Service level management provides for continual identification, monitoring and review of the levels of IT services specified in the Service-level agreements (SLAs). Service-level management ensures that rrangements are in place with internal IT support-providers and external suppliers in the form of Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) and Underpinning Contracts (UCs), respectively. The process involves assessing the impact of change on service quality and SLAs. The service-level management process is in close relation with the operational processes to control their activities. The central role of Service-level management makes it the natural place for metrics to be established and monitored against a benchmark.
Service-level management is the primary interface with the customer (as opposed to the user serviced by the service desk). Service-level management is responsible for:
ensuring that the agreed IT services are delivered when and where they are supposed to be
liaising with availability management, capacity management, incident management and problem management to ensure that the required levels and quality of service are achieved within the resources agreed with financial management
producing and maintaining a service catalog (a list of standard IT service options and agreements made available to customers)
ensuring that appropriate IT service continuity plans exist to support the business and its continuity requirements.
The service-level manager relies on the other areas of the service delivery process to provide the necessary support which ensures the agreed services are provided in a cost-effective, secure and efficient manner.