Service policies

A service policy defines job checkpoints and the service level agreement (SLA) deadline. Checkpoints let you track the progress of jobs as they flow through the system; the SLA deadline represents the time that the job must complete a specific processing step to meet your commitments to your clients.

Examples of performance commitments are:

  • Jobs will be printed 4 hours after they arrive in the system.
  • Jobs will be printed by 18:00 on the day they arrive if they arrive in the system before 10:00. Otherwise, they will be printed by 18:00 the next day.
  • Jobs will be ready to mail by 16:00 on the day after they arrive.

In addition, a service policy specifies whether RICOH ProcessDirector should adjust the job checkpoints and deadline to skip over any times when services are not provided, such as holidays and weekends. RICOH ProcessDirector can make sure that the job checkpoints and any deadlines do not occur during no-service periods.

Each service policy defines job checkpoints and an SLA that apply to one specific performance commitment. For example, if an installation has three performance commitments for different types of jobs or for different clients, the administrator would create three service policies.

The administrator can associate each service policy with one or more workflows. As each job arrives in the system, RICOH ProcessDirector uses the service policy that is associated with the workflow to set checkpoints and a deadline for the job.

In this section:

  1. SLA deadline
    The SLA deadline represents your ultimate commitment to your clients. It is the time by which a job must complete the processing step that the SLA measures.
  2. Checkpoints
    A service policy can define job checkpoints that occur at the end of a processing phase. Examples are the Receive, Prepare, Print, and Complete phases. A job checkpoint always occurs at the end of a phase.
  3. Checkpoint intervals
    For each checkpoint that the service policy defines, the service policy specifies a time interval. The interval is the amount of time that you expect a job to take to complete a phase. The interval does not include estimated durations set for steps in the workflow.
  4. Checkpoint times
    For each job that has an associated service policy, RICOH ProcessDirector records planned checkpoint times. In addition, it records actual checkpoint times for all jobs, even for jobs that do not have an associated service policy.
  5. No-service periods
    RICOH ProcessDirector can adjust the planned checkpoint and SLA deadline times so they do not occur during periods when your installation does not provide services. For example, you might not provide services on holidays and weekends. These periods are called no-service periods. You define these periods in no-service period objects.
  6. Time zones
    The service policy specifies the time zone where jobs are printed. If jobs are printed in more than one time zone, you must create a service policy for each time zone.
  7. Checkpoint status
    RICOH ProcessDirector periodically calculates a checkpoint status for each job as it progresses through the system. The checkpoint status helps you find jobs that are late meeting their checkpoints.

Related information:

Setting up service policies
Supplied service policies
Finding late jobs
Viewing checkpoints and deadlines
Parent topic: System objects