Getting Started with OLAs in Jira: Understanding and Defining

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Getting Started with OLAs in Jira: Understanding and Defining

Almost everyone has faced the problem of a project delay❌ because one of the teams didn’t complete their tasks on time. Or perhaps you’ve witnessed a simple internal request getting stuck in a loop between departments, with no one able to find who’s responsible. These situations are all too familiar, as they are common issues in many companies. Often, the solution lies in more transparent communication and well-defined expectations.🚀

This is precisely what an Operational Level Agreement (OLA) offers. It’s like a roadmap for your internal services – a set of guidelines that ensures every team knows their responsibilities, timelines, and the standards they need to meet. But how do you set up and manage these agreements effectively?

That’s why, in this article, we’ll show you how OLAs can effortlessly transform your internal operations using the 🏅SLA Time and Report for Jira add-on. We’ll break down the steps to configure OLAs, highlight the key metrics that truly matter, and help you streamline team management for better efficiency and productivity. Let’s get started! ☄️

What is OLA?

An Operational Level Agreement (OLA) is like a roadmap for understanding how teams collaborate. It outlines who is responsible for what, when tasks need to be completed, and the standards that must be met. It acts as a set of instructions that keeps everyone in sync, ensuring that handoffs between teams happen smoothly and efficiently.⚡️

In simple terms: imagine your organization as a relay race – each department is a runner. If one runner doesn’t know when and where to pass the baton, the entire race gets delayed, and people start pointing fingers and blaming each other. OLAs prevent this by setting clear expectations for each "runner" (team) involved. They define the responsibilities, timelines, and performance levels required for each department, ensuring everyone understands their role. ✅

Understanding OLA metrics

Each Operational Level Agreement (OLA) policy is structured around specific conditions a ticket must meet and the metrics you choose to measure its performance. 📈

Using a tool like the SLA Time and Report for Jira add-on allows you to track and visualize corresponding metrics effectively. By integrating these metrics into your internal processes, you can set realistic goals, monitor performance in real-time, and take proactive steps to resolve issues before they are met.

Time to First Response and Resolution Time are foundational metrics for tracking and improving internal service delivery within the framework of an OLA. 

Time to First Response 

Time to Response measures when a task or request is created and when a team member first acknowledges or responds to it. 

• ▶️ Start condition: A timer is started when a task or request is created or assigned. In Jira, this can be when the issue status is set to “Open” or “To Do.”

• ⏹️ Stop condition: The timer stops when a team member takes the first action, such as setting the status to "In Progress" or "Responded." This means that the task was seen and taken to work.

Monitoring and optimizing Time to First Response helps reduce idle time and improves the perception of internal service quality.

For a better understanding of the process, take a look at the diagram below, where you will understand the period when the Time to First Response starts counting:

Resolution Time

The Resolution Time metric tracks the total time taken to resolve a task, from its creation to completion fully. This includes all intermediate steps, such as pauses when additional information is needed or when the task undergoes review. Here's how the process works:

• ▶️Start Condition: the timer begins when a task is created, and the status is set to "Open." This is the initial point where the issue or request is logged, and it starts the clock on how long the resolution process will take.

• ⏸️Pause Condition: the timer pauses when the task status changes to "Waiting for Reply" or any similar status that indicates the task is on hold due to needing additional information or input from another team or the customer.

• ⏹️Stop Condition: the timer stops when the task status is updated to "Done" or "Resolved" or any equivalent status indicating that all work is complete and the task has been successfully resolved. This marks the endpoint of the resolution process, providing a complete picture of the total time taken.

In the example below, you will see a visual diagram of the entire workflow:

Note the following considerations about the Resolution Time metric:

• Task Complexity: Some tasks naturally take longer due to complexity. Differentiating between simple and complex tasks helps set realistic expectations for Time Resolution Time.

• External Dependencies: When tasks rely on other teams or third parties (e.g., customer feedback), these waiting periods should be paused for accurate measurement.

• Optimization Opportunities: Analyzing Resolution Time can identify workflow bottlenecks, such as excessive time in "Waiting for Reply" status, indicating the need for improved communication processes.

• Consistency in Pauses: Consistently applying pause and resume conditions ensures accurate reporting and a transparent view of team performance.

Setting Up an OLA in Jira

Next, we will tell you how to set up an Operating Level Agreement (OLA) using the SLA Time and Report for Jira add-on. With this application's help, you can easily set all conditions and track OLA. Follow the examples on the screenshot.

Install the SLA Time and Report for Jira to start, then go to SLA Manager to create an OLA Configuration. Start by naming your OLA configuration, “Time to First Response” and "Resolution Time," and select the specific project it applies to. 

To create OLA configurations:

1. Create “Time to First Response” configuration.

   1. Defining Time measurement conditions (A) according to your needs.

   2. Set up your Work Schedule (B).

   3. Next, specify the time goals according to the tasks' priorities (e.g. High, Medium, Low) and the time to complete the urgent goal (C).

   4. Set, if necessary, actions in the “Limit Exceeded action” column.

5. Then, click “Save” (D).

2. Create the "Resolution Time" configuration.

   1. Repeat the same settings for "Resolution Time". If necessary, create a pause condition, add a multi-cycle, or add reset conditions.

   2. Click “Save and Go to Report.” 

Customize the report

After configuring your OLAs using the SLA Time and Report for Jira add-on and clicking the “Save & Go to report” button, the system will automatically direct you to the relevant reporting window. Here, you’ll see a table where you can filter the necessary metrics to view your OLA report, which looks like this:

Access a real-time dashboard that visualizes all your active OLAs, showing current progress and any ongoing issues. This visual overview lets you quickly identify tasks on track and those needing immediate attention.

You can also create detailed reports based on the needed data, such as SLA Met vs Exceeded, SLA Statuses Pie Chart, SLA Met vs Exceeded per Assignee. This setup allows you to tailor your analysis to your business requirements and focus on improving the most critical areas.

Real-World Examples & Best Practices

🎉To successfully meet customer service expectations, OLAs (Operational Level Agreements) must align with the SLAs (Service Level Agreements) you offer. For example, if a customer requires a service with no more than three hours of consecutive downtime at any time, all OLAs supporting that service must be structured to meet this level. Suppose a vendor only guarantees a three-hour recovery time during business hours. In that case, you cannot commit to providing the same 24-hour coverage to your customer unless the vendor agrees to extend their support – likely at an additional cost.

Service disruptions often require the involvement of multiple teams or external vendors, each operating under their own agreements. Every time a new team is engaged, their response time begins. It is essential to have all partners aligned from the beginning to ensure that the timelines match the SLA commitments made to the customer.

Before finalizing an SLA, it is important to establish OLAs first 🔑. These agreements are the foundation for your SLAs, so understanding the limitations and costs associated with internal and external providers in advance is vital. A common mistake is signing an SLA with a customer and negotiating OLAs only to discover that the promised service levels cannot be supported or would come at an unanticipated cost. To avoid this, always ensure that your OLAs are reliable before agreeing to SLAs, building a consistent and dependable foundation for customer commitments. 🚀

Try It Out: Effortless OLA Management ⭐️

Whether managing IT support, coordinating internal projects, or streamlining customer service, SLA Time and Report for Jira is here to simplify your OLA management. Our intuitive setup and real-time reporting allow you to configure, track, and optimize OLAs easily. 

Try it and see how easy it is to keep your internal operations running smoothly. With SLA Time and Report for Jira, you can spend less time managing service levels and focusing more on what truly matters. 💼