...
North America, Europe and AsiaPac
This update: September 2016October 2018
Author: James SamuelsKasia Czwarkiel
Welcome to Claritum’s Service Level Agreement.
...
Support is available to accredited super users at Support Contacts at ‘service providers’ (direct clients and partners) subject to our standard Terms and Conditions and is provided to Client Super Users via Support Contacts via the internet, phone and email and does not include onsite assistance.
...
Customers are responsible for providing ‘Super Users’Support Contacts. They perform a critical role for both Claritum and our Customers. Super Users Support Contacts are the Claritum experts within your organisation who can answer User questions, ensure compliance to the best practice business processes provided within Claritum, provide management with the information they need and where required, provide the interface with Claritum Support.
...
Under this SLA, Claritum provides support to selected groups of users on selected platforms as described below.
| User Type | End User Customers | Suppliers | Service Provider | |||||
| PlatformCatalogue | Customer Portal | Supplier NetworkSystem | Service Desk (Live)Live System | Test System | ||||
| Service Desk Provider ( SandboxClient ) Service Provide Support Team |
|
|
| Claritum Technical Support |
|
|
|
|
| Claritum User Support |
|
|
|
| ||||
Claritum’s support services include:
| Support Services included: | Support Services Excluded: |
|
|
Handy Hints and Tips
Use the Support Portal where possible
The Support Portal provides 24x7x365 access to training materials, community support, FAQs, ideas submission, tickets logging and tracking and community support. This means you can often resolve your own questions in minutes.
Provide the information that Claritum Support require
Please ensure your Super Users provide Ticket Numbers (where appropriate), precise descriptions of any requirements or problems, desired outcomes, timescales etc. The more information we have the quicker the resolution.
Help us to Help you
Effective and timely communication between Support Executive and Super User is critical to achieve prompt resolutions. Claritum is also reliant on proactive co-operation from the Super User to ensure adherence to Service Level Agreements.
Always refer to the Ticket Number
By referring to the Ticket Number (where available), our Support team will be able to quickly identify the specific ticket you are referring to.
...
| Note |
|---|
Claritum reserves the right to make additional charges if, in Claritum’s sole opinion, the client places excessive volume of support requests with the Claritum Support Team, or that the client’s support requests are not properly defined, not relevant to Claritum’s software or are unreasonable. The unreasonable requests may include but are not limited to:
Claritum will notify you if we feel we are approaching unreasonable levels of support. |
Service Targets Definition
Claritum’s support is segmented by the type of support request and resolution required. As described below.
| Type | Severity | Description | Action | Target Response | Target Resolution |
| Incident | Critical | This is a problem that causes complete loss of service and work cannot continue. The problem has one or more of the following characteristics: | Contact Technical Support 24 x 7 x 365 1User Support by phone, email or via the support portal | 1 business hour | 8 business hours |
| Incident | High | An error that prevents a user from completing a business transaction. There is no workaround, however, operations can continue in a restricted fashion. | Contact User Support by phone, email or via the support portal | 3 business hours | 24 business hours |
| Incident | Medium | A department’s or an individual’s ability to perform job functions may be impacted or inconvenienced but can continue normal business operations. A workaround exists. | Contact User Support by phone, email or via the support portal | 24 business hours | A workaround will be proposed and a Target fix date for the Next Release date to fix the problem |
| Incident | Low | An error that has no/low impact on the usability or performance of the system. | Contact User Support by via the support portal only | 24 business hours | Either online resources will be available or a workaround will be proposed and a Target fix date for the Next Release date |
| Change Request | Low | Request for system enhancement or change | Contact User Support by phone, email or via the support portal | 24 business hours | You will be contacted by your account manager to discuss next steps |
...
We want you to be as self-sufficient as possible. When an issue arises, your Super Users Support Contacts will know how to answer most user questions and know enough to resolve the majority of familiarizationfamiliarisation, process, reporting and other questions themselves, without the need for contacting Claritum’s Support team.
| Severity | Contact Information | Details | Availability | ||
| Critical | Telephone Support | Number to be supplied | 24 x 7 x 365 | (+44) 0330 088 2639 | 8am – 6pm GMT, UK Monday to Friday ( Bank Holidays excluded ). Voicemail for out of office hours. |
| High, Medium, Low | Support Portal www.claritum.zendesk.com(Only available to Support Contacts) | Link to Support Portal is available via Claritum platform in the Support section. (username and password required) 24 | x 7 x 3658am – 6pm GMT, UK Monday to Friday ( Bank Holidays excluded ). Voicemail for out of office hours. | ||
| 8am – 6pm GMT, UK Monday to Friday ( Bank Holidays excluded ). Voicemail for out of office hours. | |||||
| Telephone Support (Only to be used by Super UsersSupport Contacts) | (+44) 0330 088 2639 | 8am – 6pm GMT, UK working daysMonday to Friday ( Bank Holidays excluded ). Voicemail for out of office hours.. |
The Resolution Process
Every Support Request is logged with a unique reference (known as a 'Ticket'). Please quote this ticket reference in any further communication with the Claritum Support Team. The promptly and efficiently resolve Support Tickets inline with our SLA, we follow a strict Resolution Process as described:
...
Our Support team will initially review the Ticket to assess if sufficient information has been provided, to assign a Severity based on the criteria set out in the table below and, if possible, to resolve the Support Ticket as promptly as possible.
We aim to resolve address Service Requests as promptly as possible, which could be:
- By email to the Support Contact (triggered via Support Portal)
- In dialogue with a Super User Support Contact on the phone (when contacted on the Support phone number)
- By email to the Super UserBy directing the Super User Support Contact to information provided on the Support Portal
...
Please note that the assignment of severity is based on the criteria set out belowin the 'Support Definition' section.
Stage 3: Resolution
Technical Team
For Tickets passed to Support, the team will fix the problem, configure the software or make code changes to ensure effective resolution of the Ticket. Our Support team is responsible to for testing that any fix, configuration or code change provides an effective solution to the Ticket and will notify the Super User Support Contact via the Support Portal once resolved. The fix, configuration or code change will then be applied to the Client’s Sandbox Test System or Live Platform System and the Ticket closed.
Client Services
Where the Support Ticket requires a change to the software code, customisation or other Client specific requirement, our Client Services team will contact the Super User Support Contact to assess the need for the change and discuss the cost for a custom change to the system. In most cases, these tickets can be resolved through additional training on the platform.
...
For Support Tickets passed to Claritum Training, the Training Manager will notify the Super User Support Contact of any existing training materials that will assist the Super UserSupport Contact, or will arrange an online training session (for minor requirements) or a face to face training program, for more significant training requirements.
...
If, for any reason, the Support Ticket is not satisfactorily resolved Super Users Support Contacts can escalate the ticket using the following process. The effect of escalation is to focus management attention on the appropriate allocation of resources for a particular Support Ticket.
When to escalate?
Your Super Users Support Contacts should escalate the Support Ticket only the following instances:
- Progress is stalled and more senior expertise is required to further troubleshoot the problem.
- Problem has a serious business impact on customer's environment.
- If the Super User Support Contact is unsatisfied with the performance of the Claritum Support Team
...
How Does The Escalation Process Work?
If Super Users Support Contacts are unsatisfied with the performance of Claritum Support Team, Support Tickets can be escalated according to the following hierarchy:
Stage 1 - Escalation Process within The Claritum Support Team
The Super User Support Contact should inform the Claritum Support Executive Team that they would like to escalate the incident giving the reason for the escalation. This must be where possible done using the telephone as it is often best to speak directly with the Support Executive to ensure full understanding of the reason to request the escalation.
The Support Executive Team member will contact the Senior Support Manager within 60 minutes of the escalation request using the Claritum Support Portal to track the escalation. The Senior Support Manager will assess the customer’s Case case and determine an acceptable resolution plan in conjunction with the Super UserSupport Contact.
The Senior Support Manager will document the agreed actions on the Claritum Support Portal to ensure that the resolution plan is followed and/or reset the customer’s expectations. The Senior Support Manager owns the escalation until the issue is resolved.
...
The Management Team will prioritise resources and co-ordinate communication to ensure a prompt resolution of the Support Ticket. Following resolution, The Claritum Management Team will review the history of the incident and a determination is made as to what action(s) will be taken to avoid repetition of the resolve the problem.
The Super User Support Contact is then notified of the actions agreed and if appropriate further updates will be communicated to the customer until the problem is resolved
Tracking and Reporting of Support Tickets
The Super User Support Contact can track progress of any reported Support Tickets through the Claritum Support Portal.
...
- A Resolution is provided to the Super UserSupport Contact
- The Super User Support Contact reports that they no longer have the problem
- The Super User Support Contact cannot provide the information requested by Claritum Support Team
- An acceptable workaround is reached
- The Support Executive has attempted unsuccessfully to contact the Super User Support Contact on 3 occasions
The Support
...
The Super User Contact can open a new Support Case if the requirement remains.
...
Claritum guarantee service and system availability to 99.5%, 24x7x365 excluding down time associated with planned maintenance windows.
In reality, we have consistently delivered normally deliver in excess of 99.95% uptime over the last 24 months. This equates to roughly 4 hours downtime in any one calendar year. uptime.
Maintenance Windows
Scheduled Maintenance Windows
Claritum’s program of continued improvement requires that maintenance releases are provided on an ongoing basis. Scheduled Maintenance Windows provide a defined period of time for Claritum to update your platform. Please ensure that all users log out of the system in order for Claritum to provide this service. Claritum will, where possible, notify your Super Users Support Contacts in advance of any planned update.
...
Ticket Resolution Summary
| Type | Severity | Description | Situation | Target Response Time | Update Time | Target Resolution |
| Incident | Critical | This is a problem that causes complete loss of service and work cannot continue. The problem has one or more of the following characteristics: 1. System Hangs – the process hangs/does not respond indefinitely or there is High performance degradation, which make the system appear as if it is not responding 2. System crashes repeatedly 3. Critical functionality is not available – the application cannot continue because a vital feature is inoperable | System is down and Support has: Verified environmental set-up & made all efforts to reproduce the problem Gathered all required escalation data There is no known workaround for the problem. | 1 business hour | Every three hours unless otherwise stated within the most recent update communication. | 8 hours |
| Incident | High | An error that prevents a user from completing a business transaction. There is no workaround, however, operations can continue in a restricted fashion. | Customer’s problem is a reproduced bug and/or Support has: Verified environmental set-up & made all efforts to reproduce the problem Gathered all required escalation data There is no known workaround for the problem. Alternatively, business impact has put the Claritum & Customer relationship in jeopardy. | 3 business hours | One time per business day unless otherwise stated within the most recent update communication. | 24 hours. |
| Incident | Medium | A department’s or an individual’s ability to perform job functions may be impacted or inconvenienced but can continue normal business operations. A workaround exists. | Customer’s problem is a reproduced bug and/or Support has: Verified environmental set-up & made all efforts to reproduce the problem Gathered all required escalation data | 24 business hours | One time per week unless otherwise stated within the most recent update communication. | A workaround will be proposed and a Target fix date for the Next Release date to fix the problem |
| Incident | Low | An error that impacts the usability or performance of the system. | No loss of service. Includes requests for more information, questions on particular application functionality, or Low system errors. | 24 business hours | One time every two weeks unless otherwise stated within the most recent update communication. | Either online resources will be available or a workaround will be proposed and a Target fix date for the Next Release date. |
| Change Request | Low | Request for system enhancement or change. | No loss of service. Requests will be passed along to Product Management for review. | 24 business hours | One time to indicate product enhancement request has been sent to the Product Development Manager. Once the enhancement request is forwarded, the case will be closed and further updates on an enhancement will be through your Claritum Account Manager. | Progress on product enhancement requests will be communicated through the Claritum Release Management Process. |
...