Can an SLA be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures satisfy the ESIGN Act and state UETA laws when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are present (see 15 U.S.C. §7001). Ensure consumer disclosures where applicable.

Is notarization required for an SLA?

Generally no. Most commercial service agreements do not require notarization. Only specific document types (e.g., deeds, certain POAs) typically require notarization.

What authentication level is recommended?

Choose authentication based on risk: email/SMS for routine agreements, stronger methods (KBA or two-factor) for high-risk data or regulated industries.

How should performance be measured?

Define precise measurement formulas, data sources, and measurement windows in the agreement to avoid disputes over how metrics were calculated.

What records should be retained?

Keep signed documents, audit trails, and monitoring logs for the contract term plus applicable retention periods (IRS, HIPAA, or industry rules).

Who must sign the SLA?

An authorized representative with actual authority to bind the organization should sign; include printed name, title, and date for clear attribution.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Service Level Agreement & Service Satisfaction Agreement

Service Level Agreement & Service Satisfaction Agreement

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SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT & SERVICE SATISFACTION AGREEMENT

Parties and Effective Date

Service Provider: Service Provider Address: Client: Client Address:

This Service Level Agreement & Service Satisfaction Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into as of (the "Effective Date") by and between the Service Provider and the Client identified above.

WHEREAS

WHEREAS, the Service Provider has expertise, personnel and resources to provide the services described herein; and

WHEREAS, the Client desires to retain the Service Provider to perform those services under the terms and conditions of this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the parties agree to the service levels, satisfaction criteria and remedies set forth below to govern performance, reporting and remedies for nonconformance.

Scope of Work

The Service Provider shall perform the services described in this section and any attachments or change orders executed under this Agreement. Services include provision, maintenance and support of the systems, deliverables and tasks identified below. The Service Provider shall perform services in a professional and workmanlike manner consistent with industry standards.

Detailed Scope of Work and Deliverables: Primary Service Contacts and Escalation:

Service Levels and Performance Metrics

The Service Provider will meet the following minimum service levels unless otherwise adjusted by written change order executed by both parties.

Response Time (initial acknowledgement for incidents):

Resolution Time (target for corrective action by severity):

Uptime Commitment (system availability, excluding scheduled maintenance):

Service Credits for Failure to Meet Uptime Commitment: In the event the Service Provider fails to meet the Uptime Commitment in a billing period, the Client shall be entitled to service credits calculated as up to a maximum credit of . Service credits are Client's sole and exclusive remedy for downtime and shall be applied against future invoices.

Payment Terms

The Client shall pay the Service Provider the compensation set forth below in exchange for the services rendered under this Agreement.

Service Fee Amount (per billing period): Payment Schedule and Terms: Invoice Due Days: Late Fee for Overdue Payments:

Accepted payment methods (check all that apply): Wire Transfer ACH Check Credit Card

Term and Termination

This Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and continue until the End Date, unless earlier terminated as provided herein.

Commencement Date: End Date:

Termination Notice Period (days):

Either party may terminate this Agreement for material breach by the other party if the breaching party fails to cure the breach within the notice period specified above after receipt of written notice. Either party may terminate for convenience upon the notice period provided above. Termination shall not relieve the Client of payment obligations for services rendered up to the effective date of termination.

Service Satisfaction, Acceptance and Reviews

Client satisfaction and operational acceptance shall be governed by the acceptance criteria below. Client shall provide written acceptance or notice of nonconformance within of delivery of a deliverable. Failure to timely provide notice constitutes deemed acceptance.

Acceptance Criteria (describe tests, metrics or user acceptance procedures): Service Review Frequency:

Confidentiality

Each party (the "Receiving Party") shall keep confidential all proprietary or non-public information disclosed by the other party (the "Disclosing Party") that is designated as confidential or that reasonably should be understood to be confidential. Confidential information excludes information that: (a) is or becomes publicly available without breach of this Agreement; (b) was rightfully known to the Receiving Party prior to disclosure; (c) is independently developed by the Receiving Party without use of the Disclosing Party's confidential information; or (d) is required to be disclosed by law, provided the Receiving Party gives the Disclosing Party prompt written notice to permit protective measures.

Each party shall use the same degree of care to protect the other's confidential information as it uses to protect its own confidential information, but in no event less than reasonable care. Confidential information shall not be used except to perform obligations under this Agreement.

Change Orders and Modifications

Change Order Procedure:

Liability, Indemnity and Force Majeure

Each party shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the other party from third-party claims arising from the indemnifying party's gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with this Agreement. Except for liability arising from a party's gross negligence or willful misconduct or from breach of confidentiality or indemnity obligations, neither party's aggregate liability to the other for any claim arising out of this Agreement shall exceed the amounts actually paid by Client to Service Provider hereunder in the preceding twelve (12) months.

Neither party shall be liable for delay or failure to perform to the extent caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, strikes, governmental action, internet failures or provider outages (Force Majeure). The affected party shall promptly notify the other and use reasonable efforts to resume performance.

Notices

Notice Address for Service Provider: Notice Address for Client:

Governing Law; Entire Agreement

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of without regard to conflict of laws principles.

This Agreement, including any schedules and executed change orders, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to its subject matter and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals and communications, whether written or oral. Any amendment or modification must be in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

Miscellaneous Provisions

If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of the Agreement will remain in full force and effect. The parties are independent contractors; nothing in this Agreement creates an agency, partnership or joint venture. Neither party may assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other, except to a successor in interest in connection with a merger or sale of substantially all assets.

Service Provider - Printed Name:

By (Signature):

Date:

Client - Printed Name:

By (Signature):

Date:

What the Service Level Agreement & Service Satisfaction Agreement Is

A Service Level Agreement & Service Satisfaction Agreement documents the expected level of service between a provider and a customer, specifying performance metrics, responsibilities, remedies, reporting, and escalation procedures. It records measurable targets such as uptime, response and resolution times, service credits or penalties, and satisfaction measures. The agreement clarifies roles, scope, exclusions, and governing law so both parties share a common standard for delivery, measurement, and dispute resolution.

Why this agreement matters for operations and customer satisfaction

A clear SLA/Satisfaction Agreement reduces disputes, sets measurable expectations, and creates consistent operational processes that support accountability and predictable outcomes.

Who typically uses a Service Level Agreement & Service Satisfaction Agreement

Organizations that deliver repeatable services or manage client-facing systems use SLAs to set expectations and measure results.

Real Estate and property managers using SLAs for maintenance response and tenant service levels.
Healthcare providers setting turnaround times for non-clinical IT services and patient portal availability.
Financial services and banking teams defining availability, transaction turnaround, and support SLAs.

Service providers, procurement teams, legal counsel, and enterprise customers all reference these agreements during onboarding, renewal, and incident reviews.

Essential elements to include in a professional SLA/Satisfaction Agreement

A comprehensive SLA lists measurable metrics, responsibilities, monitoring methods, remediation, communication protocols, and terms for review and amendment to avoid ambiguity between parties.

Service Scope

Define services covered, excluded tasks, and boundaries to prevent scope creep and clarify deliverables.

Performance Metrics

List measurable KPIs (uptime percentage, response time, resolution time, throughput) and how they are calculated.

Measurement & Reporting

Describe monitoring tools, reporting cadence, dashboards, and data sources used to verify metrics.

Remedies and Credits

Specify service credits, penalties, or remediation steps when service levels are not met.

Escalation Paths

Provide contact roles, response expectations, and stepwise escalation procedures for incidents.

Review & Change

Set review frequency, amendment process, and how changes to scope or metrics are approved.

Step-by-step: completing and executing the SLA

Follow this sequence when preparing, reviewing, and executing the Service Level Agreement to ensure consistent approvals and enforceability.

01

Draft the terms: Define scope, metrics, and remedies clearly.
02

Internal review: Route to legal and operations for feasibility checks.
03

Customer review: Share with the counterparty for feedback and redlines.
04

Execute and store: Sign, date, and retain the final signed agreement in a secure system.

Configuring the agreement for online completion and automation

Set up fields, signer order, and authentication methods to match your execution policy and compliance needs.

Template	Create a reusable template with locked clauses and editable fillable fields.
Signer Order	Configure sequential or parallel signing to enforce approval flow.
Authentication	Select email, SMS code, or stronger methods based on risk level.
Conditional Fields	Use conditional logic to show fields only when relevant to the selected options.
Reminders & Expiry	Set automatic reminders and document expiration for unsigned documents.

Typical electronic signing workflow for an SLA

Electronic execution follows a predictable sequence that preserves intent, attribution, and record retention required by law.

Upload the final draft: Sender uploads the approved version to the signing platform.
Place fields: Add signature, date, and initial fields for each signer.
Send to signers: Invite signers by email or generate secure signing links.
Capture audit trail: System logs timestamps, IPs, and authentication events for evidentiary records.

Platform capabilities to support digital execution

Choose a platform that supports required authentication, audit trails, and secure storage for SLA execution.

Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace
File formats: PDF, DOCX, HTML
Authentication options: Email link, SMS code, KBA

Key timeline items and deadlines to include

Define time-based obligations and notice periods clearly to avoid disputes about timing or cure rights.

Initial response time:

Specify hours to acknowledge incidents (e.g., 24 hours).

Resolution target:

Set target resolution windows by severity level.

Reporting cadence:

State monthly or quarterly reporting deadlines.

Renewal notice period:

Require written notice for renewal or termination (often 30 days).

Review cycle:

Schedule periodic SLA reviews (commonly annually).

Milestones from negotiation to operational monitoring

Track milestones to ensure the agreement moves from signed paper to measurable production monitoring and continuous review.

01

Negotiate Terms

Agree on scope, metrics, and remedies before approval.

02

Approve & Sign

Obtain signatures from authorized representatives.

03

Implement Monitoring

Configure tools to measure and report performance.

04

Ongoing Review

Regularly evaluate KPIs and adjust terms if necessary.

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing an SLA

Vague metrics that cannot be independently measured or verified.
Missing escalation paths or ambiguous contact responsibilities.
Unclear remedy calculations or unstated credit application rules.
Failure to align operational capabilities with the promised service levels.

Penalties and risks of an incorrect or incomplete SLA

Breach Damages: Monetary liabilities or compensation obligations.

Service Credits: Automatically applied credits reducing vendor payment.

Reputational Harm: Customer dissatisfaction and erosion of trust.

Regulatory Fines: Fines where service impacts regulated data handling.

Contract Termination: Early termination for repeated violations.

Unenforceable Clauses: Overbroad terms that a court may reject.

Who should sign and accept the SLA

Service Provider — Operations Lead

The operations lead or authorized manager signs to commit resources, specify monitoring processes, and accept remediation obligations. The signer should have authority to bind operational teams and confirm capability commitments.

Customer — Procurement or IT Director

The procurement or IT director signs on behalf of the customer to accept terms, confirm measurement acceptance, and authorize remedies. Their signature ensures contractual authority and links the SLA to existing purchase orders or statements of work.

Security and compliance items to document

Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit

Data at rest: AES-256 encryption at rest

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II available

HIPAA: BAA required for PHI

21 CFR Part 11: Compliant controls available

ISO: ISO 27001 certified

Comparing signNow and common eSignature vendors for SLA execution

Basic plan and capability comparisons shown below focus on starting price, trial availability, bulk send, audit trail, HIPAA compliance, and envelope limits to support SLA workflows.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor
Bulk Send	Yes (Business Premium)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies	Varies	Varies

Frequently asked questions about executing and enforcing an SLA

Answers to common questions about electronic execution, enforceability, authentication, and recordkeeping when completing a Service Level Agreement.

Need help? Contact support

Can an SLA be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures satisfy the ESIGN Act and state UETA laws when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are present (see 15 U.S.C. §7001). Ensure consumer disclosures where applicable.
Is notarization required for an SLA?
Generally no. Most commercial service agreements do not require notarization. Only specific document types (e.g., deeds, certain POAs) typically require notarization.
What authentication level is recommended?
Choose authentication based on risk: email/SMS for routine agreements, stronger methods (KBA or two-factor) for high-risk data or regulated industries.
How should performance be measured?
Define precise measurement formulas, data sources, and measurement windows in the agreement to avoid disputes over how metrics were calculated.
What records should be retained?
Keep signed documents, audit trails, and monitoring logs for the contract term plus applicable retention periods (IRS, HIPAA, or industry rules).
Who must sign the SLA?
An authorized representative with actual authority to bind the organization should sign; include printed name, title, and date for clear attribution.

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