Glossary / Commercial models
What is Service Level Agreement (SLA)?
An SLA is a contractual commitment defining the standard of service a supplier guarantees, such as robot uptime, response times and coverage levels.
Last reviewed:
A robotics SLA typically sets out uptime targets, maximum response time if a robot faults, minimum coverage or cleaning frequency, and what remedy applies if those targets aren't met — a service credit, priority callout, or replacement unit. It gives a customer a measurable standard to hold a supplier to, rather than a vague promise of 'good service'.
For facilities and cleaning contract managers, SLAs matter because robot performance sits within a wider contract with their own clients or stakeholders — coverage reports and uptime data from a robotics supplier's SLA often feed directly into a customer's own service reporting.
When reviewing an SLA, check how uptime is measured (scheduled hours versus calendar hours matters a lot), what response times apply outside normal working hours, and whether reporting is provided automatically or has to be requested.
Common questions
- What does a typical robotics SLA cover?
- Uptime targets, fault response times, and remedies such as service credits or replacement units if those targets aren't met.
- How is robot uptime measured under an SLA?
- It should be defined against scheduled operating hours rather than all calendar hours, since maintenance windows are normal and shouldn't count against uptime.
- Can SLA reporting be used for my own client contracts?
- Yes, many operators use robot coverage and uptime reports as supporting evidence within their own service delivery contracts.
Related terms
Next steps