What is a Service Level Agreement?
Definition
Contractual commitments defining expected service quality including uptime guarantees, response times, resolution timeframes, and penalties for non-compliance. SLAs typically specify 99.9% uptime, <1 hour critical issue response, and <24 hour resolution times."
Why This Matters
Service Level Agreements define specific performance commitments, including uptime guarantees, response times, and remedies for missed targets. SLAs provide measurable accountability and recourse mechanisms. Without defined SLAs, service expectations remain subjective and unenforceable.
Related Terms
Showing semantically related terms from our RFP knowledge graph. Priority connections are highlighted.
Essential Connections
Implementation Support
Implementation & Deployment
Vendor-provided assistance during software deployment, including technical guidance, configuration support, and issue resolution.
Support Services
Implementation & Deployment
Ongoing technical assistance and issue resolution provided after implementation.
Technical Support
Implementation & Deployment
Vendor assistance for troubleshooting, bug fixes, and system issues provided through ticketing systems, phone, chat, or email.
Master Service Agreement
RFP Fundamentals
A contract establishing terms and conditions for ongoing vendor relationships including pricing, payment terms, intellectual property rights, liability, termination clauses, and dispute resolution.
Contract Negotiation
Pricing & Total Cost
The process of finalizing terms with the selected vendor including pricing adjustments, SLA modifications, customization scope, payment terms, and exit clauses.
Vendor Selection
Vendor Management & Evaluation
The systematic process of evaluating and choosing software vendors based on product capabilities, security compliance, implementation support, company stability, and pricing.
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