Glossary

SLA (Service Level Agreement)

The promise. Everything else is execution.

Definition

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a defined commitment a service provider makes to a customer about how the service will be delivered. SLAs typically specify response time, resolution time, uptime / availability, or quality thresholds.

Common SLA examples

  • Response SLA: "We'll acknowledge your support ticket within 1 hour."
  • Resolution SLA: "P1 issues are resolved within 4 hours."
  • Turnaround SLA: "Phone repairs are completed within 5 business days."
  • Uptime SLA: "Service availability of 99.9% measured monthly."

SLA vs SLA tracking

The SLA is the promise. SLA tracking is the system that watches the clock against that promise and alerts the team when a breach is approaching. A team can have an SLA without tracking — it just means they'll find out about breaches after the fact, from angry customers.

What makes a good SLA

  • Measurable: if it can't be tracked, it's not an SLA, it's a wish.
  • Realistic: set against actual capacity, not aspirations.
  • Tiered by priority: a P1 SLA shouldn't equal a P3 SLA.
  • Explicit about exclusions: business hours, holidays, awaiting-customer states.

Related

See also: Kanban, Service operations. Read more in What is SLA tracking, really?.

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