Many smaller businesses are let down, when tendering for contracts, by not having the sophisticated edge of professionalism presented by the corporates. This can be despite offering a really good product or service. A classic example of this is the SLA – Service Level Agreement.
The SLA is a management tool put in place to monitor the key service elements required by the client. It will be reviewed by the supplier and client together on a periodic basis – probably monthly. The defined service levels will be measured, on a line by line basis, against agreed criteria, and given a score. This scoring process will indicate how the individual elements of the contract are performing, and build a picture of the contract as a whole. For any service element falling below par actions will be agreed, and objectives set for improvement. These will receive ongoing scrutiny.
This SLA – Service Level Agreement process;
- Ensures objectivity when evaluating service performance
- Eliminates poor, or incomplete reporting of service status.
Implementing an SLA – Service Level Agreement as part of a contract can be regarded as being a very professional way of managing service delivery. Including an SLA process in response to a tender question, such as, “How will you provide assurance of a continuing high standard of service delivery?”, can be instrumental in helping to win contracts.
If you want assistance designing or implementing an SLA – Service Level Agreement process, either as part of a tender response, or for an existing client, I can help. This process can be enormously useful in terms of building a professional relationship between supplier and client, leading in turn to longevity of contract. An SLA – Service Level Agreement can not only help win business, it can help keep it!
If you would like to know more contact us.