Systems & deliverables
Name the devices, accounts, applications, locations, and work products covered by the engagement.
Service agreements
Define the work.
Set useful expectations.
A written scope connects the technical task to the people, approvals, and commercial terms behind it.
THE ESSENTIALS
Decisions to capture in writing.
Timing & communication
Agree on a service window, contact route, progress updates, and any milestones or dependencies.
Price & exclusions
Identify recurring charges, one-time fees, hardware, licenses, travel, taxes, and work that is outside the quote.
Authority & access
Identify the customer representative who can approve work and authorize system access or scope changes.
Validation & handover
Describe how the result will be checked and what configuration notes or service records will be handed over.
Change & exit
Set out how to request additional work, cancel service, transfer information, and remove access when the engagement ends.
Match the agreement to the engagement.
One-time support usually focuses on a defined issue or task. A project may require stages, customer approvals, and coordination with other vendors. A managed plan identifies recurring services and a maintained inventory of covered systems.
Response targets should distinguish acknowledgment, technical response, and resolution. Some issues depend on parts, service providers, account owners, or product vendors. A response target is not automatically a guaranteed resolution time.
An Enterprise plan or custom SLA requires a written scope. Discuss supported hours, priorities, escalation routes, exclusions, and any remedies before relying on a particular service level.
Ownership and continuity.
Confirm who owns domains, tenant accounts, licenses, configuration records, and business data. Maintain appropriate customer administrative access and recovery options so responsibility remains clear.
For backup work, identify protected data, schedules, retention, access controls, and restore testing. Agree on recovery objectives appropriate to the selected tools and scope; no blanket recovery guarantee is implied.
Before an engagement ends, discuss the handover date, outstanding charges, record transfer, retained data, and removal of remote access. Third-party subscriptions and commitments need their own review.
USEFUL NEXT STEPS
Keep the details connected.
General terms
Read the terms alongside the signed agreement.
Read morePrepare for service
Gather the information needed to begin.
Read moreVendor inquiries
Discuss purchasing and documentation requirements.
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