Promising availability.
WHAT A COMMITMENT STATES
A target availability, and what happens if it is missed.
WHAT THE REMEDY USUALLY IS
Service credits, proportionate to the shortfall.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT
Promising more than you can deliver.
WHY
The commitment is contractual, and failure is measurable.
WHAT TO MEASURE IT AGAINST
A defined measurement method, stated.
WHAT TO DEFINE PRECISELY
What counts as downtime
What is excluded: planned maintenance, customer-caused issues, third-party failures
How a claim is made, and within what period
WHY EXCLUSIONS MATTER
Without them, any dependency's failure becomes your liability.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH BEFORE OFFERING ANYTHING
What your actual availability has been.
WHY
Committing to a figure you have never achieved is a promise to pay credits.
WHAT TO OFFER INITIALLY
A modest target you comfortably exceed.
WHAT LARGER CUSTOMERS WILL ASK FOR
Higher targets, response commitments, and sometimes penalties beyond credits.
WHAT TO RESIST
Liability beyond credits Commitments on things you do not control
WHAT TO BUILD
Measurement you can produce on request.
WHY
A claim requires evidence, and disputes without data are settled badly.
WHAT TO REVIEW
Performance against commitments, monthly.
