Service Level Management
ITIL® defines Service Level Management (SLM) as:
…the processes of planning, co-ordinating, drafting, agreeing, monitoring and reporting on [Service Level Agreements], and the on-going review of service achievements to ensure that the required and cost-justifiable service quality is maintained and gradually improved. SLAs provide the basis for managing the relationship between the provider and the Customer.
Taking this a step farther, SLM is the central function of IT Service Management, providing the bridge between the Service Delivery and Service Support functions. The linkage between Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and underpinning Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) creates a gateway through which Suppliers and Providers interact with Customers and Users. Through this gateway flows services from the Providers and feedback from Users about how those services are received. Understanding that SLM is a dynamic, iterative process, dependent on realistic expectations and agreement by all parties, helps to improve the maturity of this Discipline over time.
SLM's criticality stems from its key role in the IT Service Management lifecycle. This concept of services as a lifecycle is important because it correctly implies an iterative process over time wherein services are initiated, planned, executed, controlled, and eventually closed. This process is reflected in the diagram below. more »
