{"id":6384,"date":"2016-06-14T20:33:41","date_gmt":"2016-06-14T20:33:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/multiacademstg.wpengine.com\/20000academy\/?p=6384"},"modified":"2025-04-11T10:31:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T10:31:31","slug":"whats-the-content-of-an-itiliso-20000-sla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advisera.com\/20000academy\/blog\/2016\/06\/14\/whats-the-content-of-an-itiliso-20000-sla\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the content of an ITIL\/ISO 20000 SLA?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once your IT service is in the live environment \u2013 that\u2019s when your service\u2019s \u201cadult life\u201d begins; i.e., it\u2019s time to see how good (or bad) the service is. Users will start using it and judgements will be made. Firstly, users will judge functionality (according to\u00a0ITIL<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 utility or fit for purpose). That will be the justification as to whether all customer requirements are fulfilled. Secondly, users and customers will judge how well you maintain agreed characteristics of the service (or warranty \u2013 fit for use, i.e., availability, capacity, security, and continuity). There is no discussion; both utility and warranty are set much earlier.<\/p>\n

You can hardly have any influence on utility (fit for purpose; i.e., what does the service do). Warranty (characteristics of the service) is your point of interest once the service is in the live environment. Namely, all the characteristics of the service that you agreed on with your customer have to remain as agreed (e.g., capacity means usually some performance characteristics of the service like throughput or number of transactions in, e.g., a minute, etc.). The Service Level Agreement (SLA)<\/a> is the document that will clarify your relationship with the customer, but also your obligations (OK, and the customer\u2019s as well) to maintain the service\u2019s quality level.<\/p>\n

Why bother?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Actually, why would you bother to have a clear, concise, and descriptive SLA<\/a>? Isn\u2019t it easier to sit down with the customer, agree on what needs to be done, and start working? Well, easier said than done. Once there is a different view on the same issue \u2013 you\u2019ll realize that there must be something better than a verbal agreement. If it isn\u2019t you \u2013 your customer will require that.<\/p>\n

See it from the positive side \u2013 once you have a written agreement, you know your obligations. So, resource planning can be made as well as budgets allocated. If I was responsible for delivery of services, then I\u2019d be very happy if I knew exactly what and how something had to be delivered.\u00a0 Further on, in such case I could instigate control and measurement mechanisms, reporting, collaboration with customers, improvements, etc.
\n

<\/div>