It is an excellent practice for IT to establish a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the business units it serves. However, it is dangerous to establish targets that exceed current experience without ensuring additional resources and funding.
Balancing Reality and Business Unit Satisfaction
An SLA must be realistic and practical for both IT and the business. It must reflect business unit expectations and requirements, but it must also create a balance between what is requested and what the clients are willing to pay. Establishing an achievable service level for the help desk, for example, is determined by its current staffing level, the skill set of the analysts, and the tools they use to track calls.