Service Vendor SLA and Scope Starter Pack

If you cannot measure service quality and scope, you cannot control cost.

This kit helps you install enforceable expectations for service vendors:

clear scope boundaries
measurable SLA metrics
reporting cadence and governance
remedies that create accountability

Not legal advice.

What you will produce

SLA metrics menu and chosen KPIs
Scope boundaries table (included vs excluded)
Reporting and escalation cadence
Service credit and remedy structure (optional)
Quarterly review agenda

Beginner-safe definitions

SLA: measurable service expectations and how performance is tracked.

KPI: key performance indicator (a metric you track consistently).

Service credit: a pre-defined remedy if service levels are missed.

Scope: what the vendor is responsible for and what is out of scope.

Step-by-step implementation

Step 1: Define scope in plain English

Write scope so a new hire can understand it.

Use the template below:

Included tasks
Excluded tasks
What requires a separate quote
What is considered emergency

Step 2: Choose a small number of measurable SLAs

Beginner-safe rule: choose 3 to 6 metrics.

Common facilities metrics:

response time by priority (emergency, urgent, routine)
first-time fix rate
completion time
safety compliance and incident reporting
inspection pass rate (where relevant)
missed appointment rate

Step 3: Define measurement and evidence

For each metric define:

how it is measured
what evidence is required (work order timestamps, photos, inspection forms)
who reviews it and how often

Step 4: Add governance cadence

Install:

weekly exceptions review (15 minutes)
monthly service review (30 minutes)
quarterly performance review (60 minutes)

Step 5: Add remedies only if you can enforce them

Remedies should be simple:

service credits
fee holdbacks until issues are corrected
corrective action plan requirement

Templates

A) Scope boundaries table

Area	Included	Excluded	Requires quote	Emergency definition

Metric	Definition	Target	Evidence source	Review cadence
Emergency response time	Time from dispatch to arrival	60 minutes	Work order timestamps	Monthly
First-time fix rate	Percent resolved without return visit	85%	Work order close codes	Quarterly
Routine completion time	Time from approval to completion	5 business days	Work order timestamps	Monthly
Missed appointment rate	Percent of visits missed/rescheduled	< 3%	Scheduling logs	Monthly
Safety compliance	Incidents reported within window	100%	Incident reports	Quarterly

C) Quarterly review agenda

Copyable template (TEXT)
Quarterly Service Vendor Review

1) SLA performance summary (last quarter)
2) Top recurring exceptions and root causes
3) Invoice and cost exception trends (overtime, trip, markup)
4) Corrective actions and deadlines
5) Renewal and contract term implications

Common pitfalls

tracking too many metrics and enforcing none
leaving scope ambiguous and arguing later
no evidence requirement, so metrics become opinion
no cadence, so issues do not get corrected