Service Level Management Scope

The scope of the SLM starts right from the customer demands which inturn become the requirement and SLM gets Service Level Requirements (SLR). SLR gets drafted, negotiated and agreed and form them we get Service Specification and Service Level Agreements (SLA). SLM also manages OLA with internal teams and with coordination of Supplier Management, SLM manages underpinning contracts with external suppliers. Monitoring, reporting and reviewing of SLA / OLA also come under the scope of SLM. Based on the Performance Review results, SLM recommends Service Improvement Plans (SIP).

• Important point here is to ensure that content and frequency of the reporting must be as per the customer requirement and mutually agreed by both the parties during the negotiation.

SLM should provide a point of regular contact and communication to the customers and business managers of an organization in relation to service levels. In this context, it should represent the IT service provider to the business and the business to the IT service provider. This activity should encompass both existing services and potential future requirements for new or changed services. SLM needs to manage the expectation and perception of the business. Customers and users ensure that the quality (warranty) of service delivered by the service provider is matched to those expectations and needs. In order to do this effectively, SLM should establish and maintain SLAs for all current live services and manage the level of service provided to meet the targets and quality measurements contained within the SLAs. This should produce and agree SLRs for all planned new or changed services that document warranty requirements.

Service Level Management Key Activities

The key activities within the SLM process include:

• Determining, negotiating, documenting and agreeing requirements for new or changed services in SLRs

• Managing and reviewing them through the service lifecycle into SLAs for operational services

• Monitoring and measuring service performance achievements of all operational services against targets within SLAs

• Producing service reports, Conducting service reviews, identifying improvement opportunities for inclusion in the CSI register and managing appropriate SIPs

• Collating, measuring and improving customer satisfaction, in cooperation with business relationship management

• Reviewing and revising SLAs, service scope and OLAs Assisting supplier management to review and revise underpinning contracts or agreements. Developing and documenting contacts and relationships with the business, customers and other stakeholders in cooperation with the business relationship management process

• Logging and managing complaints and compliments, in cooperation with business relationship management

• Providing appropriate management information to aid performance management and demonstrating service achievement

SLM Chart for Service Reporting / Monitoring

SLM Charts are very effective for SLA Monitoring (SLAM). A useful technique is to include an SLAM chart at the front of a service report to give an overview on how achievements have measured up against targets. These are most effective if color coded (red, amber, green and sometimes referred to as RAG charts as a result). This chart is usually used during the performance review meetings.

Service Level Management Goals & Objectives

For Service Catalogue Management, the goal is to ensure that a Service Catalogue is produced and maintained. It contains accurate information on all operational & planned services.

And the Objectives are to:

• Manage the information contained within the Service Catalogue

• Ensure accuracy in current details, status, interfaces and dependencies of all services

The Scope of Service Catalogue Management includes all services that are being transitioned or have been transitioned to the live environment. There are two types of service catalogues

• Business Service Catalogue (BSC):

​BSC contains details of all the IT services from customers view of the Service Catalogue

• Technical Service Catalogue (TSC):

TSC contains details of all the IT services from IT perspective, relationships to the supporting services shared services, components and CIs necessary to support the provision of the service to the business. Point to remember here is, TSC should underpin the BSC and maybe visible to the customers!

Sometimes, you may see three views of Service Catalogues -

• Retail

• Wholesale

• Technical SCM basic factors which enable the customer to receive the (core) service.

Enhancing services

Services that are added to a core service to make it more exciting or enticing to the customer. Enhancing services are not essential to the delivery of a core service and are added to a core service as a factors, which will encourage customers to use the core service more (or to choose the core service provided by one company over those of its competitors).