Best Practices: Defining a Service Level Agreement (SLA) Process

Why Should You Attend:

This webinar will provide attendees with a comprehensive roadmap for implementing the SLA process. Developing SLAs involves the definition of service level requirements and related metrics. The SLA contents should be jointly developed and agreed upon by the service provider and the service recipient. This training program will focus on the key actions needed to develop an SLA process which will be manageable and support successful long term relationship. Participants will learn about the impacts of an external and internal SLA process. They will also learn about the differences between an SLA process and a supplier management process (SMP).

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• Definition of the SLA Process
• When Should I Use an SLA Process
• Establishing Valuable and Meaningful SLA Metrics
• SLA Examples
• Ten Tips for Implementing and Managing Your SLA Process
• The Bigger Picture: Considering a Supplier Management Process (SMP)
• Taking Action: Establishing the Service Level Reporting (SLR) Process
• Questions and Discussion

Who Will Benefit:

• Financial Officers
• Controllers
• Procurement Professionals
• Shared Service Center Executives
• Risk Officers
• Internal Auditors

Instructor Profile:

Chris Doxey has held senior finance and controller positions at Digital Equipment Corporation, Compaq Computer Corporation, Hewlett Packard, MCI, APEX Analytix, and BSI Healthcare. She has a bachelor's degree in English, a bachelor's in accounting, a master's in business administration, and a graduate certificate in project management. As a management consultant, Ms. Doxey uses her foundation of experience to provide best practices and solutions to her clients in the areas of compliance, auditing, internal controls, and fraud prevention. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Controller Certification Program for the IOFM.

Ms. Doxey is a Certified Accounts Payable Professional (CAPP), holds a Certification in Controls Self - Assessment (CSA), is a Certified Internal Controls Auditor (CICA), and is a Certified Professional Controller (CPC). She has authored The Controller’s Best Practices Guide and The Controller’s Best Practices Guide to the Financial Close for the IOFM and IMA. She has also published two handbooks: AP Leadership Skills and Implementing a Controls Self -Assessment Program for Accounts Payable. She writes articles, blogs, and whitepapers for professional organizations and solution providers. She also provides several webinars and presentations throughout the year.

Ms. Doxey is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the Institute for Internal Controls (The IIC), the Institute of Financial Operations (IFO), and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). She is a board member of the IMA’s Ethics Committee and Research Foundation. She is also a member of the advisory board for The IIC and is president of the Washington DC area chapter for both the IFO and The IIC organizations.

Topic Background:

SLAs are needed to measure the success of any service provider. SLAs establish a mutually agreed upon level of service and performance metrics. The Shared Service and Outsourcing Network (SSON) recommends that the following items are included in the SLA process.

• The processes to be included and the products and services of those processes
• A list of the processes which are out of scope at this point – to manage customer expectations
• Conditions of service availability - hours of opening, days of operation
• Service standards – times for delivery of services should be recorded in number of working days (rather than say 24 or 48 hours) to manage expectations and be clear about closures of operations for bank-holidays or weekends
• A R-A-C-I matrix – to show who is responsible, accountable, need to be consulted and informed, regarding process steps, which ensures role clarity in completion of tasks
• Cost versus service trade-offs, to manage expectations about “work arounds” or “just as a favor” requests
• Clear escalation procedures and timelines so that when something goes wrong it can be resolved by the right person, in the right role, at the right time

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