How do you create an IT Operations service level agreement?

1 Understand your customer's needs

Before you draft an IT Operations SLA, you need to understand your customer's needs and requirements. You can do this by conducting a service level requirement (SLR) analysis, which is a process of identifying and documenting the customer's expectations and priorities for the IT services. You can use various methods to gather SLR information, such as interviews, surveys, workshops, or historical data. The SLR analysis should cover aspects such as the business objectives, the service scope, the service levels, the service availability, the service reliability, the service security, and the service continuity.

2 Define your service levels

Once you have a clear picture of your customer's needs, you can define your service levels, which are the measurable indicators of the quality and performance of your IT services. You can use different types of service levels, such as service-based, customer-based, or corporate-based, depending on the nature and scope of your IT services. You should also define the service level objectives (SLOs), which are the specific targets or thresholds for each service level. For example, you can set an SLO for the response time, the resolution time, the uptime, or the error rate of your IT service. You should make sure that your service levels and SLOs are realistic, achievable, and verifiable.

3 Establish your monitoring and reporting methods

To ensure that you can track and measure your service levels and SLOs, you need to establish your monitoring and reporting methods. You can use various tools and techniques to monitor your IT service performance, such as dashboards, logs, alerts, or audits. You should also define the frequency, format, and content of your service level reports (SLRs), which are the documents that summarize and analyze your service level achievements and failures. You should agree with your customer on how and when you will deliver your SLRs, and how you will use them to review and improve your IT service quality.

4 Set your penalties and incentives

To enforce your IT Operations SLA, you need to set your penalties and incentives, which are the consequences or rewards for meeting or failing to meet your service levels and SLOs. You can use different types of penalties and incentives, such as credits, discounts, bonuses, or termination clauses, depending on the severity and frequency of your service level breaches or achievements. You should also define the procedures and criteria for applying and resolving your penalties and incentives, and make sure that they are fair, transparent, and consistent.

5 Negotiate and finalize your IT Operations SLA

The final step to create your IT Operations SLA is to negotiate and finalize it with your customer. You should present your draft IT Operations SLA to your customer and discuss any feedback, concerns, or suggestions that they may have. You should also review the legal and contractual aspects of your IT Operations SLA, such as the scope, the duration, the termination, the liability, or the dispute resolution. You should aim to reach a mutual agreement and understanding with your customer, and sign your IT Operations SLA with them.