Demonstrating That You Fulfill the SLA

By Pino Vallejo

When it comes to delivering the service level that is outlined in service level agreements (SLA) and meeting performance expectations, service providers do a great job. However, some providers often run into the challenge of keeping proper documentation reflecting that fact.

In most cases, the customer’s platform is likely integrated with many other components in the customer’s environment. If any element in that environment isn’t working correctly, it could cause discontent on the part of the customer, which is obviously not ideal for the customer/provider relationship and trust level. If the service provider’s technology is fulfilling the intended capacity and performance but there is an element in the customer-provided environment that isn’t working, what recourse do they have?

Proof is in the Documentation

As the service provider, you need a way of demonstrating that everything on your end is in fact working properly. The first step is to implement a testing and documentation process that shows that you are providing the capacity your clients have come to expect. It might be a situation in which every time you drop into a database and do a data dip, you don’t get a response within the expected timeframe of 7-15 seconds. Instead, you get a timeout error. Or, perhaps you’re doing a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) refer to send a call to the company’s designated outsourcer. Even though the SIP refer works great, the call gets lost while it’s being routed into the other environment.

On the surface, it can appear as though you, the provider, aren’t fulfilling your end of the bargain, even though you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do. Unfortunately, since your system is the voice of the environment, it is the one telling the customer that the information isn’t available. A classic example of “don’t shoot the messenger.” 

There is a solution, however. Provide the appropriate metrics. Having that information readily at hand when situations like those mentioned above can be an instrumental step in maintaining a smooth relationship with clients. You never know when the client might have a question about the level of service they are receiving, so to avoid being caught off guard, it is important to anticipate those questions, be proactive and have the relevant data in-hand. That way, you’ll be able to confidently state that everything is working exactly the way it’s supposed to and have hard evidence to back it up, immediately demonstrating that you’re living up to the availability and functionality requirements that were built into the SLA. 

Sign on the Dotted Line

As a service provider, getting a customer to sign off on the original and initial implementation can be a bit of a challenge. The customer may be wary of checking that box right away. In order for them to feel confident enough to write the check reflecting that you fulfilled your promises and they accept the system, the end user has to come up with a rigorous acceptance process that they feel comfortable executing.

This is where the service provider has an opportunity to go into the environment and explain the plan step by step. With the client’s participation, they can prove that the system does indeed have the intended capacity and that it can perform under load, and that it will be stable and resilient over an extended period of time, even if any adverse situations occur unexpectedly. For example, if a server or network segment were to go down, you could run through a high-availability drill and prove that everything still functions as it should.

With this level of attention and service, you can expect the customer to say, “I’ll check off all these requirements on the list!” The stress test implementation will turn into a definitive acceptance event, which speaks volumes and goes a long way towards smoothing out the relationship between the service provider and end user. This process proves that it isn’t simply about the interpretation of data, you must have concrete documentation. With those processes set up and agreed upon, the customer can then sign on the dotted line with confidence, allowing everyone to focus on the future and build a great relationship.