Configure Service Level Management

Important

This version of Service Manager has reached the end of support. We recommend you to upgrade to Service Manager 2022.

This article provides an overview of how to configure service level management in Service Manager. This section also contains procedures that cover service level management configuration scenarios.

Service level management is the process that you use to measure incident and service request timeliness. In Service Manager, you create a service level item that consists of queues that correspond to each service level, plus time metrics to measure and warn for. Separately, you can also send notifications to users that occur before and after service level breach. In the Service Manager console, you manage this process in the Administration workspace using the following nodes:

  • Calendar
  • Metric
  • Service Level Objectives

Calendar

The Calendar node is used to define work days, work hours, and holidays as a calendar item in the Service Manager console. Each calendar item is a distinct work schedule that represents time available for analysts to resolve incidents and fulfill service requests. Calendar items correspond to at least one service level objective where it's measured by a time metric, such as resolution time.

Metric

The Metric node is used to define time metrics against a calendar item, corresponding to a service level objective. A time metric is the measurement between start and end dates. There are two predefined metrics in Service Manager:

  • Resolution Time

  • Completion Time

The Resolution Time metric is used to measure the maximum length of time that incidents should take before they're resolved. By default, the two points in time that define Resolution Time are the start date as the date and time that each incident is created and the end date as the date and time that each incident is resolved.

The Completion Time metric is used to measure the maximum length of time that service requests should take before they're completed. By default, the two points in time that define Completion Time are the start date as the date and time that each service request is created and the end date as the date and time that each service request is completed.

Service level objectives

The Service Level Objectives node is used to create relationships between a queue and a service level. It's also used to define the relationship between a calendar item and a time metric. Separately, you can also send notifications to users that occur before and after service level breach.

Create or edit a calendar item

You create a calendar item to define work days, work hours, and holidays in Service Manager. After you create a calendar item, you'll use it as part of a service level objective, where it's measured against a time metric.

Create a calendar item

Follow these steps to create a calendar item:

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
  2. In the Administration pane, expand Service Level Management, and select Calendar.
  3. In the Tasks pane, under Calendar, select Create Calendar.
  4. In the Create/Edit Calendar dialog, in the Title box, enter a title for the calendar. For example, enter Normal Work Calendar.
  5. In the Time zone list, select the time zone of your location.
  6. Under Working days and hours, select the work days of your organization and for each selected day, enter the start and end time for each day.
  7. Under Holidays, select Add to define any holidays that your organization doesn't normally work. In the Add Holiday dialog, enter the name and select the date of the holiday and select OK to close the dialog.
  8. Select OK to close the Create/Edit Calendar dialog.

Edit a calendar item

You edit a calendar item in Service Manager to update work days, work hours, and holidays. After you edit a calendar item, you'll use it as part of a service level objective, where it's measured against a time metric. If the calendar is already associated with a service level objective, it appears in the Related SLA(s) area.

Note

When you update an existing calendar item, the update is effective for incidents and service requests created afterward; however, the updates don't affect the existing incidents.

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
  2. In the Administration pane, expand Service Level Management, and select Calendar.
  3. In the Calendar list, select an existing calendar, and then in the Tasks pane, under CalendarName, select Properties.
  4. In the Create/Edit Calendar dialog, modify any of the following items, as needed:
    • Title
    • Time zone
    • Working days and hours
    • Holidays
  5. Select OK to close the Create/Edit Calendar dialog.

Create or edit SLA metrics

You can create a service level management metric, which is analogous to service level agreements (SLAs), as a time metric to measure the difference between start and end times for incidents and service requests. After you define a metric, you associate it with a service level objective. If the metric is already associated with a service level objective, it appears in the Related SLA(s) area.

Select the required tab for steps to create a metric for incidents or service requests:

Follow these steps to create a metric for incidents:

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
  2. In the Administration pane, expand Service Level Management, and select Metric.
  3. In the Create/Edit SLA Metric dialog, in the Title box, enter a title for the metric. For example, enter Incident Metric.
  4. In the Description box, enter a description of the metric. For example, enter Time that incidents are resolved.
  5. Under Class, select Browse to open the Select a Class dialog, select Incident, and then select OK to close the dialog.
  6. Select the list next to Start date and then select the item that you want to use to define the start date. For example, select First assigned date.
  7. Select the list next to End date, and then select the item that you want to use to define the end date. For example, select Resolved date.
  8. Select OK to close the Create/Edit SLA Metric dialog.

Edit SLA metrics

In Service Manager, you edit a service level agreement (SLA) metric to update the title, start date, and end date. After you edit a metric, you associate it with a service level objective. If the metric is already associated with a service level objective, it appears in the Related SLA(s) area.

Note

You should avoid making changes to an SLA metric that is in use because changing it might cause performance problems. If possible, edit in-use SLA metrics during a period of minimal system use, such as during a maintenance period.

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
  2. In the Administration pane, expand Service Level Management, and select Metric.
  3. In the Metric list, select an existing metric, and then in the Tasks pane, under MetricName, select Properties.
  4. In the Create/Edit Metric dialog, modify any of the following items, as needed:
    • Title
    • Description
    • Start date
    • End date
  5. Select OK to close the Create/Edit Metric dialog.

Modify an SLA metric view

You can use the following procedures to customize an SLA view.

Views let you group SLA metrics that share certain criteria. However, when you personalize changes to a view, those changes aren't saved. For example, you can customize the Metrics view, but if you change column widths, column sorting, grouping, or if you remove columns, the next time you return to the view, it displays information in the same manner as it did before you personalized it.

Personalize an SLA metric view

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
  2. In the Administration pane, expand Service Level Management, and then select Metric.
  3. Right-click any view column heading to resize columns, to remove items from the results, or to change column sorting and grouping. Repeat this step until you're satisfied with the results.
  4. You can also enter in the Filter box to show results that are limited items that match what you entered.

Create or edit a service level objective

You create a service level objective to create relationships between a queue and a service level, a calendar item and a time metric, and actions that occur before or after service level breaches. Afterward, when you view incidents or service requests and they approach their warning time, you'll see a notification bar stating that the item is about to breach. You can also create periodic notifications if you want analysts to receive emails for incidents or service requests that might breach their service level objective.

In order to create a service level objective, it's easier if you've already created or defined a calendar item and an SLA metric. Additionally, the service level objective that you create is linked to a queue. The queue that you associate to a service level objective must target the same type of work item, based on its class; otherwise, the queue won't be available when you create the service level objective.

Create a service level objective

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
  2. In the Administration pane, expand Service Level Management, and select Service Level Objective.
  3. In the Tasks pane, under Service Level Objectives, select Create Service Level Objective.
  4. In the Create Service Level Objective Wizard, on the Before You Begin page, select Next.
  5. On the General page, in the Title box, enter a name for the new service level objective.
  6. In the Description box, enter a description of the service level objective.
  7. Next to Class, select Browse to Open the Select a Class dialog and then select a class pertinent to the type of service level objective you're creating. Normally, you should choose either Incident or Service Request.
  8. Ensure that Enabled is selected, and select Next.
  9. On the Service Level Criteria page, select a calendar and a time metric, or you can create new ones.
  10. Under Target, specify the amount of time in hours or minutes that the work item should be completed by.
  11. Under Warning threshold, specify the amount of time in hours or minutes before the service level is beached, which causes a warning notification in the work item notification bar, and select Next.
  12. On the Summary page, confirm the choices you made and select Create.
  13. On the Completion page, select Close.

Edit a service level objective

You can edit a service level objective to modify relationships between a queue and a service level, a calendar item and a time metric, and actions that occur before or after service level breaches. Afterward, when you view incidents or service requests and they approach their warning time, you'll see a notification bar stating that the item is about to breach. You can also create periodic notifications if you want analysts to receive email for incidents or service requests that might breach their service level objective.

The service level objective that you edit is linked to a queue. If you want to modify the association of queue to a service level objective, the service level objective must target the same type of work item as the queue based on its class; otherwise, the queue won't be available when you modify the service level objective.

Modify a service level objective

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
  2. In the Administration pane, expand Service Level Management, and select Service Level Objective.
  3. In the Service Level Objectives list, select an existing service level objective, and then in the Tasks pane, under ServiceLevelObjectiveName, select Properties.
  4. In the Edit SLO dialog, modify any of the following items, as needed.
    • Title
    • Queues
    • Service Level Criteria
  5. Select OK to close the Edit SLO dialog.

View SLA information in an incident form

As you're working with incidents, it's easy to tell when an incident's service level is about to or has been breached by viewing incidents in the Assigned To Me view and then looking for information in the Service Level Target column.

If you're already in an incident form and an incident is about to breach, a notification bar is displayed in the form while on the General tab stating that One or more Service Level Objectives are about to breach. You can view additional information about the service level status on the corresponding tab and see that the status shown is a warning.

When an incident has already been breached, no notification bar is displayed in the form while you're on the General tab. However, you'll see breached status while you're on the Service Level tab if that incident's service level objective has breached.

Select the required tab for steps to view warning or breached SLA information in an incident form:

Follow these steps to view the warning SLA information in an incident form:

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Work Items.
  2. In the Work Items pane, expand Incident Management, and select Incidents with Service Level Warning.
  3. In the Incidents with Service Level Warning list, select an incident, and then in the Tasks pane, under IncidentID-IncidentName, select Edit.
  4. In the Incident IncidentID-IncidentName - Status form, observe the One or more Service Level Objectives are about to breach warning.
  5. Select the Service Level tab, and observe the status of the incident as Warning. You can also see other information about the incident, most notably Time Before SLA Breached.
  6. Select OK to close the incident.

Review incidents with SLA information

You can use the following procedure to view incidents that have a service level objective associated with them.

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Work Items.
  2. In the Work Items pane, expand Incident Management, and select Incidents with Service Level Warning or Incidents with Service Level Breached.
  3. In the list of incidents, notice the time that is displayed for Service Level Target.

Send SLA notification information to the assigned-to user

You can send notifications to analysts who are responsible for incidents when each incident is within the warning period of its service level objective. Because periodic notifications require a large amount of system resources, the following example notifies the analyst once when the service level objective goes to a warning state.

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Administration.
  2. In the Administration pane, expand Notifications, and select Subscriptions.
  3. In the Tasks pane, select Create Subscription to open the Create E-Mail Notification Subscription Wizard.
  4. On the Before You Begin page, read the instructions, and select Next.
  5. On the General page, complete these steps:
    1. In the Notification subscription name box, enter a name for the subscription for the service level objective.
    2. In the Description box, enter a description of the subscription for the service level objective.
    3. In the When to notify list, select When an object of the selected class is updated.
    4. Next to Targeted class select Browse and then in the Frequently used basic classes list, select All basic classes. In the Select a Class dialog, select Service Level Instance Time Information, and select OK to close the dialog.
    5. Keep the default management pack information, and select Next.
  6. On the Group/Queue Selection page, select Next.
  7. On the Additional Criteria page, complete these steps:
    1. In the Changed From tab, set [Service Level Instance Time Information] Status Does Not Equal Warning.
    2. On the Changed To tab, set [Service Level Instance Time Information] Status Equals Warning, and select Next.
  8. On the Template page, select an email template or create a new one targeted at the Service Level Instance Time Information class. For more information about creating email notification templates, see How to Create Notification Templates. Select Next.
  9. On the Recipient page, select Add and select the groups and users to send the notification to, and select Next.
  10. On the Related Recipient page, select Add, select [WorkItem]WorkItem has Service Level Instance Information in the left box, and then select Primary Owner and Assigned To User in the right box, and select Next.
  11. On the Summary page, review the information, and select Create.
  12. On the Completion page, select OK to close the wizard.

Reactivate incidents with SLA information

You can reactivate resolved incidents that have an associated service level objective. However, keep in mind that the original date and time that the incident was opened is preserved. So, the time that elapsed while the incident was resolved continues to apply against the service level objective—possibly resulting in the service level objective being breached.

  1. In the Service Manager console, select Work Items.
  2. In the Work Items pane, expand Incident Management, and select All .
  3. In the All Incidents list, locate a resolved incident that you want to reactivate, and select it.
  4. In the Tasks list, under <IncidentID - IncidentTitle>, select Change Incident Status, and select Activate.
  5. In the Activate box, enter a comment describing why you're activating the incident, and select OK.

Next steps

To create a sequence of activities that automate a business process, see Configure workflows.