Service Level Agreements are the tools which assure the customer receives the level of service they expect, and they also help with setting those expectations. Within a service level agreement one can expect to see the following ten points:

1. Service description - The service description details the key business functions and deliverables, and information to describe the service and its scale, impact, and priority for the business. It also includes signatory details.
2. Service hours - Service hours list the hours that customers can expect the service to be available.
3. Service availability - Service availability is all about the targeted levels the IT organization will deliver within the agreed-upon service hours.
4. Support levels - Support levels explain how to reach out to the service desk, the hours the service desk is open, and what the process is to receive help after hours.
5. Performance - The performance point provides the expected responsive of the IT service, such as workstation response times, details of expected service, and the threshold of unacceptable service.
6. Functionality - The functionality section specifically details how many errors of a specific category can be tolerated before calling a breach of service.
7. Charges - The charges component clearly revels any charging formulas or costs for the service.
8. Continuity - Continuity refers to continuity of operations planning with references to the disaster recovery plan, specifying how the service will be provided and estimated recovery time.
9. Security - Security lists the procedures and protocols surrounding security of IT services as well as the measures needed to assure that security.
10. Changes - The changes section list the organizational change management policies and procedures and how to properly follow these procedures.

Once the Service level agreement is drafted, one can use the service level management process to execute the agreement. The Service Level Management process involves the following five stages:

• Negotiation - The negotiating phase is where the IT service provide and customer collaborate to ascertain SMART service levels. SMART refers to Specific, Measurable, Agreed to, Realistic, and within a Time Frame. This collaboration is cyclical as both parties work to refine according to the customer's needs.
• Finalizing - In the Finalizing Phase, the Service Level Agreement is completed along with any other sustaining and supporting agreements.
• Monitoring - In the monitoring phase, service quality is measured by the SLA's defined service targets. Service targets refer to the agreed-upon levels of service. Any variances need to have an action plan of how to correct and resolve them before the business is adversely affected.
• Reporting - In the reporting phase, Reports are generated that compare the agreed-upon service levels with baseline service levels. These reports are the basis for continual service improvement.
• Reviewing - In the review phase, a comprehensive enterprise wide review of service quality is provided. Problems are brought into the light of the examinations and lessons from the problems and issues are shared and hopefully learned.

Each stage in the service level management process fuels the next stage. So taking the time to plan, vet, and negotiate the SLA is well spent and helps to assure the success of implementing a SLM process.

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