Go to ScienceSoft Global
What ScienceSoft Includes in IT Support SLA
With 62% of ScienceSoft's revenue coming from engagements lasting for over two years, we are confident that one of the determining factors in a reliable partnership is a well-designed service level agreement (SLA) that provides legal protection, accountability, and clarity for both parties.
How Our Approach to SLA Prevents Common IT Outsourcing Pitfalls
Over our 17 years of experience in IT support, ScienceSoft has developed a tried-and-true approach that prevents the common SLA challenges
|
|
Typical market scenario |
How ScienceSoft differs |
|---|---|---|
|
Rigid SLA terms
|
Most providers offer standard SLAs or treat service agreements as set in stone once they are signed. Throughout the whole partnership, they use a fixed set of KPIs, metrics, and collaboration flows, even if their client’s needs change. |
ScienceSoft tailors the SLA to each client’s unique situation. When the client’s needs change, we are always open to discussing and altering SLA terms. In our experience, MSPs especially value this flexibility when outsourcing a part of their support workload to ScienceSoft as a white-label contractor. In such cases, the service terms are often already predetermined by the relationships established with the MSP’s end client, and we are ready to adapt to them. |
|
Unclear rights of the client
|
The client’s rights and the vendor’s obligations in the SLA might be vague and subject to interpretation. This leaves the client in a vulnerable position and opens up the potential for vendor misconduct. |
In every SLA, ScienceSoft clearly outlines both parties’ rights and responsibilities, including the client's right to terminate the contract in case the vendor doesn't fulfill the SLA. We also include clear and exhaustive definitions of support levels, request types, etc., to prevent any ambiguity. |
|
Unrealistic targets and lack of transparency
|
In order to win and retain a client, some IT companies set unrealistic targets that they can’t achieve. This leads to failed SLAs and customer dissatisfaction. |
Our clients value our transparency and proactive communication. At ScienceSoft, we are honest about our capabilities and potential restraints, which helps us foster mutual understanding and fulfill client expectations. |
ScienceSoft’s SLA Components for IT Support Services
While we have baseline SLA templates for our IT support services, we can tweak them to each client’s needs and unique conditions. See some examples of what is typically included in such agreements:
Definitions
In our SLAs, we clearly describe the terminology used in the agreement.
Service description
Our SLAs provide details about service phases, support levels, communication channels, and response time objectives.
Payment provisions
In our SLAs, we specify terms of payment and the cost of services covered, including the one-time cost of the transition phase, monthly support service fee, and the price-per-case for extra tickets.
Workflow
Our SLAs provide details on how ScienceSoft shall provide the service, such as the request processing steps and specific actions that ScienceSoft shall take.
Availability and workload
Our SLAs outline service time coverage, the maximum daily amount of cases, and the process for handling the cases that exceed this amount.
Reporting
Our SLAs detail the frequency of reporting and service level report content, including the total number of cases, the amount of resolved cases, the average initial response time, and the number of escalated cases.
Key KPIs We Use for Our IT Support Services
Help desk
- First response time (FRT).
- Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT).
- Case resolution rate.
- Abandonment rate for calls.
Infrastructure support
- Networks/software/devices monitored.
- Incidents detected.
- Incidents resolved.
- Incident response time.
Application support
- Application availability.
- Application change requests implemented.
- Application change requests waiting in the backlog.
- Satisfaction of key application stakeholders.
Our Clients on ScienceSoft’s SLA Adherence
ScienceSoft has proven to be a great partner and a much-needed addition to our IT support team. They stick to SLAs, provide competent support, and make sure incidents are resolved or escalated as soon as possible.
ScienceSoft's team demonstrates high technical competence, a proactive and responsible approach to IT support services, and full compliance with HVG's SLA. After a year of working together, we requested a ticket package twice as large as the initial one, and now they reliably handle Tier 1 support for many of our clients.
I would happily recommend ScienceSoft to anyone looking for a transparent, reliable IT support vendor. They’re very effective and consistently meet all the required KPIs: we were guaranteed hotfix rollouts in under 24 hours, and they delivered on the promise.