Business Continuity Service Level Agreement
Business Continuity Service Level Agreement: Why It Matters and How to Draft One
A business continuity service level agreement (BCSLA) is a document that outlines the minimum level of service that a company must provide in the event of a disruption or disaster. The agreement serves as a roadmap for restoring operations and minimizing downtime, which can have a significant impact on a company`s bottom line, reputation, and customer satisfaction.
Why is a BCSLA important?
A BCSLA is an essential component of a company`s business continuity plan because it sets expectations for all parties involved and ensures that everyone is on the same page. Without a BCSLA, there may be confusion or misunderstandings about roles and responsibilities, response times, and acceptable levels of service.
A BCSLA also helps companies assess their risk exposure and plan accordingly. By identifying critical systems, processes, and functions, companies can prioritize their recovery efforts and allocate resources more effectively.
How to draft a BCSLA?
When drafting a BCSLA, start by identifying your company`s critical systems, processes, and functions. These are the areas that must be restored first in the event of a disruption. Next, define your recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs). RTOs specify how long it will take to restore operations, while RPOs determine how much data can be lost.
Once you have established your RTOs and RPOs, you can define your service level objectives (SLOs). SLOs are the minimum level of service that your company must provide during a disruption. For example, you may dictate that critical systems must be restored within two hours and that data loss should not exceed 30 minutes.
Finally, specify the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the recovery process. This may include your IT department, third-party vendors, and department heads. Be sure to include escalation procedures in case of delays or roadblocks.
Conclusion
A BCSLA is an essential tool for companies to ensure that they can minimize downtime and quickly restore operations in the event of a disruption. By defining recovery time and service level objectives, companies can better allocate resources and prioritize their recovery efforts. A BCSLA also helps companies assess their risk exposure and plan accordingly, reducing the impact of potential disasters.