SLA Management for the Helpdesk Should Be a SMB Priority
In the corporate environment, SLA management is a given. It doesn’t matter if the employee is the CEO or the front desk receptionist; the IT support knows exactly what capabilities are in place, the priorities that have been established, and how much time is acceptable between helpdesk service ticket and issue resolution. SLA management agreements ensure that these guidelines are not only established, but followed according to the agreement. If you are running an SMB (small- to medium-sized business), you likely have overlooked SLA management and that could easily be to your detriment.
SLA Management: There is No Downside
When there is really no downside to SLA management, it seems logical that every company would make this a priority. After all, SLA management is in place to be sure the company runs efficiently and can easily handle any helpdesk issues that can arise related to IT. SLA management ensures that a company like yours understands whether the priorities that have been put in place are correct and make sense and if a company such as yours is actually benefiting from the process. As nearly every company relies on some form of IT to operate, it would stand to reason that the SMB would want to integrate SLA management. This is not the norm, however, for a couple of different reasons.
Obstacles to SLA Management for the SMB
There are really two reasons why an SMB like yours may opt to not implement SLA management. The first is a common misnomer–the business isn’t large enough to warrant SLA management as they can’t gain the necessary efficiencies to warrant the extra effort. The second reason for bypassing SLA management may be the assumption that taking this step will cost too much in terms of capital and other resources to justify the anticipated benefit. Without SLA management in place, it is easy to overlook the needs of your helpdesk and SMB and properly implement the tools you need to be sure you are always up and running.
Why Every Company Needs SLA Management
How much do you depend on your IT to support your business processes? Can you continue doing business if one computer goes down? What happens if your entire network goes down? If you have SLA management in place, you can not only answer these questions, you can also ensure business continuity in every situation. At the same time, you need to know how well your IT resources are working; you need to have standards of acceptable service; you need to be aware of growing IT issues; and you need to know that your infrastructure is always protected so business can continue as usual. Without SLA management in place, you will be in the dark on all of these issues.
Don’t Wait on SLA Management
Just like your customers have certain expectations when it comes to your products and services, you have certain expectations on your IT to ensure you can operate as expected. SLA management helps you to define what you expect and how these expectations can be met. As much as you rely on IT, you can’t afford to not have SLA management in place.