Sample IT Help Desk Service Level Agreement (SLA)
This example service level agreement (SLA) shows:
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Your Company, Inc. IT Help Desk
Service Level Agreement
In order to provide optimal first level support service to all departments, all problem and repair calls must be received by the Help Desk.
The company XXX IT HELP DESK will provide (Customer Name/Department Name) with the following support:
First level problem determination where
- All problems will be recorded.
- Problems will be resolved or assigned to the appropriate specialist.
- Problems will be monitored.
- Users will be notified of commitment times and any problems that occur in meeting the established commitment.
- Problem resolution will be documented and available in report status.
- Monthly reports will be provided.
A single point of contact with the XXX department for
- Orders for new equipment.
- Equipment moves, adds, and changes (Equipment includes personal computers, printers, and telephones).
- Services such as data entry, building access authorizations, new computer user IDs and passwords, voice mail, Centrex lines, mainframe connections, file server connections, reports, and application program problems and requests.
Services will be provided between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. During this time the Help Desk will be staffed with a minimum of X people.
The telephone number (000-0000) will have two lines available to take calls. When both lines are busy, calls will be forwarded to voice mail, where a message can be left. The Help Desk guarantees a return call within five minutes of an urgent voice mail message. All messages left on voice mail will be confirmed for receipt within four hours. A separate telephone number (000-0000) will be available to check the status of system (mainframe, AS/400, file server, voice mail) operability. From this number, a caller may also be transferred to the Help Desk staff. Telephone number 000-0000 is available for faxed information.
First level problem determination will be assigned using the following criteria:
- Number of customers affected
- Effect on business mission
- Context of problem
- Deadlines
- Estimated solution time
- Application involved
- Frequency of problem
- Customer's sense of priority
- Customer's commitment level
- Availability of workaround
- Threat to data integrity or computer security
The following table will be used internally to prioritize calls and to give a response time commitment:
Single point of contact response will be determined using the following criteria:
(Customer Name) internal liaison person is responsible for keeping and updating software manuals used by the department. The department liaison person is responsible for answering software use questions, while IT Help Desk staff will respond to software problems. The liaison person will also be responsible for contacting vendors when problems arise with Software or equipment not supported by XXX. (See Attachment 1 for complete list of supported software.) This liaison will be the individual who the IT Help Desk staff will work with on training needs, reporting information, and "in-department" trouble-shooting. The liaison will also assist the IT Help Desk in the maintaining of correct data base information. To facilitate this, the liaison will inform the IT Help Desk of any changes of staff (i.e. replacements).
The liaison for (Customer Name) is:
Following is a list of the individuals within the Department who have the authority to place orders with the IT Help Desk for service or equipment that could generate billed back charges:
When orders are placed with the IT Help Desk, it will be the above contact's responsibility to provide purchase order information that can then be referenced on the orders. The department contact will work with (XXX Staff Name) to place and confirm components on orders. If the IT Help Desk is not provided with the correct authorization, the order will be placed on hold awaiting this authorization.
The clock for response time for the Help Desk will be suspended during this wait and will restart only after this information is provided.
The IT Help Desk will provide monthly reports to (Customer Name) staff containing information on actual performance achieved, compared to service levels agreed on. Information will be provided on both open and closed requests. (Customer Name) staff is not responsible for reporting, but may at their discretion audit the methods being used by the IT Help Desk to gather and report performance data.
This agreement may be amended at any time with mutual consent of both parties.
