In brief
A service-level agreement should measure something the supplier can control and your team can observe. A response-time promise is weak if nobody defines when the clock starts.
Writing a practical SLA for a B2B service provider
A service-level agreement should measure something the supplier can control and your team can observe. A response-time promise is weak if nobody defines when the clock starts.
What to do
- Define a complete request and the point at which it enters the service queue.
- Separate acknowledgement, resolution, and final acceptance milestones.
- Agree how disputed timestamps and client-caused delays will be recorded.
Define the measurement and the exception
For each service measure, write the start event, stop event, data source, reporting owner, and agreed exclusions. Choose a target with the supplier that reflects the operating need and available evidence; the target is a commercial proposal, not an industry-wide standard. Explain how disputed records will be resolved and when a recurring problem must be escalated.
Run the measure through one ordinary event and one exception before signing. If the two parties calculate different results from the same facts, refine the definition. A short set of observable commitments is easier to manage than a long list that nobody can verify.
Illustrative buying situation
Consider this hypothetical example.
A provider promises a response within one working day. The buyer assumes this means a resolved request, while the supplier means an acknowledgement. Write separate milestones for acknowledgement, a proposed resolution, and accepted completion. State when a request is considered complete enough to enter the queue. Test the definitions on a request waiting for buyer information so both parties can see how the clock behaves during an exception.
Your next decision
Use a shared issue log to make service reviews factual rather than dependent on recollection.
Related buying guides
Service-level best practiceUAE supplier guides