Setting SLA Conditions
- Derya Özdemir
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The SLA Conditions feature allows you to set up rules that trigger SLA events based on various criteria within the lifecycle of an issue. These conditions are designed to ensure that issues are addressed and resolved in accordance with customer expectations.
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Types of SLA Conditions
There are four primary types of SLA conditions: Start, End, Reset, and Pause. Start, Stop, and Reset conditions are called "point conditions." They define a point within an issue’s lifetime, such as when the issue was assigned or when the status changed to Open. You can add more than one condition.
Start and End conditions are mandatory for every SLA, while Reset and Pause conditions are optional. The choice of using Reset and Pause conditions depends on your specific use case.
For each condition, you can either choose from common conditions, which are widely used conditions inspired by real-world scenarios, to save time or if your condition doesn't fit any of them, you can explore all other condition types.
Start Conditions
Start conditions define the initiation of an SLA and can be triggered by events such as a change in issue status, modification of a field value, reaching a specified date in a date field, or the addition of a comment to an issue.
For example, to start an SLA when an issue’s status changes, follow these steps:
Go to SLAs, and click + SLA.
After completing SLA Setup and SLA Goals, proceed to SLA Conditions.
Scroll to the SLA Condition, and click the + Start Condition button.
Click + More Condition Types.
Select Status is changed.
Decide whether you want the condition to be triggered when the SLA enters or leaves a selected status (Open, Reopened, etc.).
Select a status or statuses that the SLA requires in order to start.
Click Confirm, and the status will now appear in the box.
Check out the screenshots below to see some examples:
End Conditions
End conditions signify the completion of an SLA. It is mandatory to define at least one End condition for every SLA. The configuration steps mirror those of the Start conditions. Check out the screenshots below to see some examples:
Reset Conditions
The reset conditions feature allows you to set criteria for restarting an SLA. This means that under specific circumstances, the SLA timer can be reset, and the counting process begins anew. It's important to note that the new SLA will only start counting from the beginning if the specified start condition is satisfied.
In simpler terms, the reset function lets you decide when an SLA should start over. Each SLA definition can have its own unique resetting options based on your preferences. If your chosen conditions change, the SLA is automatically reset. If the SLA is already in progress but hasn't concluded, triggering a reset action will restart it. During this reset, the start time is set to the current moment, and the elapsed duration is reset to zero.
You have the flexibility to reset an SLA based on different events, such as changes in status, field values, comments, or when a specific date is reached. For example, using the "Date field is reached" option allows you to schedule when the reset should occur.
You can also select whether you want a finished SLA to be reset. Your options for resetting finished SLAs are:
Do nothing – After your SLA finishes, it won’t be reset.
Reset SLA durations and restart SLA – After your SLA finishes, the elapsed time will be reset, and the SLA will start counting again.
Reset SLA durations and invalidate previous cycles – After your SLA finishes, the elapsed time will be reset and the SLA Panel will be hidden. The SLA won’t start counting again until the next SLA start condition is met.
The configuration steps are similar to those of the Start conditions. Check out the screenshots below to see some examples:
Pause Conditions
Pause conditions introduce intervals within an issue's lifecycle where the SLA is temporarily halted. This feature proves beneficial in scenarios where you need to suspend the SLA calculation during specific circumstances, such as when a ticket is in a particular status (commonly during the waiting period for a customer response).
This functionality is particularly advantageous for teams providing support across different time zones. It accommodates contracts that stipulate response times tied to the customer's specific time zone. Additionally, you can configure the system to pause the SLA during company holidays and/or on specific dates and days of the week.
Within Time to SLA, you can select statuses and field values that trigger the SLA countdown to pause. Options for Pause conditions are:
Status is any of the selected status(es) – Choose from various statuses (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done, etc.). When the SLA enters one of these specified statuses, the countdown halts, and it resumes only upon exiting that status.
The field value satisfies a condition – To pause the SLA based on a specific field value, set the desired field for the statuses where the SLA should be paused. Numerous field options are available for customization.
Triggered by another SLA – Use this feature to connect your SLA to another SLA. For example, you can configure the condition to have your SLA pause when the SLA it’s connected to pauses.
Check out the screenshots below to see some examples:
You can see what a paused SLA looks like on the SLA Panel below:
Logical Connectors
Conditions can be connected using logical operators, with the default being the OR (“Any of the following conditions”) operator, meaning the SLA starts when any of the conditions are met. Alternatively, you can use the AND (“All of the following conditions”) operator. In this case, the SLA will start only when all conditions within a group are met.
“OR” Connector
When you create a new condition by clicking the Add button, it uses the “OR” connector by default. If you add more conditions using the same method, a dropdown that allows you to select between "Any of the following conditions" (OR) and "All of the following conditions" (AND) logics will appear.
“AND” Connector
For the “AND” connector to work, “All of the following conditions” needs to be selected.
Grouped Conditions
Grouped Conditions allow you to construct intricate SLA use cases by organizing conditions into logical groups with specific connectors. This feature enhances the flexibility of your configurations, enabling you to address complex scenarios effectively.
To create a new group, navigate to the condition you want to include in the group and click the ellipsis ("...") button. From the options presented, choose Create grouped condition.
Example 1:
In this example, there are two groups under the Pause condition: Group A and Group B. Group A and Group B have the “AND” connector, but they are connected to each other with the “OR” connector.
This means that for this issue to be paused:
The status needs to be “Waiting for customer” AND there must be a label containing “need-customer-response”.
OR
The status needs to be “Waiting for approval” AND the Approver groups custom field must contain “jira-servicemanagement-users” or “jira-software-users”.
Example 2:
This example could be about when to start a Time to First Response SLA. In this example, the SLA will start if the priority is changed to Highest, High, Medium, Low, or Lowest, and either the assignee is set and the status is changed to “Open”, or the status is changed to “Work in progress” and the assignee is set.
Let’s represent the conditions mathematically:
P: Priority is changed to Highest, High, Medium, Low, or Lowest.
A: Assignee is set.
S: Status is changed to “Open”.
W: Status is changed to “Work in Progress”.
The SLA will start if:
P∧((A∧S)∨(W∧A))