Types of SLAs

Creating SLAs is the primary initiative in building a relationship between customers and service providers. The SLA brings a sense of clarity on what to expect from each party, concluding the bargain. The various types of SLAs used across the organizations are listed below:

Customer-based SLA

It is the agreement made with a single customer, which consists of the terms relevant to the services needed by the customer. Generally, these agreements are preferred as they are simple, making them convenient for the clients to comprehend.

Example: If the customer is an Internet Service Provider (ISP), you may stratify and list only the ISP-related terms in the contract.

Service-based SLA

It is the agreement that defines a particular service in relation to the customer. This SLA comprises constant policies of the organization, making it straightforward for the customers.

Example: The SLA managing the organization's guidelines on how the IT helpdesk resolves tickets will apply to all customers who opt for its service.

Multi-level SLA

It is an agreement that can be customized based on the end-user requirements. It allows both parties to specify criteria for creating an appropriate service. This SLA is further subdivided into different levels, each addressing various stakeholders of the organization. They are:

• Corporate Level - Covers generic norms that apply to everyone in the organization.

  Example: Security guidelines that include access card and password policies of the employees

• Customer Level - Cover the policies relevant to a specific customer or group of customers.

  Example: The security guidelines created for the finance department in case of a banking customer

• Service Level - Covers the terms of a particular service relevant to a customer group.

  Example: The policies specific to IT support services, which apply to customers using a particular VoIP service