Clients should have clear expectations of a cloud SLA, and if a provider falls short, they must be held accountable. Equally, clients have a responsibility to understand what the SLA does and does not cover, so they know exactly what they are purchasing.
Too often, disconnects arise when procurement teams negotiate contracts without fully understanding the operational requirements, leaving IT and security teams with an SLA that doesn’t meet their needs.
Outsourcing is sometimes approached purely as a cost-saving exercise, rather than a way of improving service quality. This mindset can lead to superficial comparisons across providers, chasing the lowest price rather than focusing on value. Inevitably, compromises follow.
To avoid this, buyers must carry out proper due diligence and identify the SLA’s true “must haves” versus “should haves.” Overloading the SLA with every requirement risks demanding a “gold service” that few providers can meet. On the other hand, accepting too many compromises increases risk, so organisations need a clear understanding of their risk tolerance.
It’s also critical to align the SLA with business objectives. What is the…
