Design of a systematic framework for deploying SLA using six sigma methodology

Abstract

Nowadays, in telecommunication market in Korea, there are intensive competitions among service providers and users become to call for enhanced QoS. In response to current business environment change, service providers strive to find solutions to be more competitive by differentiating from others or to meet users' expectations and needs. Among these endeavors, deployment of SLA (service level agreement) is one of effective alternative in achieving service providers' such purpose. But, in deploying SLA, most of service providers simply adopt either best practice of other service providers by benchmarking without consideration service providers' situation or restricted internal managerial quality index without filtering which SLOs (service level objectives) should be deployed, which SLOs has priorities, etc. Furthermore the process of SLA management consisted of operations of network infrastructures, operation staffs, service management has a problem that the SLA management process has not been dealt with sufficient care and systematic exertion. In this paper, we suggest a new framework for SLA deployment and management using the concept and methodology of six sigma. Namely, we present a systematic framework for SLA deployment from selecting SLO by collecting VOC (voice of customers) and deriving CTQ (critical to quality) by using six sigma methodology to SLA management by adopting process of QoS measurement and improvement by using six sigma methodology. In conclusion, we give insights to service providers about necessary factors to be considered in the process of quality management desired to enhance the degree of customers' satisfaction and service providers' network and service operational efficiency