What is Service Level Management?

Published by ivankame on

What is service level management comprised of?

Building a computing network is a somewhat daunting task, but effectively running or managing one over a long period of time is a much more difficult and involved process.    What makes it difficult is the fact that things are constantly changing, being added, removed, breaking down, or used in an inappropriate manner; IT managers are certainly not strangers to problem solving (or at least shouldn’t be).  Add to this, the fact that businesses are demanding more and more of their IT department(s), and it’s clear that even the most dedicated and enthusiastic IT squad / manager could use a little assistance.  This is why service level management of IT assets is such a brilliant institution; it literally provides a plan for managing IT with regards to the larger concerns of a business or organization.

But what exactly is it that businesses are asking those in IT to perform (these days)?  There is an abundance of businesses right now that are using computing technologies to perform critical in-house activities as well as interface with the public at large.  If these organizations want to continue generating a profit they must not only provide things like web services, they must also keep them up and running at all times, and in perfect order.  What service level management does provide IT personnel with is a much better understanding of the needs, goals and requirements of their parent organization; a business perspective(s), if you will.  But it’s much more than that; service level management is also about ensuring that IT is still accountable and doing everything within its power to facilitate and encourage further profits.

So, what is service level management actually comprised of?

SLM (service level management) is just the process of tending to the IT-related needs of the system and business it provides for.  To achieve both of these means effectively SLM enlists the assistance of a customized SLA, or service level agreement.  It is the service level agreement that actually outlines what the expectations, requirements and eventual goals of any organization are with regards to IT assets.  Once these items have been ascertained, it is simply a matter of performing a complete evaluation of current abilities and assets and devising an implementation strategy for both stabilizing and further developing IT properties.   This isn’t a easy-going simplistic process; devising a SLA is a very intensive and revealing process that seeks to uncover not only what the current standards are, but also plan ahead for any number of changes (internally and externally).
Service Level Management Certification
What do service level managers actually do?
The duties of service level managers are many, they include:
  • Negotiating and conversing with relevant persons about how to best establish, run, and maintain any number of IT assets.  This is especially important if the products, goals and abilities of a parent business organization are constantly changing.
  • Overseeing specific duties like customer service and support.  This would also extend into the area of in-house support and service.
  • Acting as a network administrator for the entire system.
  • Monitoring all process and IT assets on a continual basis to ensure proper functionality.
  • Gathering statistical data to determine if certain business objectives are being met.  This of course would be followed up by both analysis of said data and formulation of sound strategies for fostering the best end results (from the point of view of the business itself).
  • Planning for the addition/removal of components as well as upgrades/expansions; they might also be responsible for making sure that certain assets are available at certain times to meet specific business demands.
  • Synchronizing multiple IT assets and personnel in such a way that everything continues to run smoothly and at peak potential.

To put it simply, a service level manager has to “wear many different hats” in order to accomplish their duties.  Appointing a service level manager should not a light undertaking.   Inexperienced individuals or those lacking the necessary insight into SLM will not be effective as a service level manager; in fact, one of the biggest mishaps that are often made is hiring the wrong person for the job.  The tasks performed by service level mangers are multiple, with each one of them being complex (in and of itself).  Only the most knowledgeable, trustworthy and intelligent individuals should be considered for the position of service level manager.

 

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