Using Service Level Agreements in a EASA 145 Production Planning Environment
A service-level agreement (SLA) relates to a particular element, aspect or range of activities where a service is formally defined in a written form.
In particular the different aspects of the service or relationship - scope, quality, responsibilities - are agreed between the service provider and the service user. Service Level Agreements may be between two or more parties where one is the customer and the others are service providers.
The purpose is to support the most efficient working practices and to generate savings in the business process.
Note that - SLA’s are not normally bound by legal agreement (means contracts) such contracts between the service provider and other third parties may in fact sometimes be (incorrectly) called SLAs - Why? - Because the level of service has been set by the (principal) customer, (means it is a based not on a SLA but rather on a business requirement) - so it is an instruction!
Service Level agreements work particularly well in larger organizations with "internal" customers who are in fact users in other departments within the same organization.
One direct benefit of this can be to enable the quality of service to be benchmarked with that agreed to across multiple locations or between different business units.
This internal benchmarking can also be used to market test and provide a value comparison between an in-house department and an external service provider.
Service level agreements are by design, outcome focused the goals and deliverables become the responsibility of the individual or department responsible for the service.
Sitting alongside the SLA is the possibility of optimising the business processes within the department for example by utilising performance auditing techniques.
Data collected from the Safety Management System may also contribute to identifying opportunities to benefit from performance auditing.
The following template may be used as the basis of a Service Level Agreement, ensure that all parties are willing participants (you cannot inflict a service level agreement). Also ensure that there is a recovery action in the event that the SLA is not working - To understand - What is happening? Why it is happening? Where is the recovery? Who is the owner of the required resources to address the action?
Note that the advantage here is that we have a documented understanding of any weakness or non-fulfilment which may then be addressed by the Management Team.
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
Description of Agreement
Between
xxxx
and
xxxx
Effective Date of Agreement: xxxxxx
Document Owner: xxxxx
Version xxx
Date xxx
Approval
(By signing below, all Approvers agree to all terms and conditions outlined in this Agreement)
Approver xxx
Position xxx
Signed xxx
Signature Date
Table of Contents
Agreement Overview / Goals & Objectives / Stakeholders / Periodic Review / Service Agreement/ Service Scope/SLA Management Process/Reporting Procedures in the event on Miss Performance
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