Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
and Operating Level Agreements (OLAs)

The Office of Information Technolgoy and Duke Health Technology Solutions worked collectively to create templates for Service Level and Operating Level Agreements that provide a consistent and effective means of documenting the technical services and support we provide to our customer base.

SLA and OLA defined

An SLA defines the support relationship between a service provider and its customer. The agreement describes the products and/or services the customer receives, each party's responsibilities, the financial agreement (if any) and how the service provider measures and reports services. The objective of the SLA is to present a clear, concise and measurable description of what the service provider does for the customer.

An OLA defines the interdependent relationships among the internal support groups working to support an SLA. The agreement describes the responsibilities of each internal support group toward other support groups, including the process and timeframe for delivery of their services. The objective of the OLA is to present a clear, concise and measurable description of the service provider's internal support relationships.

Process and visual models

Begin the SLA implementation process by consulting with the customer to address all aspects of service delivery, using the SLA template to guide the discussions. Once you have an understanding of the customer's service needs, share the drafted SLA with the support groups responsible for delivering the service. The support groups should perform a gap analysis to determine the best way to provide the service, and to decide if the customer's needs can be met using existing resources. The internal support groups draft an OLA, using the OLA template to guide them. Continue revising both documents until they are ready to be finalized.

To see a visual representation of the process and models depicting SLAs and OLAs, click the links below.

NOTE: If you don't have Visio, select the .gif version of the desired file.*

Visio version .gif version
SLA OLA process SLA OLA process
SLA model SLA model
OLA model OLA model

Templates

The templates below provide a framework for addressing the major issues that you should discuss when negotiating a Service Level Agreement with a customer and/or an Operating Level Agreement with a service provider. OIT grants permission to make and distribute copies of any of these documents, provided you preserve the copyright notice on all copies.

SLA OLA
SLA template (.doc) OLA template (.doc)
SLA instructions (.doc) OLA instructions (.doc)
SLA Appendix
– escalation template (.xls) (for Remedy escalations)
 OLA Appendix
– escalation template
(.xls) (for Remedy escalations)
Our commitment (.doc) Use when creating multiple SLAs for the same customer.
Addendum (.doc) Use when writing an addendum to an SLA or OLA.

*Having trouble downloading the files?

1. Right-click (Windows) or CONTROL-click (Mac) the desired file.
2. Select Save Link As (Windows) or Download link to disk (Mac). The Save As window (Windows) or the Save window (Mac) appears.
3. Click Save. The files is saved.
4. Use the appropriate application to open the file.

Feedback

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions regarding the implementation process or the documents themselves, please contact Isabel Huffman at (919) 668-2213 or ihuffman@duke.edu.