What Should an IT Managed Services Agreement Cover?
The service level agreement (SLA) plays an important role when it comes to IT services. This is especially true for IT managed services agreements, considering that most services and communications are performed remotely and virtually. Whether a managed service provider is offering a vast selection of IT services or just a select few, it is still necessary for service level agreements to be prepared and signed by both the service provider and the customer. But what should be included in managed services SLAs?
1. IT Managed Services Agreement Should Identify the Inclusions
Your service level agreement must specify everything that is included in the service package. All the services, hardware and software applications, the number of users covered, the vendors involved, and all the support inclusions. As well as the minimum standards the customer’s infrastructure must meet to be able to qualify for services.
2. IT Managed Services Agreement Should Document Both Parties’ Roles and Responsibilities
Both parties should identify what roles they will play in the arrangement. It should be clear what the service provider should meet, as well as the environment that the customer should already have. It could be hardware specifications that a customer should meet to enable the service provider to effectively deliver the services expected from them. At the same time, the customer should also understand what is expected from them such as the price for the service, the frequency of payments, what to do if ever there are technical problems, etc.
3. IT Managed Services Agreement Should Represent the Customer's Existing Environment
IT managed services agreements should not be 100% standardized. An SLA should always be customized to meet the arrangements agreed upon by both the customer and the service provider. If a customer only wanted a basic service package, a service provider should provide an agreement that meets that along with the customer’s existing infrastructure.
4. IT Managed Services Agreement Should Define Environmental Prerequisites for Service
Prerequisites help protect both parties from expecting too much from one another. Stating prerequisites in the SLA makes it possible for a service provider to commit to the arrangement, considering that the environment they will be working on is conducive to the type of services that they provide. It can be a hardware or a software requirement, it can have something to do with the number of units or users that will be protected or even a strong internet connection. All of these should be identified in the SLA.
5. IT Managed Services Agreement Should Specify the Pricing
Depending on what the customer has requested to get from the service provider, the IT managed services agreement should indicate the pricing for the service package as well as the frequency of the payment. At the same time, it can also be a good idea to identify other services that a customer might find useful in case they decide to avail additional services. This will be helpful for both parties: the customer will have an idea what other services they can sign up for, and the service provider can promote the other services that they can offer the client.
6. IT Managed Services Agreement Should Establish the Quality Metrics
To ensure that the managed service provider gets to commit to specific service standards, service quality measurements should be identified, along with any actions that may come with each of the metrics. What should the customer do in case a technical problem came up? Will there be a certain compensation in case the agreed-upon service quality was not met? Specifying these details can help protect both parties from setting up too high of an expectation from one another.
Conclusion
There is no concrete way of drafting up a service level agreement. Most agreements are still reliant on the current setup and the specified arrangement between the involved parties. SLAs can help a managed service provider when it comes to managing customer expectations and specifying the circumstances as to when they will not be held liable in case of outages or performance issues. On the other hand, customers can use SLAs to identify the performance metrics that they are expecting from the provider. If you want to understand better how an IT managed services agreement can be of great value, contact Network Medics. We can educate you further on how we take utmost care in preparing service level agreements for a clearer and better business arrangement with our valued
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