What Are the Benefits of Service Level Management?

Every business takes on Service Level Management (SLM) differently. However there are a few general best practices that should be considered as a starting point. This includes: describing all services provided (including what’s not included, so that there is no room for any misinterpretation or assumption by either party) as well as identifying performance metrics; including a definition of the measurement standards and methods, including expected turnaround times as well as establishing responsibilities, escalation procedures and tradeoffs between costs and services; and agreeing to dispute resolution procedures and indemnification clauses if the need for conflict arises.

SLM also makes sure that everyone is on one page so that departments don’t get into a fight over who is accountable for what. This is especially important when you are working with external vendors. Documenting SLAs can prevent miscommunications that can lead you to delay delivery dates, poor metrics and unhappy customers.

In addition, SLM can help you keep agile by continually reviewing and evaluating your service and levels. You can then make swift changes if necessary.

It can also help you improve the quality of your service so you can meet or even exceed your target goals. For instance, you could want to increase the speed at which your website loads. However, past an amount of time, users will not notice any improvement therefore, you won’t gain any benefits from the effort.

SLAs can be a great way to attract new customers because they provide them with an understanding of what their investment will look like. A team dedicated to SLM is a good idea as it guarantees that their efforts will not be ignored or neglected in the event that a contract has been signed.

http://www.slm-info.org/2020/04/17/service-level-management-slm-benefits