Service level management ensures that there is an agreement on a defined quality of service for every IT service provided, that this is coordinated with the Presidential Board and that the quality of the IT services is continuously reviewed and adjusted if necessary.

Service Level Management represents the IT services to the Presidential Board in its role as IT customer and the Presidential Board internally to the IT services. In a sense, it is the sales department for IT services. The process is used exclusively at the interface between the business and the IT service provider.

Service level management ensures reliable communication with all responsible parties in connection with IT services. It concludes all agreements and contracts and is the information provider for all relevant processes within IT services.

Service Level Management

• is the point of contact for customers and their requirements
• is the source of information for all other ITSM processes in relation to the IT services provided and planned
• develops and formulates clear expectations regarding the performance of the services to be provided
• is responsible for building and maintaining a trusting customer relationship
• determines customer satisfaction

• Recording customer requirements and documenting them in the form of SLRs
• Formulate contracts and agreements with service levels and conclude them with customers
• Regularly review concluded contracts and agreements and adapt them to changing customer requirements if necessary
• Monitor service provision by the IT service provider and document it for customers
• Review IT services and improve them if necessary
• Define, document, agree, monitor, report and review the IT services provided
• Ensure and improve communication between IT and customers
• Ensure a clear and unambiguous understanding of the services provided by customers and the IT organisation
• Monitor and improve customer satisfaction in connection with the IT services

To control the process qualitatively, the process owner needs meaningful key figures about the process. In addition to a large number of possible measured values, the few really important key figures used for process improvement are called key performance indicators.

• Ratio of services for which an SLA exists
• Ratio of completed to open SLAs
• Average duration until the conclusion of an SLA
• Proportion of scheduled adjustments to SLA, OLA or UC
• Number of SLA violations
• Customer satisfaction

• Is the required quality of the IT service well managed?
• Is the IT service provided cost-efficiently?
• Is the quality of the interface to the Presidential Board and to the users of the IT services fit for purpose?

Risks in the introduction of processes:

• Incomplete information from the Presidential Board
• ITSM tools provide insufficient support for the process
• Lack of acceptance of SLAs and OLAs by the Presidential Board or within the IT organisation
• Expectations of the Presidential Board are too high
• Lack of access, poor quality or inadequate up-to-dateness of the service knowledge management systemand the configuration management system.

Following the generic process model of ITIL, the four roles of Sponsor, Owner, Manager and Performer must be filled for each process.

Process Sponsor

This role provides the process with the necessary resources (budget, personnel, materials) and authorises the use of resources. It is also the client for the process implementation. In the promoter model, this role corresponds to the power promoter. Through formal authority, it has legitimised power with the possibility of sanctions and knows how to use it.

Process owner

This role is responsible for ensuring that the process is designed appropriately and produces the required results. In addition, the process owner is responsible for the continuous improvement of the process based on its key performance indicators. In the promoter model, this role corresponds to the specialist promoter. It has specific subject and methodological knowledge and develops concepts further. In the terminology of the RACI matrix, the process owner is accountable for results. The tasks of the process owner are

• Document the process in writing
• Define and revise KPIs
• Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the process
• Provide input for the service improvement plan (SIP)
• Review process, roles and responsibilities

Process Manager

This role is responsible for planning and coordinating all activities required to execute, monitor and report on the process. It also serves as an escalation instance for the process performers. In the promoter model, this role corresponds to the process promoter. It has organisational knowledge, establishes the link between the power promoter and the specialist promoter and steers the innovation process. In the terminology of the RACI matrix, the process manager is responsible for implementation. Responsibility: The Service Level Manager:

• recognises the changing needs of their customers
• identifies the current and future requirements for IT services
• negotiates and concludes agreements and contracts for IT services
• supports the creation and maintenance of the service portfolio
• ensures that the SLAs are fulfilled by the underlying contracts (OLAs and UCs)

Process performer (contributor)

This role performs activities in the process flow. It reports to the Process Manager.