| One of the questions you get served when your | | | | All depends on your requirements for the service. If |
| investment profile is determined is this one: "how would | | | | you are exploiting an internet business, your website |
| you define an exception? Is that an event that occurs | | | | will not be available when the service provider is |
| 1 out of 50 times, 1 out of 100 , or ...:" | | | | dealing with a problem. |
| Not only when dealing with investments, but also for a | | | | If this problem takes 2 hours to solve, after which |
| service level you are dealing with exceptions. | | | | everything is ok again, than the service level has |
| And then the question is; what will happen? How long | | | | declined by X-percent. |
| will I be out of service? What is the (quality) level of | | | | To calculate this (X) percentage, take a month as a |
| this service? | | | | reference. In this month there are (in august) 31 days, |
| The best service provider is "always up and running." | | | | with each 24 hours. In total there are 744 hours that |
| But in practice this is not feasible. A service is a | | | | month. |
| provision of any kind to third parties. And such a | | | | A "down-time" of 2 hours will decline the service level |
| service is important because it enables others | | | | by 0.3% (2 divided by 7.44), leaving the level for that |
| (individuals and companies) to do their work. | | | | month (if nothing else happens) 99,7%. A downtime of |
| If the service is not functioning, others have a big | | | | 7.44 hours will diminish the service level by one |
| problem, because having no service will inhabit them to | | | | percent, leaving the level up to 99%. |
| continue their (own) work. | | | | This is only one month and one incident. Is this |
| And therefore a service level agreement is important | | | | exceptional? You should check you service level |
| to manage this level with the third party that provides | | | | agreement, if the calculation is not done per year. And |
| you the service. A service level of 98% percent, for | | | | what they understand as an exception, 1 out of 50 |
| example could then be a figure that you both agree | | | | probably -- a service level of 98%. Let's hope it's |
| for the service. Would this be fair. | | | | enough. |