The growth and success of any business are heavily reliant on its capability to satisfy the needs and wishes of customers. Many companies employ SLAs (service level agreements) to outline the service level that the company offers to the customers, suppliers, and vendors. The agreement helps companies to avoid any potential issues and deal with their expectations if not met. Today, we’ll discuss SLA supply chain management; its definition, various types, key elements involved, and benefits.
What is SLA Supply Chain Management?
SLA supply chain management is a form of contact that outlines the customer services that they would expect from the company. It outlines how the company would measure customer services, and it also mentions what happens if the company fails to offer support and services. SLA could be between suppliers and vendors of the company; or two same internal departments of the company.
Some of the main SLA services of the company are as follows;
- Cloud storage
- Web hosting
- IT support
The terms of SLA services are as follows;
- Uptime guarantees
- Response time
- Support level
SLA is a form of contract between customers tech vendors and suppliers that defines the types of expected services and their quality level. SLA offers the solution in case services aren’t met.
Types of SLA SCM
Some of the main types of SLA supply chain management are as follows;
Customer Service Level Agreement
As the name implies, it is a form of contact between suppliers or vendors and customers to offer a particular type of service.
For instance, Jack Reach is the paper supplier to various businesses and companies in the TV series. It clearly outlines that the company would supply 60 reams per month. The shipment of papers would be every Monday to Address 1 & Address 2 by Mr. Phillip; the company would send you confirmation through Mr. Dave Smith.
Service Level Agreement
An internal SLA is only suitable and applicable to departments and units within the same company. A company could have an SLA with every client, and it needs to develop a separate SLA for the sales and marketing departments of the company.
For instance, Organization Z has to make 6000 in sales USD every month, and the worth of every sale is roundabout 100 USD. The marketing manager has to collaborate with the sales department to draw SLA agreement. It would mention that the marketing unit would send 100 qualified leads to the sales directors, and the sales director would send back the report weekly.
Multilevel Service Level Agreement
Multilevel SLAs are beneficial in facilitating customers and internal units of the company. It clearly defines the role of every party and what they should do if there are many end users and service providers.
If the marketing and sales departments of organization Z are collaborating with each other through internal SLA and providing leads monthly from sales to the marketing department of the company. For instance, if you want to add the customer retention strategy in the contract, then SLA becomes among customers, sales, and marketing departments of the company.
Elements of SLA SCM
Some of the key elements of SLA supply chain management are as follows;
- Types of offered services
- Conditions under which you provide services
- Standards for meeting
- Responsibilities of both parties
- Process for aggravated problems
- Cost and benefit of tradeoff
- Reporting schedule
- Resolving disputes
- Liability of every party
- Updating and renewing the agreement
Benefits of SLA SCM
Some of the main benefits of SLA supply chain management are as follows;
Expected Quality
SLA (service level agreement) is a form of contact that defines the types of services the service provider would offer to the client; and what type of quality they should expect from the service provider.
Roles and Responsibilities
The SLA contract is between the customers and the company and it mentions the role and responsibilities of every party. It tells customers what they should expect from the company and the services the company should expect from the customers. However, it makes sure that both parties are on the same page in terms of roles and responsibilities.
Protecting Both Parties
If your lawyer doesn’t review the legal documents, then it would cause a lot of confusion and misinterpretation in the later stages. SLA contract, on the other hand, protects both parties.
Metrics & Goals
SLA contract could also be between the vendor or supplier and the company by clearly defining the goals, objectives, and metrics of the company. It makes sure that the vendor should satisfy the goals and objectives of the company.
Conclusion: SLA Supply Chain Management
After an in-depth study of the SLA supply chain management; we have realized that SLA SCM is highly significant when you offer a lot of services to avoid litigations. If you are learning about the SLA SCM, then you should keep in mind the abovementioned elements, benefits, and types.
References
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