How MSP SLAs Actually Work (And What Matters)
Severity Levels Explained (Not All Tickets Are Equal)
For an 80–120 employee company, a professional Managed Service Provider should offer defined response time SLAs by issue severity, not vague promises of “fast support.”
At Smarter IT, critical issues receive a response within 1–30 minutes, high-priority issues within 1 hour, and standard requests within 4 business hours. These SLAs are enforced, tracked, and reviewed — giving leadership predictable outcomes, reduced downtime, and accountability that scales with business growth.
SLA’s By Example
| Severity | Example | Target Response |
|---|---|---|
| Critical (P1) | Company-wide outage | 15 minutes |
| High (P2) | Key system down for multiple users | ≤ 1 hour |
| Standard (P3) | Individual user issue | ≤ 4 business hour |
| Low (P4) | Requests / changes | Scheduled |
Response Time vs Resolution Time (What Most MSPs Don’t Explain)
One of the most common misunderstandings about SLAs is the difference between response time and resolution time.
- Response time = when work begins
- Resolution time = when the issue is fully fixed
At Smarter IT, we focus on:
- Fast acknowledgment
- Immediate triage
- Clear communication and escalation
Complex issues may take longer to resolve, but clients always know:
- What’s happening
- What the next step is
- Who is accountable
How Smarter IT Enforces and Tracks SLAs
SLAs are not marketing promises — they are operational commitments.
Our process includes:
- Automated ticket classification and timers
- SLA tracking within our service management platform
- Internal performance reviews
- Ongoing optimization of response workflows
This ensures response targets are measured, enforced, and continuously improved, not ignored.
What Is Included in SLA Coverage
SLAs apply to:
- Helpdesk support incidents
- Infrastructure and system outages
- Security incidents
- Microsoft 365 and core business systems
What Is Not Covered by Standard SLAs
To remain transparent, some items are handled as project work, including:
- Major system upgrades
- Large-scale migrations
- New platform implementations
- Vendor-caused outages outside our control
Clear boundaries help prevent confusion and set realistic expectations.
Why SLAs Matter More at 80–120 Employees
At this stage of growth:
- Downtime directly impacts revenue and operations
- Informal or reactive IT no longer scales
- Leadership needs predictability, not best-effort support
Defined SLAs ensure:
- Faster issue containment
- Less operational disruption
- Better executive confidence in IT performance
Real Client Scenario
A 110-employee transportation company in Southern Ontario experienced a line-of-business outage during peak operating hours.
Outcome:
- Ticket acknowledged in 3 minutes
- Issue escalated immediately
- Service restored within 90 minutes
- Root cause documented and addressed to prevent recurrence
SLA performance and communication were cited as a key factor in expanding their service agreement.
Why Smarter IT’s SLAs Are Different
- SLAs are built around business impact, not ticket volume
- Security incidents are handled under the same response framework
- Support teams are accountable for both uptime and risk
- Designed specifically for growing, operationally complex organizations
Summary: What You Should Expect From an MSP SLA
If you’re evaluating managed IT services, your provider should offer:
- Clearly defined severity levels
- Measurable response targets
- Transparent inclusions and exclusions
- Proven enforcement — not vague promises
Smarter IT’s SLAs are designed to scale with your organization and provide the predictability leadership teams expect.
