Operational Level Agreement

The term Operational Level Agreement ( OLA ) An agreement that is usually made ​​within an organization between different organizational units and the protection of a higher-level Service Level Agreements ( SLA) serves the organization to a third party. Thus, the OLA is in contrast to the SLA an organization- internal, non-contractual agreement to hedge the higher order agreement. Both document types have, however, generally contain identical structures and similar concrete details on arrangements for the provision of defined services ( IT and telecommunications services ).

History and context

Historically OLA arose first for IT services; OLA now also be used for other types of services. In Germany and Switzerland the term OLA especially by the IT Infrastructure Library ( ITIL) has become known.

OLAs are an essential part of Service Level Management (SLM ). As part of the service level management process OLAs are constantly revised and adapted to changing SLAs and adapted to changing technical constraints, or even further developed with regard to the so far achieved in practice service quality.

Distinction between

Because an OLA is a company or group- internal agreement, corresponds to an OLA is normally no contract in the legal sense, but a service agreement. The OLA specified delivery and service relations between the two parties.

Example

• For example, a service level agreement ensures high availability of a Web application to a client.
• In order for this agreement even in the presence of interference can be observed towards the client closes the guarantee service, such as service department, OLA with an internal service provider, such as the technical department, so within a defined period used a technician after a fault message and the fault is corrected.
• The fulfillment of this internal agreement within the company ensured by appropriate implementing measures.

More information

An OLA can - as well as an SLA - are covered in turn by an Underpinning Contract (UC ), with an external service provider ( for example, the manufacturer or owner of a maintenance facility ) will be consulted contracted to assist in the fulfillment of the agreement under certain conditions. Such a UC is required for the case that the own resources of the internal service is not sufficient in all cases to hedge the guaranteed benefits.