Service level agreement (SLA)

What an SLA usually specifies

An SLA specifies four things: the response time, the resolution time, the hours during which those clocks run, and the consequence of missing them. A four hour response inside business hours is a very different promise from a four hour response around the clock.

It should also define priority levels, because not every fault deserves the same clock. A failed cold room and a sticking door handle both matter, but committing to the same response for both prices the contract wrongly.

Response time and resolution time are different promises

Response time is how long until someone is on site or engaged with the problem. Resolution time is how long until the fault is fixed. Committing to a resolution time on equipment where parts may take a week is a promise you cannot keep.

Most service businesses commit firmly to response and softly to resolution, with an escalation path instead. That is honest, and it survives contact with a supplier back-order.

Running SLAs day to day

Running SLAs means knowing, at dispatch time, which jobs are closest to breaching and prioritising them. It also means recording the clock stops honestly, so your own reporting tells you the truth rather than what you would like to hear.

Omni Field does not ship a dedicated SLA compliance module, and it is worth being straight about that. What it provides is the underlying record: when the job was raised, its priority, when the technician arrived, when it was completed, and reporting across those timestamps. If you carry contractual SLAs, check that this gives you what your contract requires before you commit.

Common questions