Experience Level Agreements (XLAs) are an approach to measuring user experience that has gained significant attention in recent years. These metrics offer companies a departure from Service Level Agreements (SLAs). The main difference between XLAs and SLAs is that XLAs are centered around the qualitative aspects of how users experience a service, while SLAs are focused on quantitative performance metrics. XLAs are increasingly being recognized as crucial in contexts where user satisfaction is a priority, such as in IT services, customer support, and other service-oriented industries. This article discusses the practice and impact of XLAs and outlines what organizations can do to ensure their success.
XLAs are a popular concept in the Information Technology (IT) industry and have been employed by companies across the world to improve user experiences. They provide an efficient and organized way for an organization to define and regulate the quality of the services it provides. In essence, XLA’s are agreements between the service provider and user which measures the impact of the services on the users and drives business value.
A Win-Win for Everyone
Not only do XLA’s provide an organized framework for service delivery, but they also have numerous benefits for both the user and provider. For the user, XLA’s guarantee a certain level of quality of service and provide a framework for resolving any service issues that arise. For the provider, XLA’s offer performance measurements which allow them to gauge their performance levels and provide actionable insight for process improvement. In addition, introducing XLA’s provides a great opportunity for user feedback and allows for a better understanding of the user’s needs and desired service levels.
Driving Commitment to Deliver Excellence
To ensure the success of XLAs, organizations must commit to measuring both qualitative and quantitative outcomes that align with desired business outcomes. This is achieved when all parties work together towards mutually beneficial outcomes. Additionally, organizations must adopt and operationalize XLAs that help create a value loop based on the principles of continuous improvement. Finally, a performance measure model for credit/incentive determination should be included during the delivery phase.
A True Measurement of Experience
XLAs are based on sentiment analysis combined with hard data retrieved across critical applications, collaboration tools, and hardware devices. This provides an actionable way to monitor the real experience of end-users. XLAs offer operational and strategic benefits, such as reducing service desk costs, proactive issue resolution, and easier and cost-effective management of end-users based on defined personas.
Examples of XLAs
XLAs are designed to capture and enhance the actual experience of users interacting with a service. Here are some examples of how XLAs might be structured and the kinds of metrics they could include:
- User Satisfaction Surveys: One of the most direct ways to measure experience is through regular user satisfaction surveys. These can ask about ease of use, satisfaction with the service resolution, and overall happiness with the service interaction.
- Net Promoter Score (NPS): This metric assesses the likelihood of a user recommending the service to others. It’s a strong indicator of overall user satisfaction and loyalty, commonly used in XLAs to gauge the effectiveness of service improvements.
- Time to Productivity: This metric measures how quickly users can become productive with a new tool or service. It reflects not only the ease of learning and using the service but also how effectively the service enables users to achieve their goals.
- Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM): DEM tools can be used to measure the performance of applications and services from the user’s point of view. Metrics might include application response times, device performance, and user interaction patterns, all aimed at identifying areas where user experiences can be enhanced.
- First Contact Resolution Rate: While traditionally an SLA metric, in the context of an XLA, this metric can be used to assess whether issues are resolved in a single interaction from the user’s perspective, affecting their overall satisfaction and perception of efficiency.
- User Engagement Levels: Measuring how frequently and deeply users engage with a service can provide insights into its value to them. Metrics might include session duration, frequency of logins, and interaction rates with key features.
- Error Rates and Impact: Beyond just counting errors or downtime (common in SLAs), XLAs consider the impact of these errors on the user experience. This could involve measuring the disruption caused to users and their work, not just the technical fault.
- Adoption Rates: For new services or features, how quickly and extensively they are adopted by users can be a crucial metric. High adoption rates can indicate a positive user experience and satisfaction with the changes.
These examples highlight how XLAs focus on the qualitative aspects of service delivery, emphasizing improvements in how services are perceived and experienced by users, rather than just their technical or quantitative performance.
Key Outcomes of Implementing XLAs
Implementing XLAs allows organizations to establish clear goals and set thresholds that effectively measure success and failures based on sentiment analysis with hard data. XLAs provide a clear understanding of the areas that need to be focused on and shift the focus from service reviews and penalties to continuous quality service improvements. Some of the key outcomes might include:
- Increased user engagement
- Enhanced service delivery
- Improved user experience
- Greater competitive advantage
By achieving these key outcomes, organizations benefit from enhanced end-user experiences, increased productivity, and a more proactive issue-resolution approach.
Accelerating from Quality of Service to Quality of Experience
The journey from Quality of Service to Quality of Experience is a significant one that organizations must undertake to provide meaningful insights into the end-user experience. XLAs help organizations understand their end-users better, which is crucial in the current diverse and inclusive workplace environment. By understanding and respecting the different needs of end-users, organizations can create real value for the business.
In Summary
In the evolving landscape of service management, the shift from SLAs to XLAs marks a paradigm shift in how organizations measure success in service delivery. SLAs have traditionally focused on quantifiable performance metrics which often overlook the user’s subjective experience and satisfaction with the service. XLAs, on the other hand, prioritize the end-user experience, incorporating metrics that reflect real user satisfaction and engagement. XLAs are designed to guarantee that services not only adhere to technical benchmarks but also significantly improve the overall user experience. This encompasses factors such as ease of use, satisfaction with how problems are resolved, and the emotional reactions users have during service interactions.
While SLAs are not obsolete—providing critical benchmarks for technical service delivery—the integration of XLAs can provide a more comprehensive view of service quality and success. By balancing the objective measures of SLAs with the subjective insights from XLAs, organizations can achieve a holistic approach to service management that ultimately results in better business outcomes.
by Nancy Nelson