I spend a good portion of my working week investigating and reading about new trends in technology both at the envisaging stage and at early pilot. We are awash of articles around AI at present, both on the “what do I do with”, “how do I implement and govern to get the most out of it” to “how do I crunch these huge datasets to unearth great insight”
In my scouring I found this brilliant article by the team at Advanced who we have had the pleasure of working alongside in the past on various projects. The consulting team were proud to work for their Managing Director, James Green last year on two important Strategic engagements.
The article focuses on the need to adapt the old-style IT Services shifting from traditional Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that measure technical benchmarks to Experience Level Agreements (XLAs) that focus on the holistic user experience. This change recognises that while SLAs ensure operational efficiency, they often miss capturing the full scope of end-user satisfaction, leading to potential customer frustration despite technical successes.
In our recent engagements, including webinars and workshops, we’ve focused on integrating Observability with the Experience Level Agreements that the Advanced team highlight in the article.
Contact us to discuss how we can help you with Observability
Observability plays a critical role in successfully measuring and implementing XLAs by providing deeper insights into IT systems’ performance and user interactions. This approach not only enhances our ability to monitor technical metrics but also helps in understanding the broader context of user experiences, crucial for achieving excellence in service delivery.
The key Points of Integrating Observability with XLAs Include:
- Focus on Experience Excellence: XLAs prioritise the end-user experience by incorporating broader metrics such as usability, responsiveness, and emotional impact. Observability supports this by offering real-time data on system performance and user interactions, allowing IT to anticipate issues before they impact the user, thereby fostering stronger customer loyalty and enhancing brand reputation.
- Alignment with Business Objectives: By aligning XLAs with business goals, organisations can demonstrate the tangible value of IT, contributing to competitive advantages such as increased sales and customer satisfaction. Observability tools provide the analytics needed to align IT performance with these business outcomes effectively.
- Driving Continuous Improvement and Innovation: Observability, in conjunction with the XLA mindset, encourages ongoing enhancements and innovation in IT services. By leveraging detailed, actionable insights from observability tools, organisations can identify pain points more accurately and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
- Empowerment and Ownership: XLAs empower service providers to take ownership of the customer experience. Observability tools equip them with the data needed to understand and enhance their impact, boosting productivity and fostering a proactive approach to service management.
- Strategic Outsourcing: Outsourcing IT service desks to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) that utilise both XLAs and observability ensures that operational efficiency is paired with exceptional user experiences. These MSPs can tailor their services to the unique needs of users, anticipate issues, and adapt swiftly, enhancing overall service quality and user satisfaction.
This shift towards integrating XLAs with Observability provides a comprehensive framework for enhancing service quality, improving end-user experience, and aligning IT services with strategic business goals. It’s a strategic move for organisations aiming to remain competitive and responsive in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. By measuring success not just through technical benchmarks but through the lens of user satisfaction and business impact, organisations can achieve a more sustainable and impactful IT service delivery model
Please come and talk to us about how we can help you to achieve this shift to focus on the Customer experience and improvements to improve overall satisfaction and ultimately build more brand loyalty.