The questions to ask about support hours, ownership and response targets before agreeing a service.
A managed service discussion should cover everyday working arrangements as well as the technology inventory. Clear ownership helps requests reach the right people.
List applications, devices, locations and user groups. Separate vendor support, licensing and the responsibilities of the internal team. Agree how an out-of-scope request will be assessed.
Starting to handle a request and fully resolving it are different events. Clarify priorities, support hours, contact channels and escalation steps together. Put applicable targets in the service agreement rather than interpreting a general web page as a guarantee.
Request creation, ownership, actions and closure should be traceable. Review recurring problems and unresolved work alongside request volumes. Choose measures that help the team understand the user experience and improve the service.
New applications, locations or user groups can change support requirements. Decide when the scope will be reviewed and who approves changes. This guide provides discussion points; it does not state a specific DESistem response time or service guarantee.
Further reading: Google SRE — service level objectives.
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