A service level agreement (SLA) turns promises into measurable commitments. Without one, “fast support” means whatever the provider says it means.

Key elements

Response time. How quickly the provider acknowledges and starts work on a ticket, usually by priority.

Resolution time. How quickly they aim to fix the issue. Response alone isn’t enough.

Priority definitions. Clear levels, such as:

– Critical: business-stopping outage affecting many users

– High: major function impaired

– Medium: single user or workaround available

– Low: requests and minor issues

Hours of coverage. Business hours, extended hours, or 24/7, and how emergencies are handled outside hours.

Included services. What’s covered and what costs extra.

Uptime commitments for managed services or hosted systems.

Reporting. Regular reports showing performance against targets.

Remedies. What happens if targets are missed, such as service credits.

Escalation path. Who to contact if you are not satisfied.

Termination terms. Notice periods, data return, and transition help.

Signs of a good SLA

– Specific numbers, not vague words like “prompt” or “as soon as possible”

– Different targets for different priorities

– Regular reviews and reports

– Realistic commitments the provider can meet

Red flags

– Response times but no resolution targets

– No penalties or accountability

– Exclusions that cover most real problems

– Hidden charges for common requests

Review it

Revisit the SLA yearly, and when your business changes.

DBR Soft provides clear SLAs with regular performance reporting. Contact us for more information.