Configure Underpinning Contract Specification

The Service Availability section is used to define and track the availability-related targets and expectations for specific infrastructure components that support a service. It captures measurable service-level requirements such as maximum interruptions allowed, acceptable downtime, utilization benchmarks, and notification methods.

By mapping these parameters to specific entities like servers or network components, this ensures that service uptime and reliability are properly governed as per business needs.

Figure: Service Availability

For more information, refer to the following Field Description:

Field	Description
Entity	Select the type of infrastructure entity for which availability is being measured. Dropdown options include Server, Network Device, Network Link. Example: Choose Server to configure availability for application or database servers.
Configuration Name	Enter Configuration Name for the Underpinning Contract.
Entity List	Displays available entities based on the selected Entity type.
Service Catalog	Select Service Catalog, it is the associated service from the Service Catalog that this entity supports.
Period	Select Period for service availability measurement from the options: Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Annually, and Annually. Defines the evaluation frequency for availability measurement. Example: Choose “Monthly” if you want to measure uptime and interruptions on a monthly basis
No. of Interruptions	Enter a value for No. of Interruptions, this specifies the maximum number of acceptable service interruptions during the selected period. Example: Enter "2" if only two unplanned interruptions are acceptable per quarter.
Availability Threshold Target	Enter value for Availability Threshold Target, this is the minimum acceptable percentage of uptime for the selected entity within the defined period. Example: 99.9% monthly uptime means only ~43 minutes of downtime is acceptable per month
Scheduled No. of Downtime	Enter a value for scheduled no of downtime, this is the expected or planned number of downtime events (example: maintenance) within the evaluation period. Example: Enter "1" if monthly maintenance is expected and allowed without impacting SLA compliance.
Utilization Target	Indicates target usage levels of the selected entity, such as CPU, bandwidth, or memory utilization.
Notification Methodology	Describe the Notification Methodology, how and when notifications should be triggered when availability drops below target. Example: Notify IT Ops via email immediately after 2 consecutive failed ping checks.” “Trigger auto-escalation after 10 minutes of sustained downtime.”
Effective Date	The date from which the availability metrics and thresholds become enforceable.

The Performance section in the UCS configuration screen is designed to capture and enforce internal expectations for service quality and operational readiness. This includes how much workload a support function is expected to handle, the application's responsiveness, and how quickly incidents must be addressed and resolved.

These parameters help align internal teams with the agreed performance standards to ensure consistent delivery of services that support the overall SLA targets.

Figure: UCS Performance Configuration

Required Capacity: This defines the minimum capacity (example: resources, personnel, infrastructure) that the operational team must ensure is available to support the service.
Example: 10 agents should be available at all times to handle Level 2 support tickets.

Service Usage: Specifies the acceptable limits of usage or workload the internal team can handle over a specific time frame
Example: 500 tickets per day.

Response Time from Application: Indicates the maximum time the associated application should take to respond to an action or request initiated by the internal team.
Example: Application must respond to data retrieval requests within 2 seconds.

Response and Resolution Times:
Response Time: Time taken by the internal team to acknowledge or begin working on an issue after it is reported.
Example: Acknowledgment within 15 minutes of ticket assignment.

Resolution time: Time by which the issue should be fully resolved and service restored.
Example: Critical issues must be resolved within 4 hours.

The Performance tab ensures the internal operations team is informed about what is expected of them in terms of resource allocation, system response behavior, and turnaround times. Defining these parameters correctly supports effective service delivery, avoids SLA violations, and improves collaboration across service functions.

The Maintenance section in the UCS configuration screen is intended to define UCS and expectations related to planned or unplanned maintenance activities, especially those occurring during emergencies. This ensures that internal teams are aligned on how to respond and act when critical service components require urgent intervention or updates.

By capturing these details within a Underpinning Contract Specification, organizations can maintain service continuity, minimize risk, and ensure that emergency actions are authorized and traceable.

Figure: Configure UCS Maintenance

Maintenance Requirements (In Case of Emergency): This field captures the predefined requirements, steps, or conditions under which emergency maintenance can be carried out by the operational team or vendor.
Example: Downtime window allowed only between 10 PM–12 AM with prior 30-minute notice to all stakeholders.

Attachment Upload * : This is a required field that you must upload a supporting document outlining the emergency maintenance process, approvals, contact list, or any contingency plan related to the entry in the text field.
Example: Emergency maintenance standard operating procedure (SOP), Emergency contacts List, Risk assessment or impact analysis report, Downtime mitigation plan or rollback procedure.

Approvals process and facilitates structured review and formal agreement. Ensures the designated approver from the Service Workgroup approves or rejects the Approval.

Figure: UCS Approvals Configuration

For more information, refer to the following Field Description:

Field	Description
Approver	Displays the Approver name of based on the selected Service Workgroup.
Status	Select Status option from the dropdown list. Options displayed are as follows: Approved: To Approve the UCS Rejected: To Reject the UCS
Remarks	Enter Remarks, this is a field where the approver can provide comments, justifications, or feedback regarding their approval decision.

Field

Description

Approver

Displays the Approver name of based on the selected Service Workgroup.

Status

Select Status option from the dropdown list. Options displayed are as follows:

Approved: To Approve the UCS
Rejected: To Reject the UCS

Remarks

Enter Remarks, this is a field where the approver can provide comments, justifications, or feedback regarding their approval decision.

In Underpinning Contracts (UC) within SLA Management, the Service Composition (External) section is used to define and track third-party services that contribute to the delivery of a business service. This is essential when parts of the service are outsourced or rely on external vendors or partners.
Figure: Service Composition

For more information, refer to the following Field Description:

Field	Description
External	The Service Composition section under UCS defines the individual components that make up a service. When the External option is selected, it indicates that part of the service delivery relies on an external service provider (third party or vendor). Ensuring they are properly governed by contractual agreements and aligned with internal SLAs.
Service Name	Enter Service Name, the name of the external service that contributes to the overall service offering.
Service Provider*	Select Service Provider from the dropdown. The displayed list is the external team or workgroup responsible for providing the underlying service or operational support.
Underpinning Contract*	Select Underpinning Contract. It is the reference to the contract or agreement between the organization and the external service provider.
Remarks*	Enter Remarks, you can enter where additional comments, context, or notes about the service composition can be provided.
Required Changes*	Enter Required Changes, this is a field to capture any requested modifications to the existing OLA. If the OLA is not sufficient for the service to be established.
Attachments	Upload file to attach supporting documentation related to the service, workgroup responsibilities, or OLA dependencies. However, this field is optional.

The Financial Details section to captures the cost-related information associated with delivering the operational service defined in the UCS. This section enables organizations to track, manage, and justify internal costs of service provision, which is especially important for budgeting, cost optimization, and internal chargeback or cost allocation processes.

By recording cost types, accounting methods, and currency, this tab helps align financial accountability with service delivery expectations.

Figure: UCS Financial Details Configuration

For more information, refer to the following Field Description:

Field	Description
Cost Type	Select Cost Type from the dropdown list. Categorizes the nature of the cost being recorded. Helps break down service costs into identifiable categories for better tracking and analysis. AMC Cost: Annual Maintenance Contract cost, recurring cost for ongoing support or maintenance services. Base Cost: Standard cost of providing the service without additional overheads or modifications. Cost Increased: Represents any additional or escalated costs due to changes in scope, inflation, resources, etc.
Cost	Enter Cost value, this is the numerical value (amount) associated with the selected Cost Type.
Accounting Method	Enter Accounting Method, this field specifies how the cost is accounted for within the organization’s financial system. Examples: Accrual-based accounting Cash-based accounting Cost Center Allocation Ensures financial records align with organizational accounting policies and reporting frameworks
Currency	Select Currency from the dropdown. The selected value is the currency in which the cost is recorded. Example: INR, USD, EURO, POUNDS
Date	Select Date, this is the date on which the financial entry is recorded or becomes effective.
Remarks	Enter Remarks to capture additional details, context, or justification for the cost entry.

The Target section defines the Service Level performance goals that the service workgroup must meet for incident handling and request fulfillment. It captures measurable targets such as response and resolution times based on different priorities. This ensures that internal service levels are clearly defined and aligned with organizational or customer expectations.

Figure: UCS Target Configuration

Incident Management Targets

This section sets the expected Response and Resolution times for different incident priorities. These targets ensure that critical incidents are addressed faster than lower-priority ones and help track internal compliance with SLA-driven commitments.

For more information, refer to the following Field Description.

Field	Description
Priority	Select Priority from the dropdown. Represents the severity level of the incident (example: Critical, High, Medium, Low).
Response Target	Enter Response Target. The value entered here is represented as % hence, it is the percentage of incidents (of a given priority) that must be responded to within the defined SLA time. Example: For P1 incidents: 95% is the Response Target, then 95% of P1 incidents must be acknowledged within SLA-defined time (example: 15 Minutes).
Resolution Target	Enter Resolution Target. The value entered here is represented as % hence, it is the percentage of incidents that must be resolved within the agreed SLA time. Example: For P2 incidents: 90% is the Resolution Target, 90% of P2 incidents must be resolved within the SLA (example: 4 Hours).
Effective Date	Select Effective Date, specifies from when the Targets become active or enforceable.
	Click Add to save the configuration in the Incident Management Target.

Request Fulfillment Targets

This section mirrors the incident targets but is focused on service requests (example: password resets, access requests, software installations). These targets help manage the delivery expectations of routine service tasks. For Field Description, refer to the Table described above.

The Contract Details section captures all key lifecycle information related to the Underpinning Contract, including its validity, scope, business rationale, and financial value. It ensures that vendor contracts supporting service delivery are formally documented, trackable, and aligned with internal SLAs.

Figure: Underpinning Contract - Contact Details

Contract Details further has the following sections:

Contract Duration
Warranty
Contract Value

For more information, refer to the following Field Description:

Field	Description
Contract Duration
Start Date	Select Start Date, this is the date when the contract becomes active.
End Date	Select End Date, this is the date when the contract officially ends.
Termination Rules	Enter Termination Rules to define the conditions under which the contract may be terminated early.
Business Justification	Enter Business Justification, the reason for selecting this vendor or establishing this contract
Processes / Activities	Enter Activities, capturing the business or IT processes supported by the vendor’s service.
Desired Outcome	Enter Desired Outcome, the expected benefit or result of having this contract in place.
Warranty
Start Date	Enter Start Date, this is the date the warranty coverage begins.
End Date	Enter End Date, this is the date the warranty ends.
Attachments	Upload warranty documents such as PDFs, service statements, or warranty terms.
Contract Value
Value	Enter contract agreement value, specifying the total financial worth of the contract.
Currency	Select the Currency from the dropdown. The list will display the available currencies such as CAD, Euro, Pounds etc.

The Risk tab is designed to assess the business criticality and operational impact of the service being defined under the UCA. This section ensures that risk exposure is evaluated based on the importance of the service to vital business functions (VBFs), dependencies on critical assets, and the potential impact of service failure or degradation.

Figure: Risk

Identifies which business functions and assets are supported by the service, and assesses the associated business risk if the service becomes unavailable.

VBFs Supported: Lists the critical business functions or operations that depend on this service.

Other Critical Assets: Lists non-VBF assets (applications, databases, infrastructure components) that are crucial for the service to function.

Business Justification: Enter a description of the consequences or severity of impact on the business if the service fails or is disrupted.

Field	Description
Department	Select Department from the dropdown list. It will display a list of Tenants based on the configuration under Admin > Tenant for which the SLA module will be available.
Customer	Select Customer from the dropdown list. It will display the list of customers based on the configuration under Admin > Customers > Customer List.
Location	Select Location from the dropdown list. It will display the list of locations based on the configuration under Admin > Infrastructure > Common Masters > Common Master Type.
Date	Displays the system date and time. Example: 2025-07-10 12:42:25 PM
Service Name	Enter the Service Name.
Status	Displays the status of the UCS, following are the other Statuses available after configuration. New - As a new UCS configuration is selected, the status by default is New and field is grayed. Approve - This status is displayed when the UCS is approved from the approver. Publish - This status is displayed If it is ready to publish.
Service Workgroup	Select Service Workgroup, the dropdown list displays all the workgroups under the selected Tenant.
Service Level Manager	Displays the Service Level Manager name, it is displayed based on the service level manager configured for the Workgroup under SLA > Configuration > Service Level Approver.
Service Handling	Select Service Handling from the dropdown list.
Description	Enter a Description about this UCS configuration.
Services Offered	Displays the CMDB list.
Attachment	Upload the files that support Underpinning Contract Specifications configuration.

Configure Underpinning Contract Specification

Incident Management Targets

Request Fulfillment Targets

What's Next