Effective Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to Improve Business Services Level and Quality Using a Structured Risk Analysis Methodology

• 8:30 – 9:00 AM: Registration
• 9:00 AM: Session Start Time

1. Background on Service Level Management (SLM) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) – Definition and explanation of terms using in Service Level Management (SLM) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
2. Service Level Management and Service Level Agreements are a subset of Corporate and Enterprise Governance – Service Level Management is a Strategic component of running a well-governed business which involves the measurement of service quality level (SQL)
3. Traditional Approaches to Prepare SLAs and their deficiencies
4. A Structured Approach to SLA Development and Documentation based on a Top-down, Risk-based Approach
5. How to Prepare a Matrix or Spreadsheet of the Major Key Elements That Need to Be Considered In the Development of SLAs. Preparing SLAs that respond to the needs of the business and end-users who will benefit from effective compliance to the SLAs or be adversely impacted by noncompliance to the SLAs package. Difference between user-facing SLAs and Technical SLAs
6. Two Main Approaches To Develop SLAs

A discussion of two main approaches to designating the Service Level Improvement (SLI) – SLAs oriented to a given function (e.g., IT) and key business process oriented SLA development.

1. Identifying a critical business process that needs service quality improvement.

This approach thinks broadly across interdepartmental lines and views all the "supporting services that make it a high quality process, such as, IT, help desk, maintenance, financial services, procurement, customer support, etc., etc. It does not think in terms of the traditional vertical functional departmental structure, but across all functional units that apply on an enterprise-wide basis to achieve the "business service quality improvement goal".

2. Selecting a specific functional department as an individual target unit for which to develop SLAs to improve service delivery level within its boundaries of operation.
7. Illustration of an SLA Development Matrix from Real-world Experience

8. Description of Each of the Key Elements of the SLA Development Matrix
1. SLA Development Workshop Based on Methodology presented on day 1
1. Organize workshop Teams
2. Selection of a topical area of direct interest to delegates working in teams
3. Facilitated workshop
4. Presentation of results of workshop by teams
9. User-oriented SLAs and Technically-oriented SLAs
10. A Framework and a List of Elements to Consider in SLA Development
11. Sample matrix for the development on one specific SLA
12. Practical information that can be used in actual practice at the delegate’s office
13. Thorough review of some of the exercises with Q and A session.

Javier F. K., is the President and Principal Consultant of Management Advisory Services & Publications (MASP), an organization in the US that for 30 years has been devoted solely to consulting, training, publications, research and development. Prior to MASP, Javier was a Managing Associate at Arthur Young (now Ernst & Young), CIO at Cabot Corporation Worldwide, and Corporate Planner and Economic Evaluation Analyst and Information Systems Manager at Atlas Chemical Industries (now Astra-Zeneca).

His experience includes a broad array of activities in industrial operations, corporate planning and economic analysis,IT management and IT auditing and internal control, corporate and IT governance and contingency planning as well as business continuity.

As a Principal Consultant and Lecturer for MASP, Javier has provided advisory services globally to prominent organizations in banking, insurance, industry and government. Additionally, he has organized or restructured Internal Audit and Control, Information Technology Audit, Security and Quality Assurance functions for dozens of enterprises. Javier has also conducted management reviews of IT departments, advanced systems, communication networks, and assisted in developing contingency and business resumption plans. He has developed an audited corporate policies, IT management and performance standards for many organizations and IT departments.

Javier authored four books on SLAs and SLA related topics based on his experience in developing SLA programs for clients and previously for his own IT shop as a CIO:

• How to Prepare Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Application Provisioning
• Application Service Provisioning (ASP) – Best Practices for Outsourcers & ASPs
• Outsourcing Via Application Service Providers – Guidelines, SLAs and Success Factors
• Security and Privacy in Application Service Provisioning – Best Practices

Javier has adapted the principles of SLA development to the service areas of Contingency Planning and Business Continuity,Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC) and other service areas.

Javier has written or co-authored over 40 books and manuals on: Corporate and IT Governance and Compliance; Internal Control Design and Assessment; Information Technology Audit and Security; Systems Auditing; Internal Controls Assessment;Testing and Security; Critical Process Business Continuity; Network Auditing and Controls; and Guidelines for Outsourcing.

Javier has lectured worldwide in conferences and seminars for major auditing, banking and professional organizations, includingthe Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), The Information Systems Audit & Control Association (ISACA), CICA, the Netherlands Institute for Registered Accountants (NIVRA), Bahrain Banking Institute, National Banking Institute of India, Government Accountants Association, IAT and others. He has also led courses for many other international associations and advanced technology training institutes in Australasia, Malaysia, India, North Central and South America, Europe and the Middle East.