Servicevereinbarung

A Servicevereinbarung is a contractual agreement between a service provider and a customer that defines the services to be provided, the expectations for quality and performance, and the responsibilities of both parties. It sets out what is delivered, to what standard, and how performance will be assessed and compensated.

In practice, a Servicevereinbarung is often part of a larger contract or a standalone document used in fields such as information technology, facilities management, outsourcing, and cloud services. It is sometimes used interchangeably with terms like Service Level Agreement (SLA) or Leistungsvereinbarung, though wording and scope can vary by context and jurisdiction.

Typical content includes: the scope of services; service levels or performance targets (such as availability, response times, and throughput); service hours and support levels; incident management, ticketing, and escalation procedures; monitoring, reporting, and review cycles; the responsibilities of each party; data protection, security, and confidentiality requirements; compliance with applicable laws; pricing and payment terms; term, renewal, and termination; and change management procedures, including how credits or remedies are applied for missed targets.

Measurement and governance describe how targets are tracked and reported, often with automated monitoring, and how breaches are addressed through service credits, renegotiation, or other remedies. The document should also address risk management, change control, dispute resolution, exit planning, and transition support at contract end.

A well-crafted Servicevereinbarung aims to align expectations, reduce disputes, and provide clear mechanisms for managing service delivery and performance.