Every company uses Service Level Management (SLM) differently. However, there are a few common best practices that should be used as a starting point. These include: describing all services provided (including what’s not included, so that there’s no room for misinterpretation or assumptions by either one of the parties) and specifying performance metrics; including a definition of measures and methods as well as expected turnaround times; establishing responsibility, escalation procedures, and tradeoffs between costs and services; and agreeing to dispute resolution processes and indemnification clauses if conflicts arise.
SLM ensures that everyone is on one page, so that departments don’t fight over who is responsible for what. This is particularly important if you have external vendors. Making sure you document SLAs clearly can help prevent miscommunication that can lead to missed delivery dates, underperforming metrics, and unhappy customers.
Additionally, SLM can help you remain agile by continuously checking and evaluating your service and levels. Then, you can make changes swiftly if you need to.
It can also help you improve the quality of your service so that you can meet or even exceed your target goals. You may, for instance, want to increase the speed of your website. There may not be any increase if you go above a certain threshold.
SLAs can be a huge draw for potential customers, because they present an accurate picture of what their investment in your service will be. A team that is dedicated to SLM is a good idea as it guarantees that their efforts won’t be overlooked or discarded in the event that a contract has been signed.