The negotiation of SLAs can have a critical long term impact on the business success of all parties concerned. Thorough preparation before negotiation is essential as is the ability to be able to use, recognise and counter negotiation techniques and tactics.

This course provides those involved in, or who manage the Service Level Agreement processes, with the skills needed to negotiate SLAs either in an external commercial environment or within internal support responsibilities.

  By the end of the course delegates will:

• Be aware of the key stages in the negotiation process of SLA’s
• Be able to use, recognise and counter negotiation techniques and tactics
• Be better able to achieve negotiated outcomes that favour his/her organisation
• Understand the purpose of SLA’s
• Know how to plan for SLA’s
• Understand the different types of SLA and how to negotiate them
• Know how to implement an Agreement
• Understand modelling for SLA content

 Who Should Attend

• Internal 'Account' Managers
• IT support and delivery staff
• Systems analysts
• Customer liaison staff
• Senior management
• Anyone involved in internal and external business processes.
  

 Course Content

Negotiation Skills For Service Level Agreements

Introduction

• Why SLA’s are Negotiation based
• A Five Stage Model
• The Difference between Agreement & Understanding
• Characteristics of Good Negotiators
• The Platform For Success – Win/Win Negotiating

The Structure For Agreement

• Preparation
• Establishing your Position/Option Implications
• Investigation
  • Analysing their Expectations/Perception
  • Agreeing the Process For SLA Finalisation
• Proposing
  • Stating Your Case or Agreement Rationale Clearly
  • Setting Alternatives
  • Making Proposals
• Bargaining
  • Bargaining and Conceding Successfully
  • Negotiating Tricks and Tactics – How to use and counter them
  • Deadlocks - How to Break them
• Closing
  • Reaching the Agreement
  • Monitoring the Agreement

Understanding Service Level Agreements

• Understanding the purpose of SLA's
• Identifying the plans, tasks and deliverables to give maximum benefits and control
• (Creating?), managing and monitoring service level agreements
• Enhancing customer and supplier management skills associated with SLA's
• Understanding the 'negotiating' process within the context of SLA's
• Identifying potential product and service improvements