Task 7 HD CLIENTSUPPORT
Service Level Agreements
Websites:
Examples of SLAs http://helpdesk.wyopub.com/2005/07/service-level-agreement-sla-boot-camp.html http://www.service-level-agreement.net/
Helpdesk site links http://www.best-management-practice.com/
ITIL sources site: http://www.best-management-practice.com/IT-Service-Management-ITIL/? trackid=002094
http://www.akibia.com/documents/articles/ReduceDataCenterSupportCosts.pdf approach to analysing support costs.
Other resources
Web search engines such as:
http://www.google.com http://www.answers.com http://www.yahoo.com.au http://www.lycos.com http://www.webwombat.com.au http://www.excite.com.au 1. What is the purpose of a service level agreement? A service level agreement is a part of a service contract where the level of service is officially defined. The term service level agreement is at times used to refer to the contracted delivery time (of the service) or performance. The SLA records a common understanding about services, priorities, responsibilities, guarantees, and warranties. There are many purposes of a service level agreement; they include eliminating unrealistic expectations for all parties involved. It also identifies and defines the customer’s needs and provides a framework for understanding between all parties involved.
2. What are the typical services provided in a Service Level Agreement (SLA)? The typical services provided in a service level agreement include all the specific services that may be delivered to the customer and a definition of what they are, the hours of operation and availability for service, expected response time of both first contact and to fix the problem, problem management, any possible fees and expenses/ billing information, all customer duties and responsibilities, warranty, performance measurements, disaster recovery and possible actions leading to termination of agreement. There is also the "level of service" which can also be specified as "target" and "minimum," which allows customers to be informed what to expect (the minimum), whilst providing a measurable (average) target value that shows the level of organization performance.
3. Identify critical infrastructure in a typical medium sized business: Communications – including telephone, internet, hosting, emails
Database including financial records, customer relationship management (CRM)
IT System – external storage devices, customised applications
People and knowledge
Security
System suitability and stability
Data Backup
Updated Software
4. Explain how/why the service provided can fall short of the required standards Services provided can fall short of the required standards for many different reasons. There can be an increase in workload, can be fewer staff on hand to handle to workload or there be a lack of technically trained and informed staff available. Systems could go down. Sometimes the customer asks for the impossible, or something the business can’t deliver, either because of policy, time, or hardware insufficient. The hardware, software used to fix problems may be outdated.
5. Why is it important for a business to have a Service Level Agreement with its vendors/suppliers? It is important for a business to have a service level agreement with its vendors/suppliers for your hardware and software, in case of failure or any problems; they can help fix it within a reasonable previously agreed time. This may include the warranty of the product, the level of support, turnaround times and the repair/replacement procedures.
6. Identify the main sections in the Service Level Agreement and the criteria which need to be addressed for each section Introduction- the people involved in the agreement Scope of services- services offered Performance- the agreed level of service Tracking and reporting- tracking and reporting of equipment Problem management- how to handle any problems that occur Customer duties and responsibilities- in regards to uphold equipment Warranties- the length of time in which support is provided Security- the security of the clients and what work is done Legal compliance- everything is done legally Termination- the terms and actions that will result in termination of agreement
7. Why is it important to regularly review and monitor service level agreements? It is important to regularly review and monitor service level agreements for many reasons including the fact that software and hardware are constantly being upgraded, updated and created; so to ensure that these are all covered it is best to monitor the agreement. The workloads are always varied and staff may be changing. The requirements of the business may change, purpose of the business location, etc. Circumstances in the business may change or the service provider’s circumstances may change, requiring adjustments in the agreement. Finally the business should regularly review to ensure that the service level agreement is providing all it entails and to ensure that the business adheres to their responsibilities to ensure that they don’t violate the agreement. To ensure that the agreement remains up to date and to make any changes to improve the agreement between the company and the client, doing so may result in a better agreement for both the client and the company.
8. What is the purpose of a maintenance history log of problems and how can this be used when reviewing the service level agreement? The purpose of a maintenance history log of problems is to keep an up to date record of all the problems encountered and how they were solved. This makes it easier to help solve problems in the future as they may be similar. The maintenance history log of problems can be used when reviewing the service level agreement to show the history of the business. Through the log, one can possibly determine if the same thing continues to happen and whether there needs to be a change in the service level agreement, or hardware or software the business is using. One may also be able to determine if the business is not totally adhering to their duties and responsibilities.
9. What criteria can be used by a business to evaluate vendor support for software, hardware and other critical IT resources? Read reviews, either online, magazines, etc From personal feedback from businesses/ people who have used the vendor before Looking into the support offered by the vendor before getting involved with them Look at evaluations of products of others who have used it, usually online Look at outside independent reviews Look at the specifications and services provided, and make sure that they provide services that the business actually requires Look at vendor warranty, support available and history of support
10.How do changes to IT systems and support requirements impact upon the service level agreement? Explain: a. How would you acquire the resources to support a change to an IT system A. Outsourcing, which is when the organisation provides support or training to the business whilst changes occurring like the infrastructure to enable organisation to adjust better to new technology whilst keeping cost down. Also use in house training as per purchase. b. How could you incorporate changes to client support procedures A. In house training, making a database of frequently asked questions, introduce small slow changes and take in impact before total change over. Introduce new policy. c. Advise clients of the new organisational processes for answering their request or enquiry A. Making a new manual with how to do the new procedures and provide a training session on the topic; also having self help online program or send out an information brochure. d. Walk the client through the process of changes A. Set up a database or a website with the new changes and how to use the new services that clients can access online. e. Conduct a session with the client to present the draft service-level agreement A. Basically set up a meeting and discuss the agreement, go over the new changes and why they are changing, inform them of what you want from them and inform them of what you want from yourselves. Make sure both parties understand what is going on and are aware of any consequences. Both parties have to agree.