Frequently Asked Question

SLA Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for OSTicket Help Desk System

1. 1. Introduction

This Service Level Agreement (SLA) outlines the commitment of the IT Department at MEMPCO to provide efficient and reliable technical support through the OSTicket system. This SLA aims to ensure that all technical issues and service requests are handled promptly and professionally, enabling seamless business operations across all MEMPCO branches. By adhering to this SLA, the IT team will foster transparency, accountability, and a high level of service quality to meet the technical needs of the organization.

This SLA is applicable to all MEMPCO employees submitting tickets for IT support and defines the priority levels, response times, and resolution times for different types of issues.

1. 2. Purpose

The purpose of this SLA is to formalize the level of service provided by the IT Department through the OSTicket system to MEMPCO employees. It aims to ensure:

Timely response and resolution of technical issues.

Clear prioritization of requests based on urgency and business impact.

Transparency and accountability in the IT support process.

1. 3. Scope

This SLA applies to:

• All service requests, incidents, and technical support issues submitted by MEMPCO employees using the OSTicket system.
• IT support for hardware, software, and network-related issues across all MEMPCO branches, both within and outside of Zamboanga City.

1. 4. Responsibilities

• · IT Department:

• Provide technical support within the defined timeframes.

• Ensure proper ticket categorization and prioritization.

• Maintain communication with users regarding the status of their requests.

• Escalate unresolved issues appropriately.

• Tier 1 Support (First Contact Support):

• - Hirogene Julian (IT Assistant)

• - Jeffrey Uc-kung (IT Support and Maintenance Supervisor)

• Primary Responsibilities:

• Receive and categorize incoming tickets via the help desk system, email, or phone.

• Provide initial troubleshooting and resolution for common issues (e.g., password resets, basic software troubleshooting).

• Document all interactions in the OSTicket system.

• Escalate unresolved or complex issues to Tier 2 support within the specified response times.

• Ensure user satisfaction by following up on resolved tickets.

• Tier 2 Support (Technical Support):

• - Aldwin Bucoy (IT Associate)

• - Jeffrey Uc-kung (IT Support and Maintenance Supervisor)

• Primary Responsibilities:

• Handle escalated tickets from Tier 1 that require more in-depth technical knowledge.

• Perform advanced troubleshooting and diagnosis of hardware and software issues.

• Communicate with vendors and service providers as necessary for resolution.

• Document solutions and update the knowledge base for future reference.

• Escalate critical or unresolved issues to Tier 3 support as needed.

• Tier 3 Support (Expert Level Support):

• MBWin, External Voucher, ATM, ATM Portal, POS Machine

• Kaya, MEMPCO App.

• - Nexen (3^rd Party Support/Supplier)

• HRMAX

• - IBM (Supplier)

• Server, UPS

• Primary Responsibilities:

• Address complex technical issues that Tier 1 and Tier 2 support are unable to resolve.

• Conduct root cause analysis for recurring problems and implement preventive measures.

• Provide technical guidance and training to Tier 1 and Tier 2 support staff.

• Collaborate with IT teams for software-related issues and enhancements.

• Help Desk IT Team Lead:

• Conduct regular reviews of escalated tickets and performance metrics.

• Help Desk IT Manager

• Oversee the Help Desk Team's performance and ensure SLA compliance.

• Address any systemic issues that affect the Help Desk's ability to meet SLAs.

• Review and approve any necessary changes to the SLA or SOP.

• Provide coaching and training to Help Desk Team members as needed.

• · : MEMPCO Employees/Users:

• Submit detailed and accurate information when creating support tickets.

• Respond promptly to requests for additional information.

• Follow the escalation procedures outlined in the SLA.

1. Definitions

• Ticket: A record of an incident or service request logged in the OSTicket Help Desk System.
• Incident: An unplanned disruption to an IT service or a reduction in the quality of an IT service.
• Service Request: A request from a user for information, advice, or access to an IT service.
• Response Time: The time taken for the IT team to acknowledge a submitted ticket.
• Resolution Time: The time taken for the IT team to resolve the issue or fulfill the request.

1. Ticket Submission Process

1. Ticket Creation:

• Users submit support requests through the OSTicket portal, email, or phone.
• Ensure that the following information is provided:
• Description of the issue.
• Steps to reproduce the issue (if applicable).
• Contact information and preferred method of communication.
• Priority level (if applicable).

1. Ticket Categorization:
• Help Desk Team members categorize tickets based on the provided information, assigning a priority level of Critical, High, Medium, or Low according to the SLA guidelines.
2. Acknowledgment:
• Once a ticket is created, the system will automatically send an acknowledgment email to the user, including a ticket number for reference.

1. Ticket Response and Resolution Process

1. Initial Response:
• Respond to High Critical tickets within 5 – 15 Minutes.
• Respond to High Priority tickets within 15 – 30 Minutes.
• Respond to Medium Priority tickets within 30 – 45 Minutes.
• Respond to Low Priority tickets within 1-4 hours.
2. Resolution Steps:
• Investigate the issue based on the details provided.
• Communicate with the user for any additional information if needed.
• Apply the appropriate resolution steps or escalate the ticket if necessary.
• Document all actions taken in the ticket history.
3. Escalation Process:
• If a ticket is not resolved within the targeted resolution time, follow the escalation procedures outlined in the SLA:
• Notify the Help Desk Team Lead after the deadline.
• If unresolved after initial escalation, notify the IT Manager.

1. Closure:
• Once resolved, communicate the resolution to the user and confirm their satisfaction.
• Close the ticket in OSTicket, documenting the resolution details for future reference.

1. Support Hours

• Standard Support: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (covering all MEMPCO branches).

After-Hours Support: Available for Priority 1 (Critical) issues. On-call support will be provided on weekends and holidays for critical problems affecting business operations.

1. Priority Levels and Response Metrics

Tickets submitted through the OSTicket system will be categorized by urgency and impact. The following priority levels will be used:

Priority 1: Critical

• Definition: Total system failure or network outage affecting all MEMPCO branches, significantly impacting business operations.
• Response Time: Within 5-15 minutes during business hours.
• Resolution Time: Within 2 hours.

Escalation: Immediate escalation to senior technical staff and IT management if unresolved within 1 hour.

Priority 2: High

• Definition: Major issues impacting multiple users or branches, but business operations can still continue at a reduced capacity.
• Response Time: Within 15-30 minutes during business hours.
• Resolution Time: Within 4 hours.
• Escalation: Escalated to second-level support if unresolved within 2 hours.

Priority 3: Medium

• Definition: Issues affecting a single user or specific non-critical functionality. Business operations are minimally impacted.
• Response Time: Within 30-45 minutes.
• Resolution Time: Within 1 business day.
• Escalation: Escalated if unresolved within 8 hours.

Priority 4: Low

• Definition: Minor issues such as cosmetic defects or general information requests that do not impact business operations.
• Response Time: Within 1-4 hours.
• Resolution Time: Within 3 business days.
• Escalation: Escalated if unresolved within 24 hours.

Overview

This Service Level Agreement (SLA) is established between MEMPCO’s IT Department and its internal users to define expectations for technical support services through the OSTicket system. The SLA specifies the roles, responsibilities, response times, and resolution targets to ensure that technical issues are handled efficiently. The goal is to enhance the availability of MEMPCO’s IT systems and minimize disruptions to business operations.

Figure 1: Metric Table

Priority Level	Description / Sample Issue	Response Target	Resolution Metric
Critical (P1)	Description: Total system failure, network outage, security breach, email service down for all users. Sample Issues: - Entire network is offline. - Financial system is down, halting critical business processes. - Major security breach or data loss.	Response: Immediate 5 – 15mins	Resolution: Within 2- hours
High (P2)	Description: Major issues affecting multiple users or departments; business operations continue at reduced capacity. Sample Issues: - Department-wide application failure. - Critical application (ERP, HR system) running with errors. - Hardware failure impacting key departments.	Response: 15 – 30mins	Resolution: Within 4 hours
Medium (P3)	Description: Issues affecting individual users or non-critical systems; minor impact on operations. Sample Issues: - Printer not working for one department. - User unable to access specific non-critical software. - Login issues for a non-critical system (e.g., internal training portal).	Response: 30 – 45mins	Resolution: Within 1 business day
Low (P4)	Description: Minor issues, user queries, or routine service requests. Sample Issues: - Aesthetic issues in software interface. - Request for new user account setup. - General queries or documentation requests.	Response: 1-4 hours	Resolution: Within 3 business days

Note: For Branches outside of Zamboanga city (Ipil, Dipolog, Pagadian and Ozamis) with Critical and Urgent level of priority, response target will be 1 day or more and depending on the availability of technical support team.

1. 10. Escalation Process

If a ticket is not resolved within the established timeframe for its priority level, it will be escalated as follows:

• First Level: Help Desk handles and resolves the issue.
• Second Level: Escalation to technical specialists if the issue is unresolved within the allowed timeframe.
• Third Level: Escalation to Supplier if unresolved after second-level intervention.

1. 11. Monitoring and Reporting

The IT Department will monitor the following key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess SLA compliance:

• Ticket Response Time: Time from when a ticket is submitted to when it is first acknowledged.
• Ticket Resolution Time: Total time taken to resolve a ticket.
• SLA Compliance Rate: Percentage of tickets resolved within the defined response and resolution times.
• User Satisfaction (CSAT): Feedback from users gathered via post-ticket surveys.
• Escalation Rate: Percentage of tickets escalated beyond first-level support.

Monthly reports will be generated and reviewed to ensure consistent service quality and adherence to SLA targets.

• Monthly Performance Review:

• The Help Desk Team Lead will compile a report of key performance metrics (response times, resolution times, user satisfaction) and review them with the IT Manager.

• Any significant deviations from SLA targets will be discussed and addressed.

• User Satisfaction Surveys:

• After ticket closure, an automated survey will be sent to the user to gather feedback on their experience.

• The Help Desk Team will review survey results and implement improvements as necessary.

• This SOP will be reviewed annually or whenever there are significant changes to the services or user needs.

• All changes will be documented, and the updated SOP will be communicated to all stakeholders.

1. 13. Compliance and Penalties

• The Help Desk Team will strive to meet all SLA performance metrics.

• If performance targets are not met, the Help Desk Team Lead will implement a plan for corrective action, which may include additional training, resource allocation, or process adjustments.

1. 14. Exclusions

The following scenarios are excluded from this SLA:

• Issues arising from unsupported hardware or software.

• Problems caused by user error, negligence, or improper use of IT systems.

• Scheduled system downtime for maintenance or upgrades (communicated in advance).

• Issues involving third-party vendors or external service providers not under MEMPCO IT’s control.

1. 15. Review and Revision

This SLA will be reviewed quarterly by the MEMPCO IT Department to ensure it aligns with the organization’s evolving needs and to adjust response/resolution times or escalation procedures if necessary. Any revisions to the SLA will be communicated to all relevant stakeholders.