The two terms, OLA (Operational Level Agreement) and SLA (Service Level Agreement) serve distinct purposes in ensuring the efficient delivery of services. Let’s explore what OLAs and SLAs are, their key differences, and how they work together to maintain service quality.
An OLA is an internal agreement within an organization and is not typically shared with external clients. It defines the roles, responsibilities, processes, and expectations between different departments or teams to support the provision of services.
The main purpose of an OLA is to maintain operational efficiency. It establishes clear guidelines for how various teams collaborate and contribute to service delivery.
An SLA, on the other hand, is a formal contract or agreement between a service provider and a customer. It outlines the quality and scope of services, as well as the expected levels of performance and responsiveness.
SLAs are customer-centric and focus on meeting the expectations and requirements of external clients or customers. They establish the terms and conditions of service delivery.
Though they have their differences, OLAs, and SLAs are interconnected and complement each other in service management. OLAs establish the internal processes and responsibilities needed to meet SLAs.
For example, an OLA between an IT support team and a network team might define how quickly network issues must be escalated to maintain network uptime, which is specified in the SLA with external clients.
In summary, OLAs and SLAs are essential tools in service management. OLAs focus on internal processes, while SLAs define customer-facing commitments and expectations. Together, they ensure that services are delivered efficiently and to a high standard.
