What to remember.
- Separate response time, restoration time and permanent-resolution time.
- Priority should follow impact and urgency, not the seniority of the person reporting.
- An SLA without reliable data and service review becomes contract decoration.
The management answer
An SLA defines expectations between users and the service provider. Response time shows when a request is acknowledged. Restoration time shows when the user can continue, possibly through a workaround. Resolution time shows when the underlying issue is permanently addressed.
If only response is measured, a team can formally meet SLA with a quick reply while the user remains unable to work for hours.
Priority based on business impact
A priority matrix combines impact and urgency. An incident stopping multiple users or a critical process receives higher priority than an issue affecting one person with a working alternative.
Rules must be agreed in advance. Priority should not increase only because a senior person reported the issue, nor decrease because a user could not describe it technically.
What an SLA should contain
Define service hours, reporting channels, request categories, priorities, response, restoration target, communication frequency and escalation. Record what pauses the clock, such as waiting for user approval or access.
Separate incidents, standard requests, changes and projects. A new-system installation should not use the same measure as disruption of an existing service.
Quality measures
In addition to SLA attainment, track repeated incidents, reopened tickets, ageing requests, first-contact resolution, time without communication and user satisfaction.
The monthly review should explain missed targets, recurring themes and preventive actions with the greatest business effect.
Questions before agreement
- Do priorities reflect actual business impact?
- Are we measuring response, restoration or permanent resolution?
- Which service hours and holidays count?
- Who manages an external provider blocking resolution?
- How is communication during a major incident measured?
- How do targets change when the environment changes?
The CoreTech approach
We connect SLA with the service catalogue, responsibility map and real team capacity. Reporting is not only a percentage. It opens a decision about recurring causes, risk and the next improvement.
Common questions
Does a shorter SLA always mean better service?
No. The target must be achievable, relevant to business impact and supported by suitable capacity and cost.
Who determines priority?
Rules are agreed together, and the service desk classifies each request by impact and urgency with controlled escalation.
What if a provider waits for a third party?
The SLA should define responsibility for coordination, communication and recording time dependent on another party.